[S2] Chapter 18: Another World

"Here is the shower, there is the toilet, here you have a generator where you have electricity. If you need to refill the water, just use magic. You've already seen your tents. That's it for the most part."

As Wace has immediately disappeared to carry out some kind of management duties, it is Luna who gives the rest of us a tour of the camp, which is just as unfamiliar to her as it is to us.

"Thank you," I reply, smiling slightly.

"You're welcome."

Nada comes up to us with a box and hands out cell phone-like devices to everyone present. Luna waits until everyone has one in hand and starts speaking again.

"These are your walkie-talkies. Please always keep them with you so we can stay in touch. Push here to power it on. If it lights up, it's working. Hold this button on the side, and this other lamp will shine red, which means the microphone is active. You can change the volume with the plus and minus. There are more options, but they are unimportant since the correct frequency is already set."

Luna's clear pronunciation, coupled with her pleasant voice, is somehow captivating. You can tell she had training, as you would expect from an internet idol like her.

"Why are you grinning like that? Fell in love?" Miko asks quietly.

"Jealous?"

"Sure."

It's been 48 hours since Miko asked me not to give up my love for her. She made it clear to me that she doesn't feel the same way about me but that this might or might not change. I don't think it's advisable to have such a relationship with a colleague at work. But since I don't really have a choice, I just try not to think about it.

"Everyone line up in front of the gate." It is Wace's voice that comes through the devices in our hands. I look around briefly and see him standing in front of the dungeon gate in question. Shortly afterward, we are all assembled, still dressed in casual clothes, except for Alex and Nada, who wear their school uniforms.

"We will now enter the dungeon and discuss a few things. You don't need to take anything with you. We won't be going much deeper than a few hundred meters in. Stay close together and behind me throughout."

I listen, but my attention is focused on this arch-like gate that has the power to send us into another world. Scattered all over the structure are characters that seem similar to a human language but, at the same time, appear completely unique.

"Are you alright? We're going to the dungeon, okay?" Miko nudges me gently with her elbow, and I just nod at her.

It is a bit unexpected, to be honest, but on second thought, now is probably a good time to give all the newbies, myself included, their first taste of the dungeon before the mission really gets going tomorrow.

"Stay with me," Miko whispers and then takes a deep breath. It's something special for her, too. She hasn't been allowed to enter a dungeon for three years. Her ban after ignoring important orders was lifted.

"I will."

Just before I pass through the portal, I look over at Alex and Nada, who are walking behind Wace. Unlike me, they don't seem as tense, but that may be because not everyone's entire emotional world is visible on their face, as it is for me.

Unlike the teleportation on the school grounds, this time, it seemed as if time had stopped for a second, as if there had been a standstill. The moment I see a completely new view in front of me, it feels like I have just woken up and opened my eyes for the first time.

"Breathe, Kayla."

I startle as Miko's words make me realize that I actually forgot to do so. The air filling my lungs doesn't seem any different from the one in our world. I don't know why I expected anything else, but it is reassuring.

"And everything the same as before, Krys?" Alex asks him. Krys? She already have a nickname for him? Interesting, very interesting.

"Yes, it seems so."

"Where is this forest where you were attacked?" Wace takes over the questions. After all, he is the mission leader.

"You see the mountains north of here?"

Without knowing where north is, I recognize the mountains he is talking about in this vast valley we are standing in.

"There is a narrow path that leads directly into a dense forest."

"Sounds like a trap from the description alone," comments Nada before she realizes who she is saying this to. "I'm sorry."

Krystoff doesn't even look at her. "Don't worry."

Before an awkward silence can spread, Wace retakes the word.

"Let's get to why we're here. First, I want to talk about what we do in an emergency. Of course, leave the dungeon if possible. Then contact us and share your status. This status should include how you are faring and what has happened, and then we will discuss how to proceed."

At the moment, I find it difficult to imagine an emergency. My surroundings seem way too peaceful.

"Follow me."

Almost sandwiched between Luna in front and Miko behind me, I look around and discover something I had only seen in games and manga before. The weakest monsters that no MMORPG starting area is complete without.

Slimes.

My breathing becomes a little more agitated, and before I can say anything, Alex, of all people, starts shouting.

"There are slimes! Real slimes!"

If I remember correctly, she had mentioned that she studies dungeons and monsters, and now she's encountering an otherworldly creature for the first time. It's actually her moment, but it's me who Miko quietly asks.

"Do you want to hold one?"

I can feel the entire troop's gazes on us, but no one says anything. All I can do is nod shyly. Miko briefly makes eye contact with Luna, who just shrugs her shoulders, and the first contact with the slimes begins.

Here I am, expecting them to attack or Miko to do something special. But in the end, she simply walks over to the pack of seven slimes, picks one up, and brings it over to us, holding it in her arms. It could hardly be more unspectacular, not only the whole act but also the slime itself. It lacks the big googly eyes from anime, so in real life, it just looks like a big blue jelly, but I am still preparing my arms to receive my gooey friend.

"Hold it tight."

Miko hands me the slime like a newborn baby. Contrary to expectations, it's warm. What also surprises me is the fact that it's not really slimy. It feels more like a sturdy balloon filled with water. I can't help but smile. I'm a witch who can heal other people with my magic, but holding a slime in my arms seems utterly surreal to me.

Suddenly, I feel someone standing behind me. I carefully peer over to see Alex and Nada looking at me with big puppy eyes. Come on, I wasn't planning to hold on to it forever.

"Who wants to go next?"

After the slime was passed through the rows of interested people, we went a little deeper into the dungeon.

There, we met a few more monsters, including giant cows the size of elephants. Birds were flying in the air, and they looked gigantic even at a distance. But as previously discussed, we didn't go in deep enough to visit the previously mentioned path between the mountains, as that was on the agenda for tomorrow.

◇◆◇

"Have you finished changing?"

"Why don't you come in and find out?" I say as seductively as I can.

"No thanks, however, hurry up, we're about to leave."

After visiting the dungeon for the first time yesterday, today we want to take on the forest where Krystoff's guild was attacked. I personally won't set foot in there. Wace has made it clear to me that he wants me in the dungeon, as we can't always assume that we can wait to heal someone that long. But I'll wait outside the path with Miko until the others have checked out the situation. Then, someone else comes out to look after me so that Miko can join the others and explore a little further.

As I step out of my tent, I discover Luna in her magical girl outfit for the first time. It looks even crazier but, at the same time, more beautiful live than in any photo. What scares me a little is the camera she is holding in her hand to record herself. I may have watched one or two videos of her guild last night, in which it happens from time to time that a member walks through the camp, filming the other girls doing whatever.

"She's not going to go into the dungeon with that dress, is she?"

"I doubt it, but nothing is impossible."

While Miko and I are simply amazed, Krys is anything but open to her act. I think everyone here understands the seriousness of the mission. Still, I personally see no problem with Luna having to fulfill this part of her job as well.

"Sorry guys, give me two minutes to put on something else."

Luna calls out to the rest of us, who are all already waiting dutifully outside the dungeon gate. Miko and I are wearing our guild uniforms and ponchos. Wace's outfit looks like a plain black suit, while Krystoff resembles a somewhat casual soldier. It is hard to describe.

By the way, Alex and Nada will not be accompanying us today. Until the danger level within the dungeon has been determined, the two of them shall not be put at any unnecessary risk. Once this has been done, they will be closely accompanied by one of the experienced mages and given the opportunity to explore the dungeon for their studies.

Nevertheless, the two are standing with us, dressed in the sportswear of their school, which the students also wore during the fighting tournament. They are also intended to remain on standby at all times in the unlikely case that they need to enter the dungeon for whatever reason as well.

"Sorry, here I am."

In an outfit that screams magical girl no less than the one before, Luna jogs toward us. Instead of a skirt, she is now wearing wide-cut shorts and knee-high socks. But the skintight top with its ruffles, which is somewhat reminiscent of a maid's outfit combined with a massive ribbon around her neck, remains.

"I can't believe it," Krystoff whispers under his breath so that Luna can't hear.

We enter the dungeon, and even the second time, the feeling is just as uncomfortable as the first. But I don't forget to breathe this time, mainly because the others start running straight away. Unlike yesterday, it's not going to be a leisurely stroll, so it's good that my training has prepared me for something exhausting like this.

Although we've been in constant motion for over twenty minutes, the mountains we're approaching are only growing incredibly slowly. This immense plain in front of us has given me a totally false sense of distance.

I notice how often the others look at me as if they are just waiting for me to pray for a break. I'm sure they're adjusting their pace to mine. However, I don't feel like I'm slowing us down all that much, so I do my best to counter their worries with a serious look on my face.

It annoys me. I can already see the mountain pass, but I'm not sure if I can make it there. I'm running out of breath, but I can't allow the others to be right about their concerns. It's so unfair that the others can just use their mana to reduce their exhaustion. Even my super self-healing body doesn't help me here.

"See that little hill there? That's where we stop."

Thanks, Luna, I don't care if she takes the break for me, but at least I didn't have to ask for it. To my surprise, everyone is taking a good breather. Wace squats down, Luna and Krystoff sit on the ground, so Miko and I are the only ones still standing.

"You two wait here. If something happens in the forest and, for some reason, neither of us can use our walkie-talkie, watch out if we try to reach out somehow. If you get the feeling that we are taking too long, please come to check on us."

I just nod, my heart still racing a little, while Miko replies with a relaxed "Got it."

The break ends after five minutes. As I watch the others run on at a much faster pace than we had come, I let my butt fall to the ground. Miko does the same and glances over at me.

"Don't worry, you kept up really well for your first time. I had worse runners in my old guild."

"I thought I was going to die, but thanks for the kind words."

"Actually, I didn't think Wace would actually want you in here."

"Maybe I shouldn't have cuddled the slime so much yesterday. I probably enjoyed it too much."

No, Wace's explanation about having me close to the action made sense. Although it's difficult for me to assess the real danger.

"These goblins and orcs, are they very dangerous?" I ask.

Miko shrugs her shoulders slightly.

"More dangerous than their mana copies, but we have an extremely overqualified team here, especially in terms of combat strength."

"You can send Luna and Wace to S-rank dungeons without hesitation. I've never been in one myself, but there you have to deal with creatures like Godzilla."

I can't help but giggle. It's hard to imagine that a giant atomic lizard can exist, whether it's made of mana or flesh. It's also possible that Miko is exaggerating.

Briefly, I consider starting some form of small talk, but Miko seems unusually focused on the mountain path. So, time passes without us exchanging words. I am all the more startled by the scratchy sound that comes from my walkie-talkie just before I hear a voice.

"You can both join us. Everything is safe here." This information comes from Luna, who appears to share the job of mission leader with Wace.

"Are you ready?" Miko asks, standing up and offering me her hand.

"I think so," I say and let her pull me up before we start running.

We arrive at the mountains, and before we even step onto the path between them, I take a deep breath to calm myself. I am not anxious… just excited, I guess. Shortly afterward, we are walking through a vast crack in the stone, which seems a little too artificial to me, almost like a fixed route in a video game.

At the end of the path, Wace is waiting for us in his dark clothes, almost drowning in the dark green colors of the forest that stretches out behind him.

"Please follow me, ladies."

We do as he asks and follow him at walking speed. It doesn't really look like there was a fight here. The dungeon was probably repaired afterward. Whether the creator did it himself, I don't know. It's not even proven that dungeons are actually built by mages. Still, according to Lilith, this is the most likely theory.

"Don't trip."

After Wace's warning, I take a closer look at the ground, but instead of roots, as I had expected, I see several scattered bones. At first glance, I would assume they belong to a human.

"Do people dissolve so quickly?"

Miko asks the question I just had in mind. Wace shakes his head briefly.

"No, the flesh was most likely eaten by monsters."

A few moments later, we reach Luna and Krystoff, who are talking. I can see in the corner of my eye that something is lying on the ground in front of them. Standing right next to them without giving it a second thought, I take a look. Before I can fully realize what it is, I turn around and start to gag.

"I thought about warning you, but it's a much better experience this way."

"Screw you, Wace."

"Oh, come on, it's just a dead orc."

My brain probably perceived it more as a dead person, which is why the sight of intestines was absolutely enough for me. Right now, I just want to leave.

"Take a deep breath, Kayla."

Miko has a hand on my back and pats me gently. I appreciate her attempt to calm me down, but I'm just feeling sick.

"What's with the angry look, Miko?" Luna asks.

"What makes you think everything is safe when you find such a fresh corpse."

"You can trust Luna's ability to sense mana," Wace interjects.

"I do, but where is that thing that smashes an orc's head and rips out its guts?"

Thanks for the detailed description. I'm about to fight off the images that are stuck in my head. Even worse is the curiosity that urges me to take a proper look at that dead orc.

"You hope for answers and only find more questions… annoying, isn't it?" Luna sighs and turns to me as well. "Are you okay, Kayla?"

"I think so."

"We're going to look around a bit more and search for clues. Do you want to help us?"

If she says it like that, I can only say yes and be motivated to do so. I nod, turn around with confidence, see the corpse, and start gagging again.

"I have to throw up."

◇◇◇

"Lick faster. I don't want anything dripping down," Kajsa hisses as quietly but clearly as possible at her handmaiden, with whom she is sitting in a treetop.

"Relax, we'll kill them if we have to."

Her maid's reply has no calming effect on Kajsa, who was expecting everything but five humans to turn up in the dungeon.

She is on a mission for her father and is supposed to motivate the orcs and goblins while monitoring their progress.

One orc spoke back to her earlier. Her maiden tore the intestines out of its stomach with her bare hands and beat its head to a pulp.

When the blood is finally removed from her hands, she sighs in annoyance. "It tasted terrible, and I had to eat it just because you're such a coward."

"You know what my father said, there are humans that even he is afraid of."

"And it just so happens that those down there are among them, right?"

"Stop being so cocky now, or you'll suffer the same fate as that orc." She can hear in her voice that this threat is utterly hollow, but Kajsa's maid stops nonetheless.

"Understood, I'm sorry, my princess."