SYSTEM ASCENSION

Inside the portal was nothing like they had expected. Despite the vertical dive in, they had entered horizontally, like walking into a building.

Blue crystal light lit up the cave, reflecting the jagged rocks pointed from the top. It was wider than expected, good enough to fit ten thousand of people if needed.

However, half of the cave was covered with a translucent lake, reflecting pale blue.

The brightness of the cave was not enough to brighten the darkness in Elias’s eye. He just stared at the surrounding with a detached interest.

"When a portal open, there is always a space between both worlds. This space. It’s known as domain," Zeal stepped forward. His eye scanned the hall-like cave.

"The portal is usually closed from here, or outside. If Nulls already occupied this place from the other side, we’d have to fight before they bridge our world."

"Why not just close it with them in the domain?" Elias muttered.

Zeal eye widened a bit, then he chuckled.

"Already thinking huh?"

He took few steps forward.

"The portal won’t close if any living creature is in the domain, be it human or creatures."

Elias glanced around again.

Zeal turned around and adjusted his mask.

"This gate in particular, seem to be a rare problem. The domain alone is stupidly large. It has no opening to the other side. It’s like a cave."

"So what?" Elias tilted his head. "Are we playing cavemen?"

"You did love playing cavemen." Zeal exclaimed dramatically. "With your father and mother."

A terrible hush followed Zeal’s words.

Elias eye twitched beneath the mask, but he said nothing.

"We are going to figure out how to seal the portal," Zeal announced. "Let’s spread out and search for any clu..."

Elias was already walking away before he could complete his words. His eye followed Elias’s direction of quite a while. Then, he grinned.

’He’s irritated.’

"I’ll check this direction!" He waved. "Oi! I said I’ll check this direction!... Elias!"

Elias clenched his fist, body trembling with barely contained rage, as Zeal continued to yell.

"What sort of idiot —"

The dark panel popped up into his eyes.

[SYSTEM NOTICE]

"Eh?"

He stared at it for quite a while. The message had indeed caught him a bit off guard. However, it was something he had expected. Afterall, whoever threw him into a desert with a thousand people for three years ain’t going to back down now that he survived.

His eye followed the text.

[Mission alert!]

[User: Elias Morail]

[Occupation: S rank raider]

[Status: Chosen/Sector seven sole survivor]

[Mission Type: Duo]

[Location: Quora empire]

[Objective: Close S rank gate]

[Time Limit: None]

[Penalty: None]

His eye instinctively drifted down to the penalty first.

"None? This mission is by choice?"

"Not exactly."

The voice came from behind him, close to his ear.

Elias hand moved before his body. A hunting dagger formed out of thin air and pressed cold against Zeal’s throat before the word was even finished.

"Woah! Easy! Easy!" Zeal raised his hand.

Elias frowned. The blade didn’t shake.

"Can you see it?"

Zeal didn’t struggle. He just tilted his head a little, the mask catching the blue crystal light.

"I can’t see yours, but I can see mine." he paused, then chuckled quietly. "You see, we’re the same."

Elias tilted his head.

"We’re...the same?"

Zeal nodded. As a result, the dagger bit into his neck a little.

"Your barge was three years ago. Mine was ten years ago."

"You went to the desert?"

"Not a desert for me, but a jungle. No desert. Sector one." Zeal muttered. He cleared his throat. "The dagger... could you remove the dagger..."

"Why ask me to remove it? It’s not like I can hurt you anyway."

Zeal’s stare sharpened beneath the mask. He leaned forward, the dagger cutting a deeper line in his neck. Blood trail down the wound.

"You’re underestimating yourself Elias. Nothing is more unfortunate than having a beef with someone like you."

Elias withdrew the dagger. He observed the quest again.

"Quora empire..."

"Quora empire is an empire in Calgary continent," Zeal voiced out. "Why did we get a mission in Calgary continent?"

"It’s the same?"

"Of course! Mission type says duo. From the look of things, there are only two of us here, yes?"

The dark panel blinked into existence.

[OBSERVATION IN PROGRESS]

[Beginning teleportation]

[Countdown to thirty seconds]

The numbers started counting down immediately.

[00:29]

[00:28]

[00:27]

Zeal sighed.

"This damn observation again. I wish whoever observing can come out to face me, so I can give the person a piece of my fist!"

Elias glanced at him. The wound on his neck was gone. No sign of a cut, but only the trail of blood.

[00:18]

"Explain why there is no penalty."

"There is no penalty for you," Zeal explained. "That’s because you’re still a chosen. If I bail out on this mission, I’ll get sent to survive a month in a place called the scorch trial ground."

Elias’s eye sharpened. The same place he had spent three years of his life. For a second, a small curve appear on his lip.

"Scorch trial?"

"What?" Zeal frowned.

"I hope you get sent there."

"Huh?!"

[00:05]

[00:04]

"Well," Zeal smiled. "I hope you’re familiar with this,"

[00:03]

"We have all experienced it afterall."

[00:02]

"I am familiar with it."

[00:01]

[00:00]

The world inverted.

A blinding white light erupted from the center of the cave, swallowing the blue crystal glow whole.

Elias didn’t have time to breathe. The ground vanished beneath him. For half a heartbeat, there was only the light, then gravity slammed back into him like a hammer.

Gone was the blue crystal cave and translucent lake. Instead: Cold air. Wet earth. The sharp sting of thorns. The ringing faded, replaced by the sound of wind moving through tall trees.

The forest was dark, with bright sky above it. The chirping of cicadas fill the forest.

Zeal’s voice cut through the dancing wind.

"...I hate teleportation."

He dusted off invisible dirt from his clothes, then took off his mask.

"I wanted us to wear a mask so other raiders don’t recognise us, but since we’re outside Aoi continent, no need."

Elias didn’t react, nor did he take off his mask.

Zeal took a quick look around. He frowned, and looked up at whatever might be observing them.

"...so what?! Are we going to liberate the flowers?! Fertilize them or something?!"

Elias was already moving. One was to get away from the adult acting like a child, and second was to get to the voice he heard as soon as they arrived.

He vaulted over the trees, and landed on a thick branch.

Before him, was a clearing with flowerbed, but this supposedly beautiful field was painted red. Feets away was a boar, chasing after an hunter with an injured leg. Elias tilted his head slowly.

He just watch the interaction. The boat was wound, barely, but the blood seem to belong to the hunter he recognised to be a female, despite the mask she hunter clothing she wore.

Zeal silently landed beside Elias.

"Oh? Boar hunting."

"She’s the one getting hunted." Elias muttered.

Zeal took a step forward, but then he thought of something.

"Elias," he turned his gaze.

"Help h—"

Elias had already conjured a bow and arrow, aiming right at it beast.

"You were saying?"

He shot it. The impact slice through the wind, and sent the arrow straight into the boar’s head. The beast shrieked, and collapsed right on the lady.

"Done."

The bow vanished.

Zeal glanced at the boar, and then at Elias.

"You helped her."

"Why do you sound suprise?" Elias muttered.

Zeal moved closer, almost tripping down the branch.

"Why did you help her?"

Elias’s eye remained on the lady, struggling to get the suddenly dead animal off her.

"Her soul...is pure."

His words struck a chord in Zeal’s head. His eye widened.

"Elias. Can you see souls?"

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