The sky above District Twelve had turned murky. Dark clouds rolled over the city, and a strange hum filled the air. Civilians had already been evacuated, their confused faces replaced by the calm determination of uniformed personnel.
NDA agents in black suits moved swiftly, sealing the area with glowing barrier pylons. Some hovered mid-air, others embedded into the cracked pavement, pulsing with blue light.
"Clear the zone! Last sweep before the lockdown is complete!" shouted a senior field agent.
Dozens of masked operatives moved like shadows. Drones buzzed above, scanning the anomaly—the newly manifested dungeon gate. It floated a meter above ground, a jagged, pulsing mass of obsidian-like material surrounded by an eerie mist.
At the edge of the perimeter, a woman in a long gray overcoat stood silently. A cigarette hung between her lips, untouched but steadily burning. Smoke curled around her round cheeks.
Her name was Amanda Marquez, Chief of the NDA's Dungeon Response Division. Her tight black suit hugged her thick frame, but the oversized coat gave her a looming, official presence. Her eyes were sharp despite her calm expression.
"You're always early to these things," came a teasing voice.
Amanda didn't turn immediately. She exhaled a puff of smoke before glancing sideways.
A tall, striking woman stood next to her. Nina Raj, the so-called Indian Berserker, hoisted a massive sword lazily onto her shoulder. Her brown skin glistened slightly under the afternoon sun, muscles coiled beneath the loosened fabric of her suit. The buttons on her shirt strained against her chest, revealing a generous amount of cleavage. A silver fang-shaped pin gleamed on her lapel—symbol of Guild Valkyria Fang.
"I get bored when things are quiet," Nina said with a grin. "So, what's the situation, Chief?"
Amanda took another drag from her cigarette. "It's bad. Real bad. The readings coming from this gate are higher than anything we've seen in the past decade."
Nina whistled. "Worse than the recent one in America?"
Amanda nodded. "That one barely scratched Class A+. This one might be… S or higher. And it just appeared here—in the middle of the city. No warning, no mana spikes. Nothing."
Nina clicked her tongue. "It's been four years since a gate opened. After Sirius cleared the last one, we all thought the age of dungeons was over. My guild was this close to disbanding. Damn. I almost became a personal trainer for some mercenary group," she smirked.
Amanda chuckled. "You? Teaching gym dads how to squat?"
"Hey, I'd be great at it." Nina struck a pose, flexing her biceps. "Who wouldn't want to be trained by this body? Beside I'd love to see those balls hanging from their pants beautifully."
Amanda gave her a flat look. "I'm trying not to objectify one of the top hunters in the continent, thank you very much."
"You're failing," Nina said, amused.
Amanda looked back at the gate. "We haven't seen the core yet. No signs of monsters spilling out, which is good. But the NDA sensors can't read inside it. It's a blind zone."
"That's rare," Nina muttered. "So… who else is here?"
Amanda smiled at that. "Is that even a question?"
Nina followed her gaze and saw a figure standing across the field. She stood still, arms crossed, long silver hair flowing like ice. Her white and blue uniform bore the emblem of Guild Sirius. The air around her shimmered with frost.
"Li Xinyue…" Nina's grin widened. "The Glacial Empress is already here, huh?"
"One of the Four Heavenly Queens of Sirius. She arrived twenty minutes ago," Amanda confirmed. "Didn't say a word. Just stared at the gate like she was waiting for someone."
Nina chuckled. "She always was the quiet type."
"Besides her, a couple of other S-Ranks from different guilds and even some strong independent hunters have shown up," Amanda added. "Everyone's just waiting for us to give the greenlight."
"Seems like the old gang's all here," Nina mused. "Betting tables must be on fire right now."
Amanda gave a small smile. "You'd be surprised. The official Dungeon Clearing Tournament got approved just last night. Betting booths opened an hour ago."
"Oh?" Nina raised an eyebrow. "You place one?"
"Of course," Amanda said, her tone casual.
Nina whistled. "Big one?"
Amanda took a final drag from her cigarette and flicked it to the ground. "Let's just say I won't have to work next year if I win."
Nina laughed. "So, who'd you bet on?"
Amanda smirked. "That's a secret."
"Oh come on! Tell me!"
"Nope."
"Was it Sirius? Li Xinyue? She's the safe bet."
Amanda shook her head. "Safe doesn't win the big money."
Nina narrowed her eyes. "Wait… me? Did you bet on me?"
Amanda looked away, lips twitching.
"Oh ho ho~" Nina chuckled, stretching her arms. Her shirt opened slightly more, showing off the curve of her toned abs. "Now that's what I like to hear."
A sudden burst of mana energy rippled through the air, cutting through their conversation. Both women turned their heads sharply toward the dungeon gate. The mist around it thickened, and black cracks appeared across the surface, pulsing like veins.
"Gate is stabilizing," an NDA agent called through his comms. "Estimated breach time in ten minutes!"
Nina grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Finally."
Amanda's eyes stayed fixed on the gate. "We're about to see just what kind of monsters are behind this."
"And I can't wait to kill it and farm their materials," Nina said, fire burning in her eyes. "I wonder what kind of raw material we cna collect this time."
Amanda looked at her and said quietly, "Be careful in there."
Nina's grin softened for a moment. "I always am."
Amanda gave her a look.
"…Okay, sometimes," Nina admitted.
The two shared a quiet moment, watching as more elite hunters gathered near the perimeter. There was a tension in the air—like a coiled spring waiting to snap.
This was no ordinary dungeon.
And for the first time in years… the hunt had begun again, as the hunters gathered.
Newbies were about to experience what it means to be a hunter, while the veterans were ready for another era of dungeon crawling.