Chapter 141: The Black Gate [1]
The sky was clear. The sun hanging lazily above as a soft breeze moved through the academy courtyard.
Kyle stood with Luna and Reo. Surrounded by nearly a thousand other students.
The whole area buzzed with quiet energy.
Some students whispered nervously. Others kept glancing at the instructors, and a few just stood frozen. Staring straight ahead.
Today was their practical exam.
Kyle scanned the front of the courtyard where several instructors were gathered.
They were carefully drawing and activating large glowing symbols into the stone platform.
Sparks of mana danced through the air as the lines pulsed with light.
Kyle narrowed his eyes.
'Teleportation portal,' he thought. 'So. It is the dungeon dive, just like in the novel.'
He let out a slow breath. Feeling that familiar mix of nervousness and excitement settle in his chest.
"Let's see how this goes… and hopefully, nothing goes wrong," he muttered under his breath.
Then immediately frowned.
'Wait. Why do I always jinx myself?' he sighed inwardly. 'Be positive, Kyle. Everything's gonna be fine.'
Except it never was.
Every time he hoped things would go smoothly.
His [Unpredictable] luck dragged him into some kind of disaster.
Something twisted and wild that he couldn't avoid. No matter how hard he tried.
Just then. A loud clap echoed across the courtyard, snapping everyone to attention.
Standing at the front was Seraphina. Her sharp gaze swept over the students as the crowd instantly quieted.
She didn't even need to raise her voice for people to listen.
"Listen carefully," she began.
"Your practical exam will be a dungeon dive. You will be teleported to Eldermere City, where the Dungeon Association operates."
A ripple of murmurs passed through the students like a wave. Some sounded excited. Others, worried.
Kyle's body tensed.
'Eldermere.'
That name hit a little too close.
His mind flashed back to the last time he, Reo, and Eleanora were headed there for a dungeon trip… when the train was ambushed.
He pushed the memory away with effort and tried to focus on Seraphina again.
"The Dungeon Association in Eldermere is managed under the joint approval of the three major powers of the Human Domain"
"The Noctius Empire, the Argent Empire, and Aserion under the Hero's Association.
"From there, you will be guided into the dungeon," she explained.
Her voice was steady and calm. Like she'd done this a dozen times before.
"Further instructions will be given when you arrive."
Kyle looked again at the portal formation. They were getting brighter, the mana within them starting to hum.
'I wonder if it's the same dungeon from the story…'
Before he could finish the thought. Another instructor's voice rang out.
"Line up before your homeroom instructors!"
The massive group of students quickly split into ten sections, forming lines in front of each homeroom teacher.
A1 through J1.
Each class had about a hundred students. Though Kyle knew the number used to be more.
Some had already dropped out. Not everyone could handle the pressure of Solvayne.
Kyle, Reo, and Luna walked toward Class A1's side, joining the others.
At the front stood their homeroom teacher, Aurelia.
Her black hair fluttered gently in the wind, and her eyes, as always, looked sharp and unreadable.
She didn't say a word. Just gave a single nod as the class settled into position.
Kyle stood beside Reo. His heart thudded steadily in his chest. It wasn't fear.
It was anticipation.
A low hum spread through the courtyard, growing louder with each second. Light rippled across the lines and symbols as mana surged through them.
The air shimmered. And then the portal opened.
It was wide. Large enough to fit at least ten people at a time.
The surface glowed a deep, pulsing blue. It looked like a mirror made of liquid magic. Its edges gently rippling as if touched by wind.
Kyle stared at it.
Teleportation portals weren't rare knowledge-wise. But they were far from common.
They needed a ridiculous amount of mana and resources to activate, and even more to stabilize.
Setting the exact coordinates could take hours, even days, depending on the distance.
Only powerful nobles. Big organizations, could afford to use them.
The dwarves had made teleportation possible, thanks to their insane skills in mana engineering.
Without them. This level of magic transport wouldn't exist.
But of course. When it came to Solyvane Academy, money was never a problem.
They could afford ten of these if they wanted.
Kyle looked back at the glowing portal. A small wave of pressure brushing against his skin.
The mana it gave off was intense, but controlled.
The instructors began moving again.
One by one. The homeroom teachers started leading their classes toward the portal.
The line moved slowly but surely.
Class A1 was the first to move.
The students began stepping into the portal in groups of ten.
Some looked calm, even excited. Others looked like they were about to pass out.
A few were whispering to themselves. "Don't puke, don't puke, don't puke" As if trying to convince their stomachs to behave.
Then. It was Kyle's turn.
He stepped forward with Reo, Luna, and six others from his class.
As they walked toward the glowing blue portal. The light shimmered gently, almost like water.
But the moment Kyle crossed the threshold—
Everything changed.
It was like his entire body was being yanked apart, stretched in every direction at once, and then suddenly shoved back together.
He couldn't tell which way was up or down. Time felt like it stopped for a second.
Then, with a soft thud. He landed on solid ground.
Kyle staggered slightly. Placing a hand on his chest as he tried to steady his breathing.
"Ugh… that was rough," he muttered.
His stomach was doing flips, and his head was spinning a bit. But at least he hadn't fallen over.
Reo didn't look as lucky. He stumbled forward, arms flailing like he was trying to stay upright on a boat in a storm.
"I hate teleportation," Reo groaned, eyes wide and unfocused.
Luna looked pale, one hand over her mouth. But she managed to keep herself from throwing up.
Kyle glanced around. The others from their batch were in similar shape, some were hunched over, others just sat down for a moment to recover.
He took a slow breath, his body slowly settling.
'Maybe it's because I'm Silver Grade 3 now,' he thought. 'It still sucks, but it's better than before.'
He remembered his first teleportation vividly.
After escaping those ancient ruins. He had barely made it out of the portal before vomiting all over the stone floor. Not his finest moment.
Now, it wasn't easy. But at least he could stay on his feet.
A few students didn't seem affected at all.
Cedric stood straight, arms crossed.
Cassian was already scanning the room, calm as ever.
Serena flicked her hair over her shoulder like nothing happened.
And Eleanora, of course. Stood perfectly still, eyes cool and unreadable.
It was like she had simply walked through a doorway, not a spatial tunnel that bent her insides.
They were in a large stone chamber now. The walls were smooth and polished, and glowing mana crystals floated in the corners, casting soft blue light around the room.
The ceiling arched high above, and in the center of the room was another portal. Smaller than the first, but still active.
Kyle's eyes narrowed slightly.
'This is a buffer room… makes sense.'
They couldn't just teleport straight into a dungeon or important location. That's too dangerous.
If someone found out the exact teleportation coordinates. They could break in, spy, steal, or worse.
So places like this were used to protect the real destinations. A middle point. Safe, sealed, and heavily guarded.
Instructors were already standing around the edges of the room. Guiding students and making sure no one collapsed.
More students began arriving, filling the chamber in waves.
The room slowly grew louder, filled with voices and footsteps.
Then. The second set of portals lit up on the far side of the chamber.
This time. The instructors started grouping students again.
Kyle and his group stepped forward once more.
The second teleportation wasn't as rough. He still felt the world twist and spin. But it was shorter.
Less intense. His feet touched the ground a moment later, and this time. He didn't feel sick at all.
He blinked as he took in his surroundings.
They had arrived in the final chamber.
It was massive, easily the size of a stadium.
The walls were lined with glowing runes, and huge mana crystals floated near the ceiling, humming softly with energy.
The floor was made of layered stone and metal, carved with patterns that pulsed faintly with magic.
Dozens of teleportation platforms were spread across the room, each with an active portal in the center.
Around them, people were moving quickly. Checking lists, organizing gear, giving orders.
These weren't instructors. They wore long coats, armored vests, and badges with the symbol of a tower and sword crossed in front of it.
Kyle recognized it immediately.
The Dungeon Association.
They were the ones who managed, guarded, and studied dungeons all across the human domain.
And now. They were preparing to send over a thousand students into one.
Kyle glanced around. Everyone looked serious now.
The nervous chatter from before was gone. Even Reo had stopped complaining.
They were here.
This was the real starting point.
From this room. They'd be sent into the dungeon.
The buzz of mana. The quiet voices of the staff, and the sheer size of the place gave everything a strange feeling.
Part excitement, part dread.
Kyle adjusted the Zalrielle at his side and narrowed his eyes.
'Let's see what's waiting inside.'
———