[Rank F] like us were brought to the front of the [Radiant Fang] Guild' s branch office. The guild building was massive and impressive, surrounded by tall, sturdy fences. The entrance gate looked heavy and powerful.
Everyone was excited, wondering if they' d be chosen—including me.
The [Radiant Fang] Guild is known for always hunting new types of monsters. It' s said that the guild leader enjoys collecting the fangs of various monsters or beasts, often bidding on newly spawned dungeons with unfamiliar creatures.
Because of this, the guild has a wide variety of materials, making it famous among merchants.
You could say there isn' t a single merchant who doesn' t want to trade with the [Radiant Fang] Guild.
But we were led around to the back of the guild.
Not because we were important, but because they didn' t want customers or merchants to be annoyed by the sight of a bunch of [Rank F] people walking into the guild.
At the back, the guide ordered us to state our full names. Someone recorded all our names on paper before riding off on horseback.
We stood waiting until the man returned on his horse. He simply nodded and led the horse back to the stables.
Then, they started calling us into the building one by one.
Each person didn' t take long to come back out.
But everyone who emerged had a look of fear and hurriedly fled the guild.
Since we saw that those who left weren' t injured, we steeled ourselves and continued waiting for our names to be called.
I guessed they might have acted rudely and gotten scolded or threatened.
But it seems I was wrong, because even those who were more knowledgeable and experienced than me came out just as terrified as the others.
Even the ones who were chosen still emerged with the same fear, though their expressions were slightly better than those who weren' t picked.
If I remember correctly, this woman was the one who said she could imitate a pig' s sound.
She didn' t walk away from the guild but sat trembling with her head down, a little apart from our group.
She seemed terrified of whatever she encountered inside. I noticed the other guild members looking at her—their eyes suggested this was normal.
Though everyone, including me, envied her for being chosen, no one could help but feel anxious about going in now.
Then came disappointment after disappointment. Even those who seemed tough and composed ran off in a panic.
So far, only three people had been chosen.
One was a plump woman who said she could be used as a human shield. Her body was covered in terrifying scars.
Another was a man—I can' t recall what he said.
After that, no one else passed until it was my turn.
I walked into the building nervously. Even the back entrance stairs were made of fine marble, clean and luxurious. Each step was so high I had to take two strides to climb the next one.
It was spotless despite constant foot traffic. They must clean it every day. How rich are they?
They probably eat three full meals a day, sleep in warm rooms with soft beds and big blankets—not thin, tiny ones shared among three people like in my family.
I thought about this to drown out the fear in my mind.
I was led into a room that was bright and impeccably clean. The light came from expensive magical devices that also radiated warmth.
My freezing body gradually started to feel better.
How nice would it be if Tiara and Elda could recover in a place like this? I quickly shook off that thought—I' m here for a job, not to daydream.
At the far end of the room sat a huge woman with long yellow hair, nearly three meters tall. She was seated on a massive, luxurious, and comfortable-looking chair. I had to crane my neck to see her face.
But the moment I locked eyes with Lady Jaigia, I began trembling with fear again.
I finally understood why everyone looked so terrified after meeting her.
Because the leader of the [Radiant Fang] Guild, Lady Jaigia, was a tiger-human hybrid.
Her predatory eyes stared at me like I was prey. I felt that if I moved or stepped back even slightly, my head would roll across the floor.
I didn' t dare blink or look away, holding my breath and clenching to keep from wetting myself.
"Take off your hood."
The order came from the woman who had guided me into the room.
I wanted to refuse—my ugly face might anger Lady Jaigia.
But I couldn' t disobey.
With trembling hands, I untied the knot and slowly pulled off the cloth covering my face.
"Ugh! Urp!"
See? The woman who gave the order immediately grimaced in disgust. She covered her nose, unable to bear the smell, looking like she wanted to gag but held it back. Then she turned her face away.
"Take it all off!!!"
A powerful voice commanded—it was unmistakably Lady Jaigia.
My knees buckled instantly. I felt suffocated, my heart pounding wildly, tears welling up from fear. But my hands didn' t stop unwrapping the cloth covering the wounds around my mouth. Once I finished—
"Support Team, Unit 5!!!"
Lady Jaigia said this and walked out through another door. That' s why the doors, stairs, and building were so huge—they were built for her.
The pressure lifted slightly, but only a little.
The tears and urine I' d been holding back came flooding out at once.
"Filthy! Disgusting trash! Hurry up and cover your face! And use your shirt to clean it up!"
I flinched at the scolding.
"S-sorry! I' ll do it right now!"
After bowing in apology, I quickly rewrapped my face, mustered my strength to stand, turned away from her, and took off my shirt to wipe up my mess until the floor was dry. Then I put it back on.
"Get out and join the others! So we can disinfect your filthy stench! Get lost!"
"Yes, I' ll leave right now!"
I bowed humbly, accepting the reprimand, and hurriedly left the building to join the other three who had been selected.
All four of us, including me, still bore traces of fear on our faces.
Soon, three people came to call us to join our groups.
"Unit 1."
The woman who called herself a human shield followed the caller. That unit wore heavy armor, carried massive shields, and wielded swords and spears.
"Unit 2."
The woman who could mimic a pig' s sound joined that group. It was a mix of ranged and close-combat fighters, with lighter armor than Unit 1.
"Unit 5."
That left me and the man. We joined Unit 5.
Unit 5 seemed to be the butchering team—their wagon was loaded with intimidating tools.
The man and I were asked our names by the unit members. That' s when I learned his name was Zan.
Once everything was ready, Lady Jaigia' s commanding voice ordered the troops to move out.
Only us [Rank F] flinched—everyone else who heard her roared with enthusiasm and cheered loudly.
The guild' s forces were divided into two teams: the main team and the support team.
Lady Jaigia led the main team to another dungeon, while us [Rank F] went with the support team.
Every guild member rode horses or sat in wagons.
Except for us [Rank F] , who had to run as fast as we could to keep up.
Before leaving the city, everyone was searched. Normally, someone like me wouldn' t pass easily—guards assume people like us have committed some crime.
Getting out was hard enough, but returning to the city was even tougher. Without money to pay, they' d find any excuse to keep useless people like me out. That' s why we gather as much firewood as possible when we go out—to avoid being extorted too often.
But this time, traveling with the guild, they' d informed the guards, so we passed through the gate without issue.
So, getting back shouldn' t be a problem either.
The problem now was keeping up with the wagons.
Two hours later, we arrived at the entrance of a newly spawned dungeon.
Zan and I collapsed, gasping for air. Running nonstop with our weak bodies nearly killed us from lack of oxygen.
Zan was slightly better off, but me? I lost count of how many times I' d vomited bile.
My throat burned with acidity, and my tendons and muscles ached so much I wanted to scream.
Several times along the way, Zan and I collapsed, unable to go on. But they forced some foul-tasting potion down our throats, letting us push through.
And they said every bottle used on us would be deducted from our pay.
The potions looked low-grade, sure, but I' d used over twenty. Zan used only a few less than me.
I prayed we' d at least have some coins left—just please don' t let me end up in debt.
Our Unit 5 had time to rest since Unit 1 was the one clearing the dungeon, while Unit 2 was tasked with reinforcing, cleaning up, and providing support.
Thirty minutes into the fighting, Unit 2—leaving some members behind—went in to bolster the forces. Their job was to fill in missing positions and assist in evacuating the wounded.
The injured were sent to Unit 3, the medical team, which included adventurers, healing mages, and regular doctors. They seemed equipped to handle any condition, even abnormal statuses or curses. This unit also sent a few members to provide preliminary treatment alongside Unit 1.
An hour later, Unit 4 joined them. This unit was responsible for treasure hunting and transport, hauling out monster corpses, treasure chests, and mining every type of ore they found.
The monsters they brought out were golems and bats.
Finally, it was Unit 5' s turn. Their role was to butcher the carcasses, separate the parts, appraise the treasure items and ores, and then load them onto the wagons.
Once a wagon was full, it immediately set off back to the guild with an escort.
I felt like my eyes were opened to a whole new world. I couldn' t help but be amazed and excited by what they were doing. Even Zan, who had some prior experience, stared unblinkingly.
Hundreds of people here—not counting those sent to clear the dungeon—moved according to their roles without any hesitation or disruption.
This was just the support team. What must the main team be like?
This is what a powerful, prestigious guild looks like.
I got goosebumps from the thrill. Zan and I both thought the same thing: we wanted to be a part of this someday.
But while everyone else worked diligently, we were ordered to sit still and not move, so we wouldn' t get in the way or cause any trouble.