The Bait Walked Back

Yaj Ekim died on a street with a knife in his ribs. He woke up 18 in a world that runs on crystals, guild ranks, and dungeon parties. The Guild measured him. No cast signature. F-rank. The only test that mattered. A pretty captain picked him anyway. Pack mule. Stay last. Do not touch the boss. First Dark was supposed to be an easy crawl. Then they walked him to a ledge the stone already knew. They shoved. They shot the dart. They told him F-ranks go first. They should have pushed harder. In this world, parties throw the weak into pits. Yaj does not fall. Magic does not stick. Poison does not hold. The dungeons can hear him. The bosses would rather talk than eat him. The Guild still thinks he is nothing. The next party will not.