KamiKowa: That Time I Got Transmigrated With A Broken Goddess
Chapter 94: [94] Dormant Pressures

Chapter 94: [94] Dormant Pressures

October 7, 2:12pm

The gondola lifted them smoothly away from the station. Through the glass walls, Xavier watched the ground fall away. The facility grew smaller below them, revealing its full layout—a cluster of buildings arranged around a central courtyard, surrounded by a perimeter fence.

"This is so cool," Margaret said, pressing her hands against the glass. "Look how tiny everything gets!"

"The view is quite spectacular," Alexander agreed, though his attention seemed more focused on scanning the mountain above them.

Naomi sat on the bench opposite Xavier, visibly shivering despite trying to hide it. Her thin cashmere sweater provided little protection against the mountain chill, and the gondola’s heating system hadn’t yet kicked in.

Xavier sighed internally. He’d noticed her discomfort on the bus but had refused her obvious ploy for his jacket. Now, however, her shivering seemed genuine rather than manipulative. He glanced at the other men in the gondola. Nolan huddled in his own puffy jacket, looking too nervous to notice anyone else’s discomfort. Alexander, despite his leadership qualities, often missed subtle social cues with women.

Looks like it’s all up to me...

Xavier shrugged out of his black coat and held it out to Naomi.

"Here," he said simply.

Naomi looked up, genuine surprise crossing her face before she controlled it. Her pupils dilated noticeably—a physiological reaction she couldn’t fake.

"I thought you said you weren’t giving me your jacket," she said.

"You’re right," Xavier replied, starting to retract the offer and slip his arm back into the sleeve.

Naomi lunged forward, snatching the coat from his hands. "No take-backs," she said, quickly wrapping herself in the black fabric. She buried her nose in the collar for a moment, inhaling. "It’s warm. And it smells like you."

"How fortunate for you," Xavier said, now in just his long-sleeved henley.

From the corner of his eye, Xavier caught several reactions. Margaret’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Calypso’s mouth tightened slightly, though she seemed to understand his reasoning. Most striking was Ashley’s expression—her usually composed face had transformed into an icy glare directed at Naomi.

"That was kind of you, Valentine," Professor Valdez commented from her corner.

"Just being practical," Xavier replied. "Can’t have classmates frozen before we even reach the gate."

The gondola continued its ascent, swaying gently in the mountain breeze. Through the windows, Xavier could see the second gondola beginning its journey from the station below, carrying the rest of their class with Professor Fox.

"What do you think it’ll look like?" Margaret asked, breaking the momentary silence. "The gate, I mean."

"According to the textbook, Tier-1 gates typically manifest as localized spatial distortions," Nolan said. "They might appear as ripples in the air, or areas where light bends unnaturally."

"This particular gate has been dormant for six months," Professor Valdez added. "It last activated during routine testing but has remained stable since then. You’ll be able to see the containment measures the GGA uses to prevent unexpected reactivation."

"Can we go inside it?" Naomi asked, pulling Xavier’s jacket tighter around her shoulders.

"Absolutely not," Valdez replied sharply. "Observation only."

Ashley spoke up, her first words since boarding. "Will we be able to take readings of the energy signature?"

"Yes, you’ll use standard field equipment to document the gate’s current state. Those readings will be the basis for your field report assignment."

The gondola slowed as it approached the upper station, a smaller platform jutting out from the mountainside. They could see a path leading from the station into the pine forest, marked with security lights.

"The observation point is a ten-minute walk from here," Professor Valdez informed them.

The gondola docked with a gentle bump, and the doors slid open. Cold mountain air rushed in, making several students gasp. They filed out onto the platform, which offered a stunning view of the valley below and the facility they’d left behind.

Xavier lingered at the back of the group with Calypso, watching the second gondola make its way up the cable.

"We should probably get that paid," Calypso whispered, nodding toward Xavier’s phone in his pocket.

"What?"

"The loan."

Xavier grimaced. "It’s fine. I’ll figure it out when we get back."

"But—"

"Not now," Xavier said, more firmly than he intended. He softened his tone. "It’s just money. Nothing to worry about."

Calypso didn’t look convinced, but she dropped the subject as the second gondola approached.

The second gondola docked, delivering the rest of Class 1-D, Professor Fox, and the three GGA officers to the mountain station. As everyone regrouped, Captain Bennett stepped forward.

"The gate observation area is just ahead," he announced. "Follow me, and remember—look but don’t touch."

The group trudged along the narrow mountain path, pine needles crunching beneath their boots. Xavier walked beside Calypso, maintaining a casual pace while keeping an eye on the surrounding forest. The trail wound between tall evergreens, occasionally offering glimpses of the valley below through gaps in the foliage.

"The gate is housed in a natural depression," Captain Bennett explained as he led them forward. "It appeared three years ago during a minor seismic event. Fortunately, it was small enough to contain before any significant monster emergence."

The path began to slope downward, and the trees thinned out. Captain Bennett stopped at a viewing platform constructed of metal and composite materials. Beyond it lay a shallow bowl-like depression in the mountainside, surrounded by monitoring equipment.

"We’ll take the readings from here," Professor Valdez announced. "Then head down for a closer look."

In the center of the depression sat the gate—underwhelming at first glance. It appeared as a distortion in the air, roughly oval-shaped and about three meters tall. The space within the distortion looked smudged, as if someone had taken an eraser to reality itself. Colors seemed muted inside the gate’s boundaries, and the pine trees visible on the other side appeared slightly off, their proportions subtly wrong.

"This is a Tier-1 Low gate in dormant phase," Dr. Wilson explained. "The spatial distortion you see is a tear in dimensional fabric. When active, this tear widens and creates a connection to another reality."

"I don’t feel anything," Ashley said, sounding disappointed. "Shouldn’t we sense something?"

"Not necessarily," Professor Valdez replied. "Dormant gates emit minimal Essentia signatures. Your sensitivity would need to be exceptionally high to detect it from this distance."

Dr. Wilson continued her explanation. "The containment system includes sixteen crystal pylons buried around the perimeter. They generate a stabilizing field that prevents the gate from expanding or activating unexpectedly."

"What happens if it does activate?" Naomi asked.

"The system automatically increases field strength to suppress activity," Officer Dolan answered. "If suppression fails, an emergency response team deploys from the facility below."

Xavier noticed Alexander studying the monitoring equipment rather than the gate itself. "Those sensors," Alexander said, pointing to small devices mounted on poles around the depression. "They’re measuring energy fluctuations?"

"Correct," Dr. Wilson nodded approvingly. "They track dimensional pressure, Essentia signatures, and several other metrics."

"Can we see the readings?" Nolan asked, his voice barely audible.

Captain Bennett gestured to a display panel mounted on the platform railing. "Current data is shown here. You’ll each have fifteen minutes to take readings for your assignments."

The students gathered around the display, which showed various graphs and numbers.

Margaret approached the railing, staring intently at the gate. "It’s beautiful in a way," she said. "Scary, but beautiful."

"It’s just a hole," Kyrie scoffed. "Not impressed."

"That’s because it’s dormant," Alexander explained patiently. "Active gates are much more dramatic."

"Next group for readings," Captain Bennett called.

Xavier approached the display with Calypso, Alexander, and Ashley. The panel showed various measurements: dimensional pressure (currently at 0.23), Essentia density (0.08), and stability index (97%).

"These numbers indicate a very stable gate," Alexander commented, taking notes on his tablet.

"Yes," Officer Dolan agreed. "This particular gate hasn’t shown activity in six months."

The mountain breeze picked up, rustling the pine trees. For a moment, Xavier could have sworn he heard whispers coming from the gate—faint, unintelligible sounds that disappeared as quickly as they came.

"Alright." Officer Dolan called. "We are now going to go down to the gate for a closer look."