Rio clapped their hands together, commanding attention.
"Alright, cadets—time to delegate you all into groups! Each team will have five members, plus an advisor to guide you through the first layer. Treat them like an older sibling—they're experienced hunters and here to make sure you don't die immediately."
A mix of reactions rippled through the room. Some students straightened with anticipation, others fidgeted nervously, and a few just looked like they wanted to go back to bed.
Rio pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of paper and started reading off names. One by one, teams formed.
Hare perked up at her name being called—until she heard Eliches placed in an entirely different group. She froze.
"Wait, what?! I'm not with Eliches?!"
Across the room, Eliches mock gasped, clutching his chest. "This is betrayal."
"Who will call me an idiot when I make reckless decisions?!"
"Who will physically stop me when I start running my mouth?!"
Rio sighed. "You'll both survive. Next!"
Meanwhile, Bruce glanced at his new group, his expression quickly shifting from disinterest to absolute horror. Three scrawny, bookish-looking cadets, and one petite girl adjusting her glasses. He was the only one in the group with muscles.
There was a long pause. Then, flatly—
"Why do I have to team up with these nerds?"
Rio smirked from the sidelines. "Don't be picky! Who knows, these nerds might save your life!"
Bruce sighed heavily, arms crossing in defeat. "Hah… Not happening."
Elsewhere, Yulli glanced at his team list and exhaled in relief, spotting a familiar name. "Looks like we're in this together, Muetaki."
Muetaki simply nodded.
Before Yulli could say anything else, Lawlet suddenly butted in—loud, desperate.
"What about me?!"
Yulli sighed, rubbing his temple. "...Yes, you too."
With all the groups finally sorted, the instructor clapped again. "Alright! Now that you're all in teams, stand by the gates for deployment. Your supervisors will meet you there!"
As the students shuffled toward their assigned spots, some looked eager, others concerned, and one—particularly Bruce—just deeply, deeply annoyed.
As the group arrived at their designated spot, the imposing gate loomed before them—massive, reinforced, and lined with strange engravings that pulsed faintly in the dim light. The reality of what lay beyond settled in, and the air grew thick with anticipation.
For a moment, no one spoke, just staring at the gate as if it might stare back.
Then, Yulli broke the silence. "So… we've been stuck together for a bit now. Any of you feeling nervous?"
Lawlet crossed his arms, exhaling slowly. "Well, this is our first exposure outside of Gonseng. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous."
Yulli turned to the others. "What about the rest of you?"
One of the quieter students perked up, excitement practically buzzing off of them. "Honestly? It's kind of exciting! I mean, who knows what's below Gonseng? Besides, uh, the whole… beasts thing, of course."
A brief silence.
"Right, yeah, besides the horrifying monsters that can kill us in seconds." Yulli let out a weak laugh.
Before anyone else could add their thoughts (or second-guess their life choices), footsteps approached from behind, deliberate and steady. Instinctively, the group turned to see who it was.
A man with blond hair, wearing a long dark blue coat with silver lining, stepped forward with a relaxed, confident gait. Underneath, he wore a simple white tunic, white gloves, and knee-high boots—his entire appearance practically screamed "seasoned veteran" compared to the rest of them.
His sharp, amber eyes scanned the group before settling into a disarmingly friendly grin. "Hey, everyone. You all must be under me, right?"
The group exchanged looks.
Lawlet, ever the brave one, leaned slightly toward Yulli and whispered, "I have a bad feeling about this guy."
Yulli didn't reply—he was too busy trying to figure out if their new supervisor looked cool or terrifying.
Muetaki, meanwhile, kept his usual unreadable expression, but the slight twitch of his brow suggested he was also processing their luck—or lack thereof.
The blond man clapped his hands together. "Alright! Since we're going to be spending some quality time together, let's do a quick introduction. My name's Julius, but you can call me whatever you want—as long as it's not 'Sir.' Makes me feel old."
He grinned. No one grinned back.
Julius hummed. "Tough crowd."
Bruce—who had been skeptical since the moment he laid eyes on him—narrowed his eyes. "You're our supervisor?"
Julius tilted his head. "That's what I just said, isn't it?"
Bruce didn't look convinced. "You look too... put together."
Julius raised an eyebrow. "You expected a mangled war veteran with a missing limb and a tragic backstory?"
Bruce didn't deny it.
Julius let out a low chuckle. "Fair. But I promise you, I'm more than capable. Now, since I introduced myself, your turn!" He gestured to them expectantly.
The group hesitated.
Lawlet sighed, stepping up first. "Lawlet. No nickname. No nonsense. Just Lawlet."
"Noted," Julius said, looking amused.
Yulli followed. "Uh, Yulli. I'd rather not die, so please don't let that happen."
Julius gave him a thumbs-up. "Good goal, solid mindset."
Bruce crossed his arms. "Bruce."
"Strong name," Alric nodded approvingly. "Any hobbies?"
Bruce squinted. "...Punching things."
"...Right, moving on," Julius quickly shifted his gaze.
Muetaki, still unreadable, simply said, "Muetaki."
Julius waited for more.
Muetaki offered nothing.
"...Okay,"Julius conceded. "Mysterious. I respect it."
The last student gave a nervous wave. "I-I'm Remi."
"Nice to meet you, Remi!" Julius said, a little too cheerfully.
Remi looked like he regretted speaking.
"Great! Now that we're all acquainted," Jilius stretched, rolling his shoulders, "Let's head in, shall we?"
The group looked back at the gate.
No one moved.
"Well?" Jilius grinned, gesturing grandly. "Who wants to be the first to step into probable danger?"
Absolute silence.
Bruce deadpanned. "You go first."
Jilius chuckled. "I like you guys already - let's explore Gebraucht's first layer!"
"Gebraucht?" Yulli asked
As the heavy metal doors creaked open, Julius stepped forward, the dim light casting his silhouette against the backdrop of the world below. With an almost casual air, he gestured toward the vast landscape beyond.
"Yes, Gebraucht," he mused. "The city below Gonseng… where it all started."
The others stepped forward cautiously, eyes widening as the scenery unfolded before them. They weren't on the ground. Not even close. The city sprawled beneath them, a skeletal ruin of towering Gothic spires and crumbling stone, bathed in an eerie half-light. The sky above was still open, beautiful even, but below—darkness loomed, creeping into every corner like an infection.
A gust of wind rushed past, making Lawlet step back instinctively.
"...We're really high up," Yulli muttered.
Julius smirked and stepped toward the edge of the platform. "Come on, we need to take the lift down."
The group exchanged looks before following, albeit with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
Julius gripped the lever and pulled it down with a metallic clank. Slowly, the lift jolted to life, descending with a groan of rusted chains and grinding gears.
For a while, no one spoke. The further they descended, the more the air seemed to change. It thickened—not with dust, but with something heavier, something unseen. The sunlight, once bright and reassuring, dimmed as the looming structure of Gonseng above swallowed it whole. Shadows stretched over them, suffocating the light.
Lawlet leaned on the railing, peering down into the abyss. "...So, what makes Gebraucht so dangerous, anyway?"
Julius remained relaxed, arms folded as he leaned lazily against the metal bars. "Well, besides the beasts, there's a lot of things we'll experience soon enough."
Lawlet narrowed his eyes. "That's... not very reassuring."
Bruce, ever the skeptic, grunted. "You look awfully calm about this, Julius."
Julius shrugged. "Not my first time down here." A pause. "...Still gives me the creeps, though."
Muetaki, who had been silent up to this point, finally spoke. "If it creeps you out, should we be worried?"
Julius just grinned. "Absolutely."
There was a long silence.
"...I hate it here already," Yulli muttered under his breath.
The descent continued, and the closer they got to the ground, the more the city revealed itself. What had looked like ruins from above now had details—twisted iron gates left ajar, statues weathered and broken, their once-proud forms barely recognizable. The buildings, gothic and elaborate, bore deep scars—some half-collapsed, others standing yet lifeless, windows like hollowed-out eyes staring at nothing.
There was no sign of movement. No animals, no insects, nothing. Just emptiness.
Remi, already regretting all of his life choices, swallowed. "...Are we sure anything even lives here? Because it looks very, very dead."
The lift shuddered as it neared the bottom. The ground was almost in reach now.
Julius smirked. "Oh, trust me." The lift came to a final, jarring stop, the sound of metal chains rattling one last time. "If there's one thing this place isn't..."
He turned to them, grin widening.
"...It's empty."
The doors groaned open.
A cold wind rushed in.
And something, far off in the city's depths, moved.