Chapter 3: The Mission Begins
What should Arov do? Stop the Abyss Gate from appearing and destroying the world? Maybe, yeah.
According to the system's information, every year-end, the Abyss Worshipers perform a ritual to gradually erode the world's balance, and it just so happens that the next one is scheduled in a few days.
First question, how to destroy the Abyss Gate? Simple—just let the system handle it. I've confirmed it, and it knows what to do. The real problem, though, is getting there.
The Abyss Gate is on an uninhabited island, off the map. Originally, I planned to hire a boat and sail there, but that was a fool's plan. The system mentioned that the location is, well, slightly dangerous. So, it offered to teleport me directly to sneak inside.
Arov zipped up his bag full of weapons and gear, his gaze landing on the black cloak on his desk—a garment lined with intricate gold patterns, adding an air of mystery to it.
[Amir's Cloak]
Conceals the user's presence and allows them to phase through obstacles.
Duration: N/A
Grade: Special
"System boss must be feeling generous to give me a cheat item like this. All hail the system boss!" Arov grinned.
With this cloak, I can hide my entire presence, even phase through walls. I knew this item would be super handy.
Time to go. I've prepared everything for today, even used [Sight Beyond Space-Time] repeatedly to gather intel on the island's hidden base.
Arov shifted his gaze to the full-body mirror beside his desk. A teen with black hair and dark eyes stared back at him. A typical teen appearance, except for his sharp, masculine jawline and the calm yet piercing look in his eyes. Straight nose, thick brows, and jet-black hair. Arov observed himself in the mirror, taking a deep breath before exhaling.
With a bag packed full of gear and [Amir's Cloak] draped around him, he spoke firmly to the empty room, "I'm ready. Send me in."
[Initializing Teleportation of Host]
[Teleportation Target: Island 0079]
[Good luck!]
Bright blue particles started from the tips of his hair, gradually distorting his body down to his feet, and just as he vanished, an unfamiliar voice echoed softly in his room.
|May the Gods bless you|
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Whoosh~~
The sound of roaring wind greeted Arov as he fell from a height of over 10,000 feet. While anyone else would be shocked by the sudden drop, Arov's calm expression showed this was barely a big deal to him.
But even as calm as he was, a frown appeared on his face. A nagging doubt surfaced. Dozens of times he'd used [Sight Beyond Space-Time], and each time he found something odd—he disappears permanently. No trace, no clear indication. [Sight Beyond Space-Time] only showed a final backdrop where he vanished, which was at the shattered Abyss Gate.
Arov shook his head, forcing himself to stay focused as if dunking his head into a bucket of ice water.
A dense fog enveloped him as he drifted down, the shadow of the island—around 1,000 km²—flickered through the haze, reflecting in Arov's dark eyes. Now, it's time to get serious.
He tightened his belt, activated [Amir's Cloak], and instead of crashing into the trees and ground, he phased through it, sinking into the earth below.
When Arov's body connected with the ground, it felt like he was sinking into quicksand. He could even stand and walk within the earth, which would be terrifying under normal circumstances.
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500 Meters Underground, Inside a Secret Facility
This underground hideout went over 500 meters deep, a depth surpassing the best bunkers out there. Arov's body slid through thick layers of soil and concrete, finally breaching the 10-foot-thick concrete walls to enter a long corridor. The glowing blue lines on the walls gave the place a distinctly futuristic vibe.
The facility had 31 floors, each serving a specific function. Floors 1-5 were surface and security zones, where intense security checks monitored everyone entering. Without Amir's Cloak, infiltrating this place would've been a suicide mission.
Arov took off running, his first destination being the lobby, where identification checks and access verification took place. He needed to retrieve something brought here by air transport prior to his arrival.
Arov dashed down the corridor, passing through a massive gate that connected to the lobby area. The lobby itself was enormous, more than 500 square meters. Armed guards and scientists were everywhere, moving quickly, immersed in their tasks. A large biometric scanner checked everyone's entry, ensuring only authorized personnel could proceed further.
As Arov passed through, he gave a casual wave to the heavily armed guards as if he was one of them.
His eyes settled on a scientist entering the lobby carrying a metal case. The scientist—wild hair, intense, obsessed expression—reminded Arov of the typical mad scientist characters in comics. This was his target.
Elystral IV, Arov thought.
The case contained a crucial item he needed later.
Elystral IV—a powerful solution developed by alchemists and scientists to neutralize the side effects of Arcane Resistives, a drug designed to shield the body from the dangerous erosion of magical energy. Elystral IV worked by repairing cellular damage and restoring the body's internal energy stability, reducing the physical and mental toll of prolonged magical exposure.
According to the plan, Arov would use Elystral IV to counter the side effects of Arcane Resistives, allowing him to reach the facility's innermost level and destroy the Abyss Gate.
Since Elystral IV was a perfected version of earlier formulas, its effects had reached an ideal state. However, this scientist was casually carrying it in a case with no guards. A surprise, maybe? Either way, lucky for me.
Arov tailed him, watching as the scientist set down the case while searching his pockets for an ID card.
Arov's hand phased through the case, his fingers brushing against the contents until he grasped a crystalline vial.
"Gotcha," Arov whispered.
With this action, he applied the same concealment and phasing effects of [Amir's Cloak] to the vial.
He withdrew his hand, revealing the clear, silver liquid stored in a crystal-like container, glowing with a soft light. Normally, only a minimal dose—just a drop—was enough to neutralize Arcane Resistives' side effects.
Arov stashed Elystral IV into his hip bag. Now, he just needed to find the Arcane Resistives, and he could head down to the deepest floor.
"Sistem, show me the exact location of the Abyss Gate."
[Target: Floor 31, Ritual Chamber]
[Time remaining until Abyss Gate reactivation: 1 hour, 16 minutes, 47 seconds]
[Warning: Abyss ritual activation imminent. Prevent it before time runs out.]
The message reminded Arov that time was ticking down. No room for doubt or failure; the Abyss Gate would open in an hour if he couldn't stop the ritual.
Although, this was just the routine ritual done every month, he'd destroy the gate for good. Five years isn't long or short, but wouldn't it be nice if he could end it sooner?
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