We soon arrived at the camp. It was big, made up of several tents, about fifty-four in total. In the center was a very large tent, most likely for the captain of the expedition camp.
I was assigned to one of the tents for treatment.
Forty-nine hours passed, and I was still in the medical unit. That was when Anvil came to visit. Even though he was wrapped in bandages, he was able to stand.
He walked in with clumsy steps. Then he bowed slightly and said, "Thank you. If you hadn't fought off that Variant, I would be dead."
I replied, "No worries."
He sat in the corner, lit a lighter, and took a smoke. Then he offered it to me.
"Do you want one?"
"I don't really smoke," I said.
He took another drag, then looked at me.
"This place is absolutely ridiculous. I have no idea how our superiors got past it."
"There's a place beyond this?" I asked.
"Yes. The place we're in now is called the Waiting Room. In this place, people from different universes gather once they've crossed their own gates. They're called Variants. There are also various creatures with strange environments and behaviors. But this isn't the end. There's another world beyond this one. I don't have proper info since I'm not high up enough."
That was when I realized how dangerous this place truly was. The greatest fear of anyone is the unknown.
Soon after, someone called for Anvil.
Later, they called for me.
I was taken to the captain's tent. We stared at each other for a moment before he spoke.
"Revin, do you want to become one of our members?"
"A member of what?" I asked.
"The Gate Exploration Unit. GEU. Since you're staying here anyway."
I was shocked.
He continued, "There's no need to be surprised. I knew you weren't part of GEU the moment I saw you. So, will you join us? And don't worry. Even if you refuse, we won't kick you out of the camp."
I replied, "I don't accept unprovoked goodwill. Let me make an offer. I'll join you for a limited amount of time. In return, I'll help in combat."
He stared at me for a few seconds. Then he said, "One month."
It was clear they were short on fighters. After what he saw a few days ago, he wasn't going to say no.
Soon after, I left his tent.
The moon was as black as always. I walked around and saw a group of people training in a corner.
That's when I saw her. The same one who had carried Anvil that day. She looked young. Her dark blue hair was hard to make out because of the darkness.
I approached them.
"Can I join?" I asked.
She noticed me and said, "Thank you for saving Anvil."
One of the guys there added, "I heard the Variant you fought was strong. Want to spar? I've been looking for someone good to match with."
I wanted to turn him down, but I also wanted to see how strong he really was. So I accepted.
We moved to another area. He stood still for a moment, jumped a few times, then steadied his breathing. Suddenly, he lunged at me with incredible speed.
His knee almost hit my face, but I stepped back just in time. He was fast. Very fast. He landed a kick on my face and moved back before charging again.
He attacked several times, keeping his speed constant.
He was strong.