Chapter 20 - Death As Routine

When the gates to the crypt opened, everyone felt an eerie cold and terrifying aura. These gates seemed like the entrance to hell, where only death and suffering awaited them. For some creatures, though, hell was home, not a nightmare.

"We have to get out of here, fast!" Gisle said loudly.

The other students nodded and began to climb up. Other people followed, but one man stood still and waited to see what would happen next.

"Wain! Let's go!" Shouted Gisle, not understanding why Wain was standing still.

Gisle tried to go back and take Wain with him. He could not lose such a powerful ally, but suddenly the dark mist reappeared. It created a dome around Wain and the crypt. Gisle tried to cut through the dark fog and pass inside, but he failed.

He thought something bad would happen to Wain, but he didn't know yet that this was only the beginning. Gradually the dome began to grow until it covered half the warehouse area. The dome grew too fast, so no one had time to escape beyond its limits.

At that moment, everyone saw a message in front of them.

[You have entered the Dungeon Zone - Crypt of Demonic Ants]

'Dungeon? What the hell is going on here?' Wain thought. There was nothing like this in his past world. Moreover, he had never heard of the dark mist affecting his world in any way. It only destroyed his world in minutes, and that was it.

Gradually the dome of dark mist began to weaken, and if one had enough firepower, it could be destroyed and escape, but it was not the dark mist that was the main threat.

"Wain! Get out of there!" Shouted Gisle.

Wain shook his head and said, "No, I don't think that would be profitable."

Immediately after his words, several massive ant-like creatures emerged from the dark crypt. These ants reminded Wain of the ant he had recently killed. But, they were bigger, stronger, and scarier. They had dark purple skin, red eyes, and two large horns on their heads. Their paws also had sharp growths that looked like sharp blades.

One of the ants approached Wain, but he did not attack him. The ant seemed to sniff Wain and try to see how strong he was.

Even though there was a big monster in front of him, Wain didn't panic. He opened his lighter with a calm face and lit it, exhaling a puff of smoke into the ant's face. Wain was puzzled. He wanted to understand the situation he was in. Perhaps he was the first person in this world to encounter such a phenomenon.

When the cloud of smoke reached the ant, he shook his head from side to side, getting rid of the smoke, and jumped up.

The ant passed Gisle but did not attack him. The guy didn't understand what was going on. He began to think that these creatures were not their enemies but inhabitants of another world or something similar. But the situation was a little more complicated.

When the ant saw the people running away from him, his eyes glowed brightly, and he attacked them. It began to tear them apart and devour them mercilessly. The humans tried to get out, but they were too weak to destroy the dark dome.

In ten minutes, the dome would completely disappear, but for now, the people who hadn't activated their Soul Altar weren't strong enough to break through the dome. Wain and Gisle could do it together and get out of here, but Wain wasn't going to do that.

"What?! Why did they attack them but get past us?" Gisle and several other students wondered. Ant didn't pay any attention to them.

"I see." Mumbled Wain and, looking at the ant, said, "They're just scouts. They're not allowed to attack us."

Everyone knew that ants were some of the most organized creatures in the entire world. Even military men in armies were not as efficient as ants. These insects performed their tasks unquestioningly and knew exactly their mission and authority. They were the perfect military that any commander would dream of.

Wain was just as surprised when an ant passed him, but hearing the screams upstairs, he realized the reasons.

'Apparently, the job of these ants is to explore the area and eliminate those they can fight. That means that stronger opponents are waiting for me inside the Dungeon.' Thought Wain.

In each ant colony, there were several roles into which the ants were divided. Naturally, it was the scouts who explored the new terrain. They had to report all the information to others and deal with those who were weak enough. That is why these ants bypassed Wain and Gisle, and the other students. The other ants would deal with them. It was not the work of the scouts.

Gisle wasn't going to watch any more innocent people get eaten alive and said loudly, "Kill them, Grut, try to break that barrier!"

The students nodded and attacked the ants heading towards the humans. Grut ran up to the dome and activated his skill. He tried to break through the dark barrier with all his might, but he only partially succeeded.

Grut thought, 'I hit with all my might, but all I got was a small crack? I can't do it alone.'

Grut turned around and asked Gisle for help. Simultaneously, the antennae of one of the ants glowed, and waves of energy began to emanate from them. Thus he transmitted information to the other ants and down the chain.

"Wain! Help us break the dome!" Said Gisle, but when he looked in his direction, he saw Wain throw away his smoked cigarette and go inside the crypt.

'What the hell is he doing? Thought Gisle and attacked the nearest ant.

The ant scouts were among the weakest, and they outmaneuvered Gisle because he was strong. Therefore, when Gisle's katana was coated with energy and swung to create an energy blade, he easily killed one ant. However, the other students were not as strong.

But, they couldn't leave innocent people to die and escape. They were not as ruthless, and it was hard to know if that was a plus or a minus during the apocalypse.

Gisle took one more look at the crypt then ran towards Grut. He didn't know what was inside the crypt or the Dungeon and didn't want to know. Gisle wanted to get out of here in the first place.

...

While the students fought outside, Wain went inside the crypt. The gate was a kind of portal leading to another dimension in which the lair of the demonic ants was located.

Wain wasn't the only one who could enter the Dungeon. Anyone could do so.

'Hmm, when this crypt appeared, a message appeared in front of me that I was in Dungeon territory. The size of the dark dome probably limits it. But, I'm sure it's not a limit, just a starting point.' Wain thought.

Wain understood that their world was not a game, though the soul system made it look like one. So he decided that the ant colony could evolve and get bigger and stronger.

'In a way, I'm lucky to be in the place where Dungeon appeared. But, what happens if the Dungeon appears in some hidden place, like among the mountains? Surely there are no people there. Would the terrain adjust to the crypt and its new inhabitants?' Thought Wain stepping forward.

When Wain passed through the gate, he found himself in a long, dark cave. It was lit by a few purple crystals hanging from above like stalactites.

Wain decided to enter this Dungeon for several reasons. Firstly he was curious to know what it was. He considered himself strong enough, so he was not afraid that curiosity would ruin him.

Second, this Dungeon was exactly what he needed at the moment. He needed souls, lots of souls, and therefore lots of monsters. The ant colony was one of the best options.. Ants were known not only for their organization but also for their large numbers.