White, yellow, red, and black.
These colors represent the level of danger of the doors.
However, each gate has its own rules.
Sometimes a gate only accepts summoners of the Bonze rank or another.
However, each color represents a level of danger.
For example, the test that a white portal of bronze rank is ten times easier than a yellow portal of the same rank.
The same goes for other ranks.
As for the tests, they are mainly divided into two categories, individual and collective.
Individual tests can accommodate several tamers of different ranks, as is the case with this portal in front of them.
They are rare, these portals.
However, The danger is not to be taken lightly.
Just like its increased level of difficulty, its share of benefits is incredible too.
Nevertheless, these gates function like dungeons.
Although their origins are unknown, they are perceived as gods' vestiges, or artistic and artificial dimensions, created for profit.
All sorts of gains could be taken in these independent dimensions.
Legendary artifacts, unique skills, grimoires, etc.
If these gates are not deadly, they have something more frightening.
--
"Jeevak, why did this gate only accept silver summoners and lower?"
Monica's tone sounds like someone who is dissatisfied with what she saw before her.
Jeevak also frowned but was unable to answer.
It's not like it's his fault that the gate chose its candidates.
After all, the mysterious power that rules over these gates is beyond the realm of what they could know.
Facing his silence, Monica let out a disappointing sigh.
"Whatever." She then whispered.
Then, her eyes landed on Mystic and the other two.
"As you can see, a chance I was planning to take was just snatched away by that damn tree. You have two options, no, only one."
She bent her middle finger as she corrected herself.
Only her index finger was now raised before everyone's eyes.
"Even though I doubt you won't fail, still watch out for yourself. This gate offers an individual test to each of you, adapting to your level of difficulty."
She stopped there, without explaining further.
But this time, Mystic didn't just stay silent.
"Fourth el--Instructor Monica, that's my first time to see a gate."
Eleanor and Ivan frowned as they listened to Mystic.
'Instructor? That's her second time to call the fourth elder that way.'
They didn't care what she said, what they cared about was the nickname Mystic used to address Monica.
However, the latter only frowned due to her irritation at Mystic's ignorance.
"What do you know about them?"
To explain better, she first asks to test Mystic's knowledge about the subject.
"...Mysterious areas that grant us gains for our efforts. Even if we fail, we can't die inside them."
"Exactly." Monica nodded passively.
Then, an erratic smile curved her lips upwards.
"However, if you fail the gate test, you will no longer be qualified to exercise the tamer's profession." She added.
Mystic's eyes trembled slightly upon hearing this news for the first time.
She looked towards the giant tree in front of her and a wave of piercing determination manifested in her pupils.
'That's why our grimoires were taken hostage.'
She understood Monica's words without thinking too much about them.
Among the rewards, the grimoires are there.
These grimoires are not created by these gates.
In other words, they belong to those who had previously failed the test.
'It makes sense, even if it's crazy.'
She then looks back at Monica.
"...I understand."
"Good." Monica nods, although indifferent.
"Listen to me you three!" She then shouted these words out loud to get their attention.
She then cleared her throat to prepare her little speech.
"All we can do is wait for you here before sunrise.
Once this time is up, join us at the base camp.
Anyway, know one thing, everything you will come across in this portal, ...is real.
The creatures are alive, not mere illusions. Keep in mind that you can lose your life at any time. Only the most basic portals do not confront us with certain death.
However, from the yellow colors, death can occur at any time, so be careful!"
Although brief, crucial information was passed on to the others in his speech.
'It may not be a coincidence that these three came with us. If it is a stroke of fate, he has a rather peculiar sense of humor.' She mumbled to herself with a small wry smile.
Following the two, Mystic approached the tree trunk.
Rebecca meanwhile watched all this with apprehension and misty eyes due to the countless questions that overwhelmed her.
Mystic was alive, and for some mysterious reason, her relationship with Monica now seemed somewhat special.
'Did I miss something? When she hit me in the back of the neck, it was to stop her brother from killing me, right?
So why am I suddenly overcome by a wave of doubt and unease?'
She was beginning to doubt that her other identity had been revealed.
However, Monica was not lenient enough to keep a spy like her by her side just for the sake of kindness.
The members of this clan are brutal and powerful, thus, everyone knows that they are straightforward and do not waste their time playing boring games such as espionage or whatever.
This way of thinking has not only deceived Rebecca but also many enemies who target this clan.
Next, came Mystic's turn.
The first two were no longer with her but sucked into the portal about a meter in size.
Not too big compared to the size of an adult indeed.
However, when Mystic reached out toward the wild red hole, her body instantly disappeared without a trace behind.
'No more going back. Either you will come back strong, or you will die without a trace.
--
The second Mystic's vision cleared, she found herself in the middle of a crowd of young men and women about the same age as her age.
The direction of the crowd was unknown to her, however, they seemed to be heading forward.
-Bumps!
Due to her confusion, she couldn't synchronize with the crowd in time, causing the one at the back to unintentionally bump into her.
"Ouch!"
A female voice that expressed her pain rang out behind her.
Pricked by confusion, she turns around.
'...huh?'
Her brain briefly froze her thoughts when she saw a little girl with pointy ears and a red complexion standing behind her.
Unlike her, this girl only has a single horn above her forehead and emerald eyes.
Her appearance had an indescribable charm that Mystic couldn't explain with words.
"Why did you stop!?"
Mystic was further confused when she heard this girl speaking a language she had never heard before but that she could still understand.
'Weird.'
She muttered before starting to walk forward like the others.
"Dammit! We are finally free of these chains after months of traveling."
"You foolish! Quiet down!"
To her left, she could hear some young mumbling these words lowly, their voices filled with submission and unreal fear.
'...How strange.'
"Where are they taking us?"
"...Don't know."
With ears attentive to any detail, Mystic did not make any imprudent moves to get noticed.
Although mostly composed of humans, some of them were different. However, none of them looked the same as her.
Although their languages were different, they could communicate with each other, without difficulty.
However, when she looked in front of her, she saw a person who seemed familiar to her, a young man of about twenty years old, with short black hair.
'This person, where did I meet him?'
After half an hour of walk, the group finally stopped in front of a canyon over a hundred meters high.
The moon was blaring above them, half hidden by the gigantic mountain overlooking them with its shadow.
Ahead of them, Mystic could see two other figures dressed in blood-red masks, similar to those who had brought them here.
'...Others have either been captured by these people or have joined the crowd of their own free will.'
Soon, the buzzing of the crowd died down followed by one of the two masked creatures who spoke in a fluent and vibrant voice.
"This place is where we test you."
Aside from Mystic, no one seemed surprised by these words.
Everyone quieted down, listening attentively to the man wearing a red monk's robe.
He then held out his hand, and a red core appeared in his palm.
He points his other finger backward.
"Behind me, there is a valley in which cores similar to these are hidden underwater.
-Find it and bring it back to me to validate the first test.
-Those who are unable to find a core in time, will fail the test."
He finished his explanation in three sentences.
"Wait!" Right now, the voice of the girl behind Mystic echoed.
"I come from a clan whose bloodline is synonymous with majesty. If this test is simply to find cores, how--
Before she finished her sentence, the masked man waved his hand nonchalantly.
This action of his not only forced the girl to be silent but also made her float above everyone.
Although no one saw chains around her or felt any energy flow, her face was gradually turning red.
Mystic watched this scene while holding her breath.
She could see signs similar to when a person was suffocating.
'She is unable to breathe.'
As she muttered, the voice of the man wearing a red mask rang out.
"Status, Bloodlines, inner talents, nothing matters here."
He calmly spoke these words while looking at the girl in the air.
He then pointed his palm at her and clenched his fist!
-!!
A moment of silence fell after his action. Every onlooker could feel a wave of chills down their spine.
-BOOM!
The next second, the girl's body exploded into a pile of flesh and blood!
Her blood splashed from the sky like bloody rain, bathing the spectators in red.
Quite unexpectedly, no one dared to scream out loud, their fears could only be felt through their ragged breathing and trembling pupils.
At that precise moment, the masked man's indifferent voice rang out once again.
"All that matters is obedience.
-If you can't obey orders, you will die.
-You will die if you question orders.
-You'll also die if you fail the test!"