Chapter 149: Total Collapse in Zone 2

The swirling purple vortex spat Evren, Amber, and Zephyra back onto the rocky floor of the canyon. Cool morning wind rushed across their faces, carrying away the spatial pressure of the rift dimension. Evren lowered his boots to the soil and took a deep breath.

Around them, the rocky basin was completely quiet.

The two jagged fissures that had been spitting out waves of monsters an hour ago were gone. The purple energy feeding them had vanished, sealing both tears into solid stone.

Even the monster corpses had dissolved into clouds of fading stardust, leaving behind only patches of scorched earth.

Ahead, forty heavily armored men stood in sharp formation.

Their steel tower shields were planted into the dirt, forming an unbroken wall between the two sealed fissures. Yellow earthen runes flickered across the metal plates, keeping their defensive barrier active.

Near the center of the line, several wooden crates sat stacked against an armored supply truck. Each crate was filled with glowing monster cores, gathered and organized.

Seeing Evren emerge from the portal, the forty men snapped to attention.

Guild Master Walter planted his warhammer into the dirt and stepped forward. He brought his fist across his dented breastplate in a salute.

"Chairman!" Walter’s booming voice broke the silence of the valley. "You made it back!"

Evren walked over with a relaxed smile, resting his Frost-Bane Cleaver against his shoulder. "We did. How did things go up here, Walter?"

Walter grinned, wiping a streak of dust from his weathered cheek.

"About ten minutes ago, a heavy tremor shook the basin, and both side fissures collapsed shut on their own," Walter reported with clear pride in his eyes. "We figured you must have handled the beast inside!"

"We took care of it," Evren confirmed with a nod. "The core boss is dead."

"I knew it," Walter chuckled, letting out a breath of relief. "As for the surface, our squads locked the chokepoints and cut down every single crawler that tried to push through. Every dropped core has been gathered and crated, and our squads suffered zero casualties."

Amber stepped forward, looking at the forty hunters with admiration. "Not a single loss against that many waves? That is impressive, Guild Master Walter."

"We owe that to the Chairman, Lady Amber," Walter said with a grin. "The reinforced armor and high-grade potions Chairman Evren gave us kept everyone on their feet."

Zephyra looked at the stacked crates of cores, giving a nod of respect. "Your men work fast. Cleaning and organizing a battlefield in ten minutes takes real discipline."

"We may be an old guild, Lady Zephyra, but we never forgot how to fight," Walter replied with pride.

Evren looked over the forty hunters. By equipping them well and giving them clear orders, they had held an entire zone without a single casualty.

"You all did excellent work," Evren said, his voice carrying clearly down the line. "Every core gathered today belongs to Iron Thistle. When we return to the city, Apex will also pay out a full hazard bonus to every hunter present."

Loud, joyful cheers erupted from the forty men.

"Thank you, Chairman!"

"Long live Apex!"

For men who had spent months drowning in debt, this victory felt like a rebirth.

Just as the cheers began to settle, a sharp tone broke through the air.

Static hissed through the radio mounted on the supply truck. With all three rifts sealed, communication channels were bursting back to life.

KZZZZT—ATTENTION ALL UNITS—KZZZZT!

A panicked, breathless voice blasted through the truck’s main loudspeaker.

"This is Command Dispatch at the Forward Outpost! Emergency broadcast on all military bands! We have a critical breach in Zone Two!"

Evren walked toward the truck, Amber and Zephyra right behind him.

"Repeat, total collapse in Zone Two!" the dispatcher screamed over the speaker. "Solar Crown pushed into the central basin forty minutes ago, but their advance was ambushed by an unrecorded mutation surge!"

Heavy gunfire and monster shrieks echoed over the line.

"Solar Crown’s outer perimeter has been wiped out!" the dispatcher continued frantically. "Over twenty hunters are down or scattered! Silas Drake and his core team are cut off deep inside the main rift!"

Walter’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Silas Drake? The top guild in the city collapsed in under an hour?!"

"He was so arrogant at the city gate," Amber scoffed, crossing her arms. "He said Zone One was too dangerous for us, yet his own line fell apart first."

The radio crackled again as the stern voice of Grand Arbiter Raymond Kincaid cut through the static.

"All available squads, this is Grand Arbiter Kincaid," the old general barked. "The monsters in Zone Two are pushing past the primary barricades. If that rift is not contained, the horde will hit the civilian evacuation line within thirty minutes!"

Kincaid paused. "Every imperial unit is tied down on the eastern ridges... redirect your forces to Zone Two immediately!"

Silence fell over the truck as the broadcast cut out.

Walter turned to Evren, his weathered face filled with anger. "That arrogant fool Silas Drake rushed in blindly to show off, and now hundreds of civilians are in danger."

"He might be arrogant, but they’ve held a reputable status as the top guild in the capital," Evren said calmly. "But a shiny reputation can only do much when you are faced with mutated rifts and unexpected occurences like these."

"Chairman, what do we do?" Walter asked, gripping his warhammer tightly. "Our forty men are ready to march if you need us in Zone Two."

Evren raised a hand, stopping Walter with a calm shake of his head.

"No, Walter," Evren answered firmly. "You and your men stay right here."

Walter blinked, surprised. "Here, sir?"

"Yes," Evren explained, pointing toward the surrounding cliffs. "Zone One is fully cleared, but with the tremors from Zone Two, stray beasts might try to scatter into this valley. I need a rock-solid defense force to lock this perimeter down and hold our rear."

Evren placed a heavy, reassuring hand on Walter’s armored shoulder. "I trust Iron Thistle to keep this valley safe. Can you hold this ground for me?"

Pride flashed in Walter’s eyes. He stood tall and drove the butt of his warhammer into the dirt with a loud thud.

"With our lives, Chairman!" Walter swore fiercely. "Not a single beast will cross this perimeter. Iron Thistle will hold Zone One until you return!"

"Good," Evren nodded.

He turned toward Amber and Zephyra. Both women were already standing beside their heavy black combat rover, their weapons ready.

"Let’s move," Evren ordered, walking toward the vehicle.

Amber leaped into the passenger seat, while Zephyra slipped into the rear compartment, checking the tension wires along her whip-blade.

Evren climbed into the driver’s seat and pressed the ignition button.

VROOOOM!

The rover’s twin turbocharged mana engines roared to life with an aggressive rumble. Evren shifted into gear, slammed the accelerator, and spun the steering wheel.

Tires tore into the loose gravel, launching the vehicle forward like a missile.

The combat rover blasted out of the canyon, speeding down the perimeter highway toward Zone Two. Wind whipped past the windows as the vehicle accelerated past eighty miles per hour.

In the distance, thick black smoke billowed into the pale sky.

Ten minutes later, as they rounded the mountain pass, the devastation of Zone Two came into full view.

The military checkpoint at the entrance had been smashed to pieces. Overturned armored trucks burned along the road, their steel doors ripped open by giant claws. Torn Solar Crown banners lay trampled in the mud.

A mile ahead, a massive rift torn into the mountain pulsed with violent, blood-red light.

Dozens of beasts roamed around the entrance, while desperate cries echoed from deep within the glowing red tear.

Evren slammed the brakes, bringing the rover to a skidding stop near the rift. He pushed the door open and stepped into the smoke-filled air.

Amber spread her radiant golden wings, lifting into the air with both sabers blazing.

Zephyra stepped out beside them, her purple eyes glowing in the shadows as her whip-blade hummed with quiet, lethal energy.

Evren drew his Frost-Bane Cleaver, resting the cold blade against his shoulder. His eyes locked onto the burning red tear.

"You two take care of the outside," Evren said, a cold smile touching his lips. "I’m going in."

Without another word, Evren broke into a run towards the open rift.