Chapter 458: Gate Full Of Monsters

The moment the Gate swallowed them, the world changed.

Sunlight vanished.

The salty ocean breeze disappeared, replaced by damp air that stank of rotting flesh and wet stone. Ethan felt space twist around him again before his feet struck solid ground.

He steadied himself and looked up.

An enormous underground structure stretched before him. Jagged rock formations jutted from the walls, while ancient stone pillars supported a ceiling lost in darkness. Crude bridges connected platforms carved into the cavern walls, crossing chasms so deep that their bottoms were invisible.

Reddish light seeped through cracks in the stone, illuminating heaps of bones and abandoned weapons.

Somewhere in the distance, something shrieked.

Ethan wrinkled his nose.

’Well, California certainly knows how to welcome visitors.’

But he was relieved.

’No gate takeover, the gate is still there, and Mark seems fine.’

He looked at the tall man.

’Well, mostly fine.’

Mark felt a deep hunger as soon as they stepped through, but he was still in control.

Kaela turned in a slow circle, taking in the cavern with wide eyes.

"This is amazing!"

Mark glanced at her, unsure whether to be concerned or amused that she was so excited, but he was more so trying to keep his urges at bay.

Ethan chuckled before turning his attention towards the tunnels ahead. He could feel mana radiating from the darkness. Not from one or two creatures, either. There were dozens of presences scattered throughout the structure, some stronger than others.

Then came the chattering.

A hunched figure emerged from behind a broken pillar.

Its grey-green skin was covered in warts and patches of coarse hair. Its oversized head sat atop a narrow neck, and its crooked ears twitched as it stared at the newcomers. Rows of jagged teeth filled its wide mouth, while a rusted blade dangled from one hand.

A gremlin.

’That sucks. I was hoping for a shit ton of beasts to farm Evolutionary Shards.’

Ethan smiled.

’But I guess this is fine too.’

It opened its mouth and released a piercing shriek.

The response was immediate.

Dozens of answering cries erupted from the surrounding tunnels. Small figures scrambled over rocks, leapt from ledges, and squeezed through gaps in the walls.

Within seconds, the newcomers were surrounded.

Ethan’s eyes swept across the horde.

Some carried crude spears. Others wielded clubs fashioned from bones and scrap metal. A few possessed elongated limbs or thick plates of natural armour. Most importantly, the mana radiating from them was unmistakable.

’Most of them are around B Rank.’

It was a Gate full of monsters, perfect for the group of adrenaline junkies.

Ethan’s grin widened.

’Not bad.’

He was hoping for beasts to experiment with Beast Inventory especially, but he would have many other opportunities to do so. After everything that had happened recently, the prospect of a straightforward monster hunt sounded almost relaxing.

Almost.

’To think B Ranks don’t even make me nervous anymore, when they used to feel unbeatable.’

But now wasn’t exactly the best time to reminisce.

The gremlins began screeching louder.

One particularly large creature shoved through the crowd, its shoulders covered in bony protrusions.

It pointed its rusted axe at Ethan and roared.

"Why me?" he laughed.

The horde charged.

"Finally!" Kaela shouted.

She shot forward.

Her fist struck the first gremlin squarely in the face.

BOOM!

The creature flew backwards, smashed into a stone pillar, and collapsed in a heap.

Kaela didn’t stop there.

She caught a spear thrust aimed at her stomach, snapped the weapon in half, and drove her elbow into the attacker’s jaw. Before it hit the ground, she grabbed another gremlin by the leg and swung it into three of its companions.

"COME ON! IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?"

Ethan watched with a mixture of amusement and admiration.

’And there she goes.’

Kaela’s fighting style looked wild, almost reckless, but there was a warrior’s instinct behind every movement. She read the monsters’ attacks without hesitation, shifting her weight and exploiting openings before her opponents could react.

And this was her warming up.

A gremlin leapt from an overhead ledge, raising a massive club above its head.

Kaela looked up.

Her grin became positively feral.

"That’s more like it!"

She met the creature head-on, the collision shaking the entire platform.

A moment later, the gremlin went flying over the edge.

Kaela leaned over the railing and watched it disappear into the darkness.

"That’s one."

"Are you keeping score?" Mark called.

"Obviously!"

"Then you’re losing!"

Kaela spun around.

"What?!"

Mark’s arms split open.

Black tendrils erupted from his forearms, lashing through the air like living whips. One wrapped around a gremlin’s throat, while another pierced a second creature through the chest.

The tendrils tightened.

Both monsters began to shrivel.

Their bodies rapidly deteriorated as something was drawn out of them, leaving behind withered husks that crumpled onto the stone.

Ethan’s smile weakened.

’Still creepy as hell.’

He understood that Mark needed to feed. He also understood that the process kept the monstrous instincts inside him under control. But knowing that didn’t make watching it any less disturbing.

Mark released the empty husks and turned towards another group.

"Two!"

Kaela stared at him.

"Sucking them dry doesn’t count."

"Whoa, pause."

Ethan laughed.

"No wonder you two are so close; you’re both gay."

Mark just sighed and returned his focus to the gremlins, competing with the purple-eyed woman.

Kaela launched herself at the next wave.

Within moments, the cavern had become a battlefield.

Kaela smashed through the gremlins with overwhelming physical power. She tore weapons from their hands, shattered armour with her bare fists, and occasionally used one monster to bludgeon another.

Mark fought differently.

His tendrils struck from unexpected angles, pulling enemies off balance before he drained them or finished them with his own hands. He was surprisingly skilled at wielding them, as though they were a limb he had always had.

Neither showed much concern for the destruction they caused.

Stone cracked beneath their blows. Weapons flew into the darkness. Gremlin bodies tumbled from platforms as the surviving creatures scrambled to escape.

Ethan folded his arms.

’Well, I suppose there’s no need for us to get involved.’

He’d come prepared to fight.

Instead, he found himself standing beside Elara while their companions demolished everything in sight. A gremlin suddenly vaulted over a broken pillar above them. It landed on a ledge, raised a crude reinforced crossbow, and aimed directly at Ethan.

He didn’t even flinch.

A crimson construct flashed into existence.

The bolt struck the translucent barrier and shattered.

Elara glanced at the broken projectile.

Ethan looked at her.

"Thanks."

"You’re welcome."

She held out her hand.

He stared at it, then back at her.

"What’s this for?"

"Unless you’d prefer to spend the next hour dodging flying debris, hold on."

A boulder exploded nearby as Kaela sent another gremlin crashing into a wall.

Ethan took Elara’s hand.

"Excellent point."

A faint crimson shimmer spread over their joined fingers, forming a thin protective barrier around them. Then, while Kaela and Mark continued their rampage, the two of them started walking deeper into the underground structure.

They strolled casually, hand in hand, through a dungeon filled with dangerous B Rank monsters.

Ethan glanced at their joined hands.

’This is weird.’

A severed gremlin weapon bounced harmlessly off Elara’s barrier.

’But nice.’

He’d spent the last couple of hours nearly dying in the Tower, then discovering that something had been eating his soul from the inside. Now, he was taking a leisurely stroll with the Blood Demon while his companions competed over monster kills.

His life had taken some strange turns.

"So," Elara asked sarcastically, "what do you think of the place?"

"Wonderful. The architecture is interesting, the locals are welcoming, and the weather is pleasantly moist," Ethan responded in his best attempt at an English accent.

"Perhaps you should leave a review."

Elara laughed.

For a moment, Ethan almost forgot they were inside a dangerous Gate.

Then a roar thundered through the tunnels ahead.

The floor trembled beneath their feet.

Ethan’s smile faded.

’That sounds considerably bigger than the others.’

He looked into the darkness.

Whatever waited deeper inside, it had just announced itself.

And judging by the reaction of the remaining gremlins, they were terrified of it.

"I wonder what kind of ugly freak it is," Elara thought aloud.

Ethan smiled. "Can’t be much uglier than Mark."

"Hey! I heard that!"

They laughed and continued together into the darkness...