The Guild transport hummed around them as the light bent and stretched, pulling the squad from the

  lower concourse to the upper tiers of the Ark. Bash stood near the center of the platform, keeping pace

  between Korvex and Rhoen while Vanra led them forward with her usual measured precision. The final

  pulse of distortion snapped into place and the transport chamber opened into the Green Portal

  Concourse.

  Rows upon rows of active gates filled the wide hall, each framed by carved metallic supports and

  humming with the distinctive rhythm of high tier resonance worlds. Shades of emerald light flickered

  across the polished floor, soft enough to be gentle but bright enough to feel alive. Compared to the Blue

  Concourse, the Green felt more controlled, more charged, more demanding. Black portals were deadly,

  but Green portals required discipline. Precision. Efficiency. Mistakes in Green were rarely forgiven by

  the environment itself.

  Kayris rested her blades along her shoulder and glanced toward Bash with a half grin. He caught it in

  the corner of his vision but forced himself to focus on the path ahead. Green portals were familiar to the

  rest of the team. He knew that. He also knew that his gear was not.

  Vanra stopped at the check station and tapped her wristband to the terminal. The system chimed in

  acknowledgment. A Guild tech stepped aside, nodding to the group.

  “Destination: Menagerie Domain. Portal stabilized. You are cleared.”

  “Thank you,” Vanra said before turning back to the team. “Move.”

  They walked together toward the gate assigned to them. The portal surface rippled like liquid glass,

  shaded in deeper green than most Bash had seen. The resonance pattern pulsed faster, more sharply.

  Even without SC whispering diagnostics, Bash could sense the difference. He inhaled slowly, steadying

  himself.

  Vanra stepped to his side just before they entered.

  “Remember what I told you earlier,” she said quietly. “Your gear is at the minimum threshold for this

  tier. Stay in the center of the formation. You can contribute, but do not take unnecessary risks.”

  Bash nodded. “Understood.”

  “Good,” she said, and stepped through.

  The team followed, one by one, and the moment Bash crossed the threshold the air shifted. His boots

  sank half an inch into soft green soil. The sky stretched wide overhead, a patchwork of drifting clouds

  and bands of bright light that reminded him of other worlds they had crossed. The ground was grassy

  and uneven, dotted with scattered boulders and patches of wildflowers. Far ahead, mountains rose in a

  jagged spine, cutting the horizon in sharp angles. Between here and there lay a long stretch of plains

  that sloped down into a rolling forest.

  Nothing looked unusual at first glance. A world like many they had seen. A world that would hide

  danger in familiarity.

  Kayris rolled her shoulders and exhaled. “Feels normal so far.”

  “Green portals always do at the entrance,” Orran said.

  Vanra pointed toward the distant trees. “We head for the woods. That is where the concentrations are

  highest.”

  The group set off, walking at a comfortable pace. Birds circled high above the plains. The wind moved

  softly across the grass. Rhoen adjusted his gear as he walked, scanning the treeline.

  After several minutes of travel, Tyrish let out a low grunt. “So. Does anyone want to talk about the

  scan?”

  A subtle ripple of discomfort passed through the group.

  Korvex clicked his tongue. “Rhell showed up at the beginning like he was ready to bury us alive. Then

  when the results dropped, he was nowhere to be seen.”

  Kayris scoffed. “Probably because he did not like what he saw.”

  “Obviously not,” Rhoen said. “He was waiting to catch us in a lie. Instead, the system cleared us.”

  Tyrish shook his head. “He had nothing to throw at us after that. So he left.”

  Vanra did not turn around, but her voice carried clearly. “Rhell is a man who likes firm outcomes.

  When he does not get the one he expects, he withdraws. None of you should be surprised.”

  Orran chuckled under his breath. “That sounds about right.”

  Before the conversation could continue, the ground trembled.

  A low rumble passed beneath their feet, rolling along the plains like something enormous shifting

  beneath the soil. Everyone froze instantly.

  Korvex’s hand tightened on his staff. “That was close.”

  Another rumble. Louder this time.

  “Below,” SC whispered in Bash’s mind.

  The earth erupted twenty meters to their right.

  A massive worm burst from the ground with a roar, sending shards of dirt flying in every direction. Its

  entire frame was plated in mineral armor, ribbed and layered so tightly it looked like a fortress molded

  into a beast. Jagged teeth lined the circular maw, grinding loudly as the creature twisted in the air

  before slamming onto the ground with a thunderous impact.

  “T3G mineral,” Rhoen called.

  “Spread,” Vanra ordered.

  Kayris dashed to the flank. Tyrish charged forward, both blades cutting shimmering arcs as he closed

  the distance. Orran braced his shield and met the worm head on as it lunged. The collision sent a

  shockwave through the grass, but Orran held firm. The worm recoiled and Tyrish’s blades pierced deep

  into the jointed plating. Cracks splintered across the armor, and Korvex fired a mineral blast that struck

  the exposed fracture.

  The worm convulsed, thrashing violently.

  Kayris vaulted over a snapping jaw and drove her blade into the upper ridge. Bash fired twice into the

  cracks opening along the armor, and though his damage was small compared to the others, the shots

  helped widen the fault lines.

  Thirty seconds later, the worm collapsed in a heap of broken mineral plating and twitching segments.

  The team stepped back as the body settled, then resumed formation without discussion.

  “That was easy,” Korvex said.

  “Green portals often start light,” Vanra replied. “Do not assume it will stay that way.”

  They continued toward the woods. As the shade of the first trees fell across them, wings fluttered

  overhead. Two small birds darted through the branches, feathers shimmering with pale blue light.

  “Wind affinity,” Rhoen murmured.

  One bird looped down toward them. Rhoen lifted his rifle and fired a clean shot. The creature dropped

  instantly. The second bird tried to ascend, but Korvex raised his staff and fired a mineral bolt into the

  trunk beside it. The impact shattered bark and stone, and the creature fell to the ground with a short

  shriek.

  “Well handled,” Vanra said.

  The team pressed deeper into the woods. Shafts of green light filtered between the branches. The air

  grew cooler and denser. Fallen leaves muffled their steps.

  Kayris slowed, her head turning slightly.

  “Stop.”

  The entire squad halted immediately.

  “What is it?” Orran whispered.

  Kayris tilted her chin. “Blur. To the left.”

  Everyone scanned the trees. At first there was nothing. Then, faintly, a streak of motion flickered

  behind a fallen log. Another blur. Another shift. Fast. Silent. Hard to track.

  A soft growl rumbled through the shadows.

  Something peered around a tree trunk.

  Tyrish narrowed his eyes. “Shadow Skirr.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The rest of the squad stiffened.

  A small canine shape stood partly hidden behind the tree. Its body was lean and angular, coated in dark

  fur that seemed to ripple unnaturally. The creature stared at them with unblinking eyes, then vanished

  in a streak of motion so fast it barely left an afterimage.

  “These things exist only in packs,” Rhoen said. “Dozens.”

  Kayris’s blades were already in hand. “They are going to circle us.”

  Vanra stepped closer to the middle of the group, staff raised. “This will be a fight of patience and

  attrition. Hold formation. Do not break line. Let them come to us.”

  A whisper of movement flashed across their right flank. Bash barely saw it. A tiny flicker. Then a sharp

  sting sliced across Orran’s side before the creature vanished again.

  Another blur darted from the opposite direction. Tyrish swung at it but struck nothing but bark as the

  Skirr retreated before the blade even fully moved.

  “Focus,” Vanra called. “They want us irritated. Stay calm.”

  The woods filled with streaks of motion. Blurs swirled around them in fast circles. Leaves spiraled into

  the air. Bash gripped his sidearm and tried to track any single shape long enough to fire, but the Skirrs

  moved faster than his reflexes could follow.

  Kayris lunged suddenly, her blade catching one of the creatures across the flank. A thin spray of dark

  blood hit the ground before the creature vanished again into the underbrush.

  “Hit one,” she said. “Non fatal.”

  Korvex grunted as a Skirr clipped his leg. Another sliced a shallow line across Tyrish’s arm. Vanra’s

  healing pulses shimmered across the group, closing wounds almost instantly.

  “They cannot do any real damage unless you get sloppy,” Vanra said. “Stay grounded.”

  But irritation grew with every swipe. Every nip. Every failed attempt to land a decisive strike. The

  creatures were too fast and too coordinated. They attacked from one side, feinted, and struck from the

  opposite direction before the team could pivot.

  Bash fired when he could, landing two hits against distant blurs. His bullets slowed the creatures, but

  his damage output was low. Even with his relic, the triggering rate was low since nothing here attacked

  him with elemental or energy abilities. His gear simply did not have the synergy for this engagement.

  Minutes passed. Sweat gathered. Patience thinned.

  Then something shifted.

  One of Kayris’s slashes landed deeper than before, cutting across a Skirr’s hind leg. The creature

  stumbled for a half second. Another blur slowed. A third hesitated, injured from one of Tyrish’s sweeps.

  “They are tiring,” Kayris called. “Now.”

  The team tightened formation. Orran braced his shield and Tyrish stepped beside him. When the next

  Skirr darted past, Tyrish’s blade struck it cleanly, cutting deep enough to drop it. The creature collapsed

  in a rolling heap of fur and dust.

  A pulse of T3A essence erupted from its body.

  The force slammed through Bash’s core like a burst of lightning. His vision went white for a heartbeat

  and his knees buckled. The world flickered. Only for a second. But the blackout was immediate.

  He sucked in a sharp breath.

  Kayris absorbed another pulse beside him and barely blinked.

  The fight accelerated as the injured Skirrs slowed. With every weakening, the squad gained clarity. The

  swirling confusion lessened. More strikes landed. Another Skirr fell. Then another. Each collapse sent

  out another violent T3A pulse.

  Every time one detonated near Bash, darkness licked at the edges of his consciousness. Twice he

  staggered. Each pulse slammed into him with enough force to rattle his teeth and drive a spike of

  pressure through his skull.

  But he endured.

  Kayris finished the last of the pack with a clean sweep of both blades, slicing the creature in half as it

  lunged. The final pulse shook the air and rattled branches loose from the trees.

  Silence followed. Long. Heavy. Saturated with the scent of blood and earth.

  Twenty seven bodies littered the forest floor.

  Kayris exhaled slowly. “Twenty seven. That was more than expected.”

  “Good work,” Vanra said. “Everyone check your injuries.”

  Rhoen moved through the group, reinforcing Vanra’s healing. Minor cuts were already closed. Bruising

  was fading. Everyone looked annoyed but unharmed.

  Bash leaned against a tree, letting the dizziness fade. His breathing steadied slowly. He kept his

  expression neutral, eyes lowered so no one noticed the aftershocks still flickering behind them.

  Kayris wiped her blade clean and glanced his way. “You are looking pale. Were you hit?”

  Bash shook his head. “Just winded. Those things were fast.”

  Korvex stepped beside him, checking for injuries. “Nothing opened up. You sure you are fine?”

  “Yeah,” Bash said, pushing off the trunk. “Just need a second. They hit harder than I expected for their

  size.”

  Kayris smirked softly. “Speed types do that. They stack small wounds quickly. You will adapt.”

  Bash nodded, grateful she interpreted his condition the way she did.

  Vanra moved through the group with Rhoen, closing what few wounds remained. “Everyone is stable.

  Fatigue will fade. Let us collect the fragments and keep moving.”

  Bash kept his hands steady as he picked up one of the Skirr paws, careful not to react to the faint buzz

  of lingering essence. Kayris absorbed the vast majority without flinching, her evolved cores handling

  the pulses as if they were nothing more than soft ripples in the air.

  No one questioned anything.

  No one noticed Bash’s momentary blackout earlier.

  SC’s voice whispered in his mind, quiet and satisfied.

  “Good. Nothing revealed.”

  Rhoen and Vanra collected the beast fragments from the bodies. Each fragment shrank into a tiny

  trinket shaped like a Skirr’s paw, small and lightweight.

  When everyone was healed and ready again, Vanra pointed forward. “We keep moving. Rhell is likely

  going to look deep into this portal to see how we perform. He claims he has a mission for us.”

  That statement caught the group’s attention immediately.

  Orran muttered, “Why us?”

  Tyrish shrugged. “We are one of the top team. He expects results.”

  Kayris scoffed. “He is probably irritated that one of his top squads has been escorting Bash through low

  tier portals with nothing to show for it.”

  Korvex nodded. “Yeah. No new unlocks. No breakthroughs. From his perspective, we look like we are

  doing babysitting duty.”

  Orran clicked his tongue. “And Rhell hates when resources sit without payoff.”

  Vanra stepped over a fallen branch, her expression unreadable. “Which means he is shifting focus. If he

  says he has a mission for us, he is not asking. He is preparing to demand results.”

  Rhoen adjusted his rifle. “So whatever he throws at us next is going to be… bigger.”

  “More dangerous,” Tyrish agreed. “And probably something he thinks will force progress.”

  Vanra looked back at them briefly. “Stay sharp. Rhell does nothing without purpose.”

  Kayris crossed her arms. “Or problems.”

  Vanra started walking. “Either way, we will deal with it when he tells us. For now, stay focused. The

  mountains are ahead.”

  The team resumed formation and continued deeper through the woods, moving toward the distant

  peaks that rose like jagged teeth in the horizon.