Chapter 70

Chapter 70

In 20X5, vortex-like gates suddenly appeared in the sky, unleashing monsters that threatened human society. Gradually, "empowered individuals," later known as "sentinels," emerged. Sentinels possessed diverse abilities, graded S through F. Thanks to their battles against these monstrous incursions, human society gradually regained stability.

However, the use of abilities disrupted a sentinel’s bodily equilibrium, leading to mental overload or even violent rampages. The destruction wrought by a berserk S-class sentinel, in particular, was catastrophic. It was then that people discovered "guides," individuals capable of soothing a sentinel's mind. Guides were tasked with calming sentinels, while sentinels, in turn, were bound to protect their guides.

Compared to sentinels, guides were exceedingly rare, with high-ranking guides being truly exceptional—cherished and heavily guarded by the major guilds.

...

In 21X5, seven years later, the reappearance of an S-class gate was captured by journalists, igniting widespread public discussion and concern.

N153 District, the site of the S-class gate's emergence, was evacuated overnight. Only a throng of media personnel remained outside, livestreaming the scene as they awaited the return of the Tansapa Guild, which had ventured inside to challenge the gate.

[A B-class gate is already a struggle for other guilds for half a month—an S-class gate is unimaginable.]

[Yeah, and this gate is filled with intelligent monsters, so it’s called the Gate of Wisdom.]

[Seven years ago, many guilds still dared to challenge S-class gates.]

[Didn’t they all fail? And suffered heavy losses. I remember a B-class guild managed to slip in… only to be completely wiped out.]

[That’s why only the Tansapa Guild is taking the initiative this time… after all, they’re the undisputed top guild.]

[Also the top madhouse guild!]

While the public nervously watched the live broadcast, the scene inside the gate was a gruesome bloodbath.

The pristine white laboratory corridor was practically paved with monster limbs and fragments. Under the flickering ceiling lights, the floors and walls were splattered with bright red blood, the overwhelming stench nauseating. Anyone stumbling upon this sight would either pass out cold or spend the next two months vomiting.

Yet, the man in a combat vest was completely unfazed by the carnage, casually chatting as he juggled vials of potions collected from white-coated monsters. His burly, muscular frame was clad only in a vest, revealing powerful, explosive musculature, while a notched eyebrow at the corner of his eye only added to his wild aura. "The S-class gate really has the good stuff—who would've guessed we'd score so much Soothing Liquid here?"

After overusing their abilities, sentinels would enter a state of mental overload. Only a guide of matching rank could calm them down—or Soothing Liquid could be used. However, Soothing Liquid could only be found in A-class gates, and even then, it was exceedingly rare.

High-ranking sentinels were scarce, but high-ranking guides were even rarer. S-class sentinels numbered fewer than ten in official records, and matching guides were practically unheard of—no S-class guide had ever appeared.

Currently, A-class guides were the pinnacle among guides, but their soothing effects on S-class sentinels barely made a dent.

For a guild like Tansapa, whose members were all S-class sentinels, these vials of Soothing Liquid were as precious as life itself.

A young man with messy, golden-brown hair—fluffy as a golden retriever's ruff—chimed in, "Yeah, it’s such a shame. Not only is there so much Soothing Liquid, but this is an S-class gate—the Gate of Wisdom! I’ve never encountered one before… I wish we’d come sooner. Seven years ago, when this gate first appeared, we were stuck clearing another dungeon and missed it. By the time we got out, it had already closed. What a waste, right, Guild Leader?"

Gates usually manifested as whirling vortexes amid howling winds upon opening, often revealing a faint emblem—a beast’s head, symbolizing the Gate of Beasts. These gates were the most common, typically filled with feral, brainless beasts.

But the S-class gate that appeared seven years ago formed a vortex resembling a beast’s pupil. The few survivors who escaped claimed that, aside from a variety of traps, the gate housed dominant, intelligent monsters—hence its name, the Gate of Wisdom.

It was the first time anyone had learned of such a gate.

Back then, three A-grade Guilds took turns entering, only to get absolutely wrecked. Tansapa had been trapped in another gate at the time, and by the time they emerged, the S-class gate had already closed.

The golden-brown-haired youth glanced at the figure walking at the front—a man entirely clad in black uniform, the tight fabric outlining his tall, powerful frame. But the man didn’t respond. Instead, it was the silver-uniformed youth beside him—his deputy leader badge gleaming—who pushed up his glasses and replied, "A Jin, let’s stay cautious. I think this S-class gate still has some nasty surprises in store."

"Got it…" A Jin, the golden-brown-haired youth, grumbled reluctantly. "Deputy Leader Zhong, always being paranoid."

The boss had already been wiped out by the Guild Leader—what danger could possibly remain?

A Jin then huddled up with another member with pale white hair, whispering, "This place is like a rabbit hole. Roland, your gut's never wrong—any premonitions today?"

Roland blinked slowly, his face completely deadpan. "Not sure… but I don’t feel anything bad."

A Jin’s eyes instantly lit up.

The snow-white laboratory corridor stretched endlessly, like some twisted rabbit warren. But sentinels possessed superhuman senses—especially higher-ranked ones, whose memory, perception, and discernment were unparalleled.

The sentinels navigated the corridor as effortlessly as if they were walking through their living room. After defeating the boss, they finally arrived before a concealed door at the end of the long hallway.

Behind this door lay the final room of the S-class gate.

A Jin rubbed his hands eagerly, while the others sized up the door.

Unlike the other laboratory doors, this one completely blocked their senses, indicating special restraints—and it was unusually thick.

Was there a hidden boss behind it? Or some secret?

...

So cold…

World spinning…

Luo Ci clenched his tiny fists, barely managing to force one eye open—only to see a massive glass wall.

The surroundings resembled a laboratory, shadowy and eerie, with complex instrument lights refracting off the glass in twisted, sinister patterns. Strange organs floated in distant containers.

Luo Ci tried to gather his wits, but the inert gas filling the air left his little mind completely scrambled. Hugging his tiny feet, he drifted back into a dazed slumber.

Then—a beam of light cut through the gloom as the laboratory door swung open.

The door, encased in heavy stone slabs and metal, must've weighed tons—yet it was pushed aside as effortlessly as a sheet of paper.

"The hell—it’s just a lab?"

"Is this lab rabbit the final hidden boss? It’s so tiny—no freaking way." The group scanned the room but found nothing unusual. A Jin was the first to notice the cylindrical glass chamber.

"It’s still alive." Deputy Leader Zhong pushed up his glasses, his sharp gaze studying the specimen inside the glass column.

The lower end of the glass column connected to lab equipment, while the upper end linked to a gas supply chamber. The entire setup stood nearly five meters tall, with a spiderweb of sensors attached to the tiny Arctic Hare cub inside—no bigger than a palm, its small body was practically covered in sensors, like a tiny cotton ball floating in the vast glass pillar.

Had it not been for the sentinels’ keen senses, they might have missed the minuscule puffball entirely.

Perhaps disturbed by their presence, the little rabbit stirred, its snow-white form kicking slightly before slowly opening its big baby-blue eyes.

Luo Ci struggled to lift his eyelids, spotting the Tansapa members outside the glass. Through the fog in his mind, he understood he’d arrived in yet another new world.

Deputy Leader Zhong glanced at the labels around the glass pillar—written in some alien monster script, illegible to humans. The only discernible mark was a glowing symbol. "Whatever the case, it’s best to terminate it. We’ve cleared out the whole S-class gate, and this Arctic Hare is the only living thing left—that’s clearly abnormal. Sha Ni Lu, what do you think?"

The man in the combat vest shrugged, offering no opinion.

His stance was clear: he didn’t care—it was up to them.

Roland stood outside the glass, his pale purple eyes fixed on the tiny experimental rabbit. As an S-class sentinel, he naturally had little interest in weak creatures—but this Arctic Hare cub, round like a freshly rolled snowball, was stupidly adorable. He’d never seen anything so adorable.

A Jin, however, immediately protested. "How could something this tiny be dangerous? He’s adorable! I want to take him back."

Tensions flared.

The Tansapa members turned in unison to their Guild Leader, waiting on his call—and Luo Ci’s gaze naturally followed, landing on the man in the black coat at the center.

His shoulders were broad, his attire immaculate—leather combat boots and gloves, the stark black uniform looking as natural on him as an autumn stroll through an oak forest. His sharp black hair fell over his brows, dark lashes softening the sharpness of his stare.

Perhaps no one liked making eye contact with him, as meeting his gaze would instantly make one feel a searing pain that made their lungs feel crushed.

"Mmrph?" Luo Ci's fluffy little ears twitched, instinctively seeking his attention. As he made the sound, bubbles trailed from the breathing mask.

A gloved hand pressed lightly against the glass window. In an instant, the specially treated glass began to ooze a black, tar-like substance, emitting a painful sizzling sound as if corroded by strong acid, leaving blistered gaps.

The Tansapa members instinctively raised shields to protect themselves—after all, when their leader activated his ability, the effects didn't spare allies or enemies. Unexpectedly, however, the man didn’t press further but withdrew his hand instead.

It was as if he hadn’t intended to dispose of the little Arctic Hare at all, and the gesture had merely been an instinctive reaction.

"Bring him along."

A Jin's eyes lit up, and he immediately cheered. But Roland was faster, carefully cradling the small, snow-white bunny in his arms.

"Ah, Roland, you’re so sneaky!" A Jin stomped his feet, whipping up blade-edged winds around him. Yet, fearing harm to the delicate little thing, he dared not direct the attack at Roland.

Roland didn't even spare him a glance, his hand gently stroking the bunny’s soft, delicate fur.

Since the guild leader had spoken, it was clear he deemed the little bunny harmless. Vice Guild Leader Zhong Shijin no longer objected, though his gaze couldn’t help but drift toward the tiny snowball in Roland’s arms. The creature was so small—likely 90% fluff—its actual body even tinier. How had it survived in such a perilous lab?

Perhaps he was overthinking it. What danger could such a small, fluffy snowball possibly pose?

...

The vortex reversed its rotation, signaling that those inside were about to emerge.

The waiting media swarmed forward, nearly blocking the exit entirely.

The Tansapa Guild was world-renowned for its full roster of S-class sentinels, the only guild rated S-class, having conquered nearly 80% of the world's "Gates."

Today, they returned triumphant from an S-class Gate, making history as the first to conquer one.

This was a day destined for the history books, with live broadcast cameras swarming like hornets.

Following the guild leader’s silent cue, Zhong Shijin stepped forward to address the reporters: "Details regarding the S-Gate cannot be disclosed at this time. Please stay tuned for Tansapa’s official press conference..."

Luo Ci, having inhaled excessive inert gas, felt dizzy. The wall of noise flooding his ears only added to his disorientation.

Instinctively, he raised his tiny paws to cover his ears—only then noticing his snow-white little claws.

...Claws?

Tilting his head in confusion, the little bunny seemed puzzled about what kind of creature he was now.

His tiny paws were just as white and fluffy as the rest of him, with faint glimpses of pink paw pads peeking through.

The sight of the little bunny tilting his head to examine his own paws doubled the cuteness.

A Jin spent the entire trip bickering with Roland for turns holding the bunny, but Roland ignored him, keeping the little snowball wrapped in a blanket he’d pulled from his storage device.

The media’s sharp eyes immediately caught sight of the tiny round tail peeking out from the blanket. Eager for an exclusive, they surged forward—only to collide with A Jin’s pent-up fury.

Before A Jin could unleash his anger, however, a deafening crack erupted—

A conjured lightning bolt struck the ground, carving a crater nearly five meters deep. Sha Ni Lu crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at the terrified reporters. "Tch. Sorry. The Soothing Liquid isn’t working like it used to. Hard to control my strength."

The reporters: "..."

In that brief moment of distraction, Roland slipped into the guild’s waiting car with the little bunny in tow.

Live footage exploded across networks, and news of Tansapa’s conquest of the S-Gate swept through cities and towns.

As the top-ranked guild, they naturally had hordes of fans—though a minority voiced concerns. After all, S-class sentinels without matching guides relied solely on Soothing Liquid. If they were to lose control, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In a secret meeting room of an A-grade Guild, figures huddled in the dim light.

Watching the live feed, a smug tone soon broke the silence:

"See? Tansapa’s emergence from the Gate lines up with my vision to the second. Now will you believe me? My prophecy never fails—the Tansapa Guild leader will snap within two years!"