Chapter 1 – Opportunity of an Era!

"Attention Adventurers, Wizards, Kings, Queens, Gods, and Goddesses, today, the High Mage's Council will announce the official beginning of the Great Dungeon Party Selection!" The reporter gleefully announced!

Millions of eyes around the world tuned in to watch the impending announcement. It was official; the High Mage Council would attempt to conquer one of the three legendary Great Dungeons. From the smallest of children to the great kings of the world, everyone looked on with awe and wonder in anticipation.

The Three Great Dungeons of the world, Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory were located on each of the three continents of planet Ryko. The legend of the dungeons was as old as the history of Ryko itself. Beings stronger than the Gods and Goddesses named the Authorities wreaked havoc across the universe. At the end of the universe, the Authorities' destruction threatened reality. Their endless wars and tyranny destroyed the multitude of planets in the universe.

In a last-ditch effort, a few peculiar Authorities built the Three Great Dungeons in coordination with the mysterious Architect to imprison every living Authority. With the Authorities imprisoned in a great battle, the torn pockets of life in the universe struggled to survive. The last planet in the universe, Ryko, became the prison and tomb of the Authorities. Advanced civilizations fled their mechanical worlds and magical homes to Ryko as the stars in the sky slowly faded away. Ryko became the last known planet in existence.

Over time, the last bastion of civilization declined into a feudal world, the last world. Many believed the legend of the dungeons and worshipped the Authorities as ultimate beings. Scheming Authorities spread their gospels to the masses when people entered the dungeons; if they could conquer the dungeon, they would be free and rule with compassion. They would even put the stars in the sky again.

Heaven, the tallest mountain in Ryko, is located on the lush Orren Continent. The majesty of the mountain is breathtaking, and its summit is hidden in a fog. Even by attempting to use planes, rockets, and advanced spaceship technology, it cannot be reached by air. Only by climbing Heaven can one reach its summit. Monsters, Spirits, Shades, and trials are scattered along Heaven, and its length is broken into five distinct sections. No one in Ryko's history has weathered the fifth section near its summit.

For that reason, Heaven's existence as a dungeon became a pilgrimage site more than a threat or goal to conquer. Because of the frequent trafficking from pilgrimages, the monsters of Heaven are contained to its sky piercing home. Reaching the fourth section is considered respectable to adventurers, but the danger it poses to the Orren continent is negligible.

Hell on the other hand, is the dungeon to be feared. Once every millennium, the dungeon's sinister black gates open, and the monsters within pour out in an attempt to conquer Ryko. The Ruler of Hell, one of the Great Demon Lords, sents his subordinates out of Hell and into Ryko to gain a foothold and conquer the world. The mysterious Authority of Hell is at odds with the Authority of Heaven by mythology, but his whereabouts and plots are unknown. His attacks on the Radon Continent sparsely reaps rewards for Hell, but nonetheless, the existential threat Hell poses is never ignored.

This phenomenon is known as the Dungeon Break. At the dawn of the millennium, the forces of the world gather to fend of the Dungeon Break and begin the annual attempt to conquer Hell. Inside Hell, the varying accounts differ wildly. Some have claimed Hell to be a mountain, like Heaven, while others have claimed it to be an ocean of monsters. Others claim it to be a desert of loneliness, a volcano of souls, a lakes of souls, a river, as well as a world of the undead. Almost every biome has been claimed to be in Hell, but the historical accounts all have one thing in common:

Hell is the place of the dead, and all those who enter shall die.

The Three Great Dungeons represent the afterlife to the religions of Ryko. If you have led a good life, your spirit will forever climb Heaven and find rest. If you have led a neutral life, your soul will wander Purgatory aimlessly, but if you have led an evil life, your soul will forever be tormented in Hell until the monsters of Hell consume your soul. Whether or not that is true is unproven, but of all the Great Dungeon Parties that enter Hell, few have returned with dependable nor consistent information.

Hell is located on the large desert continent of Radon, and its dark gates lay at the base of Mount Hevel, the mountain of futility. Heaven has stood as a good omen to the people of Orren while Hell has symbolized suffering and tragedy.

Uniquely to the Three Great Dungeons, Purgatory, a maze-like structure, spans the majority of the Void Continent. Three Dungeons for three continents, the Architect designed the dungeons to fit the geography of planet Ryko. Unlike the other two dungeons however, Purgatory's metallic gates are impenetrable and have never opened.

Purgatory's shrouded contents have perplexed most who have seen it while others have worshiped Purgatory as the place of the Apocalypse. The Gatekeepers, a cult-like organization have guarded the gates of Purgatory in wait for the day that they will open. Heaven can never close, and Hell's gates open once in an era, yet Purgatory's unique gates and mythology are covered in mystery.

Legend has it that five seals are required to open Purgatory, and each are carefully guarded by the strongest countries and organizations in Ryko. To the masses, they have been dubbed, the Destiny Seals. Owning a Destiny Seal is an honor and a privilege. The owners of the seals have been rumored to grow in significant strength due to using the Destiny Seal in combat. Because of their strategic worth, the likelihood of collecting all five seals to open Purgatory are slim to none.

Hell, the evil dungeon full of evil Gods and Goddesses, has opened once again, and its dungeon break was decimating to the Radon Continent. For the first time in history, Hell has opened hundreds of years before its anticipated open at the dawn of the millennium. In fact, Hell's gates were forcefully opened from the outside. This turn of events led to the ravaging of the Radon Continent, and the perpetrator of the incident, Lavilin, became the most wanted criminal in the world.

Lavilin, named The Demon, became a worldwide terrorist when he assassinated the King of Galeon, one of the strongest countries on the Orren Continent. After his assassination, Lavilin stole the Destiny Seal of Galeon and fled to the Beast Countries of Radon. To escape the wrath of Galeon and the governing powers related to the Destiny Seals, Lavilin miraculously broke into Hell and fled into it.

Dungeon Subjugation Parties from different countries have always attempted independent subjugations of Hell, but very rarely has there been a reason to pool resources to conquer Hell. Although its alluring legends of wealth, struggle, and power has enticed past countries, organizations, and adventurers in the past, before Lavilin, no joint effort was launched seriously in a worldwide magnitude.

The High Mage Council, an overseeing body of magic in Ryko, failed to arrest Lavilin and was heavily scrutinized for their failure to protect Radon during the Dungeon Break. Their resounding failure led to millions of deaths in Radon and the potential loss of a Destiny Seal. Lavilin was also a part of the famous Wizard's Association, which is the High Council's vassal organization. Galeon's top officials also blame the Council for the assassination while other countries of Radon blame the Council for not apprehending Lavilin nor stopping the Dungeon Break.

Because the monsters caught Radon's forces off guard, they consumed countries and beasts, thus growing in power exponentially. At its peak, the Shade Lord's army consumed half of the Radon Continent. Known as the Shade War, the Dungeon Break became a worldwide crisis. A global effort to quench the dungeon monsters climaxed with a decisive battle between the Wizard King of the Wizard's Association and the dungeon born Shade Lord.

With millions dead and the global power balance thrown into chaos, calls for retribution against the council reached a peak. Countries located on the plains of Radon were annihilated by the Shade Lord's army and sought refuge in the powerhouse kingdom of Pyrite. Without the majority of the Beast Nations able to operate, Pyrite, a kingdom built upon slavery, lost a majority of their trade value, but they also gained more land from the countries seeking refuge. Their vassals were gone, and their economy was devastated. Civil war was on the horizon, and a global summit was called by the High Council to find a solution to the decimation of Radon.

What came out of the summit was a surprisingly quiet response. Angry corporations demanded to know the solution, but silence followed. Only the higher ups of the world's strongest countries, companies, and organizations, knew the true plan. However, within a week, the announcement was finally made. This time, Hell would be conquered, and the entire world would fund the most extravagant Dungeon Party in history! The Dungeon Party Selection event would fund the reparations, fund the strongest Dungeon Party in history, and make the history books as an era defining event.

One hundred members of the Great Dungeon Party would enter the dungeon, arrest Lavilin, and conquer Hell. The High Mage Council would be the primary funder and organizers of the Dungeon Party Selection. Fifty slots for the party would be reserved for the High Council, sponsors, guests, and high rollers while the other fifty would be open to anyone in Ryko through the Selection event.

"Anyone is eligible to sign up! Head to your local Adventurer's Guild, Wizard's Association branch, or Seven Path's Church to take the preliminary examinations." The announcer continued enthusiastically.

"It does not matter if you're the king of a country, an adventurer, a slave, or even a child. Under the sanctions of the High Council, and at the behest of every major country and group around the world, all are invited!"

Murmurs began to stir globally. This was a chance to be famous, wealthy, and respected. Slaves and peasants without a way to become anything more had a way out. If they had talent or skills, the Dungeon Party Selection was a free and sanctioned gift that would never come again. Within the hour, thousands hurried to register for the preliminary exams.

"The preliminary examinations will last for one month. If you think you have what it takes, there are two sections to the exams, a physical exam, and a mental exam. If you are smart or strong enough, you can move onto the next round!" The announcer waved his hands with glee.

"In fact, I'm going to enter the exams as well, and you should too! Imagine, fifty normal people have the chance to save the world! Once Lavilin is arrested and Hell is conquered, history will be made. The Greatest Party in all of history will be decided soon. Don't miss your opportunity." The announcer was serious yet excited.

Realistically, the fifty participants would be elites of countries, powerful mages, or adventurers, but the hope of entering the Selection was too infectious. Even if a normal person failed, they would still get to say they participated in the largest event in modern Ryko history. With ad revenue alone, the televised events of the Dungeon Party Selection would be astronomical. Fees to register for the examinations were low, and the hype was overwhelming. Everyone with an eye for adventure, wealth, or fame registered as soon as possible.

Scenes of hidden experts appearing around the world made the news.

Clico and his party served in the Shade War together. As Adventurers and Mages, they immediately went to the preliminary exams. Skilled and experienced, they entered the Galeon Adventurer's Guild with determination.

Seven cloaked individuals entered a Pyrite Adventurer's Guild. Their aura washed over the guild. Each of them wore a mask numbered one to seven. Everyone stopped and stared at the masked people. Marked with number seven, the man, Number Seven, spoke with arrogance,

"We are here to register." The receptionist speechlessly gave Number Seven a clipboard with a page to put down his information.

At another branch, Anaxmai the famous adventurer entered a Pyrite Adventurer's Guild.

"At last, I will have my revenge on you, Lavilin!"

Elsewhere, a group of Wandering Mages entered a remote Pyrite Wizard Association branch. Mite, the famous prophet came in with his party.

"It's time we fulfill our destiny." Mite told his party.

"Oh, come on now M, it'll be fun. Don't take it so seriously!" His wife Utone said while punching his shoulder playfully.

Institutional Mages of the powerful countries registered in mass at the provocation of their respective countries. Galeon mages stood firm in patriotic condemnation of The Demon Lavilin.

Phanec, the country ruling the Void Continent, decided to make a joint announcement with Pyrite.

"Today, history is made. As King of Phanec, I, King Augustus resign and give my position to the first Princess. Today, I join the Great Dungeon Party!" Shocked, the world watched on to see King Skele of Pyrite take the stand.

"Pyrite's tragic loss of life against the dungeon and The Demon will not go unpunished! Today, I also resign and will join Augustus in conquering Hell!" He declared righteously.

Meanwhile, Guildmaster Abel of the Adventurer's Guild spoke out in the mountain country of Agate.

"Thank you, Headmaster Githl for hosting me. I understand you've been pre-selected to join the Great Dungeon Party."

"That is correct my friend. It will be an incredible expedition." Headmaster Githl of Agate Academy responded in front of the cameras.

"All of us middle aged and older folk are stepping down from our positions to join the expedition, so I think I will too." Abel turned to the camera. "I am stepping down from my position as the Adventurer Guild's Guildmaster, and I am joining the preliminary exams!"

Similar scenes sprouted all over the world, and the first day after the announcement, rulers of copious organizations joined the exams and stepped down from their prestigious positions.

"In the wake of the devastation of the Shade War, the remnants of the Beast Countries will defeat Hell and defeat Lavilin! We are entering the exams!" Former Orc Lord Rubeus proclaimed.

"As a defected Shade from the dungeon, I was forced to fight against you, but I was freed from my enslavement after the defeat of the Shade Lord. Now, I repay my debt of killing the innocent and enter the examinations!" Former Dungeon Shade Samson declared.

"As one of the Princesses of Agate, I must do my duty to my country and to the world and enter the examinations!"

"I am a veteran of the Adventurer's Guild, of course I have to register!"

"I'm just a normal guy, but I want to see how far I can go."

"Even though I'm just a slave, I want a chance to be free. I want to help save the world!"

"I was once the King of Pyrite before my retirement, but now I'll follow my predecessor Skele and enter the exams."

"I'm a mage with the Mage's Association, and I would be stupid not to register!"

"Everyone should register. They'll find the best of all of Ryko. Come on let's go!"

"I'm going to register tomorrow, want to come?"

The worldwide phenomenon had begun.