Chapter 166: Ominous Objectives
{Objective 1: Survive the gate.}
{Objective 2: Evolve one Beast to B Rank}
{Objective 3: Create a new skill}
Ethan stared at the translucent blue text hovering in front of him, his eyes narrowing slightly as he processed each line.
’That’s not ominous at all.’
The system never gave random objectives, and every single one was likely tied to what was coming. And that meant whatever was inside the gate was bad, but he might just come out of it a whole lot stronger.
His gaze lingered on the objectives, thoughts already spiralling.
’Is it controlling fate... or just guiding it?’
It was a question he’d asked himself more than once and never got an answer to.
He exhaled slowly, shifting his focus and breaking down each of the objectives.
The first was obvious, and he definitely wasn’t planning on dying, but the fact he was getting rewarded just for survival was worrying.
Then came evolving one beast to B Rank.
’I doubt that’s happening...’
Not unless he was lucky enough to find another breeding ground, but even then, there was no guarantee it would succeed. He had the B Rank Race Crystal needed to increase the potential of one of his beasts by evolving their race, but there was no way to ensure that it worked.
But he would definitely aim for it, and with a B Rank Beast at his side, his power would increase massively.
Then there was the third objective.
’That’s probably the easiest one, but it’s vague as hell.’
His mind drifted back to the fights from the underground arena, especially the B Rank and A Rank bouts.
’The way they used their Titled abilities...’
It wasn’t instinct, but was deliberate and refined, every moment conscious and calculated.
’In theory, I just need to replicate that, and I can create a new skill.’
But he knew that was easier said than done.
Ethan’s skills were powerful and easy to use, but they relied heavily on instinct and were restrictive by nature. Compared to other Titled, his abilities were less adaptable and flexible.
’If I could mix both...’
Instinct and control together.
’I’d have the best of both worlds.’
The thought settled in his mind, firm and clear, but before he could dive deeper, a sharp nudge hit his side.
He blinked and snapped out of it.
Kaela stood beside him, arms crossed, staring at him with a teasing smile.
"Why you zoning out for?" she asked. "Nervous?"
Ethan opened his mouth to respond, but she didn’t wait.
Of course she didn’t.
She grabbed two people by the shoulders and dragged them forward.
"Oi-!" Liora protested weakly.
Elara stumbled slightly, clearly caught off guard.
And just like that, the three of them stood at the front of the squad.
Kaela cracked her neck slightly, glancing over her shoulder at the group behind her.
"We are the A Ranks of the squad," she began, her tone casual, almost bored. "So you probably think we should be the leaders of this clearing squad."
That made sense.
Each of them was a monster in their own right.
Elara in her current form didn’t belong there, and would lose to the B Ranks in the squad and even some of the C Ranks. But when she was possessed, there were probably only a handful of Titled on the planet that could rival her.
And Kaela knew that better than anyone.
As for Liora, she wasn’t the most dangerous in direct combat, but her versatility and utility were insane. Barriers, constructs, concealment - she was the kind of asset that could decide an entire battle.
And then there was Kaela, whose abilities spoke for themselves.
If anyone was going to lead, it was natural and logical for it to be her, or at least one of them.
But then she spoke again.
"That’s not really my style," she said with a shrug.
She paused, and everyone gave her a questioning look.
"Just don’t die and kill some fucking monsters and beasts!"
And before anyone could respond, she moved without hesitation or planning, diving straight into the gate.
In an instant, she was gone.
A heavy, tense, and confused silence followed.
They were all already on edge, and the A Ranks being among them was one of their biggest comforts going into this gate. But seeing them like this was anything but comforting.
One practically ditched them and announced that it was everyone for themselves, and the other two fidgeted nervously and weren’t the most reassuring.
’I need to fix this.’
Darius stepped forward slightly, about to try to organise the squad and take control.
’I know last time didn’t go great...’ he thought, his expression tightening slightly. ’But we need structure.’
His eyes scanned the group quickly, and having three groups felt like the most logical approach.
Each one would have an A Rank, a B Rank, and five C Ranks.
’We get our bearings, locate the boss, and clear it cleanly.’
It was a simple plan, but it was better than jumping in blindly like Kaela had done. But before he could even open his mouth, someone else made a move.
Ethan, without a word, stepped forward and jumped straight into the gate.
"You’ve got to be kidding me," Darius muttered.
And just like that, the structure he was trying to build collapsed.
Elara hesitated for a moment, then followed Ethan into the gate. A pink streak shot past, and Seraphina did the same. One after another, without order or coordination, they all dove in blindly.
Within seconds, Darius was the only one left standing outside.
He stared at the swirling rift and sighed.
"Fuck it."
Then he also stepped into the gate...
-
It was strange that Kaela was part of this gate clearing squad, and even stranger that she had agreed to lead. She usually entered gates alone, and only when she felt like it.
Following orders and playing along with others weren’t her thing; she preferred chaos. So when the Association Head had reached out for help, she accepted, but with a condition.
She felt more obliged to accept after the mess she caused the night prior, but she gave three names to be dragged in alongside her.
Ethan, Elara, and Darius.
’Whichever one of them was responsible for that last Gate Takeover...’ she had thought, a grin forming at the memory.
’Hopefully the same thing happens again.’
She also wanted to see the Blood Demon in action again, so she was winning multiple times by accepting.
And the Association?
They didn’t hesitate and needed strong Titled for this gate, so they had no reason to turn down her condition. The only issue was Darius, who hadn’t entered a gate since the last time, but he insisted he was recovered and ready.
And now all of them were inside the gate, one they instantly realised wasn’t normal...
