A spear!

Portals have always been unpredictable. Their sudden appearance and mysterious nature have long defied scientists' understanding. After years of observation and rigorous study, they finally established a classification based on their level of danger.

Blue-Class Portals: accessible to hunters of ranks E, D, and C. These portals pose a moderate danger but remain manageable for experienced fighters of these levels.

Yellow-Class Portals: reserved for hunters of ranks B and A. They harbor more powerful creatures and require better coordination and advanced skills to be mastered.

Red-Class Portals: only hunters of rank S and Monarchs can hope to emerge alive from these. These portals are true death zones, where even the most powerful risk their lives at every moment.

And right now, Ryan is inside a blue portal.

Ryan surveyed the area. He found himself in the heart of an immense forest, but something about this environment seemed off. The trees were colossal, far larger than any he had seen before. Their trunks were so thick that it would take at least ten people holding hands to encircle one. Their leaves, a shimmering green, emitted a faint glow in the surrounding darkness, casting a soft light over the ground covered with a carpet of soft moss and winding roots.

The air was thick, heavy with an intense vegetal fragrance, almost overwhelming. Ryan took a deep breath and felt a strange sensation of both calm and pressure at the same time. He knew this silence wasn't normal. Portals were always filled with dangers, and yet, he had been walking for hours without seeing a single creature.

He moved cautiously, his eyes scanning the surroundings, trying to analyze his environment. The ground was damp under his feet, a sign that it had rained recently. Thick vines hung from the branches like sleeping serpents, and small glowing dots, like fireflies, floated here and there, lighting the darkness with an eerie, supernatural glow.

Ryan paused for a moment, placing his hand on the rough bark of a tree. It was warm, as if heat were emanating from the wood itself. He squinted. Was this a mana effect? Or did these trees have a unique property specific to this portal? He had never heard of anything like this in blue-class portals.

He tightened his grip on the small knife he kept at his belt—a rudimentary weapon, but the only one he had. Even though, as a mere gatherer, he had not been trained for combat, he knew that being unarmed in a portal was a death sentence.

Minutes passed, then hours. Still no sign of life. Not a rustle in the bushes, not a single animal cry. Just a heavy silence, as if the forest itself were holding its breath.

Ryan felt a cold sweat trickle down his neck.

This isn't normal.

His instincts screamed that something was wrong here. He scanned his surroundings again, carefully analyzing every detail. The massive trees, the thick ferns, the damp smell... and that all-encompassing silence.

Then, he noticed something.

The ground.

Since he had started walking, he hadn't seen a single trace of creatures, no footprints, no signs indicating that a monster had passed through this area recently. Yet, a portal, even a blue-class one, was never empty.

He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the knife's handle.

Something's wrong here.

Slowly, he resumed his walk, his eyes keen on every detail. This portal seemed to be testing him, drawing him deeper into its depths before revealing its true danger.

But Ryan had no choice. He had to continue.

Ryan leaned against the massive trunk of a tree, his breathing slightly ragged from exhaustion. After hours of walking with no sign of life, his body was beginning to feel the weight of the effort. He slowly sat down, stretching his aching legs, and rested his head against the rough bark.

The silence still reigned in this strange forest, so heavy it became unnerving. The young man closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Was he alone here? Was this portal truly devoid of all threats, or was it just an illusion meant to deceive him?

Suddenly, a sound tore through the air.

A sharp whistle.

Ryan's survival instinct kicked in. He rolled to the side at the last moment—CLANG! A metallic object embedded itself in the tree behind him, vibrating from the impact.

His heart skipped a beat.

He looked up and saw the weapon deeply lodged in the bark: a spear, long and sharp, its darkened wood and blade covered in strange engravings.

Ryan quickly turned his head, searching for the source of the attack. That's when he saw it.

A monster.

Standing on a hill, towering over the clearing Ryan had just passed through, a humanoid creature over three meters tall watched him with an evil gaze. Its skin was a purplish gray, covered in dark marks resembling tribal tattoos. It had four arms, all muscular and knotted, and in one of them, it held another spear identical to the one that had almost pierced Ryan.

But what was most terrifying was its face.

Its elongated skull had only four eyes, arranged in a diamond shape, and a huge mouth stretched almost to its ears. And it was smiling.

A wide, terrifying, almost mocking smile.

A cold shiver ran down Ryan's spine. This monster was toying with him.

Then, he heard movement.

Other figures emerged from the shadows of the forest, appearing one by one on the hilltop. Ten other creatures, identical to the first. They watched him silently, and slowly, a guttural chuckle began to rise in the air.

Then, they attacked.

The first monster leapt with surprising agility despite its massive size, launching a second spear. Ryan dodged by diving to the side, rolling across the damp ground. He couldn't fight. He had to flee.

Without hesitation, he got up and dashed between the trees, his breath short. Behind him, he heard the heavy footsteps of the monsters giving chase. The branches cracked under their weight, and their inhuman laughter echoed like a morbid reverberation through the forest.

Ryan sprinted at full speed, weaving between the massive trunks to try and lose them, but the monsters were fast. Far too fast.

The ground trembled under their steps.

Then, another whistle.

Ryan instinctively ducked—a spear flew over his head, slicing through a thick branch that collapsed right behind him.

If they caught him, he was dead.

He pushed himself harder, adrenaline driving his body to its limits. Behind him, the monsters kept laughing, as if they were enjoying this hunt.

Ryan was nothing more than a toy to them.

And they were determined to break him.

Ryan ran breathlessly, the monsters hot on his heels. He zigzagged between the trees, jumping over the gnarled roots and dodging the low branches that threatened to block his path. Each breath was a struggle, each stride a step closer to potential survival.

But the creatures were fast. Far too fast.

Their heavy footsteps made the ground tremble, and their guttural laughter echoed like a macabre melody in the damp forest air. They weren't in a hurry. They were having fun.

Ryan glanced behind him. Mistake.

One of the monsters leapt into the air, using its four arms to grab onto the branches and launch itself with terrifying agility. It landed right in front of him.

The young man's eyes widened.

— Shit!

He forced his tired legs to change direction at the last moment, sliding on the loose earth before propelling himself into another desperate dash. A silver flash cut through the air.

— A spear!

Ryan rolled across the ground to avoid the deadly weapon, which passed just inches from his chest before embedding itself into a tree with a dull thud. If they hit him even once, it was over.

He had no time to catch his breath.

A monster emerged from his left, striking violently with the backhand of one of its massive arms. Ryan barely had time to raise his arms to protect himself—the impact was brutal.

BAM!

His body flew several meters before crashing hard against a tree. A metallic taste filled his mouth. His back throbbed with excruciating pain, and his breath was short, nearly nonexistent.

He had never felt such a difference in strength.

Ryan tried to get up, but a massive, clawed hand slammed down on him, pinning him violently to the ground. His heart skipped a beat.

One of the monsters towered over him, its carnivorous smile revealing rows of sharp teeth. It pressed harder, pinning Ryan to the ground. Its eyes gleamed with sadistic pleasure, savoring the moment when its prey could no longer escape.

Ryan felt fear flood him, but something else was bubbling inside him.

Rage.

He didn't want to die here. Not like this.

Then, with a swift motion, the monster raised one of its arms, ready to finish him off with a swipe of its claws.

Ryan gritted his teeth.

In one last effort, he grabbed a handful of loose dirt and threw it directly into the monster's eyes.

The creature roared in pain, stumbling back slightly. This was his chance!

Ignoring the pain that shot through his body, Ryan rolled to the side and freed himself from the monster's grip. He scrambled to his feet and resumed his flight.

The creatures howled in frustration.

They weren't going to let him go.

Ryan no longer looked back. He didn't have the strength or the time to check behind him. He knew that once again, they were right on his heels. The heavy footsteps, the sinister laughter, and the enraged howls echoed constantly. The air was charged with adrenaline and fear. He ran at a frantic pace, his muscles screaming in pain, but he refused to slow down.

One mistake, just one mistake, and it would all be over.

The monsters were already there, ready to encircle him. They were closing in so quickly that the air vibrated under the force of their presence. Ryan heard a dull noise above him and turned just in time to see a huge figure launching itself at him. The monster, bigger and more threatening than the others, fell from the sky, its clawed arms spread wide. He had no other option.

He jumped.

A desperate leap. His feet left the ground, and he hurled himself toward the cliff in front of him.

The wind hit his face, his hair whipped through the air as he fell. His heart pounded in his chest. He knew he was at the mercy of gravity, but one thought persisted in his mind: If he survived the fall, maybe he'd have a chance.

But before he even hit the ground, he heard the monsters arriving, their howls tearing through the silence. They were going to follow him.

Ryan shut his eyes. The fall seemed to last an eternity. The wind, the sensation of flying, of falling endlessly. It all blended into the same terrifying motion, with no way back. He didn't know what would await him at the bottom.

Then he hit the ground.

The impact was brutal. A crack, a series of fractures, and pain shot through his limbs. He rolled across the ground, lost in the whirl of his own body. The earth was hard, but it was better than death in the claws of the monsters. He struggled to get up, every muscle in his body aflame. His breath was short, but there was no time to stop.

He glanced back, the monsters were still there.

The fastest had started descending the cliff, using their arms to cling to the walls, but Ryan couldn't let them catch up.

He had no choice left. He pushed himself up and, eyes fixed on the horizon, he sprinted again. The ground beneath his feet was unstable, and each step seemed more uncertain than the last. But he had only one option: keep running.

The monsters continued their descent. Their cries resonated with each passing second, making the atmosphere even more oppressive. Ryan felt as if his body would break, but he didn't stop. He had to go further. Find shelter. An escape.

He reached a more open area. The trees were less dense, and he found himself running on rocky terrain, with steep cliffs on either side. There was no room to turn back, no place to hide. He was trapped.

Then he heard the sound of the monsters closing in, their claws touching the ground behind him. Time was running out. Ryan knew he had to act quickly. He desperately searched for a way to defend himself.

He spotted a large rock, a sharp stone. He grabbed it without thinking, holding it in front of him like a weapon. But his heart was still racing, and the fatigue was beginning to catch up with him.

He had no choice left. Running wasn't enough anymore.

The final confrontation had begun.