Chapter 763: The B-Rank Gate

Moon acknowledged each of them.

With Theo scouting, Garrett and himself on the front, Priya sustaining, and Dmitri providing ranged support, the team had solid coverage across every role.

Although he could have very well handled the gate by himself, he didn’t bother saying it to anybody around. Not only would he come out as arrogant and condescending to his team, but he would not be given the chance to enter by himself anyway.

’I will talk to Tom about this later... If I could past some sort of test for the association in order to start entering gates solo... that would be nice.’

Then, the Surpasser’s tone suddenly became much more serious.

"Before you enter, there’s something I want to address directly, and I’ll be blunt about it." His eyes moved across the three new members, not taking into account Theo.

"In Moon’s previous B-Rank expedition at Rivergate, his orders were questioned repeatedly during critical moments. That hesitation nearly cost the team dearly, and it created friction when seconds mattered." He turned slightly. "Theo here was on that team. Theo, correct me if I misspeak."

Theo nodded. "You’re not wrong. Several members of the team doubted him more than once. And every single time, he was right, and we’d have died if we hadn’t eventually fallen in line. Without Moon, not one of the seven of us would have walked out of that gate and that’s not an exaggeration since two Surpasser-rank beasts were inside that abnormal gate."

The Surpasser nodded. "There it is, from someone who was in it. So I’ll ask the three of you plainly. In this gate, follow Moon’s orders without questioning them. He has cleared a peak B-Rank gate that killed an entire team of elites before him. He knows what he’s doing, when he gives a command, execute it. If there is an issue you want to raise, you raise it to us once you return back to earth, and we will handle it."

The three new members raised their eyebrows.

They were all Five-Star Evolvers, each accomplished in their own right, each carrying the ego that came with reaching the peak of the Evolver realm. Being told to follow a leader blindly, without a single question, chafed against that pride. Especially when their lives would be on the line inside, following orders without understanding them was a really difficult thing to ask of veterans used to their own judgment.

But they weren’t fools either. Theo’s admission carried some truth behind it, they could see him admitting his own mistakes. And Moon’s reputation preceded him, the gate-clearer, the tournament sensation, the rising star of New Avalon.

So, however reluctantly, they nodded.

"Understood," Garrett said, his voice gruff. "Your call, your lead. We’ll follow."

Priya and Dmitri nodded their agreement in turn, though Moon could read the lingering reservation in their postures, the ego not fully set aside, only shelved for now.

Moon didn’t mind, he’d seen these looks plenty of times before. That sort of pride only lasted until the first moment his judgment saved their lives, and then the questions slowly stopped on their own.

"Appreciated," Moon said evenly. "I’ll keep it simple. I don’t give orders for fun, and I don’t waste your lives. When I tell you to move, there’s a reason, and you’ll usually understand it after the fact. Trust me in the gate, and I’ll make sure we all walk out of it. That’s the deal."

He turned toward the gate, its surface swirling with the familiar light.

"Now, let’s see what this one’s hiding. Form up. We go in together."

????

Moon and his team stepped through the gate.

The crimson light faded, and they found themselves standing atop a mountain.

A peak thrust high above a sprawling range, cold winds whipping across exposed rock. Clouds drifted above them , and the landscape stretched out in every direction, a vast expanse of stone ridges, deep ravines, and distant snow-capped summits.

The terrain was treacherous, all steep slopes and narrow ledges.

Moon gave the surroundings a quick scan, looking for any threats, whilst checking for escape routes, and defensible positions in a matter of moments.

His brows rose as he spotted several beasts approaching rapidly.

"Careful, beasts incoming, west, south and east!" He issued out a warning immediately.

He’d barely finished when the sound of multiple howls split the air.

They came fast, echoing off the rock faces from several directions at once, and moments later the source revealed itself.

A pack of mountain predators burst over several nearby ridges.

They had a lean build packed with muscle adorned with thick shaggy coats and oversized clawed paws built for gripping stone, their bodies low and fast as they rushed up the slope towards them.

They didn’t hesitate, charging directly at Priya, the healer, who stood closest to their point of emergence, instinctively singling out the softest-looking target of the bunch.

The team sprang into action instantly.

Garrett was already moving, his greatsword swinging off his back as he charged to intercept, putting his body between the pack and Priya.

Theo melted toward the back, and Dmitri was nocking an arrow before the beasts had closed half the distance.

Despite her team’s effort to keep her safe, Priya didn’t wait to be saved. The healer proved she could handle herself, her staff crystal flaring in bright colour as she cast a spell that met the lead beast head-on.

The powerful spell slammed into the charging predator, knocking it several meters back, fending it off and buying herself the critical half-second she needed to retreat into a safe position beside her team.

That half-second was all the team required.

Dmitri’s arrow streaked across the gap and punched into the staggered beast’s flank, and in the same instant, a bolt of purple lightning leapt from Moon’s hand, catching the creature dead center.

The strikes tore through the beast, and the Mountain Stalker collapsed dripping with blood to the rock, dead before it hit the ground.