With that, Crimson turned to evaluate his mana.
Mia had a grin on her face, showing her absolute support as he stepped closer to the orb, also placing his hand on it.
After a few seconds, the orb radiated a dim glow, which was the weakest color that existed in the world. Those who usually had this level of mana were newborn babies and infants who couldn't yet take in solid food.
"I think I know them. They're the best students of the Linkinward Academy this year."
"No wonder she's so powerful."
"..."
"..."
The mutters started after Mia's evaluation, as some who felt envious decided to let go of their emotions, knowing they couldn't stand a chance against her.
"Seriously, he's so weak."
"Did that guy really kill a Menetor?"
"They say his father is the principal of the academy."
"Then the battle must have been a scam."
"He's pathetic."
"..."
"..."
The tone of the people gathered changed after his evaluation. He removed his hand, stepping back, not showing any signs of sadness or disappointment as he still wore his expressionless face.
"Okay, if that's done, your guild cards are ready," Yumai said as she took out two gold cards with their details on them.
"He also got a gold card."
"It seems it's true that money buys everything."
"..."
"..."
"With that, let me say, you'll get all your quests from me personally. Your first quest is to clear a dungeon that recently spawned around the southern part. There will be guards stationed at the entrance, but give them this, and they'll let you enter."
Yumai said as she handed them pieces of what seemed to be gold coins. Even though they looked similar, they had a distinct difference from the currency used.
She wished them luck as she returned to her office, leaving the rest to them.
---
They left the guild afterward and reached the dungeon in less than an hour since they were sent by the guild's carriage.
Upon reaching, there were two guards stationed in front of it, as Yumai had said. Since it was their first time seeing a dungeon, they were surprised.
It looked similar to a black hole, with large amounts of mana being sucked into it. Dungeons are formed from the mana that remains in the mortal realm after a monster has been offered to the gods as thanksgiving.
They gather up in one place and reform the creatures, giving them demonic features and extraordinary power according to the amount of mana the dungeon is made of.
Dungeons were ranked according to their size, ranging from A-class to BE-class. Only A-class parties were allowed to enter due to the danger they posed, while lower-ranked parties tackled the untransformed monsters.
Dungeons would close up after their core had been destroyed. The cores came in many forms; some were the bosses, but several dungeons had grown to expand to another level after the boss had been killed, a few turning into labyrinths.
Hence, the intellect of the world hadn't been able to identify the actual core of a dungeon.
If labyrinths or dungeons weren't dealt with, creatures' mana levels would exceed that of the gates, allowing them to pass through. Such occurrences were known throughout the world's history, and several nations had fallen because of that.
The creatures that escaped would eventually lose their excess mana and become normal monsters. It was something close to the process of diffusion.
Without wasting time, they showed their passes to the guards and were allowed access into the dungeon. Upon stepping in, they saw that it looked more like a cave since it was a giant tunnel.
It was dark, as Mia cast a light magic spell to illuminate the area. They walked deeper into the cave, the tiny balls of light floating above their heads and allowing them to see what was ahead.
"Why aren't we running into any monsters?"
Crimson inquired, as the cave was as empty as a normal one.
"I don't know either; it's awkward."
Still keeping their guard up, they walked with their weapons tucked away.
They kept on walking, not meeting anything, as they reached the entrance of the boss cave, which was noticeable since every boss chamber had a door in front of it.
"We didn't meet any monsters until this point. Do you think Miss Yumai sent others to clear the doungen and left the boss for us?"
"It will be a nice way to test your skill since this is our first quest, that is. Well, let's give it our all, Crim."
Crimson nodded in agreement as they stepped into the gates, unaware of the dangers that awaited them.
The room was pitch black, so dark that Mia's light couldn't travel more than a few inches.
Seeing something was off, Crimson decided to use his power.
"The omniscient being, grant me the power to know my surroundings."
He muttered, his body glowing faintly as he realized.
"Mia, we need to get out of here fast!"
He exclaimed as he held Mia's hand, pulling her as they ran back. Before reaching the gate, Crimson halted as they heard the sound of the doors closing.
"What's it, Crim?"
Mia asked with a worried look as she didn't understand what was going on.
"It's a trap. Miss Yumai set us up."
"How? What have we done?"
She said, not questioning Crimson's claims since she trusted him.
"I don't know, but this place isn't a dungeon. I should have activated my power before we made it this far. Now we're stuck here."
Crimson said, seriousness and uneasiness lurking in his usually emotionless tone.
"I don't understand."
"The guards that were in front—they're Miss Yumai's personal guards. Now it's too late; we're stuck here."
"I don't understand, Crim. What do you mean, and how do you know that?"
Mia said, as her calm and rational voice was replaced by one of worry.
"This is a gateway to the demon realm."
He said, running out of mana as his omniscient power deactivated.
"Cast every single protection spell you know on yourself before the transmigration begins. I'll be fine."
Knowing how strong Crimson was, she did as he said, calling upon the goddess of protection's power, and then the rumbling began.