~VWUUSH!~

A swirling disturbance in space appeared within the darkened halls of the Royal Dungeon's First Floor.

From within the spatial distortion, ten beings emerged. They donned armor, had special wears, and possessed various weapons located in specific parts of their bodies.

These were the Raid Team, consisting of the nine Otherworlders and Sir Ralyks—leader of the team.

As soon as they came out of the portal, it closed, forcing darkness to take over the expanse surrounding them.

Thankfully, this was only temporary, as several balls of light floated in the air—courtesy of Ralyks.

As a result, everyone could clearly see the world that they had entered.

"Gather around, everyone." Ralyks' voice interrupted the serene silence that had pervaded everything.

The nine looked at him and did as he instructed. They formed a cluster opposite the Dark Adventurer, eyes alit with resolve.

"Let us begin the briefing."

******

Adonis. Alicia. Belle. Billy. Trisha. Justin. Clark. Eric. Rey.

Each of these participants were outfitted very differently, with weapons and attires that were unique to them and their abilities.

Broadly speaking, those who had warrior-like builds—like Billy, Clark, and even Adonis had armor for gear.

Billy's armor was the most elaborate, focusing solely on strength and power. He had dual swords behind him, as well as two daggers on his hip.

His helmet had a visor that allowed him to see, but aside from the few other openings in his armor, he was covered from head to toe in black and blue armor.

Clark, a natural Tank, had the bulkiest armor.

Based on his criteria, there was a red cape attached behind his armor that made him seem like some kind of legendary hero.

He didn't really have any wieldable weapon, though he had spiked knuckles, and he could also bring our claws from his wrists if he desired.

His armor was also colored blue and red for some reason.

As for Adonis, he had light armor on. His requirements ensured the items he wielded were more Enchanted than they were heavy.

This caused his Stats to jump as a result of their boosting capabilities.

His armor was golden, with small hints of black—a perfect fit for someone like him.

Everyone could attest to the fact that he looked like a true Hero in full gear.

For the speed-based types—like Justin and Trisha—they were outfitted in much lighter attires to better boost their abilities.

That way, they got boosts on their Skills, as well as multiple star boosts, without compromising their specialty in speed and stealth.

Trisha had a black skin-tight wear that covered her entire body. Then, she donned a blue jacket and short pants that had the same color.

Her shoes, gloves, and choker complimented her outfits perfectly—all enchanted in one way or the other.

Finally, she had her Enchanted Blades—one by the sheath on her waist, and the second one was behind her.

The one on her waist was a new weapon, while the second was the same weapon she bought during the first excursion.

It went through an upgrade that turned it Enchanted, so both her blades were strong enough for the task at hand.

For Justin, he was dressed in all-black—a standard for thief-related roles.

He had a hooded jacket, with a dark inner shirt, black trousers, and a cloak that had a series of daggers fixed inside.

He had daggers on his hips, behind him, and in various other hidden positions.

All the Daggers were Enchanted as well, and since he wasn't strictly equipping all of them at the same time, they weren't particularly subject to the 'Equip Limit.'

The Mage-types—Alicia, Belle, and Eric—had more emphasis on Items; like rings, bracelets, necklaces, staffs, etc.

Alicia, for instance, had five rings on her right fingers, as well as a long cloak that served as an Enchanted Item, two necklaces, and a bracelet.

She also had the White Amber on her left finger—making a total of ten Items.

Belle had a similar build, but with two bracelets, four rings, a long staff, and a tiara on her head.

As for Eric, he opted for a stave rather than a staff, and he had Magic Gloves, Magic earrings, a Magic Ring, and a Magic necklace.

They also had respective colors.

Belle opted for a more pink and amethyst vibe, while Eric had a more green-like taste.

As for Alicia, she had a white and blue color choice.

The last among the group was Rey, and his Equipped Items were restricted to only five.

He had a horned helmet to protect himself, though it still gave room for his face to show.

Frankly speaking, the helmet appeared a bit oversized, but Rey managed it well.

He also had goggles for increased perception and boots for swift movements, while also equipping an armored gauntlet one one hand—which doubled as a shield and a counter-type Item.

The final Equipped Item he had was a necklace that absorbed energy and boosted his Stats. It also released bursts of energy after a set period of time. It was going to be helpful for long-

range attacks, so that was included.

Rey's equipment ensured he had both offensive and defensive capabilities, precisely matching the nature of his sole Skill.

With Enchanted Items, even weaklings could become strong. As a result, Rey's Items—despite being only five—boosted his abilities to an unreal degree.

Right now, he wasn't the nobody that he used to be. Everyone could tell too.

In his own way, he too was strong.

Then, standing before all of them in his usual raven-black attire was Ralyks.

"I already sealed off the First Floor, so no Monsters exist here." He began the briefing.

"From the Second Floor and below, there will be several kinds of Monsters. Their strength will be unpredictable, and their abilities would have evolved."

Everyone's expression remained stern. They were already prepared for this much.

"I will be with you, so there's no reason to fear. However, I will not deliver the Monsters to your hands. You'll have to do that yourselves." Ralyks paused and looked at everyone.

Then…

"Is that understood?"

"YES!"

… He nodded in approval.

"Let us begin the Raid."

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Thanks for reading!

The Royal Dungeon Raid begins! Do you think an unprecedented incident will happen?