The team walked in a sweeping arc around the portal, maintaining a wide circular radius with the return

  point always to their left. It lingered at the edge of sight, two kilometers away, a faint shimmering disk

  floating between the crooked treelines of the grey-portal world. Everything around them was quiet

  except the crunch of gravel under boots and the low hum of residual mineral energy drifting across the

  barren landscape.

  They walked like that for an hour, eyes scanning every angle between them and the horizon.

  Then Cerny pointed upward.

  “Something in the sky.”

  Bash lifted his gaze.

  A dark shape circled high above, wings stretched wide, gliding in slow, predatory loops. The creature

  dipped lower, revealing a five meter wingspan lined with narrow, blade-like feathers. Its beak hooked

  downward like a cutting tool, and its talons dug grooves into the air itself as it flew.

  SC spoke in Bash’s mind.

  “T1G. Wind affinity registered. Raptor class.”

  The others noticed the descent as well.

  The beast let out a piercing cry, the sound vibrating through the clearing like air being sliced apart.

  Garret raised his shield. Bryn and Nixon tightened their grips on their weapons. Myr stepped back into

  the middle instinctively. Cerny and Mirran shifted into formation behind the melee fighters.

  The bird tucked its wings and dove.

  Mirran and Cerny fired immediately. A barrage of bullets and arrows streaked upward, clipping its

  wings and sending small bursts of feathers spiraling down. The creature tilted midair, adjusting its

  descent, and angled straight for Myr who stood in the center of the pack.

  “Myr, move!” Nixon shouted.

  Myr dove sideways at the last possible second. The raptor’s talons carved gouges into the dirt where he

  had just been standing.

  The creature soared back into the air and flapped its wings hard.

  The air responded violently.

  Dozens of small tornadoes erupted around the team, swirling with sharp debris and slicing wind

  pressure. They spun unpredictably, cutting into the ground, ripping clumps of earth into the air, and

  forcing the team to scatter.

  “Spread out!” Myr yelled.

  The team ran, dodging the spiraling funnels, trying to avoid being boxed in. Garret slipped between

  two tornadoes, shield raised. Nixon dove under another, rolling and coming up with his axes ready.

  Bryn sprinted in zigzag patterns, avoiding the narrow slicing winds.

  Mirran and Cerny kept firing, trying to track the raptor’s movements. But the tornadoes obstructed their

  view, and the creature absorbed their shots with minimal damage, its feathers dispersing the impacts

  with layered wind affinity.

  Bash kept low, weaving between the funnel walls. Even he had to admit the formation was tight and

  coordinated, especially under pressure. SC whispered in his head.

  “These tornadoes are increasing in strength. Sustained wing flaps are compounding wind pressure. If

  they do not disrupt it soon, one of your teammates will be shredded.”

  Bash shouted toward the two ranged fighters.

  “Shoot the joints. Wings. Hit the joints and bring it down.”

  Mirran and Cerny adjusted immediately. Their aim shifted from the broad target to the narrow pivot

  points of the creature’s wings. It took several bursts of shots before the raptor dipped low enough for

  clean angles.

  One arrow struck home. A bullet pierced a feather joint. Another arrow cracked the bone beneath a

  layer of wind reinforcement.

  The raptor’s left wing twitched.

  Then again.

  Then the entire joint buckled.

  The creature shrieked and spiraled downward, crashing into the ground in a cloud of dust. The

  tornadoes vanished. Air stilled.

  The beast then kicked off the ground with a single powerful jump, propelling itself into the air just

  enough to land among the melee fighters. Its talons slashed at Garret, who blocked with his shield and

  rolled away. Nixon swung at its flank and received a glancing blow that sent him stumbling. Bryn

  sliced at its neck, drawing streaks of green blood.

  The raptor hopped backward and flapped its damaged wing. The movement sent a gust of slicing wind

  toward Bryn. She dropped to her knees just in time to avoid losing her head.

  Cerny and Mirran resumed firing.

  But now the raptor had changed tactics.

  It crouched low, feathers ruffling, showing that the wind affinity dense feathers were designed to

  absorb and deflect damage. Most of the ranged attacks barely penetrated the first layer of armored

  plumage. When a bullet or arrow did cut through, the wound was shallow.

  The melee fighters shifted to coordinated strikes. Garret distracted the beast with shield feints while

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  Bryn and Nixon attacked from opposite sides. Each hit was precise, working around the raptor’s head

  and under its wings. But the bird moved like a storm, jumping and swiping unpredictably.

  Bash watched closely.

  “This thing is stronger than T1G,” he muttered to SC. “Feels like T1S.”

  “Confirmed,” SC replied. “Its wind affinity output has escalated beyond its recorded category. The

  pattern remains consistent. This world is suffering from uncontrolled evolution.”

  The raptor let out another cry, this one weaker. Its left wing hung at an angle, blood dripping from the

  joint. Bryn and Nixon pressed harder. Garret slammed his shield into the bird’s legs, knocking it onto

  its side.

  The beast flailed its talons in desperation, but Nixon leapt into the air, axes raised, and slammed down

  with lightning crackling through the blades.

  The raptor convulsed once.

  Then fell still.

  Silence rippled outward.

  Cerny approached and examined the carcass. “T1S wind affinity,” she confirmed.

  Myr exhaled in relief. “That was clean. No injuries. I did not even have to heal. That was a good fight.”

  Garret smirked directly at Bash as if to say, Look how well we handled that.

  Bash ignored him.

  Nixon retrieved one of the bird’s long tail feathers. It shrank into a trinket instantly. He slipped it into

  his pouch.

  Garret rolled his shoulders. “Keep moving. We are about halfway done.”

  The team continued their circular sweep. The mood lightened slightly after the victory. Conversations

  drifted between them. Bryn commented on the loot. Cerny laughed about Myr diving out of the way at

  the last second. Even Garret seemed more relaxed, talking loudly about how the day was shaping up

  better than expected.

  They walked for another hour.

  Soon they reached a familiar area, the clearing where they had fought the Stag and the herd. The

  broken rock pillars and dried blood spots still marked the ground.

  Myr grinned. “Almost a full circle. This turned out to be a great day.”

  Bryn nodded. “Twenty three fragments and four T2C as a mission reward.”

  Cerny fist bumped Mirran. “Definitely better than most missions.”

  Garret looked pleased. Too pleased.

  He glanced at Bash, ready to rub it in. But Bash was not looking at him.

  Bash stood still, staring off into the distance.

  Garret frowned and followed his line of sight.

  A swarm.

  A massive one.

  At least a kilometer out, clouding the horizon, a swirling mass of flying insects broke across the sky.

  Their bodies glimmered faintly with thin streaks of orange, red, and gold. They moved like a billowing

  blanket of wings, buzzing so loudly Bash could hear the faint rumble even at this distance.

  Garret’s eyes widened.

  Then narrowed with greed.

  “How about we enjoy one more battle,” he said loudly.

  The team instantly quieted. Their eyes followed his.

  Cerny whispered, “Are those… insectoids?”

  Mirran cursed under her breath. “That is a lot.”

  Garret smiled. “If we wipe that swarm out, we walk out of here with dozens of fragments each.”

  Bash stepped forward. “Do not even think about it.”

  The team turned to him.

  “It is too dangerous,” Bash said. “Those are not T1G. SC has already identified them. They are suiting

  the same pattern as the other beasts. That is a swarm of T1A insectoids. Hundreds of them. You would

  be walking into your own deaths.”

  Garret’s face flushed with anger.

  “You have no idea what this team can do,” he snapped. “You stand back and watch. We will handle it.”

  Myr stepped between them. “Garret, Bash has a point. These portals have been inactive for many

  cycles. Evolution is real. We should think carefully.”

  Garret scoffed. “Think carefully? We just took down a durability monster. A herd of mineral beasts.

  Then a giant raptor. And no one has a scratch. This is a good payday. We go in. We fight. We finish the

  sweep.”

  Bash shook his head, jaw tight. “There are hundreds out there. Your gear is not made for that. You will

  be overwhelmed.”

  Garret ignored him.

  He turned to the team.

  “We are going. With or without him.”

  Then he started walking toward the swarm.

  The team froze. No one wanted to follow. No one wanted to abandon him either.

  Bash stared at the ground, fists clenched.

  Myr sighed and looked at the others. “If we do not follow him, he will die. I cannot allow that.”

  He started after Garret.

  Bryn looked at Cerny. Cerny looked at Nixon. Nixon glanced at Mirran.

  Then they all followed.

  Bash remained still for a moment, talking quietly to SC.

  “This guy is going to get them all killed faster than I thought.”

  SC replied, “Stay alert. They will need you sooner than any of them realize.”

  Bash exhaled.

  Then he followed them into the direction of the swarm.