"So this is a dungeon?" Felix muttered as he stood a few meters away from the portal, staring at it with a mixture of wariness and excitement on his face.
It was still night out and the surrounding was mostly quiet, save for say the soft whirring sound that seemed to emanate from the dungeon.
The area around it was empty even though it previously had rubble and the body of a Wind Tyrant nestled comfortably.
He didn't think much of it as he kept his focus on the portal.
The red oval-shaped anomaly with enough space to fit twenty grown men at a time pulsed like a heartbeat, looking a lot like space was ripped apart at the hems like a piece of clothing with the edges still possessing smooth strands that seemed to hold the power of Laws.
Nathan walked over to him. "Your excitement will soon disappear once you see what's inside."
Felix pursed his lips. "What should I expect?"
Nathan thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Think of the most disgusting thing. Something that if you saw it would cause your blood to run cold."
"…" Felix put up a brow at the sudden request.
He was inclined not to bother but since he had asked, he had to at least show some sincerity.
Thus, he quickly created a mental image in his head.
What was it?
Just an image of him serving the Demirs with love and affection in his eyes.
Felix's toes immediately curled at the thought.
Nathan noticed the reaction and chuckled. "Yeah, such is how you would feel beyond this gate so stay frosty."
"But…" Felix wanted to ask how he could see such a scene as the one he just pictured beyond the gate but ended up pushing it aside.
There was no need to talk too much.
Wasn't the dungeon before him?
He could just go inside and take a look.
Felix was about to take a step forward when Nathan placed his hand on his shoulder to draw him back.
"Word of advice, try to be conservative with your energy. Once you are in a dungeon, the only way to regain system energy, or Ordena, would be through select meditation techniques."
Felix furrowed his brows. "Why is that?"
"No idea."
"Hmm."
"Anyway, The world within dungeons would actively try to either assimilate us or reject us completely. So we can't spend too long in there, neither can we be wasteful with energy. Once we figure out the dungeon specifics, we take care of it. Got that?"
"Mn." Felix tried to move forward again only to be stopped.
"I'm serious Felix, be careful and follow my lead. Even if it's a Red dungeon, we can't be careless."
A few seconds of silence reigned before Felix took a step back and glanced at Nathan.
"I understand."
Even though his excitement was understandable, he couldn't allow it to cloud his judgment.
"I was hasty," Felix added.
Nathan nodded before stepping forward. "I'll enter first to scout the area. Enter one minute after."
"Understood."
Nathan took a few steps forward, entering the vicinity of the portal before a powerful suction force took hold of him and sucked him in.
A second later and he was gone.
Felix controlled his breathing while staring at the portal.
Instead of asking Aya to inform him of the time, he counted himself, waiting patiently for a minute to elapse.
With only 10 seconds remaining, Felix felt his heart beat faster as he took a step forward.
Du-geun
It was like a hammer as it slammed against his ribs, revealing his tense state.
5 seconds.
[Inner Form breathing activated]
[Gladiator title equipped]
As the notifications filled his vision, Felix retrieved his sword from [Weapons Vault].
1 second left.
With a resolute expression, He made his way toward the portal until he came within range, and then, like clockwork, the suction force appeared.
Whoosh
Felix tried to keep his balance but when Nathan was so easily sucked in, how could he do any better?
Like a puppet that had lost its string, Felix was lifted from the ground and sucked into the portal.
A second later and the area was empty with only an ominous-looking red portal remaining.
***
Darkness.
That was what Felix encountered the moment he opened his eyes.
There was nothing and he felt weightless, almost like he was no longer a person, just an extension of the all-encompassing darkness.
"Am I… dead?" He muttered as his consciousness slowly sank into the darkness to become one with it.
Just as he was about to lose himself, a bright blue light flashed and the image of a young girl that looked to be no more than 10 years old appeared in his vision.
[Attempting resuscitation]
[Resuscitation successful!]
A moment later and Felix gasped for air as he sat upright.
"You are back." Nathan's voice floated in his ear, jolting Felix from his initial shock.
Blinking a few times, Felix asked. "What happened?"
"You struggled. Number one rule when entering a dungeon, never try to fight against it once you come within range… you'd only put yourself in more danger." Nathan remarked casually.
Felix furrowed his brows before glancing at Nathan. "You never told me that."
"Well, I didn't think you'd attempt fighting the portal… I have to say, you've got balls, really big ones."
Ignoring Nathan, Felix sighed before taking the time to survey his surroundings.
At that moment, several notifications appeared before him.
[You have entered a dungeon]
[All contact with the outside world has been sealed]
[Dangers abound and your life is constantly at risk, so host is advised to be careful at every turn]
Though Aya's warning was understandable, Felix couldn't help but question them as he stared at the sight before him
Unlike the terrifying landscape he was expecting, He was instead met with a rather awe-inspiring view as before him lay a city so grand, there was no way its appearance correlated with the notions of a dungeon.
If anything, the only strangeness was the red sky that flashed with red lightning and the surrounding darkness that kept the splendid city isolated from everything.
With a confused expression, Felix muttered. "This… is a dungeon?"