They approached the black stone arch in careful silence.
Up close, it was larger than it had first appeared. The opening was easily wide enough for three people to walk side by side. The runes carved along the inner curve were so fine and densely packed that they seemed to shift if anyone stared at them for too long. The stone itself was unnaturally cold. When Rhuvia stepped close enough to feel the air near it, a chill settled against her skin that had nothing to do with the night. No light came from within the arch. No sense of open space or tunnel.
It was simply a solid wall of darkness that refused to yield.
Maya was the first to speak, breaking the silence. Her voice came out low and strained.
"It's closed. Why? How? "
The words hung in the cooling air.
Everyone felt the same jolt of disbelief. They had fought through hours of escalating monsters. They had burned through the last of their salves, pushed their stamina to the edge, and watched Rhuvia spend mana she could not easily replace. All of it had been for the chance to reach the gate before full night and force it shut.
Now finding it already sealed felt like it was the forest's final insult to all of their efforts.
One of the guild fighters muttered something under her breath and looked away. A Fiora hunter shook her head slowly, as if trying to deny what she was seeing. Even Vessa's usually flat expression tightened now, not believing what she was seeing.
Rhuvia stepped closer and laid one palm against the cold stone. She closed her eyes.
Like that, several seconds passed, no one saying anything.
When she opened them again, her face gave little away, but the set of her shoulders had grown heavier.
"Most dungeons open their gates when they first awaken," she said, still facing the arch. "Strike teams force them closed to stop the initial waves and give the dungeon time to stabilize on its own. That's the standard pattern. I've done it more than once."
She paused and sighed. "Hmmmmf…..But great dungeons are different. Too little is known about their first awakening. I only ever participated in normal dungeon breaks. Yeah, I've cleared some of the strongest floors in the capital's own great dungeon. But when that great dungeon first opened, a decade ago, I was still a child."
"I know what normal dungeons are supposed to do. But whether the same rules apply to something of this scale…Honestly, I have no idea."
Hearing her say that now, a heavy silence followed between the group.
After a while, from the back of the group, Maya spoke again. She was leaning hard on another Fiora hunter's shoulder now, legs trembling from exhaustion and the earlier wound.
"So if this gate is closed… where are the monsters coming from? They have to come from somewhere, right? Normal dungeon or great dungeon, every one of those things we fought came from inside it, right? Doesn't that mean there has to be another way out? Another gate or something?"
Vessa looked at her, then at the sealed arch, then at the darkening trees all around them.
"She's not wrong," Vessa said finally. "Monsters don't appear from thin air. If the main gate is closed, there has to be another exit. Or several."
Rhuvia finally turned away from the stone. Fatigue sat heavy on her features, but her voice remained steady.
"Yeah. That much is obvious. I should have considered it sooner. Sorry. This mission has been more nerve-wracking and exhausting than I planned for." She scanned the tired faces around her.
"If we need to find the real exit the monsters are using, the best way is to locate where they're most concentrated and work backward from there. And I think the best way to do it is to search more ground. We have to fan out."
The suggestion landed poorly in the group.
Splitting up in a forest already thick with this level of stronger creatures meant accepting that some of them might walk straight into the densest packs. The person who found the true entrance first would almost certainly be the one in the greatest danger. No one said it out loud, but the thought was visible on more than one face.
Vessa saw the hesitation and stepped forward.
"Come on, guys. We Have to fan out. I know it's not ideal, but it's the only real option we have left. If we cover more ground, we find that secondary entrance faster. And we all know time isn't on our side anymore."
She was right about the time.
True night had settled over the canopy. What little ambient light remained was gone. Those who could use even a little magic called up soft glowing orbs that floated near their shoulders, casting steady pools of pale light.
The rest activated the small mana bulbs clipped to their belts, enchanted crystals that burned a quiet, reliable glow for as long as the crystal's charge lasted.
The forest around them became a shifting patchwork of light and deep shadow. Every tree trunk looked taller. Every stretch of undergrowth looked darker.
With Vessa pointing out how dark it was now, everyone snapped back to their hard reality. Each of them understood that they could not afford to be late any longer.
So, they divided into smaller groups without further argument.
Rhuvia took the central path alone. Vessa and two of the steadier guild fighters took another one. Maya, still supported by someone, led a second group slightly to the left, with Drosha in her group.
The remaining fighters spread to the right and rear, each small cluster keeping visual contact with the next for as long as the trees allowed. No one wanted to lose sight of the others completely, until they had to.
They moved out into the dark.
The closed gate stood silent behind them. Its runes remained dead and cold. Somewhere deeper in the forest, the true path the monsters were using waited to be found before the waves grew large enough to swallow the village they had left behind.
Author's note:
If you have come to this point , then you must likely like this story. If you have enjoyed even a little bit of this story, I humbly ask you to give a 5-star rating and review(If possible).
For those who might ask, why a 5-star review specifically?
Well, let me tell you: because many people just give a 1-star rating without any valid reason, just because they feel like it or it doesn't suit their taste buds; they just thoughtlessly try to bring down the story itself. It isn't fair to a writer, to get a 1-star rating. I belive not a single story deserves a 1-star rating. At least not if the writer has genuinely tried. Even a badly written story deserves at least 2-3 stars. But I see so many 1-2 stars on my story. And not only in mine; I saw it on many great stories, too. It isn't right.
So, to balance it all out, I believe a story like mine(where I genuinely worked very hard to build this world for you all) needs as many 5-star ratings as possible from you guys. I wouldn't have written this for no reason. There have been thousands of AI slops being written daily, without end. So, in order to get ahead of them and still reach quality readers, this story will need as many good reviews as it can get.
I never boosted my story, nor did I do any promotions or anything, not even a swap. And see, with my own effort and daily, consistent uploads, how far I've reached.
Why would an AI story get the recognition and attention it doesn't deserve while we, solid writers, have to suffer from unfair ratings and reviews? To protect good stories like mine, it is you readers' responsibility to balance it all out.
We writers work so hard to make a story like this. And when we see this kind of 1-2 star rating, it really undermines our effort. And to be honest, it really hurts, too.
I know some people hate me for asking you to come to Patreon, but that is only optional. And I only put it at the end of the chapters. If you don't like this, just click next chapter without reading the author's note. I'll put any important notes outside the author's note, so that you don't miss them.
And if you think I'm merely hoarding the good stuff for Patreon readers, then think again. All the advanced chapters, character art that I post daily with each chapter, and extra chapters, all will be free after the 2-month posting period ends. They will all be available to you here if you just wait. Patreon is just a way for my readers to enjoy the goods earlier than others, and maybe some extra art, which is exclusive.
So, there shouldn't be any hard feelings for it, as you'll get all of it here after a certain period.
With that being said, I have finally let it all out- everything I had been holding myself from saying.
Now, if it won't be any bother, please give a good review for this poor author's sake. It won't be much of a bother to you to create an account and give a full rating, but that will be a support I'll never forget. I have so many daily readers; I'm expecting a single review from each of you. Please don't just read and go back like usual. This review determines your loyalty as a reader.