How To Survive A Calamity

"Where have you been?"

I shrugged with my hands shoved in my pocket and truthfully admitted without much consideration.

"Taking a dump."

"Watching him take a dump." Chelsea said in the same manner.

The expressions of Deandra, Trise and Kyle morphed for a quick moment, but i had already quickly moved on from them.

Instead, i stared ahead, beyond their figures, where a massive amount of transluscent blue glow poured out into this world. Right there, looming greatly in all of its overwhelming glory, was the massive entrance to a dungeon.

'So... that's how a dungeon entrance looks like.'

It was huge, much more different than the small almost insignificant Teleportation matrix i found in the Midnight Foxes Den a year ago.

There was a massive twirling phenomenon of blue energy swirling before my eyes. A wave of energy poured forth from it like a broken dam, the cosmic gate of of the dungeon entrance continued to release pulses into the hall.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Standing this close before the gate made me momentarily feel breathless. There was an invisible pressure it emanated that was suffocating.

A stream of transluscent blue light poured out from it, carpeting part of the hall in a light blue glow.

There were two hodded and cloaked figures standing on both sides of the Gate with their features hidden and masked, unseen by the shadows draped over their heads.

They emanated a chilling type of pressure from their positions however. It looked like they were more focused on the gate, as if they were there to ensure it's stability and preventing of any unforeseen accidents.

'Those people, i think I've heard about them before.'

[They're Guardians, or Gate keepers.]

Meta promptly responded sullenly inside my head.

While on my research about dungeons, i came across the small detail about certain 'Gate Guardians' whose purpose and authority were to manage and control a dungeon entrance.

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'But those guys are humans, right?'

My initial thoughts were that Gate keepers were usually entities, not humans. Just like the Midnight Foxes king of the Den: i later found out it served quite a close and similar roll to a Gate Keeper at that time.

'That explained why it never left the Den or even deep inside it's chamber.'

[The idea of Gate keepers have evolved over time to humans. Initially, at the beginning of the war during the first appearances of dungeons and gates, Gate keepers were the first entities to descend into Aethoria and pave the way forward for a prematured Gate to fully bloom. During those times, in order to clear and cease control over newly emerged Dungeon, a number of Awakened warriors would first of all have to wage battles against the Gate keepers...and win.] Meta briefly explained.

[But the existence of the Gate keepers turned out to be more dire with time. After that, Awakened warriors, and humans eventually would end up taking up the mantle of a Gate keeper and becoming a Guardian. The process is vague and complicated, to say the least, and you're authorisation level is too low to be privy to such information.]

That would mean, Gate keepers may appear in any shape or form or species.

The history books i read didn't mention anything about a complicated process like Meta implied. I guess there really is far more than what meets the eye on the surface just like every other time.

Alas, my authorisation was still too low. Funny, when was the last time i heard that?

The hairs on the back of my neck and arm tingled as my senses responded to the share amount of energy and Aether spewing out of the fragmented crack of reality.

"Woah~ it's huge." I heard Chelsea say next to me in a low voice like a whisper, mixed with admiration.

This was the first time seeing a Gate, i wasn't sure what to expect. The Inheritance Dungeon of Laplace used an old and ancient Teleportation matrix to instantly transfer me to, what i assumed was a separate space, the inside of the dungeon.

I wasn't sure if the method of a teleport matrix counted as a gate or not. But as i stood before this massive phenomenon looming over me, i think the term 'gate' best perfectly suited this one.

'The amount of Aether is absurd.'

Chelsea and i weren't the only ones who shared admiration for the dungeon gate.

Voices of awe mixed with unease and anxiousness could be heard amongst the muttering of the cadets surrounding us from all over.

Just then, the familiar figure of Wrenna Marlowe climbed up a small platform before all gathered.

Her beautiful face was cold with her usual stern expression. Next to her sides were a few others familiar and unfamiliar looking Instructors, and perhaps homeroom instructors for other first year classes.

The female instructor crossed her hands and coldy gazed down at the cadets from her position.

"I see everyone of you have finally gathered, welcome." She began, swept a gaze of the the crowd and pointed at the swirling gate behind her.

"This here is Gate judged with a wavelength of a Category four Dungeon, and it will also be the main stage for the practical field experience exercise. Standing before a gate like this, this would be a first for many if not all of you. Dungeon diving is an unavoidable aspect of an Awakened in the world of Aethoria today. Many of you here, if not all will eventually have to go through this experience more than once later on in your lifetime. That is as long as you live, and continue to walk the path of a Hero. That is why this field experience exercise is necessary to get some hands in experience for the incoming future."

Wrenna began with a brief introductory speech, leading the flow before anyone else. Her figure was highlighted by the dazzling blue light of the swirling gate behind her, making her seem even more imposing.

A Category four gate...

I looked back at the Large gate and felt my insides churn strangely. I heard Danger sense resonant vaguely at the back of my head.

Even for such a supposedly low graded Gate, it's pressure was still overwhelming.

I've been unable to shake this feeling off for a while now, but...

The familiar mantra kept recurring over and over inside my head.

"Anything can happen in a dungeon." I heard Chelsea whisper from my side. She gripped her spear tightly to her chest and shrunk back a little.

Glancing around, even the faces of Don, Trise and even Deandra held unease

Seeing so, i breathed a small sigh of relief.

'As expected, it wasn't just me.'

I thought perhaps Danger sense was giving some kind of vague warning. Since the skill leveled up, i haven't fully realised it's new extent, although every now and then it reacted in turn with my subconscious thoughts and intuition.

So literally, any gut feelings i had wasn't to be taken for granted.

And right now, my gut was telling me something unbearable.

That this was going to be a long exercise.