Phi-Fic Chapter 30 Portal
Chapter 30 Portal
I awoke early at dawn, before the sun had even risen. The chill of the night greeted me as I began to prepare for my journey to the dungeon. This wasn't my first time in the dungeon, but it was the first time I'd gone alone.
After packing my things, including my spatial bracelet, I headed to the black market again.
Areoporis is a small city, but it's technologically advanced, and society has adapted to it. Even though the sun hasn't risen yet, I can already see people walking to work and others driving to their workplaces.
I already received my black market identification card yesterday, so I didn't need to repeat the same process this time. Just showing this card was enough. And so, I entered the black market again.
The narrow alleys of the black market were already bustling with activity, as vendors set up their stalls and customers browsed and selected from a variety of goods.
Pushing through the crowd, I arrived at the headquarters of [Savages]. In the chaotic black market environment, the building stood out starkly. Its architecture was adorned with holographic projections showcasing its various services and achievements. Bright lights illuminated the building's facade, and the organization's name, written in bold lettering, was visible from afar.
As I approached the entrance, I noticed a mix of experienced hunters, mercenaries, and merchants among the coming and going. Some wore elaborate armor and carried powerful weapons, while others were dressed in understated clothing, blending into the crowd. Clearly, the [Wild Men] catered to diverse clients, all seeking the specialized services offered by the organization.
The guards standing at the entrance were no ordinary doormen. They were all highly skilled individuals, exuding an aura of experience and power. They carefully inspected the visitors entering, ensuring the security of the premises.
I walked to the entrance and showed my black market identification card. A guard glanced at the card, nodded, and let me in.
Upon entering, I was enveloped in a bustling scene. The hall was spacious and bright, with holographic screens displaying real-time dungeon data, quest requests, and trade information. The walls were covered with photos of hunters who had achieved outstanding feats, each engraved with their name as a tribute to their accomplishments. Although almost all the names were pseudonyms, here they were their real identities.
This place is completely different from the guilds outside. There are no luxurious decorations, no powerful guild atmosphere. Everything is simple and straightforward. After all, this is the black market. People don't come here for the atmosphere... although some might like it, the main purpose isn't to attract customers, but to get them to come voluntarily.
In the center of the lobby was a reception desk, where a receptionist in a black business suit was greeting visiting clients. She looked up at me and gave me a polite smile.
“Welcome to [Savage]. How may we provide services for you today?” she asked politely, but I could sense her squinting at me. She clearly looked down on me, yet was trying to maintain a polite demeanor.
This is an attitude I've become very familiar with over the past week, so I don't care.
“I’m looking for a dungeon I can explore,” I replied.
"Okay." The woman immediately regained her focus and began working on the computer. "What type of dungeon would you like to explore? What level range would be required?"
"The type doesn't matter, but the strength must be in the low to medium second-order range," I replied.
Just like monsters are graded, dungeons are also graded. Monsters in intermediate Tier 2 dungeons typically have an average attribute value of 2.5 points.
As the woman operated the computer, she took in the bustling scene in the hall, with various holographic screens displaying information about dungeons available for exploration.
“This is a list of dungeons currently available,” she said, as a holographic screen popped up in front of me, listing all the dungeon information. “Please note that these dungeons are time-limited, so it’s best to make a decision as soon as possible.”
After browsing for a while, I chose a dungeon that looked pretty good.
“I want to choose ‘Emerald Forest’,” I said, pointing to the holographic image. This is a dungeon with a forest environment, warm weather, relatively friendly conditions, and low entry requirements.
The receptionist nodded, seemingly pleased with my choice. "A wise choice. 'Emerald Forest' is a mid-level dungeon, renowned for its diverse ecosystems and powerful beasts. Will you be exploring alone or in a group?"
“I prefer to act alone,” I reiterated.
“Okay.” She noted my choice. “Please pay the entrance fee and sign the contract here.” As she explained, [Savages] operates similarly to renting a car. You can explore the dungeon, but you must pay a fee upfront, along with a portion of the profits you earn from hunting monsters within the dungeon.
After the cryptocurrency payment was made, the receptionist nodded. "Your dungeon pass and exploration details will be ready shortly. Please wait."
A short while later, she handed me a data card. "This is your dungeon pass and all the necessary information for your exploration. You can go to portal 864, and the system will recognize your pass," she explained.
I walked towards the back of the hall, observing my surroundings as I went. The portal was a marvel of modern technology, capable of quickly and efficiently connecting to distant dungeons. Of course, dungeons usually appeared randomly, sometimes even referred to as "doors." Therefore, these organizations often used portals to connect to the dungeon entrances.
"Please stand here. This door will take you to the teleportation hall."
Following the woman's instructions, I stepped into the portal.
As I entered the portal, a swirling sound surrounded my ears, followed by a strong feeling of nausea. In a short time, I felt the world turn upside down and reverse several times.
I gritted my teeth and endured the discomfort.
"Welcome to the teleportation hall."
As I stepped out of the portal, a voice brought me back to reality. Before me was a bustling scene, and a woman in a black business suit, exuding a professional aura, stood not far away.
"So this is the [Savages'] teleportation hall," I thought to myself. The [Savages] don't just operate in Ariopolis; this organization has access to many dungeons. Therefore, the place before me is exceptionally impressive in both its scale and atmosphere.
Scattered throughout the spacious hall were numerous portals, while a constant flow of people thronged the area. Hunters, merchants, those seeking secret travel... all sorts of people moved about here, trading or preparing for adventures.
"Your destination is Portal 864. Please follow my colleague; he will guide you." Just as I was about to continue observing my surroundings, the woman's voice rang out again.
I turned my head and saw a masked man waiting.
“Understood,” I replied, and began to follow him. He remained silent the whole way, and I didn’t speak either. But I noticed that passersby greeted him, so he seemed to be quite famous in the area. He simply nodded at all the greetings without giving any further response.
We walked for about five minutes and finally reached the portal area marked "864". There were noticeably fewer people here than in other places, probably because this portal led to a lower-level dungeon.
“You can scan your pass here and then enter,” the masked man said, pointing to the sensor on the portal. Footprints and marks on the ground indicated that the portal was last used approximately six hours ago.
"Om-"
A vortex of light and shadow began to spin violently before the portal, with several guards standing nearby. They seemed to be there to prevent anyone from forcibly entering. They were also likely the first to rush in to provide support if the adventurers sent out a distress signal.
"Portal 864".
Just as I was about to scan my pass, a disheveled man stood in front of the portal. He had messy black hair and a mischievous smile, and waved at the masked man who had brought me there.
"Hey, Marcus."
The masked man merely shrugged at his greeting, remaining silent as he had been with everyone else.
"Still as silent as ever?" The disheveled man smiled helplessly, but the masked man did not respond and turned to leave.
"So, you're the one who's going into the dungeon?" the disheveled man turned to look at me and asked.
"Yes," I nodded in reply.
“Sigh, I thought I could finally get some rest…” he muttered, stubbing out his cigarette. He seemed quite casual, unlike the professionals I’d met here before.
“Alright, follow me.” He put his hands in his pockets and led the way toward the portal while grumbling.
“Tom, Jerry, open the door. I have guests here,” he called out to the two white-clad guards blocking the portal.
The guards did not respond.
"They don't seem to respect him much," I thought to myself. From their subtle gestures and body language, I could tell their attitude towards this slovenly man.
"Oh well, whatever." He casually handed a card to one of the guards. The guard swiped the card, and the portal opened.
With a hint of mockery, he gestured for me to follow.
After walking towards the portal, the disheveled man pulled another cigarette from his pocket and lit it. The smoke from the cigarette hit him, and the smell was strong.
An urge to cough rose within me, but I held it in, merely raising an eyebrow. This guy's attitude towards customers was incredibly unprofessional; complaining about him was probably the best course of action.
However, he just grinned, as if he could read my mind.
"Don't worry, they've always been like this. They're just a little introverted."
I take back my previous thought; he clearly doesn't understand at all.
"Tsk! You're the serious type, aren't you?" he complained, then activated the portal.
As the portal activated, I felt my body slowly lift off the ground. I watched as the scenery around me began to blur, and soon, the familiar whirlwind enveloped me, and that nauseating feeling surged up again.