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.

they were, none of them would flinch

who braved themselves for the darkness to come

couldn't escape

**********

~CREEEAAAK!~

massive gates opening caused everyone's excited

smiled any longer—not

the leaked out from within the place caused

come this far for

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

already a massive fortress, so it made sense for its entrance to

Then—

the first Grand Calamity Class Dungeon Conquest since three hundred years ago!"

their hold on their weapons and readied their trembling

for those having second thoughts to

to march forward at the signal of the Guildmaster. It would

"CHARGE FORTH!"

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

power… for

matter what their motivations and

the Dungeon in front of

********

'The Miasma is bearable…'

and his team stepped

that massive felt like an

that hung on the walls, so it wasn't entirely dark. Yet, the looming

an air of unease as Rey carefully observed

the entire space around felt overwhelmingly big—even for the size

as with the 99th Floor of the

the influence of some

Rey couldn't tell.

more than enough to occupy the room, and their numbers didn't

of black stone, and the

of sorts, with an unbelievably large flight of stairs standing an impossible distance from