[NEW POST ON VAN-NET]
[CREATOR: GUANG_CHEN]
[CONTENT: LOOKING FOR A TEAM TO CLEAR D-RANK OR LOWER PORTAL. WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. PROFIT SHARE NEGOTIABLE.]
"Done… Now we wait."
Chen Guang hit send and slumped onto a battered bench, the old wood creaking under his weight.
He rubbed his face and sighed.
Nearly five in the morning already. The sky outside was turning pink, but the sun still hadn't shown up.
The sharp smell of disinfectant hung in the air.
He looked down at his shoes.
The soles were peeling off, the fabric torn at the sides. One more week and they would probably fall apart completely.
His pockets were empty. Not a single damn coin.
Everything was riding on today's Portal raid.
He needed money—fast. Otherwise, the hospital would throw his little sister out.
If only solo runs were allowed.
For a moment, he pictured it. Just him, the monsters and endless shadows.
Chen Guang shivered and quickly shook the thought away.
Ting. Ting. Ting.
[New Comment: What use are you? Gonna fetch honey for us? LOL]
[New Comment: Dumbass. Just let people sleep]
[New Comment: LMAO, look what we got here, it's Captain Buggy]
"Like you're any better."
He muttered, gripping his phone tighter.
[New Comment: Don't let this idiot tag along. He'll complain even after getting paid.]
Chen Guang sneered.
"Isn't that Zhou Long's scar-faced lapdog?"
He tapped the commenter's avatar, snorting under his breath.
He scrolled down.
More insults. Nothing new.
"Boring."
He letting out a short laugh.
He'd gotten used to this sort of thing.
Ting.
[You have a new message.]
"What, someone actually messaged me? That rarely happened."
He swiped into his inbox.
[Hello, I'm new here. I saw your post. Do you have time to chat?] — Message from ClimbingCat
Cute name, cute cat avatar, prolly a girl.
He started typing, but his phone was barely hanging on. Every other letter needed a second tap.
"This thing's ancient."
"The screen's about to give out."
He pressed harder, squinting at the cracked glass.
[Hello. I'm free to chat now.]
Sent.
He waited, a little curious. Maybe even a little hopeful.
[Yes. Our team is short one member, but no one wants to join because our rank is too low.]
Polite. Not bad.
Three crying emojis popped up. He cracked a small smile.
[Then I'll join you.]
[Don't worry. I won't drag your team down.]
Sent.
He leaned back, watching the sky lighten. Sunlight finally started to cut through the clouds.
[It's okay. We're not professionals either. Having someone experienced to guide us would make us feel safer!]
Experienced… No one's ever called me that.
He let out an awkward laugh.
[Can I ask what ranks everyone in the team is?]
[Yes. Another member and I are D-rank. The other two are E-rank.]
So I'm the only F-rank, such "experienced ".
Chen Guang thought, exhaling.
[I'm the only F-rank, but don't worry. I'll do my best.]
[Yes, please take care of us.]
Three nodding emojis, one after another.
She really likes emojis.
[When do we depart?]
[Around 8 A.M. A new E-rank Portal just appeared. I'll send you the coordinates.]
"Huh, not far at all."
He tapped the location and checked the map.
[Received. I'll be there on time. See you at 8.]
[Yes. See you at 8.]
He glanced at the clock—6 a.m.
Sunlight stretched across the street.
A warm beam slid over his face.
[TIME REMAINING: 21 HOURS 44 MINUTES]
He glanced at the [MISSION] panel, stretched, stood up, and took off running.
*****
"Fifteen minutes early."
Chen Guang checked his watch.
He'd changed into clean clothes—still wrinkled, but at least he didn't look like a beggar.
[TIME REMAINING: 19 HOURS 59 MINUTES]
"There's no penalty for failing this mission...why do I feel like I can't breathe?"
He scrolling through the interface.
"H-Hello... are you Chen Guang?"
The voice behind him made him jump a little.
"Yeah, that's me. And you are—?"
He turned.
A girl stood there—bright eyes, shy smile, light brown hair that curled a little.
She looked like she didn't care much about brands.
But her clothes were clearly expensive.
He glanced at his phone.
"You're ClimbingCat?"
She nodded, hands clenched together.
"I thought I'd be the only one here early. Didn't expect company."
He stepped forward and offered a handshake.
"Glad to meet you. I'm Chen Guang."
"I'm... Mimi."
The words barely came out.
She brushed his fingers, then pulled her hand back so fast it was almost funny.
He chuckled.
She's about Ling's age... maybe even younger.
"Ah—!"
Mimi suddenly shrieked, waving her arms like she was fighting off invisible bats.
"What happened?"
Chen Guang moved closer.
"Th-there are ants on me... I'm scared of bugs."
His expression softened. He reached out and gently brushed her sleeve.
"They're gone now."
He opened his palm and two black ants crawled over his skin, looking pretty unhappy.
"Th-thank you..."
Mimi turned away, cheeks burning.
"Your Majesty."
The words seemed to float right by his ear.
Chen Guang froze and scanned the area.
Just him and Mimi. No one else.
"Your Majesty, there is something wrong with this girl."
He looked down at his hand. The ants had stopped moving.
And he remembered—he was their sovereign now. He could sense them. Even understand them.
"Not right? What do you mean?"
He asked silently, glancing at Mimi, who was twisting a strand of hair.
"We do not know, Your Majesty. But it is certainly not something good."
He let the ants go. They scurried off the second they hit the ground, as if fleeing for their lives.
"It's almost time. Where is everyone else?"
Chen Guang called out, trying to keep his voice steady despite the unease in his gut.
"Ah... j-just a sec. I'll message them."
Mimi fumbled with her phone. After a few minutes, her face fell.
"They all had emergencies, sudden ones."
She looked like she might cry.
"With just the two of us, we can't go in. The rule says we need at least four people."
He scratched his head, disappointment weighing on him.
He didn't get chances to raid like this often.
[TIME REMAINING: 19 HOURS 45 MINUTES]
The countdown ticked on.
"I... I have a special permit for Portals. C-could you look at it?"
She pulled a silver card from her pocket and handed it to him, both hands shaking.
Sunlight flashed across it.
"This... this is a clearance for D-rank and below Portals."
Chen Guang stared at her, stunned.
We don't even need four people with this.
"How'd you even get this?"
He asked, a little suspicious as he handed it back.
"It's... my brother's. He's a Vanguard too."
She said quietly and tucked the card away.
What does it take to get something like that?
He studied her for a moment.
She looked completely lost.
"So what now?"
He had his phone out, ready to make a post if he had to.
"This one is E-rank, and I'm D-rank... so the two of us should be fine, right?"
Mimi said, almost whispering.
Chen Guang looked her up and down again.
A cold shiver crept down his back.
"Just you and me? We're going in there alone?"
His mouth felt dry. His eyes slipped to the glowing pale blue Portal a few meters away.
"Yes... O-Or is that not okay?"
Mimi peeked up at him, hope flickering in her eyes.
"This is a Portal, not a playground."
He said, keeping his tone even.
Inside, his heart was pounding.
He wouldn't be just the supply guy this time. He'd have to fight.
"I can hypnotize monsters... so it's easier to escape if we get in trouble."
Her eyes locked onto his, as if she could read his thoughts.
[TIME REMAINING: 19 HOURS 35 MINUTES]
I can't let this go. I need the reward.
But if I die...
He stared at the countdown, thoughts spinning.
[TIME REMAINING: 19 HOURS 30 MINUTES]
His sister's face flashed through his mind, pale and struggling in her hospital bed.
The bills kept piling up.
"Alright. I'm in. But if it gets dangerous, we leave. No arguments."
His voice rang with resolve.
"Yay! Let's go!"
Mimi's face lit up with a smile—suddenly, she seemed nothing like the shy girl from before.
Chen Guang slung his bag over his shoulder and stepped into the blue circle, Mimi right behind him.
The world twisted.
And the Portal swallowed them whole.
*****
"Whoa! Why's there a jungle in here? There are so many bugs."
Mimi crept along behind Chen Guang as he inched forward, careful not to trip on anything.
"Every Portal has its own ecosystem. Honestly, we got lucky landing somewhere like this—"
But as he said it, some pretty nasty memories flashed through his mind.
"Chen Guang, you've been in a lot of Portals before, right?"
Mimi glanced around, her breath coming fast and shallow.
"Not really. Just some E-rank Portals—wait."
He shot his hand up, telling her to stop. His eyes narrowed, locked on something ahead.
There, in a clearing, stood five monsters.
Four of them were short, hunched over, with green skin and fangs poking out of their mouths.
The last one was bigger, much bigger, hefting a wooden club over its shoulder and noisily gnawing on… something.
The air stank of blood.
"Those are Goblins. The big one's a Hobgoblin. Looks like they just hunted something."
Sweat dripped down Chen Guang's face. He'd already seen real monsters before, but not up close like this.
"I know. Goblins are the weakest things in most Portals. The Hobgoblin's a bit tougher."
Mimi whispered, and for some reason, she sounded a little too excited.
Why is she so happy about this?
Chen Guang kept an eye on the goblins, waiting for them to move on.
"Haha! You monsters—today I'll christen my blade with your blood!"
Chen Guang's heart jumped into his throat.
When did Mimi even move? She was already charging straight at them.
"W-What are you doing?! That's—"
Blood sprayed across his face before he finished.
Metallic stench filled his nose.
His heart hammered in his chest.
He couldn't move.
"Haha! Yes! Smash them! My slave!"
Mimi's laughter rang through the jungle.
The Hobgoblin's body jerked as if invisible strings had grabbed it.
Then it turned on its own goblins, tearing them apart.
Flesh burst open.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Crystals clinked as they hit the ground.
"Ohhh, this one's pretty! I've never seen one like it before."
Mimi crouched and scooped up a glowing, pale blue stone.
"That's an E-rank crystal, not worth much. About five hundred thousand each."
Chen Guang said, finally snapping out of it to wipe the sweat from his brow.
"Five hundred thousand? You can have it. I want a prettier one."
She handed him the crystal.
Chen Guang stared at her, unsure whether to laugh or be terrified.
[CURRENT PROGRESS: 1/10]
[TIME REMAINING: 18 HOURS 57 MINUTES]
He barely had time to take it before the notification popped up.
So, just picking up a crystal counts?
He stared down at the stone in his hand.
"This is so boring, Chen Guang. There aren't any pretty crystals."
Mimi pouted.
The Hobgoblin's club dripped with blood and bits of flesh. Chen Guang felt his stomach twist.
[CURRENT PROGRESS: 2/10]
[TIME REMAINING: 17 HOURS 01 MINUTES]
Almost two hours had passed. Only two crystals.
Mostly because Mimi made the Hobgoblin do the dirty work.
Now I get why people complain.
He remembered what people said about low-rank Portal runs.
"Low-rank Portals are always like this. No wonder nobody wants to come."
He scratched his head and tried to laugh it off.
But then—a chill ran down his spine, like a thousand eyes were watching him from the dark.
"I just thought of a fun game…"
Mimi stopped. She turned around slowly.
A twisted smile slowly spread across her face.
Her eyes were empty.
Her voice sounded flat, almost robotic.
"What did you say—"
A club swung at his head before he could finish.
He managed to block at the last second, arms raised. The impact made his arms go numb.
"What are you doing, Mimi?!"
He stared at her, shocked.
"Let's play a game, human."
The cruel laugh that followed didn't come from Mimi—it came from the Hobgoblin.
Mimi's eyes were blank. She moved stiffly, like a puppet on strings. That creepy smile never faded.
"You… That's not possible. You shouldn't exist in an E-rank Portal!"
Pain shot through his arm.
Something small and sharp had been fired from behind, burying itself deep in his bicep. His arm went numb.
The bushes rustled—a swarm of goblins stepped out, eyes shining with hunger. Each clutched a rough stone dagger.
"I sacrificed a few minions to lure you here, but it was worth it."
The Hobgoblin sneered as it stood atop two goblins crawling on all fours.
Another goblin shuffled over, kneeling and holding up something like a crude crown.
With a nasty grin, it set the crown on the Hobgoblin's head.
The air grew cold. One wrong move and it felt like he'd die on the spot.
"Goblin King…"
Chen Guang swallowed hard.
His chest tightened.
Fear crashed through his mind, raw and overwhelming.
Something heavy and invisible pressed down on him, almost folding him in half.
Is this it? Is this where it ends?
His little sister's hands flashed through his mind—small and fragile.
Ling...
Nobody was coming, no team, no weapon, not even a plan. No exit. No hope. Just emptiness.
But then something inside him snapped.
No.
I'm not giving up.
I have to make it out.
I have to survive.
He clenched his jaw.
Tears streaked down his cheeks, but he didn't bother wiping them away.
Instead, he let out a raw, desperate roar—everything he had left poured into that one sound.
[TIME REMAINING: 16 HOURS 47 MINUTES]
The Goblin King slowly raised a claw and pointed at him.
"Kill him."