The merchant shook her head upon eyeing the gold-plated earrings. “I’m sorry. You have my pity, but I can’t sell a camel this cheaply.”

“But I’m literally going to die if I don’t get out of here! Please!”

“I can give you 600 Loya for these goods. And that’s generous. The lowest I can afford to go on a Camel is 2,000.”

“I’ll do anything!”

“If you need money, we are at a dungeon. You’ll make more than enough for a camel if you clear it.” The merchant sighed. “But that hardly matters. Someone like you will cook to death long before making it to Misfrafal. Honestly, I’d be surprised if you last more than a week even under the shade of the dungeon’s entrance.”

Huay stared down at her feet. “Then what should I do?”

“Your best bet is the dungeon. You’ll find enough loot in there to pay off a camel if you manage to clear it.”

“But I’d die!” She looked up at the merchant with pleading eyes.

“Better to die on your feet than to waste away out here.” The merchant gazed back with an indifference that suggested this type of conversation was nothing new to her. “Plus, you’re a solo queuer, aren’t you? I bet you can join any group you want. Just pick whoever you think is the strongest and maybe they’ll keep you alive.”

“But…”

“Go out there and try. Some former soldiers arrived here about a week ago. I bet they’re strong. The Baranzaar nobles aren’t a bad option either, naturally. As for the rest… Well, you can use your judgment. But, in any case, you interrupted my reading.” She picked up a book off her desk and pointed to the door. “It’s best not to waste your own time, either.”

Huay returned the earrings to the Baranzaars and, after some encouragement from Rasieu and Bigoor, she decided to approach the ex-soldier group.

The three sat without conversation on crates around a campfire. A stern-faced man with blue hair was reading a book titled DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SAND-SWEPT TOMB: 9th Edition. A woman was humming as she sharpened a long, level 19 spear. Both looked up at her when she got close. The man nodded at Huay while the woman just smiled, but neither spoke. A second woman, the one that had spoken to Huay before, was busy taking stock of their rations when she noticed Huay standing by their fire.

“So you made the right choice.” She spoke in a sharp tone. “As expected. We enter tomorrow, crack of dawn.”

“Oh. Uh, alright.” Straight to the point, huh?

“Just one thing before that. Tell me your capabilities. Your physique is not a fighter’s or even a laborer’s, and I don’t see any equipment on you either. What’s your main Ability?”

“Oh. Umm… Okay.” Huay broke out into a cold sweat. “I can uh… tell you your levels?”

The woman raised an eyebrow. “That so?”

“You’re level 20. The other two are level 18.”

The other two members, who had been silently listening, rose to their feet, and the woman flinched a little.

“How did you do that?” Her voice was cynical.

“I can tell by looking,” said Huay.

“By looking? So you were able to gauge our experience with only a glance? That’s impressive. Usually an Ability to perceive levels requires physical contact or some other condition.” She paused. “But still: a trick, no matter how impressive, is just a trick. What can you do in combat?”

“I can tell the levels of anything in that dungeon, too. It’ll help in fights,” Huay was starting to feel more confident in herself. I’m not even lying here, I really can do that. And they already know I’m not as physically strong as them.

“Very well then. I trust that it has served you well if you’ve survived as a solo adventurer. Tomorrow at daybreak it is. I’m Salein, by the way. I was a bowman in the army, and I remain one now. My ability allows me to summon an infinite supply of arrows, and I can fire 60 in a minute. More in bursts.”

Salein was a short woman who stood with stiff yet otherwise flawless posture. Her black hair was short, ending just above her shoulders, and her predominantly leather clothes looked high quality.

The muscular woman with the oversized spear chuckled with delight. “And I’m Beale. You can probably guess my specialty.” She was muscular to the point of looking like a bodybuilder, and quite tall too—though still a tad shorter than Huay. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail that reached all the way to her waist.

The blue-haired man with the book went last. “Jordan. A pyromancer.” He took another glance at Huay. “That red hair of yours is brilliant. Is it natural?”

“Ah, no. I actually just had it dyed just a few days ago.”

“Same! I had mine done just before we departed for the dungeon.” He flaunted his lavish beard. “I made them do my facial hair this time around. Really completes the look.”

Jorlaan wore a peach-colored robe along with sleeveless leather gloves and a pair of silver earrings that reminded Huay of wind chimes. He was about the same height as Beale although his relatively average physique made the man seem small by comparison.

“Good to meet everyone. I’m Huay.” She looked at the guidebook in Jorlaan’s hands. “Say… Could I borrow that just for tonight?”

“Sure. Just make sure to get some sleep. It might be a few days before you get another chance to rest in safety.”

He walked over and gave it to her.

DUNGEON: Sand-Swept Tomb

LEVEL: 15

GROUP SIZE: 4 Required

DESCRIPTION: Being the first dungeon above level 9 in its region, newcomers often show up hoping to get rich or make a name for themselves, and end up dead. It is generally run for its loot, as the high prices these goods sell at far outweighs the notoriously low XP gains that stem from a relative lack of monsters. Instead of massive brawls against hordes of opponents, each floor of the dungeon has one single tough-to-overcome threat, making it very fatal for those without adequate preparation. Undead monsters and golems are most common to find, and its final boss, Sosiri, takes the form of a scrawny human with mismatching limbs, with a massive heart separated from its body that must be destroyed to end the fight.

Huay spent her time before entering the dungeon at a luxurious breakfast with the Baranzaars and Bigoor. It was a somewhat somber meal, as the others quietly wished for her survival, but the food was amazing at level 19. The silent Baranzaar was an excellent chef, it seemed.

Everyone said their farewell and, with that, Huay began walking toward the gate.

Her group was already at the top of the long staircase that led to the entrance. Beale looked gigantic in her armor while the other two looked about the same as before—albeit with the exception of the enormous backpacks they wore.

Huay was out of breath by the time she reached the top, and her peers looked like they’d taken note.

Salein broke the silence, “Let’s do it.”

Nobody responded. Each member of the party took one last look at each other before walking to their positions on the gate. The other groups waved at them from their distant camps at the base, even those she hadn’t spoken to much. There could be camaraderie in adventuring, she noticed.

Huay looked at the gate. It was tall. Multiple stories, even. Ornate geometric patterns covered its black surface. Nobody moved to push it open, and Huay did not dare take the first step.

She stared at the door for the better part of a minute. After what she’d read about the dungeon the night before, she hoped that she would just get to stand there all day. Huay felt her stomach churn and her heart accelerate as the nerves took root.

A creaking sound cut into her thoughts. A level 12 creak, a level 28 double door, a level 25 frame arching around it, a level 85 portal to wherever she’d end up, showing itself as the doors slowly came open. The words of the guidebook echoed in her head as she stared at the door, and yet she was unable to picture what might happen with any clarity. Knowing levels was her only lifeline. She clung to them as if doing so would somehow help her out of the hell she had no choice but to enter.

The doors continued to swing inward, revealing the landscape ahead. Just like the guidebook. Its entrance was hundreds of feet under a sand dune and yet the inside of the dungeon possessed an idyllic blue sky.

This was the time to turn back. It wasn’t too late. All she had to do was step away and come clean to the others.

But her body didn’t listen. Fear had her rooted in place. The rest of the group waltzed in as soon as the door was fully open. I can’t do this. I can’t do this! Please, God! Don’t make me do this.

“Is something wrong?” asked Jorlaan.

“Oh, sorry.”

Huay followed them in.