Chapter 511: Clear the Gate? (3)

Chapter 509

Swoooosh! Whoooosh! Thud!

A Gate swirled with furious light and force.

Soon, a foot stepped forward.

Then another.

And before long, a human walked out of the swirling vortex.

Ray!

The portal deposited Ray inside a small, enclosed cavern.

With a deep inhale, the humid air flowed into his nostrils as he cautiously looked around, half-expecting tons of Ogres to suddenly leap out at him.

Luckily, the immediate vicinity was completely devoid of beasts.

Rough stone walls surrounded the narrow space around him, their uneven surfaces illuminated by the faint blue glow of the Gate behind him.

The air was cold and stale, carrying the distant scent of something earthy and ancient.

Straight ahead stood a pair of enormous double doors.

They were far too grand for the small cavern surrounding them, rising several metres above the ground and stretching almost from one wall to the other.

Their surface was constructed from thick, dark metal, reinforced with massive iron bands and covered in countless scratches and dents.

Strange symbols had been carved across the surface, though years of age had worn many of them away, leaving some barely recognizable.

Ray stared at the enormous doors for several seconds.

"So... I’m guessing my targets are beyond those doors, huh?"

Heaving out a breath, the boy looked behind him at the Gate before shaking his head.

’Too bad I couldn’t do what I wanted because there were people watching.’

Shrugging, he added:

"I don’t care about what they think of me, though. I just can’t afford to reveal all my hands to prying eyes. My enemies are watching, and I would hate to throw everything I have in front of them."

Pausing for a moment, he looked towards the doors.

"But in here, if I play my cards right, I can get all I want."

«So are we going in now, or are we still monologuing like we are characters in a movie?» Bruce chided from inside the mindspace with a glare.

Ray lifted his hands into the air like someone who had just been caught.

"Alright, alright, alright. But you do know that you are one bitter bastard, right?"

The Werewolf simply scoffed while watching Ray approach the double doors with cautious steps.

Despite how powerful he had become, Ray wasn’t careless enough to assume that nothing else could be waiting for him.

Something could still jump out from inside the walls.

Or from behind the doors.

Or perhaps from somewhere he couldn’t see.

Just to be safe, the air crackled around one of his hands.

A crimson dagger soon materialized in his grasp.

Reaching the double doors, Ray placed one hand against the cold metal.

Then, with a light push, the door creaked inward.

And then—

BANG!

The doors crashed into the walls behind them with tremendous force.

A blast of wind rushed outward, slamming directly into Ray’s face and sending a chill down his spine.

The force pushed him backward, his boots scraping against the stone floor as he slid for a few inches before finally coming to a halt.

Grunting, Ray steadied himself before looking inside.

Rows and rows of wooden torches began lighting up one after another.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then dozens.

Then hundreds.

Their flickering flames gradually illuminated an incredibly expansive chamber.

The hall stretched farther than the eye could see, its ceiling disappearing into darkness high above.

Massive stone pillars rose throughout the chamber, supporting the enormous cavern while casting long, ominous shadows across the floor.

And then Ray saw them.

Hundreds of King-rank Ogres occupied the hall.

Unlike the horde that had invaded the city, these creatures had never left the Gate World.

They stood scattered throughout the enormous chamber.

Some carried enormous axes, clubs, spears, swords, and hammers, while others simply leaned against their weapons or stood silently in small groups.

Yet none of them moved toward the entrance.

They simply watched.

Every single pair of eyes was fixed on Ray.

Their gazes tracked every movement he made with an eerie stillness.

They looked almost like statues.

No roaring.

No charging.

No bloodlust.

Just silence.

Waiting.

If Ray counted correctly—which he was certain he did—then there were about two hundred Ogres standing in the room before him.

Not as many as the number that had struck the city, but still far from a small number.

Ray swallowed silently.

His fingers tightened around the crimson dagger as he felt his hands trembling slightly.

He inhaled.

Then exhaled.

The enormous chamber remained completely silent.

Finally, Ray took a step forward.

Tak. Tak.

Tak. Tak.

Each step Ray took resounded through the almost silent halls, the sound of his footsteps echoing between the ancient walls.

The moment he passed through the archway entrance, the Ogres stirred in unison.

Then—

They screamed.

Loud, raw screams of excitement erupted throughout the chamber.

Primal.

Hungry.

To Ray, who continued walking with his head held high, the situation felt strangely similar to a coliseum filled with humans gathered to watch people fight to the death.

The beasts roared and shouted at the brave...

...or perhaps stupid human walking toward the center of their domain.

Yet despite their excitement, not a single Ogre moved from its position.

They remained rooted to the ground, swinging their massive arms into the air as if cheering with all their might.

The reason they hadn’t dared move an inch while the boy stood in the middle of the hall was simple.

At the far end of the chamber stood an enormous raised platform.

And upon it...

A towering figure could be seen.

The Ogre King sat upon his throne.

His massive frame towered even while seated, his dark-green skin stretched tightly over mountains of muscle. Heavy black armor covered his chest and shoulders, while two enormous tusks protruded from his lower jaw and thick horns swept backward from his skull.

One enormous hand rested upon the handle of a colossal warhammer beside his throne.

For a moment, the Ogre King remained motionless.

Then his crimson eyes slowly snapped open, as if he had been dragged from a deep slumber by the presence of whoever had dared walk into his abode.

His eyes rolled across the chamber.

He watched his minions cheer louder and louder, their primal screams filling the enormous hall.

Then his gaze moved once more.

And settled upon Ray.

A lone human stood in the center of the chamber, a single dagger resting in his hands.

He didn’t fret.

He didn’t shake.

He didn’t act like he was afraid.

He simply stood there.

Fearlessly.

In a room filled with hundreds of King-rank beasts.

Still standing fearlessly in front of the Ogre King himself.

The Emperor-rank beast of this Tier Three Gate.

[DING!]

[Sub Quest Alert]

[Description: Host has just been forced to enter a Tier Three Gate alone in order to clear it out. But currently, Host is in a deadly situation with hundreds of King-rank Ogres staring at him with deadly intent.

They want to rip you to shreds.

Survive this encounter and, if possible... defeat the Emperor-rank beast—the Ogre King—for rewards.]

[Rewards: +20 Stat Points to all stats; +200 Echo Essence; +20 VIT Stat; +10 Free Stat Points; +1 System Skill.]