Chapter 189: The Door Between Worlds

The violet crack continued growing above the creature.

It wasn’t like the portals Liam had seen inside the dungeons.

There was no defined circle.

It was simply an irregular opening in space, as if someone had torn open the sky with their bare hands.

Nothing could be seen on the other side, only darkness.

Liam raised his pistol.

"We can’t let it open!"

Tim stared at the crack.

"What the hell is it trying to do?"

"Escape," Liam replied.

Pix appeared beside his shoulder.

"It’s probably trying to return to its dimension."

"And if it manages to open it?"

Pix looked at the crack.

"Then it could pass through."

Liam gritted his teeth.

"That won’t happen."

The creature roared, and a wave of energy shot out from its body.

Jordan stepped in front of the group.

"Take cover!"

The impact struck his body and sent him stumbling backward.

Ray rushed toward him.

"Jordan!"

"I’m fine!"

Ray touched his arm, and Jordan’s density increased.

This time, Jordan managed to stay firmly in place.

"Now!"

Zayn appeared behind the creature.

He struck one of its legs and ran before it could react.

"Hey, monster! Over here!"

The creature turned.

Zayn smiled.

"Yeah. Exactly."

The creature chased after him.

Liam seized the opportunity.

"Nora!"

Nora’s shadows spread across the ground.

Several small creatures appeared and began climbing up the monster’s body.

One bit its arm, another clung to its neck, and a third covered one of its eyes.

The creature roared and began shaking violently.

"They won’t last long!" Nora said.

"It’s enough!"

Lena ran toward one of the violet points that still connected the creature to its surroundings.

Her sword ignited.

"Get out!"

She severed the connection, and the energy feeding the creature decreased.

Chuck threw two knives.

Both changed direction in midair and struck another connection point.

"One less!"

Tim surveyed the battlefield.

"Maya!"

A short-haired brown-haired woman ran toward him.

She wore light armor and had several metallic objects attached to her belt.

"Yes?"

"I need you to block off that area."

Tim pointed toward a group of abandoned vehicles.

Maya smiled.

"With pleasure."

She extended both hands, and her Awakening activated.

The vehicles began to tremble.

Doors, wheels, and metal parts separated from the cars and began floating.

Maya moved her hands.

All the objects shot toward the creature.

The monster raised an arm.

The metal debris crashed into it.

"That should keep it occupied!"

Tim nodded.

"Good work."

Maya stepped closer to him.

"You know, Boss?"

"What?"

"I think this is the first time we’ve fought alongside the sixth sub-captain."

Tim looked across the battlefield.

"Yeah."

Maya smiled.

"Maybe you should take the opportunity to convince one of his girls to join our squad."

Tim looked at her.

"Again with that?"

"What?"

"We already tried to convince that girl, Emily."

Maya burst out laughing.

"And you picked her during the Selection!"

Tim sighed.

"I know."

Liam, who had just approached, overheard them.

"What are you talking about?"

Maya answered before Tim could.

"Emily."

Tim closed his eyes.

"No..."

"During the Squad Selection, our Boss chose Emily to be part of our squad."

Liam looked at Tim.

"I remember that."

"But she ended up choosing your squad."

Liam nodded.

"Yeah."

Maya placed a hand on Tim’s shoulder.

"Ever since then, he’s been obsessed with her because he says Emily is the only woman who ever rejected him."

Tim pushed her away.

"Because it’s true!"

Another one of Tim’s female hunters, who was fighting a few meters away, shouted:

"Boss, don’t forget that technically, she rejected the squad! Not you."

Tim fell silent.

Maya raised an eyebrow.

"That’s worse."

"I don’t need to be reminded of this during a battle!"

Liam burst out laughing.

Tim pointed at him.

"Don’t laugh!"

"Sorry."

Liam tried to hold back his laughter.

"But it’s pretty funny."

"My own squad doesn’t respect me!"

Maya smiled.

"Of course we respect you."

The other hunter shouted from a distance:

"But we still think Emily was the first woman to reject you!"

Tim covered his face with one hand.

"Why do I have a squad full of women?"

Maya immediately replied.

"Because no one else wanted to put up with you."

Tim looked at her.

"I’m starting to regret choosing you all."

Liam shook his head.

"Now I understand why everyone always jokes about your squad."

Tim sighed.

A roar interrupted their conversation.

The creature had destroyed Nora’s shadows.

Zayn was sent flying and crashed onto a car.

"Zayn!"

Chloe ran toward him.

"I’m fine."

He slowly got back up.

"I think."

Chloe placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Stay connected to me."

An energy link appeared between them.

Zayn took a deep breath.

"Much better. Thanks."

The crack above the creature began to grow.

Lydia looked up.

"It’s using the energy it has left."

Liam stepped closer.

"Can you absorb it?"

Lydia hesitated.

"I think so."

"You think?"

"Well..."

Lydia raised her hands.

"It’s a new ability."

Liam smiled.

"Then don’t push yourself too hard."

Lydia nodded, and violet light began enveloping her.

The creature immediately reacted.

Its eyes locked onto her.

Liam felt that something was wrong.

"It’s looking at you."

Lydia had noticed it too.

The creature took a step toward her.

Lydia stepped back.

Then the creature spoke.

"Life..."

Liam froze.

It was the same word.

The same word the creature from the other dimension had spoken.

"Does it recognize her?"

Pix floated in front of Liam.

"I don’t know."

The creature looked at Lydia again.

The violet lines across its body began to glow.

"Life..."

Lydia felt the energy inside her body react.

She placed a hand against her chest.

"Liam..."

"What’s wrong?"

"That energy..."

Lydia closed her eyes.

"I can feel it."

"The creature’s?"

"No."

Lydia pointed toward the crack.

"The energy from there."

Liam looked up.

"From the other side?"

Lydia nodded.

"I don’t know what it is."

Pix quickly moved closer.

"That’s impossible."

"What?"

"You should only be able to sense energy that’s close to you."

Pix watched Lydia closely.

"But that connection is allowing the energy to cross the space between dimensions."

Liam gritted his teeth.

"Then we have to close it."

"Yes."

The creature roared, and its body began to deform.

The remaining energy concentrated around the crack.

"Now!"

Liam raised his pistol.

"Everyone, attack!"

Jordan charged first.

"Let’s go!"

He struck the creature with all his strength.

Ray increased his density.

The impact forced the monster backward.

Zayn appeared from one side.

Lena attacked from the other.

Chuck threw his knives.

Nora summoned her shadows again.

Maya lifted the metal remains of several vehicles and hurled them at the creature.

Tim entered the fight directly, his muscles growing as his body completely transformed.

"Liam!"

"I know!"

Liam fired.

The bullet struck one of the violet connections.

The creature roared, and another connection broke.

"One less!"

Lydia began absorbing energy.

This time, she didn’t take energy from the creature.

She took the energy being used to sustain the crack.

The flow began to decrease.

"It’s working!" Pix shouted.

The crack began to close.

But the creature lunged toward Lydia.

Liam ran to intercept it.

"Don’t touch her!"

Jordan got there first, his body colliding with the monster.

"You won’t get past me!"

The creature struck Jordan.

Ray increased his density.

Jordan held his ground.

Chloe connected her energy to his.

Lena attacked the creature’s legs.

Zayn struck its back.

Maya hurled a massive piece of metal.

The entire team attacked at the same time.

The creature finally dropped to its knees.

Lydia continued absorbing.

Her body began glowing brighter and brighter.

"Liam..."

"What?"

"I think that’s enough."

"Then stop."

Lydia tried to cut off the flow.

The energy continued pouring into her.

"I can’t!"

Liam felt a chill.

"Lydia!"

Pix appeared beside her.

"Don’t fight against the energy!"

"What?"

"Let it pass through your body, then release it back into the environment!"

Lydia understood and closed her eyes.

Instead of storing the energy, she began releasing it.

Violet light flowed out of her body and dispersed through the air.

The crack began to collapse.

"You’re doing it!" Pix shouted.

Lydia smiled.

"Yes!"

The opening grew smaller and smaller.

But just before it disappeared...

Something moved on the other side.

Lydia opened her eyes.

"What...?"

A silhouette appeared behind the crack.

She couldn’t make out its form. She could only see two glowing eyes.

The creature fighting them also raised its head.

For a moment, it seemed to recognize whatever was on the other side.

Liam felt his heart skip a beat.

"What is that?"

Pix didn’t answer.

The silhouette remained motionless, watching.

Not Liam.

Not Tim.

Not the rest of the squad.

Lydia.

Then the crack disappeared.

The creature lost all of its energy.

Its body began disintegrating into tiny violet particles.

Lydia reached out a hand.

Liam stopped her.

"Wait."

Lydia looked at him.

"What?"

"We don’t know what that energy is."

Lydia slowly lowered her hand.

"Okay."

The violet particles began to disappear.

The street fell silent.

Tim took a deep breath.

"Was that it?"

Liam looked at the place where the crack had been.

"No."

Pix appeared beside him.

Her expression was far more serious than usual.

"Liam..."

"What is it?"

Pix looked up at the sky.

"I think we’ve just confirmed something."

"What?"

Pix took a few seconds to answer.

"The dimensional connections are evolving."

Liam frowned.

He had the feeling that perhaps they weren’t the ones looking for a way to cross dimensions.

Perhaps...

something was looking for a way to reach them.