They huddled within the Goblin Chieftain's hall. Despite the earthquake, the structure remained standing, though the air inside was thick with a suffocating tension.
Liam was the first to break the silence. "The earthquake hit mere moments before the crow appeared. It's impossible for that to be a coincidence."
Cain raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with confusion. "But why did it take the bear? Why not just kill us all?"
"Maybe it was hungry," Zalin offered, though he didn't sound convinced.
Liam shook his head. "No, it's not that simple."
Zalin sighed. "Then what? I wasn't there, I have no idea what that thing was. But the real question is... is the bear dead or alive?"
"It's alive," Roen answered firmly. "If the Boss had died, the Gate would have begun to fracture. The Boss is the core of this space's stability. If it falls, the exit opens immediately. There's no sign of that happening yet."
Liam crossed his arms, his jaw tight. "That makes no sense. The bear was on the verge of death. Why would a predator like that save its prey?"
A heavy silence followed until a calm, steady voice spoke up.
"Maybe... because it wanted it to stay alive."
All eyes turned to Dan. He had been silent until now, his gaze fixed on the floor. He looked up slowly. "If the bear dies, the Gate opens. That means we get out... and those outside can get in. Maybe the crow saved the bear specifically to prevent that."
The room went dead silent.
"Do you think a creature like that possesses that kind of intelligence?" Cain asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"It's possible," Liam replied grimly. "The higher the rank, the more cunning they become."
Roen looked around the group. "So... what now?"
"We kill the bear," Liam stated. "If we want to leave this place, the Boss must die."
Cain's eyes widened. "And how do we do that? You saw that crow—it carried the bear like it was a toy!"
Liam let out a cold, determined smirk. "Who said we have to fight the crow? Our target is the bear. As long as we can avoid the other, we have a chance."
One of Zalin's teammates hesitated. "What about the others? The other students who entered with us..."
"Once the bear falls and the Gate opens, help will arrive instantly," Liam interrupted. "The instructors outside must have realized something is wrong by now. They'll breach the perimeter the second they find an opening."
The Following Day
Joffrey and his group moved with agonizing caution. The sudden earthquake and the shifting nature of the Gate had turned their routine mission into a nightmare. The monsters appearing in the aftermath were leagues stronger than anything they had prepared for.
Joffrey remembered the skirmish with a beast he initially thought was the Boss. They had barely survived. He realized then that direct confrontation with every pack would be suicide.
As they moved, they had encountered other stragglers. His group had grown to fifteen, but the numbers brought little comfort. His goal remained the same: find the Boss and end this.
A scout rushed back to Joffrey, breathless. "I found a cave nearby. I heard the cry of a bear, but..."
"But what?" Joffrey demanded, his hand tightening on his hilt.
"The voice was weak... the bear sounds severely injured."
Joffrey wasn't surprised. With the chaos in the Gate, it was logical that the Boss had been wounded by other territorial monsters. In a standard Gate, the Prairie Bear was the undisputed king, but things were no longer standard.
"Move out," Joffrey ordered. "To the cave."
But as they reached the mouth of the cavern, a figure emerged that stopped them in their tracks.
It looked like a man—at first.
He was tall, with features that almost passed for human. But the obsidian horns protruding from his forehead, his deathly pale skin, and the unsettling smile on his face sent a shiver down their collective spines. It was a cold, predatory grin that made their hearts wither.
Joffrey gripped his sword, his voice shaking. "Who are you?"
The demon tilted his head, his eyes gleaming with mockery. His smile widened.
"Now, now... I am no enemy," the demon said, his voice a smooth, terrifying silk. "It's just that... I'm quite bored. And I wanted to play. Will you play with me, little ones?"
Joffrey's group raised their weapons, their knuckles white with nervous tension. "Who are you calling 'little ones'? We'll kill you where you stand!"
The demon paused, feigning shock. "How strange... all I wanted was a game, and here you are, baring your fangs. You humans... you truly are entertaining."
His expression shifted into a mask of pure, murderous intent. "Fine then... I don't mind this kind of game at all."
Meanwhile, with Dan's Group
Dan's group moved toward the last known location of the crow. Zalin and his companions stayed back; Dan saw the naked terror in their eyes and didn't blame them. He felt a strange sense of relief when Liam didn't object to them staying behind.
Dan sighed, glancing at Liam's back. It seems Liam has become the leader without a single vote... but he's good at it.
Suddenly, Roen stopped. "Everyone, follow me!"
They dashed through the trees until Roen pointed ahead. In a clearing, a small group of students was encircled by giant spiders. Their black carapaces shimmered under the sun, and their violet eyes glowed with hunger.
One spider spat a thick web, pinning a boy's arm, while another prepared to pounce on a girl who could barely stand.
In the center of the chaos stood Joffrey. His sword was slick with black ichor, his voice hoarse with rage. "Hold your ground! Don't let them drag you away!"
But exhaustion was etched into his every movement. Of his group, only four remained standing, all of them wounded.
"This is bad," Liam muttered.
"If we don't act now, they're dead," Cain said, surging forward before anyone could respond.
Dan didn't hesitate either. He drew his blade and cleanly severed a web that was about to throttle a fallen student.
Joffrey looked up in shock, realizing reinforcements had arrived. "Finally... some help!"
The clearing exploded into a blur of steel and silk. Roen's longsword cleaved a spider in two, while Liam focused his magic on shielding the wounded. Dan moved with lethal efficiency, supporting the front line.
Joffrey caught Dan's eye for a split second but said nothing, throwing himself back into the fray until the last spider lay dead.
The survivors stood gasping for air, surrounded by the mangled remains of the black spiders. Liam stepped toward Joffrey. "Are you alright?"
Joffrey looked up, his face a mask of fury and fatigue. "Are you blind? Look at us!"
Liam's eyes narrowed, his temper flaring. "You—"
Roen stepped in, placing a hand on Liam's shoulder. "Not now. We're all in the same hell."
Liam went silent, turning away with a grunt of reluctant agreement.
As they sat to recover, the stench of burnt chitin and blood filled the air. Roen was the first to address Joffrey. "We need to know what happened. We found the Boss... but a giant crow took it. What did you find?"
Joffrey didn't argue. He sat still, his jaw tight.
"And you?" Roen pressed. "What did you face?"
Joffrey's teeth gritted so hard they nearly cracked. "We heard a bear inside a cave. It sounded weak... like it was dying. But we didn't find the bear alone. A demon was waiting for us."
A cold silence washed over the group. Dan felt his heart skip a beat. Roen's hand tightened on his hilt until his knuckles turned white.
Joffrey let out a short, bitter laugh. "That cursed creature... he wasn't even fighting us. He was playing."
His voice rose, fueled by a helpless rage. "When we retreated, he hunted us like a cat toys with a mouse. He killed half of us without effort, then tossed us into the middle of those monsters like our lives were worthless. And who is left?" He gestured to the broken students around him. "I don't think they can even hold a sword anymore."
Dan looked at the remnants of Joffrey's group. Two were critically injured, and the rest looked mentally shattered. The demon hadn't just harmed them; he had dismantled them.
Yet, Dan couldn't help but feel a spark of respect for Joffrey. He had led these broken people against a creature of pure sadism, refusing to let them be completely extinguished.
If I were in his shoes, Dan thought, could I have done the same? The answer was unclear, leaving him with a chilling mixture of respect and fear.