Date: June 16, 2018 (Saturday)
Location: Geneva Ground Zero, Switzerland
Time: 10:00 AM
The atmosphere at Geneva Ground Zero had become suffocating over the past hour. Richard, Aris, and a small unit of elite GDA guards stood barely fifteen meters from the terrifying Hell Gate. The sheer mana density was so heavy that the ordinary guards struggled to breathe, feeling a crushing weight upon their chests.
The twenty-foot dimensional frame loomed over them, its edges glowing with a thick layer of dense Essence and Mana stones. At its center, the spatial fabric swirled in a violent purple and red vortex. It was an event horizon where reality itself was set to warp the moment one crossed it.
Just outside the gate, Richard was conducting a final stress test on the new Hybrid Alloy swords. He channeled a heavily suppressed portion of his mana into one of the blades. The alloy held the energy initially, but as the fifteen-minute mark approached, the metal reached its breaking point.
Spider-web cracks began to crawl across the surface of the metal. The material simply lacked the capacity to endure an S-Rank's mana for any longer. Richard tossed the ruined weapon aside and looked at Aris with a neutral expression.
"This is the limit of these hybrid weapons," Richard noted coldly. "They are superior to ordinary iron, but they can only withstand my mana pressure for fifteen minutes."
Richard gathered exactly five fresh Hybrid Alloy swords. He secured two at his waist and three on his back-strap.
"I will take these five. I am entering the Hell Gate alone," he declared, his voice leaving no room for negotiation.
Without a hint of hesitation, Richard walked toward the swirling vortex and vanished into the event horizon.
The Labyrinth
The dimension beyond the gate defied every known law of physics. It was a closed ecosystem—a vast and dark labyrinthine cave system. There was no beauty here, only a damp, stony maze illuminated by scattered 'Glowshards' that provided just enough light to see the path ahead.
The air was thick with a heavy, choking mana. To an ordinary person, this dungeon was nothing more than a dangerous nest. But Richard was not there for the scenery; he was there for pure data.
His heavy combat boots echoed through the silent, deadly cave. Suddenly, screams erupted throughout the tunnels as dozens of shadows lunged toward the intruder.
Richard drew two swords and gripped them firmly. He funneled his dense, compressed mana into the blades, causing them to erupt in a blinding, pure golden light. As the first beast entered his range, Richard vanished, becoming a mere blur.
He moved with S-Rank speed and surgical precision. The golden blades carved arcs through the air, severing heads from torsos in single, fluid strikes. There was no anger or excitement in his movements—only the cold execution of a task.
His mind calculated the data as he fought.
"Their speed and durability are basic," he analyzed. Since this was an E-Rank Hell Gate, the ecosystem was strictly limited to E-Rank creatures. Not a single monster exceeded that threshold.
He noticed another crucial detail. In the outside world, monster corpses dissolved into ash. But here, in their natural habitat, the bodies remained. Severed limbs and black blood stained the cavern floor, proving this was their true physical home.
Within minutes, the brutal slaughter ended. Richard stood amidst a carpet of monster remains. His current sword had endured fourteen minutes of mana pressure and was beginning to crack.
Richard observed every detail, from the density of the flesh to the dungeon's rigid rank structure. He wiped a few droplets of blood from his face, discarded the broken blade for a fresh one, and moved deeper into the labyrinth.
His priority was now the dungeon's core—the Boss.