"If I were you, I wouldn't put too much trust in the artifacts those people gave us," Nox continued.

"We need to find a way to close this portal and get out of here. Let's go."

Nox's teammates nodded and began to move, their steps silent on the black, viscous ground. They advanced cautiously, their eyes scanning their surroundings, ready to react at any moment.

Their senses warned them of danger with every step they took, as if death itself had taken up residence in this place. Yet all of them remained steadfast, following closely behind Nox, who was leading them through the ruins of buildings.

In the way he walked, one might have thought he knew the place well. Some people in the group were curious, but none dared to speak. They simply followed him. Nox had the charisma of a leader.

A few minutes of walking later, they arrived in front of a building that wasn't completely destroyed. Nox turned to his teammates and said:

"I plan to set up our base here. I already made a quick inspection of the surroundings, but nothing to report. However, I'm not infallible, so I suggest you also explore the area to make sure it's safe."

"This portal is going to take quite a while," he thought as he stared into the distance.

The inside of the portal was indeed far too vast. A portal's rank determined the size of its territory as well as how easy it was to locate the monsters it contained. Thus, an F-rank portal had a smaller area than an E-rank one. In an F-rank portal, one didn't need to explore for long before encountering a monster, unlike in an E-rank portal where exploration could take longer. Therefore, the higher a portal's rank, the larger its area, and the more thorough the exploration needed to detect all monsters.

And all these factors affected the time required to close a portal. In a high-rank portal, the most important thing was not to rush and to take things step by step.

Nox knew their survival depended on several factors: a secure base or camp where they could retreat if danger arose, and their ability to work together, trust each other, and explore the portal efficiently. He observed his teammates and saw that they were ready to begin.

"Get to work. Explore the area and secure the place. Above all, stay vigilant, we don't know what might be hiding in the shadows. And don't forget to stay in groups."

"Hmm… and you? Aren't you coming with us?" asked a voice from the back of the group.

A flicker passed through Nox's eyes when his gaze met the person who had spoken.

"No, I have something else to do," he said, looking toward the small dark forest about 1.5 km away from where he stood.

Ever since they had entered the portal, they hadn't encountered or detected a single monster. And that forest was strange. He couldn't see through it with his senses. His perception was blocked every time he focused on it.

"Johan, you'll be in charge of watching over everyone in my absence," he continued under the anxious gazes of his teammates, visibly worried that he was going to explore alone.

---

Johan nodded, his expression grave. "I'll watch over them, Nox. Be careful."

Nox smiled faintly, his eyes sweeping the surroundings. "I'll be back before you even notice."

He turned toward the direction of the forest, his eyes narrowing slightly. He could feel something—a presence pulling him in—but he couldn't pinpoint its location. He shrugged and began heading toward the forest at high speed, kicking up a cloud of black dust.

Nox's teammates watched him leave, worried. They didn't like the idea of letting him go alone, but they knew he could handle himself.

Johan turned to the others. "Guys, let's get to work and secure this place before he returns."

The others nodded and began exploring the area around the building, weapons in hand, ready for action. They knew they had to be prepared for anything inside a high-rank portal.

Nox, meanwhile, advanced through the forest, his gaze fixed on a point ahead of him. He could feel the presence growing stronger, but still couldn't locate it. He quickened his pace, his heart beating slightly faster.

Suddenly, he stopped. He had reached a clearing, and at its center stood an enormous tree. The tree seemed… alive, and Nox could feel a strange energy emanating from it.

He approached cautiously, his gaze locked onto it. He extended his sword to touch the tree when the entire forest began to tremble.

"Oh! A guest. Please wait a moment longer. It's not time yet."

A monstrous voice echoed through the forest, reverberating among the trees. The trees, which until then had seemed lifeless, suddenly began to grow, their branches stretching like skeletal arms. Birds resembling giant ravens took flight out of nowhere, emerging from the shadows of the trees, their hoarse cries and beating wings thunderous. Whispers and screams rose from every direction, creating a deafening cacophony.

After hearing the voice, Nox condensed his aura, ready to strike, but the space around him distorted, throwing him out of the forest. He found himself back in front of the building that was supposed to serve as their base.

From the other side of the forest, he could see a sight of unimaginable horror. The small dark forest had begun to expand, its trees multiplying and stretching out like tentacles, devouring everything in their path.

Soon, the sky began to darken. Numerous specters emerged from the dark forest, accompanied by the giant ravens. And to make things worse, a swarm of dark wyverns loomed on the horizon.

"Where is all this coming from?"

Nox turned toward Johan and the others who had rushed over after sensing his presence. They looked at him, wide-eyed. After Nox left, Johan and the others hadn't taken long to secure the building. They were keeping watch, waiting for him to return, when they suddenly sensed movement near the forest and almost at the same time felt a presence close to the building.

"What's happening?" asked Johan, his face pale.

Nox shook his head, his eyes fixed on the expanding forest. "I don't know, but I think something enormous is about to happen."

He turned to the others. "This building will be our fortress. Stay inside. Cast protection spells to reinforce the defenses."

The others nodded, their faces serious. They knew they were in danger and had to be prepared for anything to survive.

"But… will that be enough?" asked a mage from Erian, panicking as he watched the situation unfold.

Nox turned back toward the forest, his gaze locked onto the horror unfolding before him.

"Yes, if we work together… maybe…"

He knew many of them were panicking, especially the A-rank members. As captain, he needed to reassure them. To do that, he had to make a decisive move.

After everyone had entered the building for protection, Nox, watching the forest expand toward them—the wyverns, specters, and giant ravens already within range—sighed and murmured…

"Mirror Dimension…"

In an instant, the world seemed to freeze…

...

Dear reader, I hope you enjoy the story. Please support me by giving me power stones, golden ticket or gifts. Your different opinions or suggestions about the work are welcome. Happy reading.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.