Gabriel followed Lilly to a private room where two women were already waiting. One of them was a woman in her early twenties with a stern look on her face. She appeared as if she were constantly frowning.
The other was dressed in a flowing green gown. From her lithe frame, Gabriel could tell she was a woman, though her face was concealed by a transparent veil, obscuring her features.
Yet despite the veil, those soft, beautiful emerald eyes were unmistakable.
Although he couldn't see their levels, Gabriel could tell they were far stronger than him—especially the grumpy-looking beauty.
Sensing their presence, both women turned toward the door.
"Prin— I mean, Miss Sophie," Lilly corrected herself respectfully. "I found someone to complete your party."
She gestured to Gabriel and proceeded to introduce him. "His name is Gabriel, a level 14 adventurer."
"Just leave it at 14," the first girl clicked her tongue in disappointment. With Gabriel's toned, athletic build, she had assumed he was a high-level adventurer.
"Don't be rude, Cassie," admonished the veiled girl. Her voice was soft, sweet, and pleasant to the ears—the kind of disarming voice that could make men weak in the knees.
She turned to Gabriel and apologized. "Please forgive my friend. She can be annoying at times, but she's one of the kindest souls you'll ever meet."
"It's alright," Gabriel replied. "I didn't find it offensive. In fact, even I despise the weak. They're just deadweight, only good for dragging others down."
"Oh… huh, alright," Sophie stuttered, slightly caught off guard by Gabriel's cold words. Even Cassie couldn't help but give him a long side-eye before sneering and looking away.
The veiled girl cleared her throat and introduced herself properly. "My name is Sophie. This is my sixth time entering a dungeon, but I'm well-experienced and always make sufficient preparations. I'm confident I'll be a capable party leader."
Gabriel nodded. "I'll do my best. But about the rewards…"
"The loot and cores of any monsters you kill belong to you."
Gabriel felt the deal was fair enough, so he accepted. Moments later, they left the building for the dungeon site.
On their way, Gabriel learned the name of the dungeon—[Skeleton Paradise]. As the name suggested, it was mostly populated by skeleton-type monsters.
In this world, dungeons weren't built by anyone. They randomly appeared, and the only way to clear them was to defeat the boss, which stopped the monsters from respawning.
If left unchecked for too long, a dungeon break could occur.
Because of the risk, dungeons were typically cleared quickly, though some guilds attempted to secure them for research, resource farming, or exclusive training grounds—often at their own peril.
Some time later, they arrived at a gated compound with a luxurious manor. The owner of the mansion—a burly man who reeked of alcohol—received them at the entrance and led them to the back where the dungeon had appeared.
It was a large blue portal that hovered slightly above the ground. It radiated a strange aura that seemed to beckon all nearby to enter.
"Please clear it as fast as you can. My wife and kids are terrified of leaving the house, afraid that monsters will come out," the man pleaded.
"Don't worry, sir. We'll handle it," Cassie assured him.
After the man rushed back inside, the three of them passed through the portal.
Gabriel felt something soft wrap around him, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself under a starry dark sky filled with thousands of stars.
The stars provided a soft glow that brightened the darkness, allowing the group to see clearly. It was a wasteland with thousands of tomb stones.
"Oh, before we proceed," Sophie suddenly remembered something and began to fiddle with her fingers in the air.
[Ding! Lady of Bloom has sent you a Party Invite]
A message flashed before Gabriel.
'An alias, huh,' he thought inwardly, and quickly changed his name to the same alias he had used in his past life.
Broken Heaven.
Gabriel would've used his real name, but this was the alias someone dear to him had chosen long ago.
[Ding! You've accepted the invite]
[Party experience bonus increased by 10%]
After accepting the invitation, Gabriel saw the details of his party members:
[Lady of Bloom] [Lv. 43] [Class: Nature's Beloved]
[Cassie] [Lv. 50] [Class: Support]
'I thought as much,' Gabriel's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the level of the grumpy maiden. Reaching level 50 meant she qualified for her first class advancement quest.
Similarly, Gabriel's information—level and class—was also revealed to Sophie and Cassie.
"You're classless?" Sophie raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Is that a problem?" Gabriel replied calmly.
"No, not really. It's just strange," she said. "Classes have their benefits and provide passive effects. You should visit one of the churches and get one after the raid."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Are we just going to stand here or continue already?" Cassie said in a sharp tone.
"Alright, let's go."
The party of three walked deeper into the dungeon. Gabriel walked slightly ahead while Cassie and Sophie followed behind.
"I wonder what's giving him that much confidence," Cassie muttered as she observed Gabriel's confident gait.
Sophie didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on Gabriel's broad back.
"People like him tend to die quickly," Cassie added. Still receiving no response, she glanced sideways at her friend.
"Hey, are you even listening?"
"I heard you the first time," Sophie replied with a faint nod. "Besides, we shouldn't jump to conclusions. Alice told me to personally observe him, so there must be something special about him."
"Really?" Cassie asked skeptically, rolling her eyes.
"Yup. You do know if Alice said that, it means the order came from Scarlett herself?"
Cassie halted and turned to face Sophie. She opened her mouth to speak when suddenly they heard footsteps.
Their gazes snapped toward the sound.
Stumbling forward were four level-16 skeletons, their skeletal limbs clacking and hollow green eyes glowing faintly.
Both Sophie and Cassie prepared to fight—but someone else beat them to it.
Their eyes widened.
A shadow lunged forward at the skeletons.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The sound of blades cutting through air echoed, and the heads of all four skeletons simultaneously flew into the air, spinning before landing at the feet of the stunned girls.
The skulls rolled toward them—one of them stopping right in front of Cassie, its green eyes locking onto hers before slowly dimming into darkness.
* * *