Firecrackers burst across the sky, their colours rippling through the night. The noise echoed over the mountain, but up here it felt distant — almost peaceful. Sparks danced in their eyes. She leaned in slowly, resting her head on his shoulder, and before long, drifted into sleep.
Her eyes fluttered open. "Ugh... I feel heavy," she muttered, rubbing her head. "Don't tell me he carried me all the way here that guy, seriously...."
Across the room, Trickster busy stuffing his gear into the vortex, as calm as ever.
"Here you are! You carried me all the way back?, didn't you." "yeah." She squinted "Did I drink?" "yup." Her voice dropped in nervous. "Did I say anything weird this night?" He looked up briefly, "Nah, you didn't. by the way it's not tonight anymore. You have been out for the whole day.
"So we are heading out?." "Yup. Our hunt begins." She snorted, "Damn, listen to you, such dramatic - te -he."
They stood before the entrance to the demon realm — a gaping cave that pulsed with a dull, red glow. The air itself seemed to hum with unease, thick and heavy with traces of dark mana.
This wasn't just any cave.
It was one of the Gates of the Underworld — paths leading straight into the demon world.
In this realm, three such gates existed: Easy, Medium, and Hard. But their names were deceiving — even the weakest among them had claimed the lives of countless warriors.
To face these gates, powerful individuals from the human world were chosen — beings known as Protectors.
They came from many paths:
Knights skilled in blade arts
Mages of vast mana
Mercenaries forged in war
O.S.S — Other Species Soldiers, beings not human, yet sworn to the same cause.
Each protector was assigned to a gate according to their ability and rank. Yet even those who had spent years mastering their craft often failed to conquer the lowest level.
The underworld didn't forgive strength — it demanded resolve.
Ranks defined one's worth in this hierarchy, from lowest to divine:
1️⃣ Hero — The highest, unmatched. Only one may exist in the entire world at a time. A being so rare that even gods themselves alter the human realm in their presence.
2️⃣ Chosen Ones — Those who passed the Test of Quality, an ancient trial where divine orbs judged their very essence.
3️⃣ Royal Guardians — Those who were granted the right to take the test but failed to ascend. Even so, their power rivaled legends.
4️⃣ Guardians — Handpicked by Royal Guardians after careful evaluation of the strongest Elites.
5️⃣ Elites — Warriors who proved their might by defeating Masters in official combat.
6️⃣ Masters — The foundation of it all. Skilled, disciplined, and powerful — yet still the first step on the long road toward greatness.
"Damn... so they are hiding here?" Eleza muttered. "Trick, don't tell me you actually plan going in there?", "yeah." he said flatly, "We are going to hunt them."
She blinked, "You know this the gate to the underworld right?" Even if easy - level ones — Masters, actual genius and talented people's barely come back?"
He spoke in a calm voice, "You don't have to worry, I will go alone. Places like this are even better for hunting, no distractions."
Eleza watches him carefully. His posture was relaxed — almost casual — yet something about it made her chest tight. The faint pressure around him... it wasn't human. It was as if fear it self had never learned his name.
"Nah, I'm coming with you," Eleza said, stepping beside him. "I was never into ranks anyway. The O.S.S never really cared about that stuff. But…" She glanced at him. "I'm curious — what's yours?"
"I'm a failed product," Trickster replied, voice steady as ever. "No inborn talent. I've taken the test more times than I can count — failed every single one. It's all based on talent, not effort."
She stared at him, eyes widening. "Wait… you don't feel fear, do you? Are you even human?"
He met her gaze, calm and cold. "I've seen worse. Faced every kind of enemy there is. But one thing never changes—no matter who stands against me, I don't lose."
"so you have plan right?", "yeah, i always do."
With every step depper into the cave, Eleza felt it — that suffocating aura wrapping them. The air grew heavier, colder, as if darkness itself was alive and watching them. Every moment along the walls felt like a gaze fixed on them, unseen yet clear.
Trickster foot hit something uneven — a faint echo click beneath them. The ground spilt opens.
They fell through the void, the world spinning around them, until the ground slammed beneath their foots. Dust arise as they landed on floor.
No pause. No mercy. The walls starts closing in, inch by inch, crushing the space around them. Dust swirls, and the air grew heavy.
Somehow they managed to the other safe side. Eleza exhaled sharply, brushing off dust from her clothes. "This doesn't make any sense," she muttered. "We fell so deep.... and so far we encounter with traps only. Not a single demon, just like what."
Before she could finish her sentence, the walls erupted — iron spears shot out with a shriek of metal, slicing through the air where they stood just moments ago.
Stone dust filled the chamber, and at the far end, part of the wall shifted, revealing a narrow passageway glowing faintly in the dark.
They sprinted toward the passage and dove through just as the last spear struck the wall behind them.
Before they could even breathe, the ground trembled.
Three giant golems stood ahead, each carved from black stone, their eyes burning faintly red. Beneath their feet, a thin layer of water rippled across the floor, reflecting the distant light like liquid glass. Sunlight — somehow reaching this deep — shimmered across the surface, revealing a wide open chamber.
At the far end, another passage waited… their only way forward.