Crowd must be one of the most annoying things that ever existed. The smell of rot lingered around even in the cold night. He has to battle through the ripple of humans. Elend wondered why anyone would want to pay a million Zure to go see a Molinah concert, just to end up in a zombie apocalypse.

  Absolute madness.

  He gasped in a burst of air as he was finally freed. Looking around the open area, why did people even gather here? There's plenty of space! Maybe Oscar being sick of a crowd is normal? He really should apologize to him. No, but clutching your stomach just because of that? Yeah, he is absolutely a Chuuni.

  His eyes naturally drifted over to the portal. He had never seen one before, not in real life at least.

  The lunar gleam of moon draped it with blue astral shimmer. The night then proceeds to veil it with darkness, making the blue hue of the portal hum. Elend could not hear anything. Yet, It hummed at him, a piece of fantasy come alive before him.

  "Elend!" A voice snapped him back. "It's quite something, huh?" He smiled goofily at the portal.

  "Dyland," Elend muttered. He looks back at the portal. A soft laugh escaped him. "It's happening, huh. Can we really enter?"

  "Don't worry about it too much!" Dyland smacked his head.

  Elend growled at him. He wishes he to stop doing that. Dyland is unnaturally strong for someone who hasn't awakened.

  "Anyway," He lifted a weapon. It's a handle, at the end of it attached a black spiky metal ball. "Here, it's for you".

  "What is this?" Elend asks. He inspects the weapon. "A morning star?".

  "Yep," Dyland grinned. "Treat the monster like a baseball! And you will be fine!".

  "I would prefer something lighter,” He muttered, his muscles straining as he lifted the morning star. Well, he just needs to kill a monster to be awakened. This weapon might serve well.

  Dylan spluttered, pointing at Elend's left hand. "You brought a baseball bat!".

  Elend grumbled inwardly, “And you somehow also got a sword.” He eyed the black handle sheathed across Dyland’s belt

  "That bat would be a fine weapon for a beginner dungeon like this one. If anything, beginners should either stick with polearm instead of sword," A voice chimed in behind them.

  Elend turned toward the source of the voice, It was from a tall man in a business tuxedo. He wore black sunglasses. Yellow ponytail hair. Crest of a Zurekish knight upon his tux.

  A Knight, which means the Empire owns Hunter.

  "What is a knight doing here?" Elend asks, words coming out before he realizes.

  The question was for Dyland. But the man answered instead with a hearty laugh. "The Empire actually loves a raid like this! So many youngsters are eager to awaken. It's a net benefit. We brought a party to oversee the dungeon. So go all out! Ah, although the system will know if you've gotten help too much. So, keep that in mind."

  "Thank you," Elend almost exclaimed. "This is reassuring". An invisible weight had gone from his shoulder.

  "Ah, pardon me, my name is Jake," the man extended his hand.

  "I'm Elend." Elend reached out to shake it. “Uh, Ser?

  “Please call me Jack!”

  Jack smiled and excused himself. Saying he wants to talk to everyone.

  "Is this normal for the Empire to dispatch Knights, just to help people awaken?” Elend wondered out loud.

  "It's quite simple," Dyland said. His face crunched, and he looked around. Motioning for Elend to get closer. "So.. you knew about the tension between the Hunter Association and the Empire Knight Order, right?"

  Elend raised his brow. Where is this going?. "Yeah".

  "Well, now they are trying to one-up each other. The empire sends its new Knight to butter up new awakener. So if we are about to decide between the Hunter Guild and the Military. They hope we choose the latter.”

  "Hmm," Elend Articulated the new information slowly. "Are they bored for having no enemy? Honestly, I don’t see why we still need a knight, after the Language Unification War."

  "That, my friend," Dyland twirls his finger around, “Is one of the reasons they’re desperate. The public has no idea why they still exist when the Hunter Guild has been doing all the hard work. Yet, if they're disbanded. The royal faction will lose one of its pillars. Now, even the mighty knight is forced to subdue the Red dungeon if it appears.”

  The war left a bad taste that still lingers even after a hundred years have passed. Elend still remembered the queasy feeling he got as he read about it. “I’m still not convinced helping us in a small town like this would help them.”

  "It's not really about us, let's say it's about the prospect. Considering the recent thread of red dungeon break"

  Elend's eyes jolted in grim realization. For the past 2 months, the Hunter Guilds and the Knights have been stretched as they struggle to take down the Red dungeon. Blue dungeon has been left alone, but it slowly turns red. A weird phenomenon that recently manifested.

  "They want to send a message to the public. They support early awakening to bolster their number," Elend mumbled

  Dyland grinned. "Not only that, they want to let anyone, free to enter the coloured dungeon instead of just the grand dungeon. No matter the age"

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  A brief unease washed over Elend's back. Do things actually get that desperate, they allow underage civilians to get into the rogue dungeon?

  "I don't know how I feel about this," Elend grumbled.

  "Who cares about that? We got a dungeon to ourselves! We can even take out time to awaken our class."

  As much as Elend doesn't like the Empire's reason here. The mere idea of being able to awaken his class sent a thrum of excitement beating inside him.

  "Still, though. It sounds like you knew they were coming, did you?" Elend probed.

  "Ah.." Dylan's voice sank. "Jack is a distant relative of mine."

  "Hmm.." He did not know Dyland had a family in the Knight Order.. Elend asked, changing the topic. "Anyway, what with the halt?"

  "The Empire party went in to check some stuff up. Just for precaution," Dyland explained. "It's been like an hour or so. Shouldn't take much longer."

  The portal hissed with a sizzle. Elend looks as five knights in their plate armor make their way out of the portal.

  "Finally," Dyland sighed.

  "Something is wrong," Elend muttered. He pushed Dyland aside to get a better look at the Knights. Jake approached them seemingly in a serious conversation.

  "Huh, that is weird," Dyland commented. "I could have sworn there were eight Knights who went in first".

  There are only five that make it out of the portal. He could make out Jake's seething voice. They seem to be in an argument.

  The Knight’s face stricken with fear, the two who did not wear face plating at least.. He noticed how their bodies quaked. And they kept looking down at their feet.

  Then bizarrely, they turn toward the portal. Leaving, Jake took a deep breath. "The dungeon is officially open now!" He barked, cutting through the crowd noise.

  People cheered loudly, and Elend could feel the energy ripple through them. The crowd forms a line, eager to move into the portal. They held all kinds of weapons. Bow, Axe, Spear, Sword.

  "What was that about?" Elend said. Unease coiled inside him.

  "I have to talk to Jack," Dyland mutters.

  He moved toward the blonde man, and Elend followed suit, but before they reached him. Jack entered the portal.

  "Is he supposed to enter?" Elend asked.

  "Yeah, but he's supposed to enter with the second wave of Knights," Dyland said. "The first wave is supposed to be only a scouting party of eight Knights. The second wave is another eight” Elend did not know how many Knights there were. But sending seventeen to a small town like this seems excessive.

  He watched as people steadily entered the portal. No one has come out yet, is it a good sign?

  "People can still leave the portal as long as it's blue, right?" Elend asks to confirm.

  "Yes," replied Dyland, "this portal has only spawned for less than two days. It usually takes two weeks or so for a blue portal to turn red".

  Elend nodded, his shoulder relaxed a bit.

  Dyland grasped his shoulder, then said, "I still have to confirm with Jack. Sorry, Elend. Could you wait here for the second group?"

  "Sure," Elend said. With that, Dyland proceeded to walk straight to the portal. He can tell that his body is slightly stiff. But it's just a quick confirmation with Jack. He would be able to leave anytime.

  The Blue shimmer of the portal consumes Dyland's body.

  As Elend turns to find Oscar and the other. A crackling sound sizzles from the portal. Alarm prickled inside him as he turned toward it. Then his breath was knocked out. The Blue shimmer of the portal bled slowly, glowing into a deep red.

  A man fell right in front of the red hue of the portal. The crowd staggered back in disbelief. A soft dread-laced murmur spread around them.

  "What is happening?" Elend muttered.

  He scanned around. Out of hundreds that gather here. Most of them have made it inside the portal. Elend did a quick count. Maybe about three dozen have been left behind.

  "Elend!" A voice called. It was Oscar. Andrew and James follow close behind. They carried their sword naturally sheathed at their hips, unlike Dyland.

  "A red gate. How is this happening?" James said. His eye filled with awe as he watched the red flicker of it.

  Elend did not answer. He would like to know the answer too. Did the Knight trick them? Does it have something to do with Jack earlier?.

  "Shit" Elend breathed. The red gate means the monster inside can launch an invasion. He didn't know if that always meant they would commit or not. But, reports have shown a monster inside the red gate, usually in the stage of preparing their number. Those people who just went in will face a proper force, not just a monster mindlessly wandering around.

  "I'm going in."

  Elend blink. Did he just hear that right? He looked at the source of the voice. It's James.

  "Have you lost your mind?" Elend demanded, he messaged his temple. "Let's just wait. We could separate into two groups. One group stays here waiting for the Knight to come, and the other reports to the Red Portal."

  Crunch of a footstep forward. Elend startled as he saw James and Andrew ignore him and walk straight into the portal. Red glimmer consumes them, and then they are gone.

  "What the fuc-" Elend's eyes boggled, and he went on to search around for Oscar. He is beside him. He claps Elend's shoulder.

  "We will be fine, Elend. We have trained for this, we're not backing out," Oscar said, stepping close to the red crackle of energy. He turns toward him before entering the portal. "All of those things you said are reasonable. It is very logical to the point it makes me want to puke."

  "What?" Elend stared dumbfounded. Various insults forming on his mouth. But, it was overwhelmed by the blinding stupidity he saw.

  "Go study, get a good job, find a wife, have a family. There's no shame in such life." He pushed his thick glasses up his nose. "But such a meagre life is too low for us! We will challenge the heavens! This is merely just the first step! Go be a surgeon, Elend, listen to your mother!" He stepped into the portal, consuming his whole body.

  Elend clenches his morning star tightly. Red hot anger coiled inside him. His vein thrummed with a surge of energy. "You little Chuuni," Elend growled. He stepped close to the portal.

  "Woah woah!" Someone stopped him. "You going to let him bait you like that? Come on, let's just report this Red Portal.”

  "Step away," Elend scowled. "Whoever stays can do it. I'm entering".

  The man gulped, his eyes shone in fear. He stepped away. Probably the effect of his Morningstar.

  Elend examines the red portal, which seems like inviting death itself. He drew a heavy breath, steeling himself. He jumped in, electricity prickling against his skin. The world turns red.

  _______

  A sweet caramelized scent lingered in the air. Elend almost could taste it. It's so familiar. His tongue shapes the taste, a sweet buttery aroma wafts around the room.

  Is it popcorn?

  Elend looks around. A huge screen was playing a movie in front of him. He followed the source of light into a projector behind him. Row of seats positioned from high to lower tier, the closer to him they are.

  He knew people would rather not go if they had to sit at the very front. Paying to visit a cinema for eye damage is not exactly worth it. But, in this case. There's a throne seat positioned at the very front. Elend could make out a scaly green slithering hand reach for the popcorn box on its side. Dozens of popcorn boxes lay across the red carpet.

  "Hey!" Elend called out. Is it a monster? A human? Why does the monster eat popcorn? The possibility of it being a Hunter with transformation ability crossed his mind.

  BOOM!

  A gun shot went off.

  Elend flinched before chastising himself. It's only in the movie.

  He watched as he presumed the main character was shot dead. He bled in the snow, then the ending credits play. The music is a sad piano. The light of the cinema slowly dimmed on. Streaking the dark room with crimson brown light.

  "OOOOOOO!!!!" An inhumane voice boomed. It stood up. Its head stretches into its back. Lizardy face glare at Elend. The creature must be at least two meters tall.

  "It's not my fault!" Elend snapped. He lifted his morning star toward the creature. Anxiety hit inside him as he realised it was very heavy.

  "GRRRR!" The creature seethed. Its thin tongue flicks around. It grasped something near the throne. A meter-long spear. Flicking it up, the lizard effortlessly catches it and then twirls it around its body.

  The humanoid lizard dashed toward Elend. Spear held with two hands.

  The first thrust comes, manages to sneak its way, avoiding the morning star's steel ball. Glinting spear point thrust upon him. Elend skid his face, he gasped as scorch of pain scored across his cheek.

  Growling, he lunges ahead. Keeping in mind that the creature at least needs seconds to pull its spear back. The sharp end of the morning star squelched onto the creature

  "ARRRR!" It wailed as it jolted back. The lizard breathed heavily against the throne's back. Elend's notices a prickle of stab wounds on its stomach. A brief satisfaction washed over him.

  What drew his attention more was its ragged breathing. And another wound. A deep gash that dragged away across its green scaly skin.

  The wound looks new. "This is not your first time," Elend muttered more to himself. Yet, how come he did not smell any corpses? If there's any, there's no way it's overpowered by the smell of popcorn.

  It's roared. An ear-splitting scream assaults him. He grunted, refusing to take a hand off the morning star.

  The lizard croach, its legs coiled with muscle. In a burst of speed, another spearhead jabbed inside Elend's defense. He slammed the morning star toward the spear. A chair creaked. The wooden handle of the spear broke with it.

  Whipping out his knife, Elend charged, squelching it inside the gash wound. The lizard howled. It's scaly hand grasps his head. The wooden handle slammed on Elend's side

  "Agh!" Red-hot pain flared. Elend thrust the knife, shoving it with a burst of gultural emotion.

  The lizard screeched, and it spat blood at Elend. Growling, he plunged the knife deeper. He could sense it, the way its legs gave up. Grinning, he shoved the lizard, crushing it into the throne.

  He wrenches the knife out. Blood spluttered, plunging it back along the gash. Blood spluttered again. It cried with dread-laced wail.

  Elend wrenches the knife back.

  Plunging it into another opening.

  It's screamed again and again.

  "Die already!" Elend huffed. He stepped back. The lizard opened one bloodied eye. Then it closes it.

  Going back to pick his morning star, he struggled to heave it. His hand is slippery with blood. He heaved it up. With a smothering scream, he crushed the lizard's head.

  SQUASH!

  Elend's legs give out. Horror stricken him as he saw the headless body of the lizard.

  Elend Mireaux Lvl 1

  Hp : 100/100 (2/min)

  Mp : 10/10. (2/min)

  Strength : 10

  Intelligence : 8

  Dexterity : 7

  Skill :

  (Active)

  - Heavy Strike (2) Lvl 1

  - Flurry jab (3) Lvl 1

  (Passive)

  Class: ?

  Chapter 2: Birth Of Hunter.