Void Evolution System Chapter 4

Vast.

That was the only way to describe the interior of the dungeon. Upon passing through the gate, Damien was greeted by a colossal cavern system stretching for miles, its furthest depths lost in the shadows beyond his vision.

“Listen up, everyone. This floor should only contain first-class beasts up to level 20, so stay sharp and take them down. Even if they seem pathetic, we must remain alert for any anomalies.”

Following Jin’s command, the group moved out, with Damien trailing a short distance behind the main party.

The raid proceeded smoothly as the minutes ticked by. Since the monsters didn't exceed level 20, the vanguard—mostly comprised of first-class fighters averaging level 30—faced no real difficulty, particularly with Elena in their ranks.

Whenever a beast appeared that required a coordinated effort to slay, she would simply lunge forward, her blade cutting through the air in a manner that seemed almost suicidal.

Her confidence was well-founded; regardless of how polished her swordsmanship appeared, its core was her innate talent to constantly regenerate health and stamina. Because of this, no monster at or slightly above her level stood a chance against her.

Despite this advantage, the squad maintained a cautious pace. In low-level dungeons like this, the monsters weren't always the greatest threat.

Roughly two years after the World Awakening, as humanity was finally adjusting to the presence of mana and its transformative effects, a discovery was made that completely shifted their understanding of the world.

A scouting party from an unnamed guild had been traversing a dungeon when they stumbled upon other humanoid beings.

They attempted to communicate before engaging in combat, only to realize that the strangers were no longer using any known Earthly tongues.

It was soon revealed that the arrival of mana and the accompanying system bestowed a universal language upon all sentient beings under its reach.

While humans typically used English as a global bridge, this new system-integrated language only surfaced once they encountered other intelligent life forms.

Through dialogue with these humanoids, the guild members discovered that the dungeon they occupied was actually a bridge to a different realm known as ‘Lahor’.

As more guilds encountered intelligent races within these zones, the reality of an infinite number of parallel worlds became clear.

According to the inhabitants of these foreign realms, gates are events that specifically manifest in worlds that have only recently awakened to mana.

Once a world fully integrates with mana, dungeons become stable, naturally occurring structures. However, a world in the midst of its awakening lacks the structural durability to house mana-born constructs without risking total collapse. Consequently, gates act as anchors, connecting to dungeons located in other, more stable worlds.

In a dungeon linked to a place called the ‘Cloud Plane’, humans met people who viewed the system as the ‘heavens.’ To them, gaining power wasn't just leveling up—it was ‘Cultivation’.

Through these myriad interactions, Earth’s population learned much, including the fact that these outsiders were forbidden from entering Earth through the gates.

This restriction seemed tied to a concept of ‘balance.’ However, since humanity had only been exposed to mana and the system for six years, such high-level theories remained largely beyond their grasp.

Hours passed until the dungeon was nearly cleared. The team took a breather before the final sweep. During the pause, Elena naturally approached Damien to check on his well-being and share some conversation.

Elsewhere in the cave, Jin watched them with eyes full of resentment. ‘Damn it. That girl belongs with me! Why is she wasting her time looking at that garbage instead of me?’

Throughout the expedition, Jin had been desperately flaunting his prowess to catch Elena’s eye, yet she treated him as if he were invisible. As the pampered son of a rich and powerful man, Jin had never experienced the kind of cold indifference Elena showed him.

‘The more she ignores me, the more I want her.’ Jin’s mind grew clouded with jealousy as he watched Elena laugh with Damien, displaying a warmth she never showed anyone else.

‘I just need to eliminate that trash. Once that obstacle is removed, she’ll have no choice but to be mine. Hehehe, accidents are common in dungeons, aren't they? If a useless porter dies because a beast "happened" to slip through our defenses...’

His face contorted into a mask of malice as he plotted, a dark aura briefly leaking from him before he suppressed it. ‘Damien, was it? Enjoy your chat while you can, because it’s the last one you’ll ever have.’

Meanwhile, Damien was busy laughing with Elena, completely unaware that an arrogant Young Master had already marked him for death.

“So? This place seems pretty standard to me. I don’t get why the mana signature was flagged as strange.”

“Hmm,” Elena mused, “it could have deeper floors. If so, it doesn’t matter; once we clear this level, the gate will shut. Look on the bright side—you’re getting paid the same for less effort.”

“True enough. Anyway, looks like that prick is rounding everyone up again. You should probably head back.”

As the squad began to reform, a deafening roar shook the cavern walls, followed by the sound of massive, thudding footsteps.

“Shit!” Jin shouted. “I can feel the aura—it’s at least a 1st class! Form up immediately! Be ready to engage or retreat on my signal!”

A gargantuan tiger-like creature emerged from the darkness, standing twenty meters tall with a body wreathed in flickering flames.

“It’s roughly level 50, a fresh 2nd class beast. If we coordinate, we can take it!” Jin barked orders.

Damien scrambled back several meters to avoid the chaos as the squad fell into their roles. The team consisted of two tankers, two healers, a mage, and three strikers, including both Elena and Jin.

The beast lunged with a ferocious cry, breathing a torrent of fire. While the tankers absorbed the brunt of the heat, the mage cast ice spells to pin the creature’s paws to the ground.

Elena and Jin struck simultaneously. Jin vanished into the shadows to hamstrings the beast with his twin daggers, while Elena engaged the monster in a direct, bloody confrontation.

The tiger roared in fury, swiping its massive claws at Elena, who nimbly evaded the strikes while carving deep wounds into its neck. The battle dragged on as the team slowly wore the beast down, covering it in a network of cuts and gashes.

Thanks to her unique ability, Elena remained at the forefront of the fight even as her teammates began to struggle with exhaustion and mana depletion.

With the mage providing support with ice spikes and Jin crippling its movements, Elena finally delivered a killing blow fifteen minutes later. The massive beast collapsed, dead.

Through careful planning and sheer experience, the team had survived the encounter without casualties. As the healers worked and the others caught their breath, the ground began to vibrate violently.

Panic washed over the group.

“The gate is collapsing! Move! Get out now!” one of the tankers screamed as he bolted toward the exit.

The rest of the group followed suit. Damien was forced to use consecutive teleports just to keep pace. Being trapped in a dungeon was a death sentence.

Once a gate shut, the link to Earth vanished. Even if someone survived the monsters, they would be marooned in a foreign world forever.

As Damien sprinted, he scanned the area for Elena and saw her lagging behind.

“Elena! What’s wrong?” Damien shouted, before the reality of the situation hit him.

The gate had begun closing prematurely. Having carried the burden of the 2nd class fight, her mana was completely spent. Without a moment to recover, she was on the verge of total collapse.

“Damn it!” Damien hissed, turning back to reach her. He grabbed her by the waist—a touch she instinctively fought until she realized it was him—and began a desperate series of short-range teleports toward the exit.

As the gate loomed closer, Damien’s mana reserves hit zero. His body started to fail under the strain; blood began to seep from his pores as his internal pressure spiked. He didn't stop.

He remembered his gut feeling and his vow. Just as his organs felt like they were about to burst, he threw himself through the gate.

He collapsed on the ground outside and managed a weak smile as he set Elena down. It hadn't been pretty, but they were both safe.

He turned to check on Elena, who was starting to regain her senses, when he suddenly felt a massive force strike him, sending him flying backward.

‘Huh? Why am I moving backward?’ Damien’s mind raced, unable to process the sudden shift. As the truth dawned on him, terror took hold.

Directly behind him was the gate, currently in its final seconds of existence, and he was powerless to stop his momentum.

His mana was gone, his muscles were shredded, and his grip on consciousness was slipping.

As the cold mana of the gate’s event horizon brushed against his back, the final image he saw was Elena’s face twisted in horror—and a certain bastard waving at him with a grin.

Then, the world vanished into darkness.