[The Event Horizon – Inside the Hyperversal Gate]
The moment the gate fully stabilized, it let out a sound like the universe itself was tearing. The mana flow pouring out wasn't just energy—it was a corrosive, physical weight. Any adventurer below Z-Rank would have been reduced to molecular dust in seconds if they weren't shielded by the collective auras of the Arcons.
Goto, wanting to reclaim his pride after being humbled by Cynthia, stepped forward with a smug grin. "Look, kids. This is how the advanced class does it. Watch and learn how to navigate a High-Rank rift."
He leaped into the swirling violet maw of the dungeon.
The second he crossed the threshold, his eyes went wide. There was no floor. There was no "down." Because the dungeon was a Void Dimension, the laws of physics were fractured. Goto flailed his arms, his momentum carrying him into a spinning, uncontrolled fall through the empty darkness.
"Space Warping," Lapis muttered, stepping into the rift with perfect calm. He reached out a hand, folding the space beneath Goto to create an invisible "floor."
Goto slammed into the spatial barrier, gasping as he stabilized.
Yoru floated in next, her yellow hair drifting upward as if she were underwater. "Looks like this dungeon doesn't have gravity," she noted, her hand on her sword hilt. "A classic Void-type trap to disorient the invaders."
Captain Carod entered, his heavy armor clanking as his back-thrusters hissed to life. "I don't have any problem with that. My internal stabilizers are already compensating. I can fly using my thrusters indefinitely."
"I can easily fly using mana-propulsion," Yoru added, her body glowing with a faint green light.
"Me too," Lapis said, simply standing on the warped air as if it were solid ground.
The three Arcons—Ruta, Neweland, and Gaia—stepped through the gate last. The sheer pressure of their combined presence caused the violet shadows of the void to retreat in fear.
"We can also fly using our own techniques," Ruta grunted, sparks of flame lifting him up. Neweland drifted on a localized current of pressurized water.
But Gaia looked back at the Z-Rankers and Techyon, who were struggling to maintain their balance in the weightless environment. "We cannot waste mana on individual flight during a battle," she said, her molten gold eyes glowing.
She raised her hand, and shards of amber light erupted from her palms. "[GEOMANCY: ANCIENT PLATE SUMMON]!"
From the dark nothingness of the void, jagged obsidian rocks and tectonic plates began to knit together, forming the massive Earth Dragon once again.
"Everyone, get on!" Gaia commanded. "Those of you who cannot maintain flight for seven hours will use my dragon as a mobile fortress. We move as one, or we die as one."
As Techyon landed on the dragon's back, he looked into the distance. In the far reaches of the void, he saw the first flicker of Black and Red flames. The monsters were coming.
[Inside the Z+ Void — The Obsidian Dragon's Back]
The darkness of the void was suddenly illuminated by hundreds of glowing red eyes. "Everyone be ready!" Yoru shouted, her hand tightening on her hilt. "I count at least 800 Void-Bat monsters closing in from the upper quadrants!"
Cynthia didn't even break her stride. She raised a single finger, and the air around it began to distort from the heat. "[FUSION TECHNIQUE: FLARE SPEAR]!"
A massive, blinding lance of white-hot plasma streaked across the void. It didn't just hit the bats; it vaporized them instantly, leaving nothing but drifting cinders. "We don't have time for these little monsters," she said coldly, her eyes fixed on the distant core of the dungeon.
Yoru frowned, looking at her status window. "Can anyone else feel it? I think our mana is draining automatically. The atmosphere itself is eating our energy."
"Yes, I can feel it," Fraxy confirmed, her pink choker glowing as she tried to stabilize her own reserves. "It's a passive soul-drain."
"Let me fix it," Lapis muttered. He performed a complex hand sign, his Honoured Eyes spinning with magenta light. "[SPACE WARPING: ATMOSPHERIC MIMICRY]."
The area around the Earth Dragon shimmered. Suddenly, the crushing pressure vanished, and the air felt thick and rich, just like on Earth. Lapis had literally imported the physics of their home world into a small bubble around the team.
Goto grunted, crossing his arms. "Did anyone ask you to help, kid? I had it under control."
Lapis didn't even turn around. "Don't speak too loud, Goto. If I deactivate this for even a second, your lungs will collapse from the vacuum. You won't even be able to breathe, let alone complain."
On the broad, stony back of the Earth Dragon, Techyon watched Cynthia's back. A heavy shadow fell over his heart. My sister is the strongest adventurer on Earth, he thought, his fist clenching. And what am I? Just a 'no-one' who can't even stand in this dimension without help.
Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. Nefa leaned her head against his shoulder with a playful hum. "You don't need to worry about us, Techyon," she whispered. "We can handle this easily. Just stay relaxed."
"Nefa! Get away from him!" Yoru barked, though she didn't move from her scouting position. "If Alya finds out you're clinging to him like that, she will actually kill you before the monsters do."
"Nahhh," Nefa teased, closing her emerald eyes. "I'm just taking a rest. His mana feels like a warm blanket."
"If you're tired, then come over here and sit with me!" Fraxy called out, patting the stone beside her.
Saina, the Z-rank fan girl, looked at the heroes still hovering in the air. "Wait... if we need to save our power for the boss, why are some of you still flying? Everyone can just sit here on the dragon!"
Gaia shook her head, her silver hair shimmering. "If everyone stops flying, we will be caught off-guard. In a Void, enemies come from 360 degrees. Someone must constantly watch behind, up, and down."
"Don't worry about me," Yoru said, her green aura steady. "My flight technique uses almost zero mana. I can do this all day."
Lapis nodded in agreement. "Because of my Honoured Eyes, there is almost zero leakage in my mana circuits. I can actually regain my mana faster than I spend it. I can fly for the entire seven hours if I have to."
Techyon looked at Lapis, then back at Cynthia. He realized that to protect them, he couldn't stay a "no-one" for long. He needed to find a way to tap into that Hope mana before the Black-Red flames reached them.