Chapter 24: Real Danger

Chapter Twenty Four

"Wait... is that another gate?" One of the warriors who was the first to notice the new gateway spoke in confusion, his mind still struggling to come to terms with what he was seeing after the blinding light. Then, as his vision finally cleared, his eyes shook in their sockets. A new gate.

That could only mean one thing. "A two-gate dungeon..." Several warriors who noticed the white gateway gasped in shock and disbelief. A two-gate dungeon was not common... not at all.

In fact, they were so scarce that they could be called extremely rare. And yet, in a low-level dungeon like this one, they had somehow come across a second gate. Sir Dwaine’s gaze finally changed from its usual casual state to one of complete seriousness.

After all, he had been waiting for this. From the moment he stepped into the dungeon and saw the level of the monsters they needed to fight just to make their way through, he had already felt that something was wrong. Even the level of the dungeon boss was not high enough to explain the mystery surrounding this dungeon.

A lot of warriors, both weak and strong, had entered this dungeon before them. Some came in small numbers while others came in large groups. Yet none of them had ever returned. If what the group had faced so far was everything this dungeon has to offer, then surely those warriors wouldn’t have perished.

That left him with only one conclusion. This dungeon was hiding another terrifying dungeon within it. The monsters and creatures they had faced so far were nothing but the beginning. The real nightmare of Dungeon X... Must be behind that white gate.

While the old man calmly analyzed the situation, Orion was doing the same. He had heard of two-gate dungeons as well. They were mostly known for having even greater dangers on the other side.

In some extremely rare cases, however, the second dungeon might not contain any danger at all and could instead be filled with nothing but treasures. Either way, he still had to be careful. In fact, the moment the white gate appeared, the feeling of unease in his heart only seemed to grow stronger.

The group panicked at first when they realized that this was a two-gate dungeon. But soon, they calmed down after realizing that there was no reason for them to be worried. The quick death suffered by the powerful dungeon boss was already a testament to the strength the group possessed.

Even if the danger on the other side was doubled, with Sir Dwaine among them, they should still be able to easily overcome it. And so, brimming with strength and vigor, the group stepped forward.

One after another, they entered the white gateway that had already opened itself... almost as if it were personally inviting them inside. One after another, they disappeared through the gate. The last two to enter were Orion and Sir Dwaine.

But unlike before, Sir Dwaine had placed one hand on his sword. It was something he had not done even when facing the Red Ogres. Back then, he had used nothing but his bare hands, as if those monsters were not even worthy of dying by his sword.

His face had remained relaxed and casual throughout the entire battle. But now... He was serious. Orion could even feel that the old man’s body was slightly tense.

Dwaine looked at him. "Kid, you should stay here. I have a bad feeling about that gateway." His hand remained on his sword as he continued. "I might not be able to guarantee your safety."

After saying that, he stepped into the gateway without waiting for Orion’s reply. He wouldn’t force him. He could only offer his advice.

Orion remained where he was for a moment. The white gate surely had to be hiding the true danger of Dungeon X. But if he stayed behind and one of those Red Ogres were to somehow be reformed by the dungeon... Would he survive?

The answer was a resounding no. A Level One warrior against Level 12 monsters or above... His chances of surviving were practically zero. After a while, Orion finally made his decision.

He stepped forward and entered the white gateway, his dagger already unsheathed and ready to fight for his life.

Yet the moment he stepped through... What hit him was not an assault. There were no cries of battle. No terrifying monster. Instead... A cool wave of vitality suddenly slammed into his body.

Orion froze. The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced. He felt more relaxed than he had ever felt before. No... It wasn’t merely relief. He felt great. Too good, in fact.

His tensed muscles gradually relaxed. His body seemed to radiate with life. His mind became completely at ease. It was as if he had stepped into heaven.

Orion snapped his eyes open and immediately looked around. He was inside what appeared to be a massive palace. Several multicolored pillars rose toward the sky, towering so high that their tops seemed to disappear into the heavens.

The ground beneath his feet was made entirely of white marble. It felt cool... Smooth... And strangely pleasant beneath his feet. Orion slowly raised his head.

Then his eyes changed slightly. The sky... It looked exactly like the design of a galaxy he had always seen in fiction books. It must have been some grand design created to make the palace feel even more majestic.

And yet, despite it being nothing more than a design, it was so realistic that Orion couldn’t help but feel small and insignificant while looking at it. It was as if he were truly standing beneath an actual galaxy.

Orion shook the thought away and finally pulled his eyes away from the realistic galaxy-like sky. He looked around once more. And then... His eyes widened.

No matter where he looked, he could see treasures. Countless treasures. Each one radiated immense power and majesty, yet they were scattered everywhere... Almost as if they were nothing more than discarded trash.

The group had broken into smaller groups of three to explore the massive white palace and collect as many treasures as possible. Were they foolish? Didn’t they know that this place must be hiding some kind of danger?

Thinking about that, Orion frowned deeply. The danger he had been feeling before had completely vanished. In fact, no matter where one looked, there was no danger in sight.

If anything, there was only peace and tranquility, as if the group had truly stepped into heaven. Something was not right about this place. Surely, this place must be hiding some kind of danger.

But what that danger was... Orion couldn’t tell.

He might not be able to tell, but there was a senior who could. Orion moved his gaze around the palace, searching for Sir Dwaine. Several seconds later, he found the old man standing before one of the massive pillars that stretched high into the sky.

Orion walked closer. And the closer he got, the more he realized just how massive the pillar truly was. Standing before it, he looked nothing more than an ant.

"So you decided to enter after all." Sir Dwaine’s gaze was complicated, his hand pressed against the massive pillar.

Orion nodded and explained why he had made his decision.

The old man nodded in understanding. "You’ve got a point. If you were to face those Red Ogres on your own, then surely you wouldn’t be able to survive." His expression became serious. "But this place isn’t safe either."

Orion frowned. Based on his analysis, Sir Dwaine had a Future Sight-type talent. So shouldn’t he be able to tell what was hiding within this place? Orion asked the question.

The old Dwaine simply stood there without saying anything. Several seconds passed. Then the old man sighed. "Listen up, kid." His voice was unusually solemn.

"What I can tell you is that we are clearly in danger." He paused. "But what kind of danger it is... Even I myself can’t say."

Orion frowned deeply upon hearing that. The old man seemed to know everything that would happen. He appeared to be living in the future and the present at the same time, making him seem almost invincible in Orion’s eyes.

And now... He was saying that he couldn’t tell what danger was lurking around them. The fact that they felt safer here than anywhere else was another blaring warning that made Orion feel even less safe.

It was ironic. This place was the safest place Orion had ever been in. And yet, at the same time... It gave him the greatest sense of danger.

"Kid, you’re sharp, so I believe you’ve already guessed my main talent."

Orion nodded. "It has something to do with perceiving the future, right, Senior?"

The old man nodded. Then he shook his head. "It goes deeper than that. Instead of just seeing the future... I live it."

Orion’s eyes narrowed slightly. "My power makes me able to be aware of everything around me, and..." The old man’s expression became solemn. "...with it, I’ve been able to survive many dire dangers and discern most threats before they could reach me."

It was the first time Orion had seen such a solemn expression on Sir Dwaine’s face. "But this white palace is different. The moment I stepped in here... It was as if my talent had been rendered totally useless."

The talent that had always made him feel powerful and almost invincible... Felt like nothing but meaningless power the moment he stepped into this white palace. Sir Dwaine slowly raised his gaze toward the sky.

His expression remained calm, yet his tone was filled with weariness. "This white palace is the most dangerous place I have ever come across." He paused for a moment.

"In fact... I believe its danger is so unimaginably vast that all of our combined might may not be enough to survive at all... if we come face to face with it."