Chapter 1741: Teaser of Hell’s Gate: Part-3
Unlike the previous portal, the gateway here rested directly upon the rocky ground instead of floating above it. So even if they encountered something dangerous, they could still make it without needing the suit.
For several seconds…
Nobody spoke.
Even the experienced soldiers found themselves frozen by the breathtaking landscape stretching endlessly before them.
“…Wow…”
“Look at this place…”
“Where the hell are we?”
“What are those…? Sky rivers?”
Soft murmurs spread throughout the squadron as every visor tilted upward.
The sky above them was nothing like the one inside the previous Hell’s Gate Young Aether had entered.
No familiar blue sky.
Instead, enormous rivers of crimson light flowed across an endless sea of black clouds, twisting through the heavens like celestial currents. They resembled gigantic cracks carved into reality itself, carrying streams of glowing energy that slowly drifted from one horizon to the other.
Every few moments, fragments of red lightning silently flashed within those rivers before vanishing without producing even the slightest sound.
The world beneath those crimson skies was equally astonishing.
Towering mountain ranges stretched endlessly into the distance, each peak larger than the last, creating an ocean of jagged stone that disappeared beyond the horizon.
“This…” one soldier whispered.
mander 3 silently observed the surroundings for several seconds before switching back into mand mode.
“Establish formation.”
His calm voice instantly erased everyone’s amazement.
“Yes, mander!”
Dozens of mech suits immediately sprang into action with flawless coordination.
The units accelerated toward the front of the formation, activating terrain-mapping drones that flew several hundred meters ahead. Their scanners projected three-dimensional holographic maps directly into every squad member’s visor while continuously marking elevation changes, possible ambush points, and unexplored regions.
Heavy assault units positioned themselves along both flanks, their oversized, thick metallic shield systems locking in.
mander 3 turned toward one of the soldiers nearest the portal.
“You’ll remain here.”
The designated mech suit immediately saluted.
“Your priority is monitoring the portal’s dimensional stability. If the collapse rate accelerates beyond the prediction or the portal shows any abnormal fluctuations, report it immediately.”
“Understood, mander.”
The soldier moved into position beside the portal.
mander 3 slowly swept his gaze across the rest of the squadron.
“We have approximately two hours before the portal reaches its predicted instability phase and closes. plete the reconnaissance, collect every piece of useful data, avoid unnecessary bat, and remember your operational protocols.”
“Understood, mander!”
Every soldier answered in perfect unison before raising a crisp military salute.
mander 3’s helmet slowly turned toward Jonathan.
A faint chuckle escaped through his speakers.
“Second-in-mand…” he said with obvious amusement. “Would you like to share a few inspiring words with your ‘possible’ future recruits?”
Several members of Squadron 3 quietly laughed behind their helmets.
Jonathan didn’t even acknowledge the obvious provocation.
Instead, he calmly stepped forward until every soldier was looking directly at him.
“My orders are simple.”
“Your first priority is your own life.”
He slowly looked across every member of the squadron before continuing.
“A pleted mission means nothing if you’re too dead to report it. Trust your training, trust your teammates, and never let your pride bee more important than your survival. Everything else es after that.”
For a brief moment…
The entire squadron fell silent.
Many of them instinctively exchanged glances.
Although the Empire officially praised Jonathan as one of its greatest manders, stories about his previous operation, where nearly his entire squadron had been wiped out, had spread throughout the military.
Not just the previous squadron… every squadron member who joined before and before that… were dead!
Some questioned his leadership because of that tragedy, while others understood that no mander could pletely control the chaos inside a Hell’s Gate.
Regardless of what they personally believed…
None of them could deny the sincerity behind those words.
“Understood, Second-in-mand!”
This time, the soldiers answered with noticeably greater conviction.
mander 3 merely clicked his tongue before giving the next order.
“Move out.”
The squadron immediately divided into two exploration teams before advancing through separate mountain paths. Their figures gradually disappeared among towering cliffs while drones flew overhead, leaving only faint red lights flickering in the distance.
Within only a few minutes, the once-crowded valley had bee eerily quiet.
mander 3 watched the final blue markers representing the two exploration teams gradually disappear from the tactical map displayed inside his visor. The mountain valley quickly returned to silence as only the distant hum of drones and the occasional hiss of crimson smoke escaping through the fractured rocks echoed through the landscape.
He rested the massive battle blade against his shoulder before glancing sideways at Jonathan.
“Looks like we’re finally alone.”
Jonathan remained focused on the terrain ahead.
mander 3 chuckled.
“So… how about making this exploration a little more interesting?”
Jonathan finally looked toward him.
“I’m listening.”
mander 3 slowly raised one finger.
“Simple rules. We hunt whatever is living in these mountains within ninety minutes.”
“And?”
“The one with the higher confirmed kill count wins.”
Jonathan folded his armoured arms.
“And what exactly does the loser pay?”
mander 3 pretended to think seriously before snapping his fingers.
“The loser buys dinner.”
Jonathan stared at him.
mander 3 immediately laughed.
“Not military cafeteria food. I’m talking about Orion Prime.”
Even Jonathan paused for a second.
Orion Prime wasn’t merely expensive… it was luxury and cost around 100 Aevum.
It was infamous throughout the Empire for serving genetically cultivated monster cuisine harvested from Hell’s Gates.
mander 3 grinned beneath his helmet.
“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me the mighty Second-in-mand can’t afford one meal.”
Jonathan calmly looked away before beginning to walk.
“Fine.”
mander 3 blinked.
“…That’s it?”
“You’ve already lost.”
mander 3 burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Confident as always.”
Jonathan answered without slowing his pace.
“No. I’ve simply hunted with you before.”
mander 3 clicked his tongue.
“…Don’t think I will lose this time, asshole!”
Despite the endless insults exchanged between them, neither mander’s tone carried genuine hostility.
Instead of following the routes assigned to the reconnaissance teams, both manders deliberately headed toward an unexplored section of the mountain range that had yet to appear on any tactical map.
The deeper they ventured, the more oppressive the landscape became.
Jagged black mountains stretched endlessly beneath the crimson sky, their enormous cliffs resembling shattered blades driven into the earth.
Countless fractures split the stone apart, exposing glowing veins of molten rock hidden beneath the surface. Thick streams of dark red smoke continuously leaked from those cracks before drifting lazily upward, eventually disappearing into the rivers of crimson aurora flowing across the heavens.
Jonathan glanced toward one of the larger fissures and analysed the strange phenomenon.
[Unknown volcanic gases detected.]
[Atmospheric toxicity: Negligible.]
[Thermal activity beneath surface exceeds safe geological parameters.]
[Cause… Unknown.]
The rocky ground beneath their feet radiated constant warmth despite the plete absence of visible lava. Every step produced a faint metallic echo that travelled unnaturally far through the surrounding valleys before fading into silence.
mander 3 quietly looked around.
“This place gives me a bad feeling.”
Jonathan gave a small nod.
The experienced mander had entered dozens of Hell’s Gates throughout his military career, and one lesson had remained painfully consistent.
The quiet ones were always the most dangerous.
There weren’t any birds.
No insects.
No vegetation.
Nothing.
The plete absence of life created an unsettling atmosphere that constantly whispered something was wrong.
….RRRRR!!!
“Did you hear that?” Jonathan asked with a frown as he felt he heard a monster screaming sound.
“What? No, I didn’t,” mander 3 said with a confused expression.
Frowning, Jonathan shrugged, and they kept walking continuously for almost an hour… mander 3 frowned as several windows appeared across his visor.
“Where are those fuckers? My scanners aren’t finding anything.”
“Mine either.”
Jonathan slowly stopped walking.
mander 3 noticed immediately.
“What is it?”
Jonathan didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he slowly raised one armoured fist, silently signalling mander 3 to remain still.
The two manders stood motionless.
Seconds passed.
The only sound came from crimson smoke escaping through the mountain cracks.
Then…
DRIP!
A heavy liquid struck Jonathan’s shoulder metal plate.
Neither mander reacted immediately.
Jonathan slowly lowered his gaze toward the glowing substance sliding across his armour.
Molten lava?
The droplet hissed against the heat-resistant plating before slowly dripping onto the rocky ground, instantly melting the stone beneath it.
mander 3’s breathing became noticeably slower.
“… mander.”
“I know.”
Without another word, both manders slowly raised their heads toward the towering cliff standing beside them.
At first glance…
It appeared pletely ordinary.
The same black rock.
The same glowing cracks.
The same crimson smoke escaping from every fracture.
Yet… Something wasn’t right.
The cracks…
They were… moving?
Almost imperceptibly!!
Then two enormous molten eyes silently opened within the cliff face.
mander 3’s pupils shrank.
“Move!”
The mountain exploded.
KKKKYYYYYYRRRRRRRRR!!!!
An earth-shattering roar echoed across the valley as the entire cliff detached itself from the surrounding rock. Millions of tons of fractured stone cascaded downward while an enormous creature violently unfolded from what everyone had believed was part of the mountain itself.
It resembled a gigantic wyvern whose flesh had long since burned away, leaving behind only a skeletal frame forged from volcanic stone. Rivers of molten lava flowed endlessly between its charcoal-black bones before dripping from every joint like liquid fire. Each glowing droplet that struck the ground melted straight through solid rock, leaving behind pools of bubbling magma.
Its wings were perhaps the creature’s most terrifying adaptation.
Rather than leathery membranes, each wing consisted of enormous overlapping plates of black volcanic shale whose rough texture perfectly matched the surrounding mountain walls. When folded around its body, the creature became indistinguishable from the cliffs themselves, allowing it to remain perfectly camouflaged until prey wandered within striking distance.
It had never been hiding beside the mountain.
It… had been pretending to be the mountain!!
The molten wyvern lunged the instant its disguise shattered.
Splashhhhh~
Its massive jaws descended toward Jonathan with frightening speed, molten saliva spraying through the air as rows of obsidian fangs closed around where his head had been moments earlier.
Jonathan pivoted with flawless precision.
The enormous jaws slammed shut barely centimetres from his shoulder before crashing into the mountainside behind him. The impact blasted apart an entire section of cliff, sending gigantic boulders tumbling across the valley floor.
mander 3 exploited the opening immediately.
The thrusters mounted along his back erupted with brilliant blue flames, propelling his armoured body forward like a missile. His massive blade ignited with crimson plasma as electromagnetic coils surrounding its blade accelerated the weapon beyond ordinary physical limits.
“HAAAAH!”
The blade crashed directly into the creature’s exposed ribs.
BOOOM!!
A deafening explosion erupted as molten rock scattered in every direction.
The impact should have split the monster in half.
Instead…
The creature barely staggered.
mander 3’s eyes widened inside his helmet.
“What the…?”
The wyvern’s enormous tail whipped through the air before he could recover.
mander 3 instinctively crossed both arms.
CRACK-BOOOMMM!!
The collision sounded like two battleships crashing together.
His mech suit shot backwards uncontrollably, smashing through multiple stones before disappearing beneath an avalanche of collapsing rock.
Jonathan didn’t waste even a fraction of a second looking toward him.
[Calculating structural weak points…]
[Analysis plete.]
A crimson marker appeared inside the creature’s open mouth.
Jonathan smoothly raised the shotgun.
SSSNNNGGGGGHHHHMMMM!!!
Its barrel extended nearly twice its original length while six magnetic accelerator rings unfolded one after another around the muzzle. Crimson energy surged through transparent conduits embedded within the weapon’s frame before converging into the central firing chamber.
Every nearby rock trembled as enormous amounts of energy pressed inside the weapon.
[Charging…]
[28%…]
[47%…]
[71%…]
The wyvern spread its colossal wings before unleashing another deafening roar.
KKKYYYYRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!
Thousands of burning volcanic fragments detached from the coal-like wing plates before hurtling toward Jonathan like a rain of meteors.
“pared to that skeleton head monster, you are nothing but big in size!” Jonathan advanced instead of retreating.
Every step he took followed the safest path generated by the suit’s predictive bat system.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
Burning projectiles exploded around him one after another, yet none came close enough to strike his armour.
The charging indicator reached pletion just as the wyvern lunged again.
[100%.]
Jonathan calmly squeezed the trigger.
MMNNNNFFFFFFF–PUUUUUUFFFFFF!!!
Instead of producing an ordinary gunshot, the accelerator rings surrounding the barrel spun at impossible speeds before collapsing every unit of stored energy into a single concentrated point. A brilliant crimson beam erupted from the weapon with enough force to distort the surrounding air, leaving behind spiralling rings of plasma that illuminated the entire valley.
CRACK!
The recoil alone fractured the mountain beneath Jonathan’s feet.
The beam entered through the monster’s open jaws before piercing straight through its skull without losing momentum. Everything behind the impact point simply ceased to exist as the pressed particle stream continued through multiple mountain peaks before disappearing somewhere beyond the distant horizon.
The enormous wyvern froze in midair.
Molten lava stopped flowing between its skeletal frame.
Cracckkk!
Hairline cracks glowing with crimson light rapidly spread across every volcanic bone until its entire body resembled shattered glass held together by fire.
THUUDDDRRRR!!!
A heartbeat later, the monster collapsed into countless burning fragments that rained across the valley, each piece dissolving into glowing ash before touching the ground.
Silence returned!
And
THUD!
A humongous Origin Crystal fell down, landing on the ground… almost the size of a car!
White vapour slowly escaped from Jonathan’s shotgun as its magnetic accelerator rings rotated backwards to cool the overheated weapon.
“That’s the biggest Origin Crystal I have ever encountered,” Jonathan muttered as he stared at the crystal, wondering how the hell he was going to take it back.
Several seconds later, mander 3 climbed out from beneath the collapsed rocks, covered in dust and staring blankly at the smoking remains scattered across the valley.
He looked at the crystal.
Then at Jonathan.
Then back at the crystal once again.
“…I suddenly have a feeling that dinner is going to be mine.”
Jonathan rested the massive shotgun against his shoulder.
A faint smile appeared beneath his visor.
“One.”
mander 3 let out a long, helpless sigh before activating his thrusters once more.
“…The petition has only just started.”
His voice sounded confident.
His expression, however, suggested he wasn’t nearly as convinced anymore.
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