Gold Grade Portal

Dressed in green military uniform, but this time without the heavy backpacks and vest to weigh her down, a beautiful blond female standing in a firm sword position, swung her blade left her and right, as she kept two direhogs at bay.

With the direhog's tenacity and intelligence, the female had to constantly move around, keeping her senses alert as she followed the movement of her targets.

Wary of focusing on one and letting the other get into her blind spot, the woman could not just stay back and be passive the whole time, she sometimes had to go on the attack and even though her attacks were aimless ones it was still risky as it left her open to attack to another of the direhog.

In this battle, her reaction speed was her greatest weapon.

She tussled with the beasts for about a minute before a figure landed beside her and reduced the pressure.

"Deal with that one, I'll hold off this one for you"

Nodding her head in appreciation, the woman went on full attack and using a combination of military-style combat and traditional sword movement she pressured the beast for a few minutes her blade finding its throat when it finally grew tired and slipped.

Dealing with the beast, the woman ran back to the other, and taking over from the man who had come to help her, fought it and killed it.

Ending the beast, she paused and took some seconds to catch her breath, a small smile on her face as she watched the increments and changes being made to the numbers on her screen.

"Sergeant Tess you've levelled up" A voice said quite close to her and recognizing the authority in it, she quickly straightened up.

"Yes lieutenant, to level 7"

"That's good. Your swordplay and reaction are good, but if you want to become more capable of dealing with these beasts on your own you need to work on your speed, you can't just rely on dodging and wearing them out."

"I see"

Though he didn't say explicitly the woman knew he was advising her on where to put the stat points she had earned after her level up.

Watching him pass by, the woman's eyes moved back to her screen but rather than do as he said, she added her points to a unique stat she had gotten when she killed her first beast.

[dexterity +5]

Satisfied with her decision, the woman looked around the battlefield looking for where she could be useful and then moved in that direction,

Watching her march back into the fray Lieutenant Gale moved his eyes to the rest of the battlefield nodding his head as he confirmed that he and his men had done enough work some minutes later he spoke.

"Alright we've delayed here enough, farming time is over, exterminate the beasts with your guns and get back in your Vehicles."

"Yes Sir" Several shouts echoed and it didn't take up to 10 minutes for the men to kill all the direhogs in the vicinity, pack their corpses in a heap and set it on fire.

As the convoy of two military jeeps and three trucks drove out of the town they had stopped temporarily at, Lieutenant Gale sighed with pity as he gazed at the several houses watching, the residents who could only watch them leave through their windows, their gazes begging them to stay and eradicate the remaining direhogs that inhabited the area.

"Lieutenant, do you think a team will be here by the time their safe zone expires" the man who drove the Jeep Gale was in asked.

"I doubt, with so many portals popping up in just this second wave, the military is already getting stretched thin.

By the time the safe zone expires, the numbers and strengths of beasts marching out of portals will be too high.

The government will need everyone they have protecting the most important locations"

"They would have been better off, picking the first option, they would have had the chance to fight for their life." The driver muttered, his annoyance with the government's decision clear.

The convoy of cars drove for a few minutes and then a call came from over the radio rang in the jeep that carried the lieutenant.

"Lieutenant, we have spotted significant Direhogs in the area, do we farm"

"No farming, ignore the beasts, but if they attack use the guns"

"Damn, what a waste of points" the man from over the radio lamented.

"Don't worry, where we are headed promises a lot of these beasts, you'll get to farm to your heart's content."

"I hear you sir," the man said from over the radio and then it went dead.

The convoy moved for over 10 more minutes before radio contact was made again, but this time it was from the lieutenant to all other vehicles.

"Alright boys, we are in Bluelamp Street, Harlene and Jacob Street are just after this be, sharp and ready for contact.

We'll use the guns to deal with the beast till we get to the portal and secure it"

Gale's words put everyone on alert, the soldiers preparing their guns and manning the heavy machine guns above the jeep, but minutes later, everyone including the captain had a confused look as they spotted not a single beast as they drove by.

"Ehh Lieutenant, are we in the correct place"

"Positive, keep going forward," Gale said.

Like this, the convoy sped through the quiet streets spotting not a single soul outside their houses.

"What the hell is happening here, not even a single person is curious enough" the soldiers muttered amongst themselves, having already come across areas with stubborn people.

Listening to them, Tess narrowed her eyes but she kept her hand tightly clenched around her gun and her eyes peeled open.

A few minutes later the convoy came to a stop and stepping out of his truck, the lieutenant sighed as now he had to figure out what had caused the death of the direhog corpses strewn around.

From within one of the trucks, complex-looking equipment was pulled out and a group of 4 men dressed in white lab coats stepped out.

"Considering that it hasn't been long since the portal appeared it's shocking to see it already in a dormant state lieutenant, something significant happened here," One of the men said to Gale, walking close to him, his eyes stuck on the white portal before him in fascination.

"I see Dr Grash. Well if you need anything feel free to ask"

"That I will Gale," Dr Grash said.

Watching the man dedicatedly go to his equipment which his colleague had already begun setting up around the portal, Gale assigned his men to several spots, and it wasn't long before one of them raised an alert and had him rushing over.

"What could have done this, it looks like a collaboration between animal and human" Gale said, his eyes staring at the pile of dead already decaying direhog corpses in the garage of a house nearby.

"Lieutenant, there are several neighbours who say they saw everything that happened," one of the men ran over and told Gale.

"Bring them over"

"They refused to step out of their homes. Do we force them?"

"Ahh these old geezers, let's go"

Whilst Gale tried to understand the events that happened in Jacob's street, the team of scientists around the portal focused on tinkering with their equipment.

It didn't take the brilliant men long to find crucial information but then rather than share it with Gale, they secretly sent it over a secure line to their backers.

The message was short but vital and it read.

"Signs of qi in the vicinity, there was a ranked beast here.

Also, it's a gold-level portal"