The moment Arjun stepped through the portal, his breath caught in his throat.
He had heard countless stories about gates—how they were twisted dimensions, filled with monsters, rot, and darkness. But what met his eyes was nothing short of surreal.
It was beautiful.
Towering crystalline trees shimmered in hues of violet and aquamarine. The sky was a deep lavender, painted with floating islands and drifting petals of light. A golden river snaked through lush green meadows, and the air itself felt charged with soft mana—warm and fragrant like spring after a storm.
Arjun blinked, stunned. "This… this is a dungeon?"
"It's a B-rank gate," came a voice beside him. It was Leena, a slim warrior with twin daggers strapped to her thighs and a permanent smirk on her lips. "Don't let the scenery fool you. This is the kind of place that'll kill you with a smile."
Arjun nodded slowly, trying to stay composed. He didn't want to look like a rookie—even if this was his first B-rank gate.
Vikram, the team leader, stepped to the front. He was a seasoned warrior in his early thirties, wearing a reinforced coat over his armor, his expression calm and focused. "Eyes up, everyone. We go in clean and we come out alive. No heroes. Stick to formation. We move."
The group began advancing through the glimmering forest, each step crunching over glowing leaves.
Arjun took in his teammates:
Leena, the dagger wielder with inhuman speed.
Riya, calm and confident, carrying a broad shield on her back—also their healer.
Rohit and Sameer, long-range support. Rohit wielded a traditional mana-infused bow, while Sameer carried a sleek mana rifle with glowing runes.
The F-rank team included Maya, Priya, Anika, and Tara—all sharp, observant, and walking with a mix of excitement and caution.
They moved smoothly, communicating with hand signals and brief whispers. Despite being the weakest in terms of rank, the F-ranks weren't liabilities—they were learning, and Arjun respected that.
Nearly an hour in, they reached a wide clearing surrounded by ancient ruins. The atmosphere shifted—birds scattered, and even the breeze seemed to stop.
Then they heard it.
A low, guttural growl. Followed by another.
From the shadows stepped four massive beasts—each one at least ten feet tall, covered in coarse midnight fur. Their eyes burned red, and each had three snarling heads, mouths dripping with black saliva.
"Raiden Howls," Vikram said, drawing his blade. "Three-headed pack beasts. Fast, aggressive. We take them down clean."
Arjun's hand tightened around his sword. His chest pounded.
The moment Vikram raised his hand, the squad exploded into motion.
Leena disappeared in a blur of speed, reappearing on the back of one Raiden Howl, her daggers slashing its necks. Rohit loosed an arrow that pinned another beast's foot, while Sameer fired two precision shots into its eye.
Riya rushed forward, blocking a swipe from the third beast with her glowing shield, then pushed it back with a burst of light magic.
Vikram coordinated the team effortlessly, calling out positions and switching targets. "Left flank! Rohit—focus fire! Riya, push right!"
Arjun stood in awe. It was his first time seeing a real combined attack in action.
The B-ranks moved like a unit—each one covering the other, striking in harmony. Within moments, the first beast fell. Then the second. The last two fought harder, but with Vikram's tactics and the team's relentless pace, they were overwhelmed.
Arjun stepped forward to help finish the third, slicing at its leg. It turned on him suddenly.
Too fast.
It lunged.
He blocked, but the impact threw him off his feet. Its claw raked across his arm, blood splashing across the grass.
"Arjun!" Maya shouted.
Before the beast could finish him off, Vikram appeared like a storm. His sword cleaved clean through the beast's center.
"Stay alert," Vikram said, kneeling beside Arjun. "Riya!"
She was already on her way. Her hand glowed with pale blue light as she pressed it over Arjun's wound.
The pain faded quickly, replaced by warmth. The gash sealed in seconds.
"Thanks," Arjun muttered, ashamed.
"You held your ground," Riya said simply, helping him up.
They continued.
The deeper they went, the stranger the dungeon became. The forest gave way to ancient ruins, then to wide canyons filled with floating stones and whispering shadows. Monsters attacked intermittently—mana leeches, crystal-armored trolls, and flying reptiles—but the team dispatched them with efficiency.
Arjun fought hard, keeping close to the formation, watching how the others worked. He learned fast—how Vikram predicted movements, how Leena vanished and reappeared like a phantom, how Riya's shield defended like a fortress.
He wasn't the strongest, but he wasn't dead weight either.
Hours passed. Sweat soaked their clothes. Mana reserves were dipping, but the group remained solid. Their teamwork had only grown sharper with each encounter. Arjun, still new to this level, kept pace—watching, learning, adapting.
Eventually, they arrived at what looked like the end of the path.
A wide stone wall stood tall before them, its surface smooth and pale under the lavender sky. There were no carvings, no doors—just solid, silent stone.
"Looks like a dead end," Sameer muttered, lowering his rifle slightly.
Riya stepped forward, placing a hand on the wall. "There's mana behind this," she said, brow furrowed. "Faint, but steady."
Vikram narrowed his eyes. "No carvings. No key slots. Strange."
Then, without warning—
CRACK.
A sharp burst of energy split the silence. A dark pulse rippled out from the wall, distorting the air with a low hum.
Right before their eyes, a gate materialized.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
But suddenly—like it had always been there, only hidden by a veil that just dropped.
The gate was tall and sharp-edged, its obsidian frame laced with crimson patterns that glowed faintly. Thin violet flames licked the air around its edges. It didn't roar or scream—it simply stood there, humming with ancient, contained mana.
The team didn't panic—but every hand went to a weapon.
Eyes sharpened. Feet shifted. Everyone was alert.
"That's… new," Rohit said calmly, adjusting his grip on the bow.
"A hidden gate," Riya confirmed. "But no signs before it appeared. Like it was triggered by something."
"It didn't trigger from contact," Leena added, daggers out. "We didn't touch anything."
Arjun stared at the structure, silent. He didn't feel dread—just curiosity, and the weight of the unknown.
Vikram stepped closer—not too close—studying the gate with a trained eye.
"No immediate threat. Mana levels are stable. It's inactive for now."
"So what's the move?" Priya asked.
"We wait," Vikram said firmly. "We camp here, observe it, and report it to HQ. We don't rush into anomalies."
The group began to set up a temporary resting point a safe distance away. There was tension, yes—but it wasn't fear. It was discipline. Calm readiness.
Whatever this gate was, it hadn't come for them.
But they would be ready—or so they thought.