The teleport hit like a truck of lightning.
Xavier's body blinked out of the waiting hall and reformed in midair—then thud, boots slammed onto ancient cracked stone. He was standing on a battlefield floating in the middle of the void. Huge stone slabs chained to each other stretched across the darkness, glowing red runes pulsating beneath his feet like the heartbeat of some dying god.
Hundreds of players were popping in across the platform. Warriors, mages, summoners, archers, walking weapons of chaos — all flexing their gear, mounts, and cosmetic auras. Half the chat was just emotes and trash talk.
Then came the system message:
[EVENT RAID: BLOOD GATE ASCENSION — STAGE ONE]
Objective: Eliminate Corrupted Beasts
Time Limit: 15 Minutes
Minimum Server Kill Count: 3000
Contribution Ranking: Top 100 players will receive exclusive rewards
[Countdown: 00:30]