Portal

"You messed up big time," Trey said as he stood beside Kael.

"How so?" Kael raised an eyebrow. Everything was already messed up—the universe, the Anthi-Org—how could he mess things up when chaos was everywhere?

"You offended one of the groups from New One Company," Trey sighed. Seeing how emotionless Kael was, he couldn't help but feel speechless. "You really don't take them seriously, do you? And they're not the only ones you offended. Look around us."

Kael glanced at the surrounding Primers, each one staring at him with cold killing intent. At first, they had been eyeing him because of the Growth Orbs, but now… now they were looking at him for a different reason.

"You offended the Primers and the men," Trey chuckled. "But with her interfering, they won't dare take our Growth Orbs anymore."

"Men," Bach shook his head. "Being beautiful is also a kind of weapon."

"Who is she?" Kael asked.

"Carina Powell. She's a famous newbie under New One Company. Rumor has it that it won't be long before she becomes one of the Main Members."

"Carina Powell…" Kael trailed off, his gaze landing on the New One group as they entered the portal. "Do you know anything about their suits?"

"Besides the fact that they're Half-Aegis suits, not much," Trey shrugged. "All I know is that they're strong. That's why no matter where they go, people respect and fear them."

"Hmm." Kael nodded thoughtfully. "This is not a mess-up."

The Primers began walking toward the portal, heading to face the Final Boss.

Trey sighed, feeling like slapping his forehead. "I admire how casual you are. Anyway, we should go inside before we get left behind."

"What happens if we don't enter?" Bach asked curiously.

"If you want to stay here forever, then stay," Trey replied.

"Oh, why would I want that? Staying here for a day is already a nightmare. Forever? I'd end my life in a few days," Bach Ponce smiled bitterly.

As the Primers entered the portal one by one, Kael and the others remained in place.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Trey glanced at the White Prime.

"I'm planning my revenge," Kael answered.

"Revenge?" Trey muttered, confused.

Kael's eyes followed a certain group. When they glanced in his direction, lightning seemed to flash in their gazes. He smiled as a plan formed perfectly in his mind.

He didn't like when people tried to take advantage of him, and as a petty person, he had no intention of changing that.

"We should go," Kael said. The trio began walking toward the portal, and along the way, they received cold glares from the Primers. Trey lowered his head, but Bach, on the other hand, kept his gaze straight ahead. Though he was just a miner now, he had been a soldier—he had experience. These stares didn't put much pressure on him.

"What revenge are you planning?" Trey asked, but Kael didn't answer. He was too busy perfecting the plan in his mind.

...

To completely close a Fissure—or "Clear" it, as the Primers called it—one must find the Fissure's Core, Gateway, or Closing Portal. It had many names, but most simply referred to it as the Core, which often took the form of a Portal.

Once the Portal was found, they had to enter and kill the being inside.

Primers called this being the "Final Boss," the strongest Behemech within a Fissure. That was why those who entered didn't rush in blindly. They waited for all the Primers to gather before initiating the Closure.

It would be suicide not to take advantage of their numbers—unless, of course, someone had the strength to match a Final Boss. But such individuals were either among the top Primers in the world or simply targeting Fissures far weaker than themselves.

Furthermore, every Fissure had a different Final Boss, forcing Primers to proceed with extreme caution. There were even cases where a Grey Fissure housed a Final Boss that should have only appeared in higher-grade Fissures.

Soon enough, it was finally time for Kael and his companions to enter.

Standing in front of the Portal, Kael couldn't help but recall the first time he had entered a Fissure's Portal as part of his training. Back then, it had been a Black Fissure, and the Boss he faced had possessed enough strength to destroy a planet.

He had worn his White Aegis Suit, but since he was still getting used to it, he had been smacked left and right before finally defeating the Behemech with a lucky punch.

Kael had been so nervous that he almost forgot how to use his Aegis. Fortunately, being beaten had jogged his memory. He hadn't suffered any serious injuries—just a simple concussion—but it had still been one hell of a fight.

As he reminisced, he couldn't help but chuckle. At that time, he had already been strong enough to destroy a planet-sized Fissure, yet he had still gotten beaten up by a Black Fissure Boss. Just thinking about it made him feel embarrassed.

Shaking his head, he took a step into the Portal, and his vision was consumed by darkness.

Things were different now. He no longer had the strength to destroy planets in every fight. No suits to protect him. No super-advanced utilities to assist him. He was starting from scratch—something he hadn't even experienced a hundred years ago.

And now, he was about to fight a Grey Final Boss.

It was almost funny when he thought about it. Though, not that it mattered. Even though he was no longer the strongest human, Kael believed it wouldn't be long before he reached that height again—and even surpassed it.

But first, he wanted to experience how weak men faced 'strong' foes.

The darkness around him didn't last long. In the next moment, a kaleidoscope of colors assaulted his vision, mesmerizing yet suffocating. A normal Primer would have shut their eyes, but Kael watched in fascination.

He could also feel his body being lifted off the ground, accompanied by a nauseating sensation. This was common whenever someone entered a Portal—whether into a Fissure or when attempting to close one.

A few seconds later, Kael felt solid ground beneath him again. His vision returned. Light flooded his eyes, and he had to blink a few times to adjust.

"I didn't know that such a place housed the strongest Behemech," Bach said as his body materialized beside the White Prime. His voice carried both amazement and apprehension as he took in the scene around them.