An Extra’s POV

Fear of the UNKNOWN.

It is a popular term coined by those who lived in the world.

But how true is it, really? Do humans really fear the unknown?

What of children—babies, even?

They know nothing, yet fear is such a distant emotion for them.

For most, fear is taught… alongside pain, in a way to determine the difference between right and wrong.

… Good and evil.

The fear of the unknown does not exist.

Ignorance never breeds fear—at least not directly. Instead, it is the catalyst for a process that eventually leads to fear.

When we come into the world, we know nothing.

We fear nothing.

But, we grow curious. Then, we learn. We receive the taint of knowledge, which then brings us to a particular point.

The point where we know that there are things that we do not know—blots in existence that hide forbidden truths from us.

This is what breeds fear.

And so, as they stood before overwhelming gates that lead to a place none of them understood, the Adventurers weren't scared because of their ignorance.

No, they were frightened because they had knowledge.

They knew what had happened to their predecessors who took on this impossible task. They knew how fatal Miasma was. They knew what it meant to feel pain… to suffer… to watch others die, and to nearly die themselves.

That was what caused the fear to sprout.

They were not innocent lambs being led to the slaughter, neither were they babies who embodied ignorance.

were, none of them would flinch at

men and women who braved themselves for the darkness

so… they couldn't escape

**********

~CREEEAAAK!~

noise caused by the massive gates opening caused everyone's excited faces to

one smiled any longer—not

the place caused many to

come this far for

in height alone, and it was so wide that a hundred people could walk in, side by side, without

Dungeon itself was already a massive fortress, so it made sense

Then—

first Grand Calamity Class Dungeon Conquest since

their weapons and readied their

for those having

ten thousand was about to march forward at the signal of the Guildmaster. It

"CHARGE FORTH!"

a thunderous yell from the crowd dominated the space and everyone rushed forward in

power…

didn't matter what their motivations and inclinations

that mattered was the Dungeon in front of them, and the sole life

********

'The Miasma is bearable…'

and his team stepped

that massive felt like an understatement in describing

hung on the walls, so it wasn't entirely dark. Yet, the looming shadows around could

created an air of unease as Rey

a hundred meters, and the entire space around felt overwhelmingly big—even for the

goes on in energy-dense areas.' Just as with the 99th Floor of the Royal Dungeon, where the concept of time was distorted, it

perhaps this was simply the influence of some kind of

Rey couldn't tell.

their hundreds, the Adventurers trailed in, having more than enough to occupy the room, and their numbers didn't even exceed the first

made from some sort of black stone, and the ancient walls seemed to consist of large bricks that seemed

castle of sorts, with an unbelievably large