Chapter 177: The First Invasion
The sirens continued to sound.
Liam remained sitting on the bed as he watched the messages before his eyes.
[A new dimensional presence has been detected.]
[The unknown entity has come into contact with human hunters.]
His heart began pounding.
’It’s here.’
Liam quickly stood up.
Lydia opened her eyes.
"What happened?"
Liam turned toward her.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
Lydia slowly sat up.
"You’re awake in the middle of the night, and the sirens are going off."
Liam walked over to the window.
In the distance, several red lights illuminated part of the city.
"Looks like something happened."
Lydia got out of bed.
"Then we should go to the guild."
Liam looked at her.
"No."
"What?"
"You’re staying here."
Lydia frowned.
"Liam..."
"It’s dangerous."
"I’m a hunter."
"I know."
Liam took her hand.
"But you’re also pregnant."
Lydia lowered her gaze toward her belly.
"That’s exactly why I want to help you."
"You can help me by staying here."
Lydia didn’t answer.
She knew Liam wasn’t joking.
"Promise me you’ll be careful."
Liam smiled.
"I promise."
Lydia hugged him.
"Then come back."
Liam hugged her tightly.
"Always."
◇◆◇
Liam arrived at the guild a few minutes later.
The situation was chaotic.
Hunters were running back and forth.
Vehicles were being prepared.
Communications officers were shouting orders.
And several staff members were trying to gather information about what had happened.
Liam quickly made his way to the control room.
"What happened?"
A technician turned around.
"Sub-Captain!"
"Tell me what happened."
"We received an emergency call from a patrol group."
The technician displayed a screen.
"They were investigating a dimensional alteration."
Liam looked at the report.
"And?"
"We lost contact with them a few minutes ago."
"All of them?"
"We don’t know."
Liam clenched his teeth.
"Location?"
The technician pointed to a map.
"Here."
Liam recognized the area.
It was a forest several hundred kilometers from the city.
"How many hunters were there?"
"Six."
Liam closed his eyes for a moment.
’The creature that came out of the dungeon...’
It couldn’t be a coincidence.
"What rank were they?"
"All Emerald-rank."
Liam immediately took out his phone.
"I need to contact Captain Armstrong."
"He’s already on his way."
A voice came from behind him.
"No need."
Liam turned around.
Armstrong entered alongside Jane.
"What do we know?" the captain asked.
The technician began explaining.
"We lost communication with the patrol group. The last transmission showed an unknown creature."
"Any images?"
"Only for a few seconds."
The screen displayed a recording.
The six hunters walked through the forest.
Then a figure appeared between the trees, and the recording became distorted.
A flash of violet, and the screen went completely black.
Jane frowned.
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
Armstrong looked at Liam.
"What do you think?"
Liam remembered Pix’s message.
’The unknown entity has come into contact with human hunters.’
"I think we should send a rescue team."
Armstrong nodded.
"I agree."
Jane stepped forward.
"I’ll go."
"No," Armstrong replied.
Jane looked at him.
"Father..."
"We don’t know what we’re up against."
"That’s exactly why."
Armstrong shook his head.
"I won’t send one of my sub-captains without information."
Liam stepped in.
"Then send my squad."
Armstrong looked at him.
"Liam."
"We can rescue the hunters and gather information about the creature."
Jane frowned.
Armstrong remained silent.
It was true.
Liam and his team had recent experience fighting extremely high-level creatures.
But there was another problem.
Lydia.
"Your squad is incomplete," Armstrong said.
Liam immediately understood.
"Lydia won’t go."
Jane looked at him.
"Then who?"
"Jordan, Carol, Chuck, Emily, Lena, Zayn, Nora, Ray, and Chloe."
Armstrong thought for a few seconds.
"Nine hunters."
"Yes."
"That’s enough for a rescue mission."
Liam nodded.
"Then we’ll go."
Armstrong raised a hand.
"No."
Liam frowned.
"What?"
"You’re not going either."
"Why?"
Armstrong looked at him seriously.
"Because someone has to direct the operation from here."
Liam remained silent.
Armstrong continued.
"If that creature can open dimensional connections, this won’t necessarily be the only affected area."
Liam understood.
"You want me to coordinate the response."
"Exactly."
Liam clenched his fists.
He didn’t like staying behind.
But he knew Armstrong was right.
"All right."
◇◆◇
The squad assembled a few minutes later.
Jordan arrived while eating a cereal bar.
"What happened?"
Chuck appeared behind him.
"Why were we called at this hour?"
Carol crossed her arms.
"Is it another dungeon?"
Liam shook his head.
"No."
Everyone fell silent.
"We have a rescue mission."
Emily frowned.
"Rescue?"
"A group of six hunters lost contact while investigating a dimensional alteration."
Zayn raised his hand.
"Dimensional alteration?"
"Yes."
Liam looked at everyone.
"A creature came out of a dungeon and is now in our world."
The atmosphere immediately changed.
Lena stopped smiling.
"A creature from another dimension?"
"That’s what we believe."
Nora looked at her small shadow creatures.
"And what do we know about it?"
"Nothing."
Ray crossed his arms.
"Then it’ll be difficult to prepare."
"Exactly."
Liam pointed at the map.
"This was their last known location."
Nora summoned several shadow creatures.
"I can send them ahead."
Liam nodded.
"Do it."
Nora closed her eyes, and the creatures disappeared into the ground.
"They’re scouting already."
Zayn stepped forward.
"I can move quickly and check the area."
"Only if you can stop."
Zayn grimaced.
"I’m working on it."
Jordan raised a hand.
"What if we find the creature?"
Liam answered seriously.
"Don’t try to kill it unless necessary."
Chuck raised an eyebrow.
"Don’t we have to stop it?"
"Yes."
Liam paused.
"But first, I want to know what it is."
Carol nodded.
"Then we’ll try to contain it."
"Exactly."
Chloe stepped forward.
"I can maintain connections with several of you to redistribute energy."
"Only do it if necessary."
Chloe nodded.
"Understood."
Liam looked at everyone.
"And remember something."
They all looked at him.
"We don’t know what it’s capable of."
◇◆◇
The vehicle left the guild at full speed.
Liam remained in the control room.
Several screens were in front of him.
One showed the team’s location.
Another displayed the dungeon reports.
And another...
Was completely black.
The screen corresponding to the rescue mission.
"Come on..."
Liam stared at the map.
"Come on..."
Armstrong stood behind him.
"Are you worried?"
"Yes."
Armstrong smiled slightly.
"That’s normal."
Liam looked at the map.
"I don’t like sending my squad against something we don’t even know."
"But you trust them."
Liam nodded.
"Yes."
"Then trust your decision."
Liam took a deep breath.
At that moment, the screen beeped.
Beep.
Nora had sent information.
A small image appeared.
One of her shadow creatures was watching something from a tree.
Liam leaned forward.
"What is that?"
The image showed several destroyed trees.
The ground was covered in marks.
And in the middle of the forest...
There was an unconscious hunter.
"We found them!" Liam shouted.
Armstrong stepped closer.
"The others?"
The image changed.
Another hunter, also unconscious.
Then another.
And another.
Liam felt relieved.
"They’re alive."
But then...
The shadow creature raised its head.
Something was moving behind it.
A massive shadow.
Nora opened her eyes.
"There’s something there!"
The transmission was cut off.
Liam shot to his feet.
"Nora!"
There was no response.
The screen went black.
"Get in contact with them!"
The technicians began working.
"We’re trying to restore the connection!"
Liam clenched his fists.
’No...’
Armstrong remained calm.
"Wait."
Liam looked at him.
"Wait?"
"The team is still there."
As if to prove it...
The communicator suddenly came back online.
Jordan’s voice came through amid the interference.
"Boss!"
Liam immediately stepped closer.
"Jordan! What’s happening?"
"We found the hunters!"
"Are they alive?"
"Yes!"
"And the creature?"
There was silence.
Then Jordan answered:
"It’s here."
Liam felt a chill.
"Can you describe it?"
Jordan’s voice came through again.
"It’s..."
Jordan paused.
"It’s huge."
A loud crash sounded behind him.
BOOM.
Jordan shouted:
"And I think it’s angry!"
The communication began to fail.
"Jordan! Jordan!"
The signal disappeared.
Liam stared at the screen.
Armstrong stepped closer.
"Looks like the confrontation has begun."
Liam clenched his teeth.
"Yeah."
Then a message appeared before his eyes.
[Pix: Liam.]
Liam read it.
[Pix: The creature isn’t a normal dungeon monster.]
Liam felt a chill.
’What?’
Another message appeared.
[Pix: It’s an inhabitant of another dimension.]
Liam froze.
And finally, one last message appeared.
[Pix: And it didn’t come alone.]