The moment they stepped through the +A-rank gate, the world shifted.
Gone was the snow-covered mountain. In its place sprawled a frozen wasteland—jagged cliffs of black ice, geysers of searing flame bursting sporadically from cracks in the ground. The atmosphere was chaotic, a fusion of extremes. Frost coated Kaen's shoulders as he took in their new surroundings, but the ground steamed beneath his feet.
"This place is wrong," Mira murmured, hugging her arms. "Ice and fire shouldn't coexist like this."
"They don't," Kaen said. "Unless something unnatural is forcing them to."
A large obsidian tower stood in the distance, half-encased in ice, half-wreathed in flame. The gate core was undoubtedly there.
Rourke knelt and brushed snow aside, revealing strange footprints—too large for a man, but too precise for a beast. "These aren't monsters," he muttered. "Something intelligent lives here."
Kyel nodded. "Then we proceed with caution."
They broke into two squads. Kaen, Zian, Lirien, and Rourke led the forward unit. Mira, Leon, Kyel, and Rayden flanked from the ridge, scouting alternate paths.
As they moved, the air seemed to hum. Zian's golden eyes flicked toward the sky. "The mana density is climbing rapidly."
Kaen noticed it too. His shadows pulsed like they were feeding. "This place is trying to awaken something."
They reached the halfway point of the wasteland when the ambush struck.
Ice erupted from the ground—beasts with crystalline hides and lava-core hearts burst forth, snarling. Each was the size of a horse, their eyes glowing with unnatural fury.
"Contact!" Lirien shouted, already moving.
Kaen stepped forward, arms out. "I'll handle the big one."
A monstrous variant of the others emerged—double their size, molten cracks running through its icy armor.
Kaen's hand curled, and the beast paused mid-charge. He tilted his head. "Let's see what you remember."
A black sigil flared beneath his feet. The creature screamed and lunged, but Kaen vanished and reappeared above it, plunging his hand through its skull. The body crumbled, its mana dispersed like ash.
Meanwhile, Zian and Lirien fought back-to-back, blades flashing in perfect sync. Each blow was coordinated, instinctive—even though Zian had no memory of her past, her body remembered.
Rourke moved like the veteran he was, defending the others with perfect timing, intercepting attacks before they landed.
Within minutes, the field was silent again—just wind and crackling frost.
Leon's voice came through the communicator. "We've reached the tower's base. No enemies, but the temperature's rising fast."
Kaen's eyes narrowed. "Prepare for a core guardian. This was just the warm-up."
As they regrouped, Lirien glanced at Kaen, breathless. "You always knew we'd walk into this, didn't you?"
"I didn't walk in," Kaen said with a half-smile. "I was invited."
And above, deep within the obsidian tower, two glowing eyes opened. Something ancient stirred—watching them. Waiting.