Chapter 92: Gatekeepers

The registration counters occupied an entire section of O.R.D.O.’s first floor, and despite the number of Raiders moving through headquarters that morning, the process advanced quickly.

Jet, Frey and Mikhail joined one of the shorter queues before reaching a counter enclosed by transparent glass, where an O.R.D.O. employee scanned their identification and pulled up the White Dungeon Jet had transferred from the holographic terminal.

The woman behind the counter checked Jet’s Raider ID first, then Frey’s, before glancing at Mikhail’s E-Rank Porter License. Her fingers moved across the projected interface until another record appeared, and the professional expression on her face changed slightly.

"Before I complete the registration for ZN-W-77104, there is an unresolved Dungeon entry attached to both Raider profiles," she explained, turning the display enough for Jet and Frey to see it. "You entered a White Dungeon without registering the Raid beforehand."

Jet immediately knew which Dungeon she meant.

Their first one.

Back then, he and Frey had barely finished obtaining their Raider Licenses before they found themselves standing in front of a White Dungeon and decided to enter it.

The expedition had eventually led them through Greyhaven and ended with the Bell Executioner, but neither of them had bothered returning afterward to complete the entry report.

Frey leaned closer to the display and scratched the side of his jaw. "Yeah, that’s ours. We cleared it."

"I can see that," the employee replied, tapping the record. "The Gate collapsed normally after the Boss was defeated, and the site team recorded two licensed Raiders exiting before the collapse. The problem is that neither of you submitted the post-entry report."

Mikhail slowly turned his head toward them, his eyebrows rising behind his glasses. "You two hired me because you wanted an experienced porter, but apparently I’m the one traveling with criminals."

Frey gave him an unimpressed sideways glance. "Relax, Fatty. If we were criminals, we’d find somebody less noticeable to bring with us."

Mikhail looked down at his stomach and then back at Frey with an offended expression. "We’re not even inside the Dungeon yet, and you’re already attacking my physical characteristics."

The employee pressed her lips together, clearly suppressing a smile, while Jet ignored both of them and focused on the record.

"We didn’t know there was a report required afterward," Jet admitted. "That was our first Dungeon, and we’d only received our licenses that day."

"That happens more often than you’d think," the employee replied as she opened another form. "O.R.D.O. allows licensed Raiders to enter unsecured White and Green Dungeons without prior on-site registration under the open-entry regulations, provided the Gate hasn’t been restricted, reserved or placed under containment. You are still required to report the entry afterward so the clear, participants, casualties and basic Dungeon information can be added to the official record."

That explained why there wasn’t a serious penalty attached to their profiles. White and Green Dungeons appeared frequently enough that forcing every licensed Raider to travel to an O.R.D.O. office before entering one would create unnecessary delays, especially when newly manifested Gates needed clearing.

Higher-ranked Dungeons were another matter entirely, but the lower two classifications allowed considerably more flexibility.

The employee sent two forms to their Raider interfaces. "Complete these declarations, confirm that nobody else entered with you, and acknowledge the late-report notice. Since this is your first failure to report and the Dungeon was legally open for entry, you’ll receive a warning rather than a disciplinary penalty."

Jet filled his form while Frey did the same. The questions were straightforward: entry time if remembered, number of participants, whether anyone had died or disappeared, confirmation of the Boss defeat and whether any abnormal conditions had been encountered.

Jet answered without unnecessarily expanding on anything that didn’t need to become part of the record.

Within several minutes, the old entry disappeared from the unresolved section of their profiles.

The employee returned to their current registration and confirmed the three names. "Jethro Saint-Clair and Frey Valentin D’Aubigné as registered Raiders, with Mikhail Dragunov attached as certified porter. Dungeon ZN-W-77104 is now assigned to your party for the current entry window."

Mikhail smiled as his own interface updated. "See? Completely legitimate professionals now."

Frey slipped his identification away and looked at him. "You haven’t done anything yet."

Mikhail patted the enormous backpack proudly. "Preparation is part of the job."

After leaving the counter, they headed toward another section of the headquarters complex connected directly to O.R.D.O.’s transportation services. Rows of vehicles occupied the enormous lower garage, ranging from ordinary armored transports to specialized material carriers and large buses designed for full Raid Teams.

Jet selected one of the smaller shuttle buses.

The vehicle was reinforced rather than luxurious, with broad storage compartments beneath and behind the passenger cabin, washable interior surfaces, equipment restraints and enough cargo space to transport several Dungeon corpses if properly sealed.

A huge O.R.D.O. insignia covered both sides, making the vehicle impossible to mistake for civilian transport.

The shuttle system existed for more than convenience. Raiders without personal transports could rent one for the duration of an expedition, use it to reach the Dungeon and then return with whatever materials they harvested. O.R.D.O. maintained an entire transportation department responsible for cleaning, repairing and inspecting the vehicles between rentals.

There was one restriction displayed prominently across the rental agreement.

O.R.D.O.-owned shuttle buses were forbidden from entering Dungeons.

If Raiders wanted a vehicle inside, they needed to bring a privately owned transport rated for dimensional entry and accept the risks themselves. O.R.D.O. wasn’t interested in losing government vehicles because someone decided to drive a rented shuttle through an unstable Gate.

Mikhail claimed the rear cargo area almost immediately, securing his backpack and arranging several empty collection containers while Jet took the driver’s seat. Frey dropped into the passenger seat beside him and stretched his legs comfortably.

The drive to the Northern Commercial District didn’t take long.

They noticed the emergency signals before they saw the Dungeon itself.

Several streets had been partially restricted, with luminous warning barriers directing civilian traffic away from the affected block.

Red-orange emergency beacons flashed along the perimeter, and temporary signs displayed the White Dungeon identification alongside O.R.D.O. warnings.

Beyond the barricades, a swirling white portal stood between two damaged commercial buildings, its pale surface folding continuously inward as though someone had cut a circular wound into the air.

Jet parked the shuttle in the designated Raid vehicle area.

Three people were waiting near the Gate.

Two men and one woman stood behind the inner barricade wearing fitted charcoal suits with silver O.R.D.O. insignias at the collar and identification bands around their left arms. None carried the heavy equipment associated with Raiders.

Instead, each held a slim monitoring device linked to several instruments positioned around the Dungeon perimeter.

They belonged to O.R.D.O.’s Gate Control Division.

Among Raiders, its field personnel were usually called Gatekeepers.

Gatekeepers were deployed whenever a newly discovered Dungeon entered active containment.

Their responsibilities included securing the immediate area, preventing civilians or unauthorized Awakeners from approaching, confirming Dungeon identification, inspecting professional licenses, recording everyone who entered and monitoring the Gate until the Raid concluded.

Their job continued even after Raiders disappeared through the portal.

Every Dungeon received an estimated clear time based on rank, environment, known monster population and previous data from similar Gates. If a Raid Team exceeded that estimate, the Gatekeepers flagged the expedition as overdue and began monitoring it more closely.

They didn’t immediately send another team inside because Dungeon clear times could vary significantly. Instead, the standard emergency window extended for another twenty-four hours.

If nobody returned by the end of that period, the Gate Control Division issued an emergency alert.

At that point, O.R.D.O. treated the missing Raiders as presumed dead or incapacitated and determined whether a recovery or rescue operation was justified.

Jet, Frey and Mikhail approached the inner barricade together.

The oldest of the three Gatekeepers stepped forward. He appeared to be in his early thirties, with closely cropped brown hair and a narrow face. He raised his identification band, causing a small holographic credential to appear beside his shoulder.

"Good morning. Elias Mercer, Rank Two Official, Gate Control Division," the man introduced himself in a practiced but polite tone. He glanced at the three of them before continuing, "I’m the supervising Gatekeeper for ZN-W-77104 during this shift. Raider and support identification, please."

Jet presented his Raider ID first.

Elias scanned it, and Jet’s registered information appeared across the man’s handheld display. Frey followed, then Mikhail stepped forward and presented his Porter License.

The Gatekeeper’s eyes paused briefly on Mikhail’s classification. "E-Rank porter and certified field harvester. You’re registered to this party for today’s clear?"

Mikhail nodded and tightened one shoulder strap. "That’s correct, Official Mercer. I’ll be handling collection, harvesting and transport support."

Elias confirmed the record before looking toward Jet and Frey. "Both F-Rank Raiders, both 1-Star, current registration confirmed. Dungeon identification matches your assigned entry."

The woman standing behind Elias completed another scan of the portal while the second male Gatekeeper checked the equipment they had brought from the shuttle.

Elias then turned his display toward them. "Current Dungeon estimate remains unchanged. Ruined Settlement environment, projected thirty-five to fifty 1-Star monsters, estimated clear time three to five hours. Boss classification remains unknown. Your entry time will be recorded the moment you cross."

Frey rested one hand near the hilt of his curved sword and gave Elias a relaxed nod. "Understood."

Elias’s expression remained professional as he added, "If you have not returned after five hours, your party will be marked overdue. That does not automatically initiate a rescue response. The twenty-four-hour emergency window begins from the end of the estimated clear period. If your party still hasn’t returned when that window expires, Gate Control will issue an emergency signal and escalate the incident."

Mikhail adjusted his glasses and glanced toward the swirling white portal. "Hopefully we’ll be back long before anyone starts writing our obituaries."

Frey looked at him with a crooked smile. "Just stay behind us when things start trying to eat you, Fatty, and your obituary can wait."

Mikhail frowned at Frey before patting the utility knife on his belt. "I’m beginning to think surviving the monsters will be easier than surviving a week with you."

Jet shook his head at the two of them and turned toward Elias. "We’re ready."

The Rank Two Official checked his display one final time before stepping aside. Behind him, the inner warning barrier separated, opening a direct path toward the Dungeon.

"Party registration confirmed," Elias announced, gesturing toward the Gate. "You are cleared for entry. Good hunting."

Jet drew the Vorpal Blade from behind his waist.

Frey’s playful expression disappeared as his hands settled on his weapons, while Mikhail moved several steps behind them and tightened every strap across his equipment.

Whatever jokes the porter had been making outside, his posture now showed the discipline expected from someone who had already survived enough Dungeons to earn an E-Rank license.

Jet looked at the white portal ahead.

Their week of Dungeon raiding had officially begun.

With Frey beside him and Mikhail following behind, Jet stepped forward.

The three crossed the final barricade together and walked into the swirling white portal, their bodies disappearing one after another into the light.