Chapter 34: Danger! Gate Corruption!

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Danger! Gate Corruption! The skies above Baiyun Sector in Southern Shenzhen glowed crimson. A massive rift gate hovered above the jungle-clad mountains, pulsating with swirling mana threads. It stood like a gaping wound in the fabric of reality—twenty meters tall, framed by glowing blue runes. On the ground, armored vans, mechs, and drone-towers surrounded the perimeter. Hunters in sleek gear stood at attention, ready to storm the unknown. Evon Wang stood in a black Hunter trainee uniform, sleeves rolled up, silver sigils carved into the fabric. His black hair ruffled in the wind, his blue eyes steady as they stared at the portal. "Still think this is a good idea?" Shen Wang asked, tightening the gauntlets on his B-rank hunter armor. "No," Jessica said flatly. "It’s a terrible idea. But he wouldn’t stay behind." "I’m right here, you know," Evon said, arching an eyebrow. Jessica sighed. "Honey, you just woke up from a thousand-year coma *yesterday*. Your bones haven’t even creaked properly yet." "I’ve fought elite monsters bare-handed," Evon replied calmly. "I can handle some dungeon creepers." Shen chuckled. "He gets that from your side." They stood before the gate with four others—veteran Hunters from the Shenzhen Association. All A-rankers. Ying Yue, an Ice Spear user with silver pigtails and sharp eyes. Zhao Fei, a close-combat tank with reinforced crimson armor. Lei Fang, a rogue-type Hunter wielding twin daggers of shadow steel. And Tian Ren, a long-range arcane sniper with a smart-ass grin and glowing lenses. They were all staring at Evon like he’d just stepped off a spaceship. "So this is the coma kid?" Zhao Fei asked. "He doesn’t *look* like a miracle," Lei Fang muttered. "Did he seriously max the scanner?" Tian Ren adjusted his glasses. "Not just maxed it," Jessica said calmly. "Broke it." "No rank," Shen added. "His reading came up empty. Blank. Unfathomable." Evon scratched his head awkwardly. "Can we skip the gawking and start clearing the dungeon?" Ying Yue raised an eyebrow. "You’ve never been inside a gate. You don’t even have a weapon." Evon shrugged. "I’ll borrow one." "Excuse me?" Zhao frowned. "You planning to fight A-tier monsters *with a borrowed sword*?" "Yeah," Evon said nonchalantly. "Unless you want to lend me your fists." Tian snorted. "Kid’s got jokes." Evon turned to Shen. "Dad. You still have the spare longsword in storage?" Shen didn’t answer—he just reached into his inventory device and summoned a weapon in a flash of light. A simple black longsword, medium-weight, with a red grip and silver edges. "Catch." Evon caught it effortlessly and gave it a few test swings. "Light. Perfect." Jessica folded her arms. "I still hate this." Evon grinned. "Love you too, Mom." The gate surged, pulsing with blue light. Ying Yue stepped forward. "Gate’s stabilizing. Formation entry." Shen turned to his son. "Stick close. Stay between your mother and me. We’ll cover you." "No promises," Evon muttered, eyes focused. As the group stepped through, their bodies shimmered—vanishing into the gate. --- Inside the Dungeon It was dark, wet, and thick with fog. Massive moss-covered trees stretched high above, and the ground pulsed with violet light from fungal growths. Cracked ruins rose in the distance, a long-dead civilization swallowed by nature. "Jungle-type terrain," Ying Yue whispered. "Likely beast and insect-type monsters." Jessica activated a rune scanner. "Mana pressure—Tier A confirmed. No boss signatures yet." Zhao Fei stepped forward, his fists glowing red. "Time to stretch." They advanced through the foliage, blades and spells at the ready. Ten minutes in, the first group appeared. **A-tier Boneclaw Mantises.** Twice the height of a man. Armored exoskeletons. Blade-arms serrated like saws. There were five. Jessica drew her twin sabers. Shen summoned a flaming halberd. The others prepared formation. "Evon, stand ba—" But before Jessica could finish, Evon shot forward. "Evon!" Shen shouted. Too late. The first mantis lunged. Evon ducked under its blade and slid across the mud. In one fluid movement, he kicked off a rock, flipped over its head, and brought the longsword *down*. **CRACK!** The exoskeleton split with a sharp *snap* as the mantis collapsed. "...What?" Ying Yue’s voice was stunned. Another leapt at him. Evon spun midair, deflecting one blade arm with the sword and then slicing across its jaw. He landed on one knee and thrust upward, impaling its chest. Zhao Fei blinked. "He’s using *raw strength*..." "No mana augmentation," Tian muttered. "That’s just *muscle.*" Two more rushed him. Evon exhaled, narrowed his eyes—and dashed forward. A step so fast it blurred. He vaulted over one mantis, stomped its back to launch himself again, then landed behind both. One clean slice decapitated them. Silence. Only one mantis remained, chittering and flailing wildly. Evon walked calmly toward it, raised the sword, and— **Shing.** The last mantis fell, cleanly bisected. "...Holy shit," Lei Fang whispered. Jessica just stared, mouth open. "He... just..." Shen finally laughed, deep and proud. "He hasn’t even *activated mana* yet." Evon turned around, breathing normally. "That all?" "Kid..." Zhao Fei said, slowly walking toward him, "you’re a freak." Evon grinned. "Thanks." "Where’d you train?" Ying Yue asked, stepping closer. "You move like a royal hunter." Evon tilted his head. "In a world where gods were my lovers." They stared at him. He waved it off. "Long story." --- They pressed deeper into the ruins. Evon stayed at the front, blade in hand. Despite Shen and Jessica’s orders to keep him safe, the others quickly realized—**he didn’t need it.** He didn’t just fight. He **dominated.** Even S-tier dungeon bugs struggled to react. His physicality was unmatched. His movements precise, calculated. Like someone who had danced with death daily. At one point, a swarm of shadow wasps ambushed from the trees. Tian Ren aimed his rifle, but before he could fire, Evon threw a broken mantis blade like a javelin—skewering three at once. "...Okay. I admit it," Tian muttered. "I like the guy." Shen watched from the rear, arms folded. Jessica walked up beside him. "He’s *adapting* faster than I thought." "It’s in his eyes," Shen said quietly. "Did you see them flash silver? That wasn’t mana." Jessica nodded. "It was Destiny." --- Three Hours Later The group reached the central ruin. A temple overgrown with vines and carved with runes older than any known script. "Scan shows no boss room yet," Ying Yue reported. "Gate should be closing soon." "Then why do I feel like something’s wrong?" Jessica asked, frowning. Suddenly— **Crackle.** A loud, unnatural sound echoed through the forest. Evon spun. "That came from the gate." Tian accessed the mini-drone feed. "What the hell—?" The live view of the gate flickered. Shen activated his long-range projection spell. Everyone turned to watch. **Sparks were crackling around the gate’s surface.** Bright, erratic. Like a short-circuiting storm. Ying Yue’s eyes widened. "That’s not normal..." Then came the color change. The blue glow of the rift—gentle and stable—began to shimmer. Dark threads crept inward like tendrils. The humming turned into a low *growl*. Jessica’s eyes widened. "That’s not a fluctuation—" **The gate turned pitch black.** The light vanished. The rune frame began to melt into shadow, and the portal pulsed with malevolent energy. A whisper of **something ancient** filled the temple. Something from another world. Evon’s heart pounded. He stepped forward. "...That’s not just a gate anymore," he whispered. **The gate had changed.** **BOOM!** A shockwave blasted out from the gate. A wave of pure *black* mana surged into the dungeon, swallowing light as it spread. Ying Yue cursed. "Gate corruption—this is a mutation event!" Tian’s drone feed went dark. "We’re cut off—!" Jessica screamed, "Fall back! That’s not an A-rank dungeon anymore!" Shen’s voice boomed: "Formation retreat!" But Evon... didn’t move. He was staring at the dark portal. Because he saw something—someone. Five familiar silhouettes beyond the veil. Lyria’s blazing outline. Naia’s shimmering water wings. Sythara’s serpentine draconic form. Veyra’s cybernetic armor. Yena’s halo of light. They were reaching toward him. "Evon..." "Evon..." "Come home..." Evon stepped forward. "Wait!" Jessica shouted. But he didn’t stop. He could feel their cries. Their presence. He knew it now. Knew it deep in his bones. **This mutated gate wasn’t just a breach.** It was a **bridge**. Back to them. Back to his true world. Back to the goddesses who still waited. But before he could speak, before anyone could react— Sparks crackled around the gate, and it changed from blue to a pitch black gate! _________________