Boom. Boom.
Waves of crimson fire rippled outward.
Everyone in full-body protective gear, armed to the teeth, was blasted back dozens of meters.
"How did an A-Rank Portal end up appearing here?"
Liu Zhang stared silently at the blazing vortex of fire.
Its crimson glow washed over his face, bringing the scars etched across it into view.
"We can't get in. It's like something's blocking the entrance."
A gloomy-looking young man with shoulder-length hair spoke up.
Before his hand could even touch the fiery vortex, an invisible force hurled him several meters backward.
"Who went inside? Sun Feng, Chen Guang, and—"
"An A-Rank Portal?"
A tall man, around Liu Zhang's age, walked over in a black suit.
His graying hair caught the crimson glow.
"Mayor Ruan Yang."
Liu Zhang acknowledged him with a nod.
"Evacuate everyone within a ten-kilometer radius immediately."
"And place the entire city on the highest alert level. Execute it at once."
Ruan Yang gestured to the man in sunglasses standing beside him.
The man nodded.
Seconds later, piercing sirens erupted in every direction.
Ambulance sirens and police sirens wailed over one another.
Nearby residents cried and screamed in panic.
"My daughter... Mei Mei... she's in there, isn't she?"
Ruan Yang clasped his hands behind his back.
Scorching heat poured from the Portal.
He still stood as straight as ever.
"Yes. Sun Feng and Chen Guang are with her as well."
"I've already received the report. What's the situation now?"
Liu Zhang glanced at Ruan Yang.
After a brief hesitation, he turned toward Guang Yu.
"Guang Yu, how is it? Can you do it?"
"No."
Guang Yu shook his head, his long hair swaying.
"I've tried several times already. I couldn't get through."
"So even the strongest mind-type Vanguard in this city can't break through..."
Liu Zhang clenched his teeth before shaking his head at Ruan Yang.
"I'll contact the Bureau."
Ruan Yang pulled his phone from his coat pocket.
Then raised it to his ear.
"We have to find a way inside."
Liu Zhang folded his arms, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his sleeve.
"Feeling anxious? Your prized student is in there, after all."
Guang Yu let out a dry chuckle, though his brow was slightly furrowed.
"Would an S-Rank Vanguard... be able to get in?"
Liu Zhang's lips twitched.
His tapping quickened.
The screams of civilians drowned out even the ambulance sirens.
Crowds surged forward in confusion, following the police's directions.
"Wait... I think... there's a crack in the barrier..."
Guang Yu suddenly exclaimed.
"A crack? Where?"
"Right in the center. It's tiny, but if we focus all our attacks there, maybe..."
Liu Zhang fixed his gaze on the Portal.
His expression stiffened.
"How long do you think it'll take to break through?"
"Sir... if I were an A-Rank Vanguard, I might be able to give you an estimate. But unfortunately..."
Liu Zhang let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead with two fingers.
"Wait... the temperature's rising?"
Guang Yu stared at the glowing vortex floating ahead.
He pulled out a black hair tie and held it between his teeth.
Reaching both hands behind his head, he gathered his hair and tied it back.
"An S-Rank Vanguard is on the way to assist us."
"The fastest they can get here is a little over an hour."
Ruan Yang slipped his phone back into his coat and began searching for something inside it.
"The Portal is... changing?"
Liu Zhang loosened his tie by tugging at the collar.
Ruan Yang held out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
"Old Yang... I quit smoking a long time ago."
Liu Zhang shook his head.
His eyes couldn't leave Ruan Yang's trembling hand.
"An S-Rank Vanguard, huh? Which one of the three is coming?"
Guang Yu waited for Liu Zhang's answer.
Instead, he found himself watching Ruan Yang.
He's trembling...
Well, that's only natural.
Guang Yu's thoughts were interrupted by the sigh that escaped his own lips.
"But if it'll take over an hour..."
"Will we even have that much time?"
Liu Zhang tightened his fist.
The vortex flared.
Heat rolled out in relentless waves.
"Doesn't that Portal... look bigger than it did a moment ago?"
Guang Yu muttered.
He rubbed his eyes with both hands, as if afraid he had seen it wrong.
More and more drones filled the sky.
The massive crowd continued evacuating in chaos while police loudspeakers echoed throughout the city.
Several helicopters appeared overhead, flying back and forth.
The logos of television stations were clearly painted across their sides.
*****
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
"Damn it... how can something that huge move so fast?!"
Inside the Portal, Chen Guang was running for his life.
Drops of sweat flew from his body, hissing the moment they struck the ground.
"Shut up and keep running. If it catches us, we're dead."
Sun Feng ran behind Chen Guang and Mei Mei, glancing back at the troll every few seconds.
Her eyes swept across the forest.
There has to be some way to slow it down...
Each of the troll's footsteps slammed into the earth.
Every step sent violent tremors rippling through the forest.
"One of its steps... is worth a hundred of ours..."
Mei Mei panted, the veins on her face bulging visibly.
"Focus. Stop talking."
Sun Feng shouted, her eyes darted from tree to tree.
Crack.
A series of sharp noises echoed beneath the ground.
CRAAACK—!!
The earth split apart as an ancient tree was ripped from the ground.
Roots thicker than a human body were torn free as if they weighed nothing.
And then—
WHOOSH!!
"What the hell?!"
Chen Guang shouted between ragged breaths.
"This is bad!"
Sun Feng suddenly burst forward.
She threw herself ahead and shoved Chen Guang and Mei Mei in opposite directions.
Thud.
"Wait, what are you—"
Chen Guang crashed into a nearby tree and stumbled back to his feet.
He looked up.
Above them, an enormous tree trunk hung suspended in midair.
Less than a hand's breadth away from Sun Feng's outstretched palm.
Her teeth were clenched so tightly they creaked.
Veins bulged across her face, her arms, even along her neck.
"Did... it throw that tree?"
Chen Guang turned toward the troll.
Its massive hands were scooping up dirt and boulders before hurling them straight at them.
"What are you waiting for?! Move!"
Sun Feng roared.
Sweat streamed down her forehead in torrents.
The dirt.
The rocks.
The razor-sharp splinters of wood.
Everything froze in midair just a hand's breadth away from her.
Chen Guang immediately dashed toward Mei Mei and grabbed her hand.
"Alright! Your turn!"
He turned and shouted.
Grinding her teeth, Sun Feng swung both hands to the side.
The suspended tree, along with the rocks and debris, crashed to the ground.
BOOM.
A cloud of dust swallowed everything.
Sun Feng's violent coughing echoed from within it.
Chen Guang instinctively looked back.
His heart tightened.
"Are you—"
Before he could finish, Sun Feng burst out of the black cloud of dust.
"Move! That won't hold it for long."
Without another word, Chen Guang gritted his teeth and sprinted forward.
Behind them came the sound of splintering wood.
The massive tree Sun Feng had thrown in its path—was crushed beneath the troll's foot in a single step.
Its gigantic body dropped low.
Its tusks pointed straight ahead.
Then it charged.
Trees collapsed one after another wherever it passed.
The desperate cries of wild animals erupted throughout the forest.
"You said it was the lord of this forest! Then why is it destroying everything?!"
Chen Guang shouted in his mind between gasps.
"Your Majesty, the Queen has driven it into a frenzy. For now, please run as fast as you can."
"Does it look like I'm doing anything else?!"
Birds scattered in every direction with each thunderous step of the troll.
The troll suddenly stopped.
Then it lowered its massive body even further.
"What... is it doing?"
Sun Feng glanced back.
The color drained from her face.
"RUN! AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!"
She screamed.
Nobody hesitated.
Chen Guang and Mei Mei squeezed every last ounce of strength from their bodies and bolted forward without looking back.
Chen Guang bit down on his lip hard enough to taste blood.
BOOM!!
The troll drove both tusks deep into the ground.
The impact shook the earth so violently that all three of them staggered.
Then it hurled its entire body forward.
Its tusks plowed through the earth.
Dirt and rocks were ripped from the ground, piling up between the tusks like a gigantic bulldozer blade.
SKREEEEE—!!!
The piercing screech tore through the entire forest.
Chen Guang's whole body went numb.
For a single instant, his mind went completely blank.
And then—
"GRRRRAAAHHHHHH!!!!"
The troll let out a deafening roar.
It violently jerked its head upward.
An enormous mass of earth, along with countless boulders, was hurled into the sky.
For a moment, the heavens turned black.
Then—
Earth and stone rained down, blanketing the entire forest.
"Damn it... this monster..."
Sun Feng roared, raising both arms as she prepared to catch the countless chunks of earth and rock raining down at terrifying speed.
"Sun Feng!!!"
Mei Mei panted, her pupils shrinking as she watched Sun Feng nearly disappear beneath the avalanche.
"I'm fine! Run!"
Sun Feng shouted through gritted teeth.
"You're useless! You can't do anything at all!!!"
Mei Mei spun toward Chen Guang.
She pointed a trembling finger straight at him, tears streaming down her face.
[TARGET: SUN FENG]
[STRENGTH: 10]
[ENERGY: 650]
[STATUS: INJURED]
"Her Energy is dropping?!"
Chen Guang flinched as the system screen appeared before him.
Cold sweat soaked through his back.
Mei Mei's frantic screaming no longer reached his ears.
She's injured. There has to be a way...
Think...
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
Down his chin.
Then drop after drop hit the ground.
Sizzle.
Chen Guang froze.
Sizzle.
"...?"
Sizzle. Sizzle.
Wait... what's that sound?
He snapped his head downward toward its source.
A faint wisp of white smoke rose from the ground, carrying the smell of scorched grass.
His eyes lit up.
He hurriedly waved his hand through the air.
The system interface appeared.
Without hesitation, he tapped [SKILLS].
"There it is..."
He muttered.
Then he quickly pulled a folding knife from his backpack.
Its razor-sharp blade reflected his distorted face.
"What are you—"
Mei Mei froze.
The words died in her throat.
Chen Guang said nothing.
His jaw tightened.
He opened his right hand.
And then—
Slash.
A clean cut opened across his palm.
Blood flowed from the wound.
Mei Mei's body went rigid.
Her hands and legs trembled uncontrollably.
Chen Guang frowned.
He knelt down and picked up a rock about the size of his hand.
Please... let this work...
Putting every ounce of strength into the throw, he hurled it toward the troll.
The rock shot forward like an arrow.
THUD.
It embedded itself squarely in the middle of the troll's forehead.
"Sun Feng! When I count to three, drop your ability and run!"
Chen Guang shouted.
Sun Feng was forcing every ounce of willpower into keeping herself upright.
Sweat poured into her eyes, blurring her vision.
Her legs trembled violently.
They had already sunk into the ground.
"You just—"
"One."
Chen Guang stared without blinking, focusing every bit of his attention on the troll.
Smoke began rising from the center of its forehead.
"Two."
Just as the troll was about to drive its tusks into the ground again—
It froze.
More and more smoke poured out.
The flesh around its forehead slowly turned crimson.
"THREE! NOW!!!!"
Chen Guang roared.
He grabbed the still-frozen Mei Mei by the hand and bolted.
Hearing the count, Sun Feng clenched her teeth and lowered both arms.
Then sprinted after them.
Without her power holding them back, the rocks came crashing down.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Massive chunks of earth shattered upon impact, spraying debris into the surrounding trees.
The deafening noise made Chen Guang instinctively look back.
A huge boulder spun through the air—straight toward Sun Feng.
"LOOK OUT!!!"
Before his brain could even react—
His body moved on its own.
He shot toward Sun Feng.
His hand clenched into a fist.
Gathering every ounce of strength, he swung at the incoming rock.
CRACK!!
The impact split the boulder cleanly in two.
Its momentum vanished instantly.
Both halves crashed into the ground, making the earth tremble.
Chen Guang winced.
His arm shook violently.
His left hand immediately grabbed his right wrist.
Damn it... it hurts...
His scalp went numb.
"GRRRRRRRAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
The troll's roar exploded through the forest.
The shockwave slammed into Chen Guang, knocking him to his knees.
"You just saved me. Come on, run."
Sun Feng rushed over, grabbed Chen Guang by the wrist, and yanked him to his feet.
Then dragged him along without slowing down.
"E-Easy... easy... that hurts!!!!"
Sun Feng paid him no attention.
The three of them squeezed out every last bit of strength and sprinted out of the forest.
Behind them, the troll howled in agony.
Its face twisted grotesquely.
Thick black smoke poured from the center of its forehead.
The skin around it had turned bright red.
Large pus-filled boils swelled across the wound.
It stomped the ground over and over.
Each step made the forest quake.
Tilting its head toward the sky, it let out another agonized roar.
The sound scattered the dark clouds.
A few rays of sunlight pierced through the canopy, falling across the backs of the three fleeing figures.
"Your Majesty, we'll be out of its territory in just a little longer."
The voice echoed inside Chen Guang's mind.
"Are you sure this is the right way?"
Even through the pain, he gritted his teeth and asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty... but—"
"But what?"
A chill shot down Chen Guang's spine.
His entire body went numb.
An icy sensation swallowed him whole.
"We're out of the forest!!!"
Mei Mei suddenly shouted.
"Wait... I've got a bad feeling about—"
Chen Guang yelled.
Before he could finish—
He slammed straight into Sun Feng's back.
Supporting himself with one hand, an icy chill spread through his palm.
"Why did you suddenly stop—"
"...Ice?!"
He looked toward Sun Feng.
She stood perfectly still.
One finger pressed against her lips.
Silence.
Don't tell me...
Chen Guang slowly followed her gaze.
Before them lay a lake so vast its edges couldn't be seen.
Snowflakes drifted gently onto the water.
The instant they touched its surface—
Sizzle.
They evaporated.
At the very center of the lake.
Stood an enormous island of solid ice.
Completely isolated from the surrounding water.
Resting atop it.
Was a giant serpent.
Its scales were as white as snow.
Brilliant blue patterns glowed across its body.
It lay coiled peacefully.
Its eyes remained closed.
White mist flowed steadily from its nostrils.
What... is that...?
Chen Guang's legs began trembling on their own.
His breathing grew heavier.
"Your Majesty, it is the guardian of this lake."
The voice echoed in his mind.
"It's... beautiful..."
Mei Mei whispered without thinking.
"GRRRRRAAAHHHH!!!!!"
A furious roar erupted behind them.
The violent shockwave rippled across the lake.
Then—
The frozen island suddenly trembled.
The snowfall stopped.
Chen Guang's face turned deathly pale.
The giant serpent slowly raised its head.
Its eyes gradually opened.
Crimson pupils swept across everything before it.
The glowing blue patterns covering its body shone even brighter, illuminating the gloomy sky.
In that moment—
Chen Guang heard Sun Feng mutter.
"Out of the frying pan... and into the fire."