Chapter 216: But...

Chapter 216: Chapter 216: But...

These monsters seemed to have only a craving for flesh and blood; their every move was driven by this desire.

Seraphina Sinclair had already figured it out.

’This thing must be afraid of the hand the Gloomdrake rubbed against, right?’

’Even though the Gloom Hatchling back home is just a baby.’

With her mind racing, Seraphina Sinclair suddenly took a small step forward.

That single, tiny movement made the scales on the desperately retreating Shadow-Hound nearly stand on end! It scrambled back even faster, looking almost pathetic as it tucked its massive tail tightly between its legs and let out more rapid, pitiful whimpers.

"S-Serafelle..."

Selene Lawson’s voice trembled. She couldn’t comprehend the utterly absurd scene playing out before her.

Victor Warner was also dumbfounded, not knowing whether to keep his sledgehammer raised or lower it.

Seraphina Sinclair took a deep breath and slowly raised the hand that the Shadow-Hound was so fixated on, turning her palm outward as if presenting something.

"WHINE!"

The Shadow-Hound’s whimper instantly turned into a cry. Its enormous body trembled violently as it desperately curled backward, wishing it could roll itself into a ball and stuff itself back through the crack in the door.

It even raised a forepaw and clumsily covered its eyes, as if to say, ’I don’t see anything, I don’t see anything, don’t come over here.’

Seraphina Sinclair stopped and spoke in a calm, almost indifferent voice, though she wasn’t sure if the monster could understand her. "Leave this place."

The Shadow-Hound moved its paw just enough to create a sliver of a gap, its crimson pupils peeking cautiously at her.

Seraphina Sinclair slightly raised the long blade in her hand. Its edge flashed with a cold light in the dimness.

She deliberately brought the hand tainted with the Gloomdrake’s scent closer to the hilt of her blade.

"WHINE!!"

The Shadow-Hound nodded vigorously, its massive, hideous head bobbing up and down so hard it created a gust of wind.

Then, it did something that made Victor Warner’s and Selene Lawson’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

It grabbed the edges of the damaged doorframe with its two forepaws, twisted its huge hindquarters with great effort, and, in an extremely awkward and strained posture, forcibly "stuffed" itself back into the writhing darkness!

In its haste, it tripped on the doorframe with its hind leg and nearly tumbled back out. Luckily, it managed to prop itself up with its tail just in time to maintain its balance.

When the very tip of its tail finally vanished through the door, even the battered Erosion Gate itself seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

The cracks on the door remained, but the suffocating D-level pressure receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

A dead silence fell before the door.

Only the sound of the trio’s heavy breathing and the faint roars of other monsters in the distance served as a reminder that they were still in danger.

"Is... is it over?" Selene Lawson’s legs gave out, and she slid down the wall to sit on the floor, her voice still trembling.

Victor Warner also lowered his sledgehammer, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and swallowed hard. "Haha... haha... I’ve never seen anything like this in my life... A D-level monster... running away with its tail between its legs? Blacktiger Ford, you have to be Blacktiger Ford... So this is what it’s like to be number one on the leaderboard... To be this powerful."

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t answer right away.

She looked down at her right hand. She could almost still feel the cool touch of the Little Dragon’s scales on her palm.

’That little thing... its origins are probably far grander than I imagined.’

Just its lingering scent was enough to scare off a ferocious D-level predator.

"Enough talk," Seraphina Sinclair said, turning to face two pairs of eyes filled with shock and lingering fear. "The rest period is about to end. If we don’t find reinforcements before the next wave arrives, you two..."

She didn’t finish her sentence.

Some things were better left unsaid, for everyone’s sake.

Victor Warner and Selene Lawson jolted, scrambling to their feet and once again grabbing the two slightly bent sledgehammers.

Hope was right before their eyes!

The door was already partially destroyed, and the most terrifying D-level monster had been scared away. This was their chance!

The two of them charged toward the broken door and, with all their might, slammed their sledgehammers into the connection between the frame and the door itself.

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"

This time, the sound of the blows carried a desperate madness.

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t go to help clear away any potential tentacles.

The scent of the D-level Shadow-Hound seemed to linger. It was dead silent behind the door, and nothing else dared to poke its head out.

She just stood there quietly, her gaze sweeping over the increasingly turbulent fog outside and the faint, yet more frequent and shrill, roars that carried from it.

The next wave would likely be a sea of E+ Level monsters.

’Without a Clear Kill, it’s a dead end!’

Time... only one minute remained.

"CRACK, BOOM!"

A loud crash was accompanied by Victor Warner’s ecstatic roar, "It’s open! The door is open!!"

The hinges of the stubborn Erosion Gate finally broke completely. Half of the door, covered in countless cracks, crashed inward, slamming onto the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

The scene behind the door was finally revealed to the three of them.

It wasn’t the formation of reinforcements they had imagined, nor was it some kind of safe zone.

Behind the door was a darkness even deeper than before, one that seemed to absorb all light. Vague, writhing shadows could be seen within it, but they all seemed to be held back by some invisible barrier, unable to cross over.

And at the very edge of that darkness stood three figures.

They wore matching silver-gray uniforms made of a special material. Though they bore the marks of battle, their eyes were sharp and their auras were steady.

The one in the lead was a tall woman with a neat, short haircut. A faint scar on her face added a touch of menace to her appearance.

She held a long blade, still stained with a fair amount of blood.

Her gaze first swept over the collapsed door, then to the panting and disheveled Victor Warner and Selene Lawson.

Finally, it landed on Seraphina Sinclair, the only one standing perfectly straight with a calm expression.

"Survivors?" The short-haired woman’s voice had a slight electronic tone, as if processed through a speaker, but the surprise in it was unmistakable. "You’re the ones who destroyed the Erosion Gate?"

Seraphina Sinclair had initially thought they were human, but she knew otherwise the moment she heard that characteristic voice.

’They’re systems, just like the chairman and the waiters.’

She remained silent, but Victor Warner was beside himself with excitement.

Victor Warner tossed his sledgehammer aside and started to rush forward, babbling incoherently, "Reinforcements! You’re the reinforcements, right?! Quick, get us out of this godforsaken place!"

Selene Lawson also let out a long sigh of relief. Drained of strength, she leaned against the remains of the doorframe, a smile of someone who had survived a catastrophe on her face.

But the short-haired woman raised a hand, stopping Victor Warner from getting any closer.

Her gaze remained locked on Seraphina Sinclair, filled with an unfriendly scrutiny and suspicion.

"I am the captain of the Seventh Vanguard Team, Frostfall."

She announced her name and rank, her tone serious. "According to the instance protocol, when an Erosion Gate is destroyed, we are to receive and evacuate any survivors. However..."