NOVEL NEXT Chapter 126: The Gate of Worlds Opens
A magnificent gate of light descended from the sky, crashing down with a thunderous roar as it stood before Ryan and his companions.
Radiance poured out in all directions, so boundless that no matter where one stood, the entire gate seemed to face them directly.
This was no illusion. It was the true Gate of Worlds—a colossal portal that connected realms.
From its edges erupted streaks of black lightning, jagged bursts of power spilling from the fissures of shattered space. Ryan had seen that lightning before, more times than he could count, each sighting tied to some great world event. Yet even now, it still left him breathless.
Then came the sound: an ancient cry echoing from a distant world. The voice spoke in an elemental tongue that none could comprehend, but its weight reverberated through the air like a living presence. Only the system offered meaning.
—
The Elemental Army has mobilized, brave heroes! Stand against them!
Quest: Elemental Invasion officially begins!
—
"What an incredible sight…" someone whispered, and a chorus of awe followed. The guild members knew they were witnessing something they would remember for the rest of their lives.
But Ryan's voice cut through their wonder. "No time for marveling. The monsters are spawning."
He had already spotted it: a tiny mote of light drifting from the colossal gate, falling slowly until it struck the ground. The moment it touched, the light swelled into a shapeless blur, and from that blur emerged monsters. Not one, but many—stacked together like dungeon mobs, fused into a clump that only time would unravel as they began to spread out.
By the time Ryan reached the landing site, the elemental monsters had begun to take form, their burning gazes locking onto him the instant he stepped into their range. He was the first target.
Expeditionary Fire, Expeditionary Earth, Expeditionary Water, Expeditionary Wind—these were the vanguard of the Elemental Planes. And their very first enemy in the mortal world was Featherlight.
Each elemental was Level 29, boasting the same 1810 health points as ordinary monsters of their tier. But against Ryan, ordinary numbers meant little. He unleashed Divine Storm, followed by Hammer of Justice, and their health bars collapsed in an instant.
The rest of the group surged in behind him, striking without hesitation. Together, they tore through the weakened elementals until the entire first wave was reduced to smoking remnants.
Loot had been set to free-for-all from the start, standard practice for guild expeditions. One person collected the spoils, and distribution came later.
Ryan crouched among the remains, his hand closing around the glowing fragments left behind. Elemental Cores.
Thirteen monsters down, three Elemental Cores claimed. Materials like these were rare, nearly impossible to obtain under normal circumstances, yet essential for forging high-level equipment. Now, with endless waves of elementals pouring from the gate, they had a chance to stockpile what once seemed unattainable. Ryan could feel his spirits rising with the possibilities.
"Everyone, don't forget to gather the Elemental Cores," he reminded the others. "Once your profession levels are high enough, you'll use these to craft special gear. And when we start clearing raid dungeons later, you'll be glad you have them."
The group nodded, already moving to collect their shares. Ryan returned to the front line, his strikes coming faster, harder, fueled by the thought of what lay ahead.
He especially favored the clumped mobs born from the falling motes of light. Unlike scattered groups, these gathered enemies let him unleash Divine Storm and Hammer of Justice to their fullest effect, mowing through them before they had a chance to react.
The clustered elemental monsters were massive, their sheer bulk preventing more than a handful from circling Ryan at once. That alone worked in his favor.
"Guild leader, what's this Corrupted Core?"
Smoking Gun, who was busy cutting down stray elementals at the edge of the battlefield, held up an odd-looking drop he had picked up and asked in the team chat.
"Corrupted Cores are used to gain reputation with the Druidic Order."
The voice that answered belonged to Archress Mageress. Usually quiet, she broke her silence long enough to explain. Pausing her spellcasting, she said, "In this game, only gray-quality items are truly junk, fit for nothing but selling to NPCs for a few coins. Every other type has its purpose. Corrupted Cores, for example, only drop from monsters above Level 28 in the Arid Plains. Every ten cores can be exchanged for 120 reputation with the Druidic Order."
"Archress, how do you even know that?"
Mia, busy flinging spells into the mob, shot her a wide-eyed look. "I've never even seen an NPC for this. Which camp is it in?"
"Verdant Spire," Archress replied. "Once your reputation with the Druidic Order reaches Honored, you'll unlock a quest requiring twenty Corrupted Cores. Completing it opens an unlimited exchange quest. From then on, you can turn in Corrupted Cores for reputation."
Ryan glanced over at her with surprise. "Wait… your reputation is already Honored?"
"Yes," she said simply. "I enjoy questing."
Ryan hid a smile. Reaching Honored at Level 27 was no small feat. She must have scoured every corner of the map, completing side quests most players wouldn't even bother with.
"The quartermaster for the Druidic Order sells some very powerful items," Archress continued. "If you can, aim for Exalted reputation. I saw part of a Level 40 rare set there—only two out of eight pieces, but the stats were excellent. And at Exalted, there's even an epic staff for sale. Any spellcaster would want one."
"An epic staff?"
Mia's eyes lit up. She turned back toward the flood of elementals, fire practically burning in her gaze. "My epic staff!" she shouted, hammering them with a storm of spells.
"Archress, what about us? No epic items for our classes?"
Nightwalker's tone carried a hint of envy. Anyone would feel the sting, knowing some classes had a path to epic gear while others did not.
"Don't worry," Ryan reassured him. "Every class will have epic options later. For now, focus on pushing your reputations as high as you can. Once we hit Level 40, you'll be able to step straight into rare-quality gear. From there, you'll know which factions to prioritize."
"You're right. Makes sense to prepare now," Evelyn said, nodding.
Ryan chuckled quietly to himself. He already knew the hunter's epic bow came from the Dreadful Mire—and when they finally ventured there, they'd find out just how vile that place truly was.
"Alright, everyone, keep it up!" Nightwalker shouted with a grin. "Let's farm as many Corrupted Cores as we can and boost the spellcasters first. Once they've got their staff, they can pay us back when we grind our own reputations!"
Laughter rippled through the group, and morale surged as their blades, spells, and arrows carved into the endless wave of enemies.
For nearly an hour they fought, the steady rhythm of killing and looting carrying them forward. Then, without warning, a massive mote of light tore free from the Gate of Worlds and plummeted toward the earth.
This time, no one waited for Ryan's command. Instinctively, they all broke formation and retreated from the impact site.
"Die, mortals!"
The voice thundered across the Regional Channel, reverberating in the minds of every player in the zone. At that instant, everyone knew the truth.
A boss had arrived—and with it, the promise of loot worth fighting for.