Chapter 176: A Door Between Dimensions
The image on the screen remained frozen for several seconds.
A massive violet crack floated above the dungeon.
It didn’t look like a normal portal.
There was no defined surface.
It was as if someone had torn open the sky with a massive wound.
And from within...
Something was trying to come out.
"What the hell is that?" Tim asked.
No one answered.
Even Armstrong seemed to have no words.
Liam stared intently at the image.
’A direct connection to another dimension...’
Pix’s message was still displayed before his eyes.
[Pix: Liam, we don’t know what’s on the other side.]
Liam swallowed.
[Pix: But something is trying to cross it.]
Liam hesitated.
He couldn’t explain everything Pix was telling him without revealing too much.
"The crack is changing."
Armstrong frowned.
"How do you know?"
"It’s a guess."
Liam looked at the screen again.
The crack seemed to be slowly expanding.
"I don’t think this is simply an evolution of the dungeon."
Amber stepped closer to the screen.
"Then what is it?"
Liam took a deep breath.
"A door."
Jane’s expression changed.
"A door to where?"
Liam remembered Pix’s words.
"Another dimension."
The room fell completely silent.
Wayne was the first to speak.
"Are you sure?"
"No."
Liam looked at the image again.
"But everything points to it."
Don Rouch let out a sigh.
"First, the dungeons evolve."
"Then they start sharing energy," Wayne continued.
"And now they’re opening doors to other dimensions," Amber finished.
Jane looked at her father.
"What do we do?"
Armstrong made a decision.
"We cancel all operations."
Timothy nodded.
"I agree."
Wayne crossed his arms.
"Even reconnaissance?"
"All of them."
Don Rouch looked at the image.
"That means no one goes in until we know what’s happening."
Armstrong nodded.
"Exactly."
Liam looked at the system chat again.
Another message appeared.
[Pix: Liam, I don’t think the door will remain open for long.]
Liam replied mentally.
’Can you tell what’s on the other side?’
The answer came almost immediately.
[Pix: No.]
[Pix: But I can feel something.]
Liam frowned.
’What?’
Several seconds passed.
[Pix: Many presences.]
Liam felt a chill.
’How many?’
Pix took even longer to respond.
[Pix: Too many.]
Liam clenched his fists.
He said nothing.
He didn’t want to worry the others until he had more information.
But then...
The image changed.
The crack opened a little wider.
And something appeared behind it.
A silhouette.
Tall.
Far too thin.
It didn’t look human.
Its body was covered in some kind of dark armor.
Two red lights glowed where its eyes should have been.
Wayne leaned forward.
"Is that a creature?"
Amber slowly shook her head.
"We don’t know."
The silhouette took a step, and part of its body passed through the crack.
Liam felt his stomach tighten.
’It’s crossing...’
The transmission began to distort.
The image turned completely violet.
Then black.
The signal disappeared.
◇◆◇
"We lost the transmission!"
A technician shouted from the control room.
Armstrong immediately stood up.
"Can we recover it?"
"We’re trying!"
Liam remained in front of the screen.
"What just happened?"
The technician checked several windows.
"The signal disappeared completely."
Jane stepped closer.
"Was it interference?"
"No."
The technician shook his head.
"It’s as if the camera was destroyed."
Liam felt a chill.
Armstrong turned toward the others.
"I want everyone to return to their respective squads."
Amber nodded.
"Understood."
"Keep your hunters prepared."
Wayne stood up.
"What if that thing comes out of the dungeon?"
Armstrong looked at him.
"Then we’ll face it."
Don Rouch smiled slightly.
"I like that answer."
Timothy shook his head.
"I’d rather we didn’t have to."
Jane picked up her documents.
"See you later."
One by one, the sub-captains began leaving the room.
Liam was the last one to remain.
Armstrong looked at him.
"What is it?"
Liam hesitated.
"There’s something I need to investigate."
"What?"
"The dimensions."
Armstrong frowned.
"Why?"
Liam thought of Pix.
He thought of the dungeons connecting.
And that silhouette.
"Because I think this is only the beginning."
Armstrong remained silent.
Finally, he nodded.
"Then find out, kid."
"I will."
◇◆◇
Liam left the room and quickly walked down the hallway.
He found Lydia beside a vending machine.
She looked up.
"There you are."
"Were you looking for me?"
"Yes."
Lydia pointed at the machine.
"I’m hungry, darling."
Liam let out a small laugh.
"That sounds both important and dangerous."
"Very important."
Liam bought a pack of cookies and handed it to her.
Lydia smiled.
"Thank you."
She began eating as they walked.
"What happened in the meeting?"
Liam hesitated.
"There was a problem with a dungeon."
"Another one?"
"Yes."
Lydia stopped eating.
"Is it dangerous?"
Liam looked at her.
"We don’t know yet."
She nodded.
"Then don’t think about it too much."
"What?"
Lydia smiled.
"You have that look again."
Liam let out a small laugh.
"What look?"
"The ’I’m going to carry all the world’s problems on my shoulders’ look."
"I don’t do that."
"Yes, you do."
Lydia moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder.
"You don’t have to solve everything by yourself."
Liam looked at her.
For a moment, he wanted to tell her everything.
The dimensions.
The crack.
The creature.
The danger surrounding her pregnancy.
But he couldn’t. Not yet.
"I know."
Lydia smiled.
"Then remember that you have a pregnant wife."
"A wife?"
"Yes."
"And what does that wife do?"
Lydia raised the bag of cookies.
"Eat."
Liam began laughing.
"You’re incredible."
"I know."
They continued walking together.
However, when they turned a corner, Liam stopped.
A message from Pix appeared before him for barely a second.
[Pix: Liam.]
’What’s wrong?’
[Pix: The creature crossed.]
Liam felt his expression change.
’What?’
[Pix: It’s no longer inside the dungeon.]
Liam looked toward Lydia.
She continued walking.
[Pix: It’s in this world.]
Liam felt a weight in his chest.
’Where?’
Pix replied.
[Pix: I don’t know.]
Liam closed his eyes for a second.
’Then we have a problem.’
[Pix: Yes.]
Liam caught up with Lydia.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
Liam smiled.
"I’m just tired."
Lydia took his hand.
"Then let’s go home."
"Yeah."
◇◆◇
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away...
A forest remained completely silent.
The animals had disappeared.
There were no birds.
No insects.
Not even the wind moved the leaves.
At the center of the forest, a small violet crack hovered in the air.
The crack trembled.
Then it began to close.
A figure emerged from it.
Its feet touched the ground.
The crack disappeared.
The creature remained motionless.
It was tall and thin.
Its body was covered in black armor that seemed to grow directly from its skin.
Two red lights glowed on its face.
It looked around.
Then it slowly raised its head.
As if it could sense something.
A deep voice came from its body.
"This world..."
The creature stared at the sky.
"...is different."
It took a step, and the leaves crunched beneath its feet.
"But the energy is the same."
It raised one hand, and a small violet sphere appeared above its palm.
The creature smiled.
"Then we really did find the way."
Several kilometers away, a group of hunters patrolling the area stopped.
One of them raised his head.
"Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
A strange sound echoed through the forest.
BOOM.
The hunters looked at each other.
"An explosion?"
Another sound.
BOOM.
This time, much closer.
The group’s leader drew his weapon.
"Everyone, stay alert."
A shadow appeared between the trees.
The hunters raised their weapons.
"Identify yourself!"
The creature slowly emerged from the darkness.
The hunters froze.
They had never seen anything like it.
One of them took a step back.
"What kind of monster is that?"
The creature stared at them, its red eyes glowing intensely.
"Hunters..."
The leader’s eyes widened.
"It can talk?"
The creature raised one hand.
Violet energy began gathering around its fingers.
"Then you must be the inhabitants of this world."
The leader shouted:
"Attack!"
The hunters charged forward.
And the night was illuminated by a flash of violet light.
◇◆◇
Liam suddenly woke up.
He was sitting in bed.
Lydia was sleeping beside him.
Her breathing was calm.
Liam looked around.
"What...?"
A message appeared before his eyes.
[Alert]
Liam sat up, and another message appeared.
[A new dimensional presence has been detected.]
Liam felt a chill.
And finally, the last message appeared.
[The unknown entity has come into contact with human hunters.]
Liam looked toward Lydia.
Then he looked into the darkness of the room.
’So it has finally begun.’
In the distance, a siren began to sound.
The threat was no longer inside a dungeon.
It was in their world.