118 THE SWAMP BEHIND THE PORTAL

118 THE SWAMP BEHIND THE PORTAL

Unlike Knekis, Petunia had chosen her companions wisely and with purpose. Her dozen escorts weren't soldiers—they were assassins, silent killers trained to strike from the shadows. They moved with an eerie grace, their presence more implied than seen.

Before the tension between the two could escalate further, Dean Faschae's sharp voice cut through the air, worriedly.

"Where is our star, Lilleo Gullee? The gate of Heaven's Cage is about to open."

Lilleo Gullee, the academy's prodigy, has yet to appear.

For a moment, even the argument between Knekis and Petunia was forgotten as all eyes focused on the gate, shimmering faintly with otherworldly energy. It was about to open.

----

"I believe we're late," Yun-Yun grumbled, glancing at Leo with a hint of annoyance.

"We're not," Leo replied with an easy grin. "The gate stays open for a month. All we missed were the boring speeches and the academy's shameless advertisements. No loss there."

As they approached the shimmering gate of Heaven's Cage, the crowd had noticeably thinned. Most of the other participants had already entered, their escorts and squads vanishing into the ominous glow of the magic barrier.

"You're here at last!" Dean Faschae exclaimed, rushing toward them with an anxious expression etched across his face.

"Better late than never," Leo said with a shrug, the casual tone in stark contrast to the dean's urgency.

Dean Faschae's eyes darted around, scanning for something—or someone. "Where are your escorts?"

"What escort?" Leo replied nonchalantly, gesturing to Yun-Yun. "I only brought her."

The dean blinked in disbelief. "Oh dear. Did our staff forget to inform you that you're allowed to bring a small squadron of soldiers or mages as an escort? They're meant to ensure your journey is safer."

"It doesn't matter," Leo replied, brushing off the concern. "We're better off on our own."

Dean Faschae frowned, his voice dropping to a suspicious tone. "Are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry about us," Leo said with confidence.

The dean hesitated, then leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a whisper. "About the heads?"

Leo smirked, his expression calm yet unnervingly resolute. "Don't worry. I'll bring you plenty of heads—whether they're students or demons."

Dean Faschae stiffened, but before he could say more, Leo turned and strode toward the gate, Yun-Yun close at his side. The shimmering light of the barrier cast an ethereal glow over them, their figures disappearing into their depths.

-----

[In the ruins of Sodom]

The ruins of Sodom felt like a world unto itself, smaller than the sprawling expanse of the Realm of Sins but entirely enclosed within towering, jagged mountains that loomed like prison walls.

Above, an eerie crimson glow suffused the sky, emanating not from the sun but from ever-shifting clouds that pulsed like living embers. The air was heavy, charged with an unnatural energy that prickled the skin.

At first glance, the terrain was deceptively familiar—rolling hills dotted with sparse, gnarled vegetation. But a closer look revealed the mutations wrought by this accursed realm.

Trees twisted unnaturally, their branches clawing at the blood-red sky. Shrubs bore leaves with sharp, glinting edges, and strange, luminescent fungi clung to rocks like parasitic growths.

As Leo and Yun-Yun ventured deeper, the hilly ground gradually gave way to a sprawling swamp. Here, the landscape transformed into a treacherous maze of murky streams and towering mangroves.

"This place is dangerous", Yun-Yun said.

"Yes, danger could be hiding anywhere. We must be prepared for it", Leo replied.

Every step here was fraught with danger.

The mangrove trees stretched high above, their dark limbs concealing predators that lurked in the shadows. The swamp's stagnant waters rippled ominously, hinting at creatures that waited below the surface. And from behind the dense vegetation, the rustling of unseen threats sent shivers down their spines.

"If only I could still fly. It's miserable trudging through this swamp," Yun-Yun grumbled, her feet squelching in the thick mud as she tried to keep her balance.

"Don't worry, I came prepared," Leo replied with a confident smirk.

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a small but sturdy wooden boat from his magic storage space.

Yun-Yun blinked in surprise, her earlier complaints about his turning into admiration. "I take back what I said about your habit of overstocking every useless thing. Maybe it's not so bad after all."

"Always better to be overprepared than under," Leo replied with a shrug, stepping into the boat.

Yun-Yun followed, and with a quick motion of her hands, she began casting a spell. A faint glow surrounded her fingers, and the boat lurched forward, moving smoothly through the swamp as though an invisible current carried it.

"Nice," Leo said.

Then he scanned the murky horizon and frowned. "Where is fucking everyone? Hundreds if not thousands of expeditioners came before us but it's like we're the only ones here."

"It's not surprising," Yun-Yun replied, her tone practical.

"This swamp is vast and disorienting. Visibility is terrible with mist and fog, and the terrain makes it easy to get lost. It's probably swallowing them up as we speak."

Leo groaned, "Too bad we don't have a map. How do we even know where to go from here?"

"I've heard about the ruins of Sodom," Yun-Yun said, her voice quieter now. "This isn't a natural realm. It's warped, corrupted. The ruined city lies deep within, but the only way to reach it is by passing through this swamp—and surviving it."

As if her words were an unintentional summons, the water ahead suddenly erupted.

A massive skeletal creature burst forth, its grotesque form both fish-like and utterly unnatural. Its oversized head was lined with jagged, blade-like teeth, and two writhing antennae atop its skull glowed faintly, like living lures.

The creature launched itself toward them like a deadly arrow, jaws snapping with the promise of death.

"What the fuck is that?! A skeletal Crocodile?" Leo shouted, immediately bracing himself for the monster as he prepared to cast a spell.

"Don't waste your magic here!" Yun-Yun yelled back. "You won't find a place to recharge your Lust counters in this swamp!"

"You're right."