09 paused for a moment, tilting his head toward the copper-colored sky where faint strands of light pierced the clouds, as if he were staring at something only he could see. He drew in a deep breath, releasing it in a long exhale that melted his cold expression into a crooked grin—followed by a laugh dripping with mockery.
"So… your beloved hero will reach the gate before you."
With those words, frost began to spread from beneath his boots, as if the very ground itself had frozen solid. A biting chill seeped into the soldiers' bones, making their limbs tremble. Then—without warning—the air swallowed him whole, leaving behind nothing but a trail of pale mist that slowly dissolved into nothingness.
A sharp cry tore through the silence—Cloe's voice.
"Everyone in position! Prepare yourselves! I'll start calling the names…"
She read the list quickly, each syllable clipped with military precision—until a soldier's voice cut through:
"Peter's squad… was wiped out last night on a recon mission."
For a few seconds, hearts stopped beating. Cloe's hand froze mid-page before her eyes narrowed.
"And why wasn't I informed?"
The soldier's reply was steady, though weighted with shame.
"You weren't present yesterday… but we left the reports on your desk."
Grinding her teeth, Cloe resumed the roll call—her voice louder, almost as if to crush her irritation under its weight. She reached the names Vail and Kyle, and finally, the last one:
"…Lia!"
Kyle rose instantly, his measured steps carrying him toward her, eyes narrowing as though on the verge of detonation. His voice was quiet, but laced with warning:
"She… isn't going."
Chloe turned toward him slowly, her face carved from stone, though her eyes glimmered with suppressed fury.
"That's none of your concern. I can't force her—but if she agrees, you have no right to interfere. And if you try… I'll make sure your head rolls before you can speak another word."
Before he could answer, Lia's voice slipped between them—cool, tinged with curiosity.
"And what exactly would I be doing there?"
Cloe's gaze stayed steady.
"We need you as a medic. The situation there is catastrophic, and most of the rookies have none of your experience. More importantly, no one can repair weapons the way you can. The ones we have… are amateurs."
Kyle's tone sharpened, frustration dragging each word from his throat:
"Wouldn't it be better to send someone with healing abilities instead?"
Cloe's reply was immediate, as though she had anticipated the question.
"Only one healer is going, and he'll remain in the city with Brian to tend to civilians. Healers exhaust themselves too quickly—we won't waste their strength on non-fatal injuries. Out there, the danger is far greater. Lia is more than just a medic—she can conduct field research on both the monsters and Ether-users at the height of their activity. This is a rare opportunity."
For a moment, Lia's eyes brightened—drawn between a sense of duty to save the wounded and a deep-seated hunger to collect data on such rare creatures. After a short silence, she nodded.
Kyle's hand twitched, as though to pull her back, but Vail caught his arm in a firm grip, leaning in to whisper:
"Calm down… It's just a training mission. I'll stay with her the whole time and keep her in the safest position in the formation. There's no point picking a fight with Chloe right now… trust me—she's like a rabid dog at the moment."
Kyle exhaled through his nose, nodding slowly before turning his gaze on Lia—sharp as a blade slipping between her ribs. The unspoken message was clear: You will answer for this.
A shiver crawled down her spine. Swallowing hard, she muttered nervously:
"I'll… go get ready."
Cloe's command rang out almost immediately:
"You have twenty minutes to reach the transfer gate! Anyone late… will regret it."
The camp erupted into motion—boots pounding, soldiers racing between tents and storage crates, hastily packing weapons and gear. Engines roared to life, and the steel convoys rolled toward the gate.
When they arrived, the sight struck them silent—the transfer gate, a towering metallic arch forged from glowing steel, its frame wrapped in dancing azure sparks. At its center swirled a vast vortex, a shifting blend of light and shadow, like the open maw of some colossal beast ready to swallow entire worlds.
Brian gave a short nod, and the generators groaned, feeding the gate until the vortex settled into interlocking rings of light. He turned to his men.
"We're going first."
The trucks surged forward, vanishing into the blinding portal. New recruits stumbled upon exit, pale and dizzy from the disorienting shift, while others gripped their weapons as if they were lifelines.
Minutes later, Chloe's unit followed—and the moment they emerged, Zernoth unveiled itself.
A fortress-city, walled in by towering plasma barriers, each section lined with watchtowers glowing with a dim crimson light. Above, the sky burned with deep shades of violet, heavy black clouds crawling slowly across it—pregnant with the promise of a storm. The streets lay eerily sparse, patrolled only by armed squads and armored vehicles darting through, the distant wail of sirens echoing between twisted metallic spires.
Brian stood waiting at the inner gate, scanning tactical maps with his team. As Chloe approached, he lifted his gaze.
"We need a plan to face the incoming monster wave."
Cloe turned to 09, her tone commanding.
"You'll lead the battalion. Set up a temporary camp twenty kilometers out—we need a secure position before splitting the squads."
09's smirk was faint but mocking.
"Very well, Commander… as you wish."
The battalion pushed into the frozen plains beyond Zernoth, finally halting at a site fit for defense. Tents rose, weapons were checked, and the shadow of the colossal city loomed behind them—its lights flickering under a sky that promised nothing but ruin.