As soon as they stepped on the circle, a light shone and wrapped around their bodies. The feeling of space twisting around them and their bodies moving came after that.
Kairen closed his eyes as he would get dizzy and nauseous while teleporting with open eyes. He only opened them again when the feeling of the space twisting around him was lifted.
As soon as the teleportation was over, one of the agents cast a spell and erased all traces of the teleportation spell. It was done to avoid leaking coordinates to the enemy.
When Kairen looked around, he could see a flat field around him. It was a dry mountainous area with only big and tall boulders and naked soil. No trees or grass were seen. There was only rock and stone. The sun was in the middle of the sky and the weather was really hot.
The place they were teleported to was located behind a big boulder. They must have sent the coordinates of this place so that the rescue team wouldn't get attacked as soon as they arrived.
Kairen kept looking around till his eyes caught on something.
'Is the floor...wet?'
The place he was standing in was clearly wet. It wasn't only there, wet soil was visible here and there as if someone had splashed water on the whole area.
'Shouldn't water vaporize at this temperature? It is quite hot...'
Team leader Dains who was observing the area looked down as well, then said in a low voice.
"Follow me."
He slowly walked towards the edge of the boulder, everyone else followed him silently. He carefully looked around while holding his guns toughly. He signaled the rest to follow him and started to run. The whole team came out from behind the boulder and ran as fast as they could.
But there was nothing. Outside the building seemed like an ordinary plain without any plants just like the other side of it. They were all alone in an empty mountain.
Kairen looked around again. The water traces were still visible. They had moved forward for a few meters and stopped in one place. Was that a sign for them, left by Unit 6?
They followed the trace until its end.
"Stop."
The team leader stopped around 3 meters away from the end of the trail and stopped the rest as well.
"There should be something hidden here..."
One of the agents said that with a frown on his face. Everyone else was thinking the same. This situation was too quiet and normal. They were called here by people who were in need of help, but none of them could be seen around and no presence could be felt.
"It's a barrier."
'A barrier?'
Barrier, a high-level spell that could be used in different ways, be that separating one area from the other or use it as a means of defense and security. It wasn't that surprising to see one of them in your daily life, even the academy had its own protective barriers.
But this place wasn't really where a barrier should be.
"The spell is a high leveled one, most probably an illusion barrier that contains defense and attack magics at the same time."
Serria observed the barrier and said with a serious face that was rare to see on her. The team leader nodded his head at her words. Serria opened her mouth again.
"We have to break it carefully if it has attack ma-"
"There is no time for that."
Team leader Dains interrupted her words. Serria shut her mouth and turned towards him.
He was looking forward with a calm face. The team leader took one step forward, then another one, he was moving towards the barrier. He would touch the barrier if he moved a few steps more, But he didn't seem to care.
And when his body was about to hit the barrier, suddenly a black line was drawn on the air. No, it wasn't the air, a black line was drawn right on the barrier.
The line shook and twist, then it was divided into two lines. The two lines that were still connected to each other from the tip of them moved away from each other. A pitch-black area was created between them.
"Get moving."
The two lines, which were now more like a rupture than a line, moved and the barrier was torn open. The black layer got bigger and dipper until it was divided into two parts again and moved to the sides. It was like a black tunnel in the middle of the air.
"...."
Everyone looked at the scene with astonishment before hurridly following the team leader in. The tunnel was sealed the moment they entered, like a zipper that was being closed.
Once they entered...
"What is this..."
An agent murmured under his lips. This was exactly what Kairen was thinking as well. Suddenly, the whole area seemed to have changed. The ground wasn't dusty and dry, instead, a ceramic floor was under their feet. The area was surrounded by walls, a high ceiling was above their head, and a staircase could be seen in a corner. They seemed to be inside a building.
However, the area wasn't in a good shape. The walls were cracked and the floor was dusty. Broked debris was scattered here and there and the ceramic under their feet was stained with blood.
BANG
The sound of an explosion came from above and the whole place shook.
They didn't wait for the team leader's orders. It was obvious what they had to do. Everyone quickly ran towards the stairs.
They moved up the stairs as fast as they could. Traces of battle could be seen even in the staircase. Some parts of the way were burnt and some were cut.
Kairen was thinking by himself while running up the stairs.
'What the hell am I doing with my life?'
Why should he be running up towards a place where an explosion happened just now? A sane human being would be running away from such a place.
Kairen remembered once more how miserable his life had become. He sighed and shook off his thought with a heavy heart.
"Stay back."
The team leader stepped forward and pushed the others back at the moment. They were standing in front of a half-open door. He checked his guns once more before kicking the door open.
This floor seemed to be where the sound of explosion came a few moments ago as one of the walls was cracked and half-broken and... a person was collapsed on the ground near the wall?
"T-team leader Dains?"
All of them turned towards the voice. A woman was sitting on the ground on the other side of the room, grabbing her bleeding shoulder and looking at them with shaky eyes.
"What? Who are they?"
A man was standing in front of the woman and pointing a sword at her neck. He flinched when he saw seven people suddenly rushing inside. Another person, a mage, was approaching the collapsed man while casting a spell.
The mage turned towards them the moment they entered and shot his spell towards them. The other one hastily moved his sword towards the woman's neck. But the mage's spell didn't reach them, neither did the swordsman's blade reach the woman's neck.
A spell interrupted the enemy mage's spell, turning its direction and sending it back towards the mage himself. The attack magic hit the man and he was sent flying towards the wall.
And as for the swordsman...
"Ah?"
That was his last word. His sword fell out of his hand, he stumbled and collapsed on the ground. A hole was created in his chest. It was the team leader's work.
"...."
Kairen glanced at team leader Dains whit his eyes wide open.
'When did he even shoot?'
He didn't even move. He was standing right in front of them and observing the area with a calm face. Man, are you an anime character?
And who reversed that mage's spell?
'This is crazy.'
"...."
"The rescue team? Why are you so late?"
The woman got up while leaning against the wall. She was bleeding from her shoulder and arm.
"Explain."
Team leader Dains asked briefly as he checked the collapsed man's condition. He was injured but was still breathing.
"Found here in search of the documents. Seems to be a secret base. Got into a fight with the guards. There were 34 of them. 14 were taken care of... well, now 16."
"Where are the rest of the unit?"
"They are still up above with the rest of the guards. We were separated while fighting."
The team leader nodded his head.
"Come with us, but stay out of the battle. It is not safe to be alone."
"Yes, sir."
Reyan moved to support the collapsed man while the agents gave first aid to the woman and bandaged her wounds. Then they once again moved up the stairs.