Chapter 17
As I stepped into the Gate, the concentration of mana I could feel through my skin grew sharply denser.
Mana, which had been entirely absent on Earth, was now so thick I could feel it. Only then did it really sink in that I was inside a Gate.
I took a deep breath, and a sudden surge of mana seeped into my body through my respiratory system.
Unlike Awakened people, who had mutated simply from exposure to dense mana without any proper way to gather it, I condensed the mana using a method researched and optimized over countless years.
There was enough mana to make another circle and then some. But this wasn’t the time to form one, so I had no choice but to hold back.
I gathered the mana that had seeped into my body, then opened my eyes. Instead of Earth’s drab mountain trail, an endless blue plain spread out before us.
“Whoa…! I can’t believe we’re inside a Gate, something I’d only ever seen in books! Even the air feels different!”
“Everyone, stay close behind me. No matter how safe this place seems, we’re still inside a Gate.”
Doa’s eyes sparkled as she marveled at the view, while the veteran Awakened from the outside guild assigned to escort us formed up around us with practiced ease.
They seem to have plenty of escort experience. Well, I heard they specialize in protecting people in dangerous places, so that makes sense.
“But it looks so peaceful here.”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
Despite the peaceful scenery, the sensation against my skin was anything but peaceful.
Woom—woom—.
The mana was stirring faintly.
The mana scattered throughout the Gate, as if dissolved into the air, was ominously rippling like the prelude to a massive storm, reacting to something and beginning to change.
This wasn’t a simple natural phenomenon. It was the kind of disturbance that occurred when something deliberately caused a massive change, like a magic circle or a large-scale ritual spell.
Of course, the change was so faint and subtle that ordinary novice mages, or Awakened people who’d only known about mana for a little over a year, would never notice it… But it couldn’t fool my keen senses, honed when I was a great mage.
That was when Jihoon, walking ahead of me, flinched.
“H-huh…? Professor?”
“Hmm? What is it, Jihoon? Are you already detecting mana?”
“No, that’s not it. It just feels a little… strange. Like the mana’s trembling, maybe…? Could it just be my imagination…?”
Jihoon murmured in a barely audible voice as he pushed up his glasses.
Well, well! He really does have a mana-detection ability! Someone besides me noticed something was wrong!
I cheered Jihoon on fervently in my heart.
That’s right! Something’s wrong! It’s a really dangerous and suspicious sign, so tell them we need to leave right now! Let’s hurry out of the Gate!
But my earnest wish didn’t reach him.
“Strange? My mana-wave meter is showing perfectly calm mana waves. You’re probably just nervous because this is your first time entering a Gate. Hahaha!”
“Ah… Yes, I guess so. I must have imagined it. Sorry.”
At the professor’s hearty laugh, timid Jihoon immediately backed down and fell silent.
Tsk, why’d you back down there?! If you’d pushed a little harder, he might’ve said, ‘We can’t ignore a student’s instincts,’ and found a natural reason for us to turn back!
I lamented inwardly, but as someone whose cover ability was a diet massage, I couldn’t exactly blurt out, ‘The mana’s acting strange!’ out of nowhere.
In the end, I had to follow the group cautiously toward the middle of the plain, my heart full of unease.
“Krik! Kkik!”
Wham—!
“Ooh. That strength-enhancement ability really is impressive. One blow is enough to kill it.”
“B-but… this feels kind of unsettling.”
“Don’t worry too much, Miss Doa. As you can see from how the corpse disappears into ash, it isn’t a real living creature.”
The exploration of the plain went so smoothly it was almost as if my suspicions had been unfounded.
Every so often, a few horned rabbits would leap out of the grass, only to be easily beaten by Doa and the Awakened escorts. They collected the mana stones, while the professor excitedly recorded the readings.
Since this wasn’t a cave like a dark, damp goblin den, but a bright plain beneath a fake sun, the mood was as light as a spring picnic.
Hmm… Was I being too sensitive? So far, I haven’t noticed anything strange except for the changes in mana.
Just as I was about to let my guard down a little…
Rumble—!
The ground beneath our feet trembled faintly.
At the same time, a heavy, ferocious beast’s growl rang out from beyond the grass—nothing like the sound of a horned rabbit.
Grrrrrrrr—
What emerged, trampling the tall grass of the plain, was a wolf-like monster about the size of a motorcycle, with enormous fangs jutting from its mouth.
“Fang Wolf…?! What the hell is that doing here?!”
At the same time, a harsh curse burst from the escort leader’s mouth.
A wolf-type monster with enormous fangs. A Fang Wolf.
A tricky monster found only in Gates of at least D-rank, with both speed and lethal power.
It was a predator that absolutely should not have appeared in an F-rank plain-type Gate, where the only monsters were supposed to be horned rabbits.
“Hold formation! Shield unit to the front! Brace for impact and pin it down! Damage dealers, circle around and attack!”
The Awakened escorts shouted urgently as they drew their weapons.
Fortunately, they were fairly skilled veterans. Even faced with an unexpected situation, they didn’t forget what they needed to do.
While the shield-bearing tanks in the front line blocked the Fang Wolf’s charge, the damage dealers moved in from the sides and skillfully killed it in an instant.
As the bloodied Fang Wolf collapsed to the ground, the university researchers let out sighs of relief.
But the escort leader’s expression had turned cold.
“Professor, I think we need to withdraw immediately.”
“What? But we’ve only just arrived, and we’ve barely started collecting data! Why withdraw? The escorts handled that unexpected situation so reliably, didn’t they?”
The professor asked in confusion, but there was no room for compromise in the leader’s voice.
“This Gate has remained F-rank ever since it was discovered. The only things that ever appeared here were horned rabbits, at most. But something has gone seriously wrong.
A D-rank monster like a Fang Wolf appearing in an F-rank Gate means the ecosystem inside has collapsed or changed, or the Gate itself is evolving into a higher rank.
That ‘strange feeling’ the student with glasses mentioned was spot-on.”
The escort leader glanced at Jihoon and continued.
“Our top contractual obligation is ‘the client’s safety.’ Going any farther would be tantamount to willingly entering a place where anything could happen—a suicide mission.
Let’s head back to the exit right now.”
Faced with the veteran’s firm and logical argument, the professor was left speechless.
“It’s a shame… But if that’s the judgment of the on-site experts, we have no choice. Everyone, gather your equipment and let’s head back!”
Hell yeah!!
I clenched my fist in my heart. Field professionals who made their living doing this really were something else. They had the decisiveness to pull out quickly without making a fuss!
I can get back and sleep on that soft dorm bed! Oh, and I mustn’t forget to make one more circle first!
Just as I turned around with a light heart and started toward the exit with the others…
Rrrrrumble—!!!
A deafening roar, as if the entire space were tearing apart, rang out, and the ground began shaking violently.
“Aaaah!”
“W-what’s happening? An earthquake?!”
Doa and Jihoon, who’d lost their balance and fallen over, screamed. The others either collapsed to the ground or barely managed to stay upright.
This shaking… wasn’t just an earthquake. The environment inside the Gate was literally beginning to mutate in real time.
The clear fake sky from moments ago turned blood-red in an instant, and the endless blue plain withered away, then burned into pitch-black ash.
Crack! Craaack!
Boiling red lava surged up through the gaps in the ash-covered earth, and pungent volcanic smoke filled the air.
In barely ten seconds, the peaceful plain had completely transformed into a volcanic region of boiling hell.
“W-what is this…!”
“Gate environment mutation…?! Damn it, why is something that was only supposed to happen in theory happening now?!”
The panicked Awakened escorts stared in shock, their faces pale.
Had people predicted this kind of phenomenon? They’d even come up with a name for it in advance.
“We’re not far from the exit! We have to get out before anything changes further!”
At the leader’s shout, our group started running toward the exit without looking back.
The heat brushed past our cheeks and volcanic ash obscured our vision, but if we stopped, we might be swallowed by lava that could erupt at any moment.
“Huff, huff…! I can see the exit portal!”
By the time everyone was gasping for breath, the dark blue portal that served as our escape route began to shimmer beyond the black smoke.
Just as relief at having made it out alive spread across everyone’s faces…
Thump—!
A gigantic shadow appeared, standing right in front of the exit portal and blocking our way.