SWNOVELXO Chapter 348: Fading Hope
Chapter 348: Fading Hope
Back in Sector II,
Xavier and his team stood near a barricade as the Union officials, dressed in black tactical gear, were spread out, scanning the surrounding area with high-tech equipment. A tall woman with dark green hair and yellow eyes walked over to Xavier with a confused expression on her face.
"I thought dungeons usually close up about half an hour after the boss is defeated," she said, crossing her arms and eyeing the surrounding area. "But according to your report, that wasn't the case. You're telling me there was a powerful monster still lurking, one far stronger than the boss?"
"It wasn't just any monster," Xavier said, his eyes lingering on where the dungeon portal was before it closed. "It was an anomaly of some sort, far too strong. With the speed and strength it displayed, I would say it was easily an SSS-ranked monster. Its aura was suffocating, crushing even."
The woman raised her eyebrow in surprise. "So what did this monster look like? You never gave a visual description," she asked as she folded her arms with a slightly skeptical look on her face.
Xavier's eyes narrowed slightly as he placed his hand under his jaw thoughtfully. "It looked like a wolf-man," he said finally. "Black fur, glowing red eyes. It stood on two legs, and its motions were... too fast to follow. It gave Alister's dragons a run for their money. I've never seen anything like it in my life."
The woman's yellow eyes narrowed slightly, and she sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before she spoke. "That's... troubling."
She paused, then said, "And I'm sorry, it might be hard to hear, but we can't do anything else here. Even with everything the Union knows, the phenomenon of how dungeons even materialize in the first place is still a mystery to us. Talk less of trying to re-open one that already closed."
Chase blew up with frustration from the back. "Then what do you need the guys in the fancy gear for? If there's no hope, then why are you even here?"
"So what are you saying we're supposed to do? Just wait until he dies in there?"
Keeping her eyes fixed on Chase, the woman spoke in a calm tone. "Calm yourself. I get that you may be angry, but don't redirect it to the people trying to help."
"Our job is to pick up the dungeon's distinct energy signature. So if this dungeon ever opens back up, the Union can jump in and offer assistance."
"We've seen instances where portals that close after a raid later open up somewhere else after some time. Hopefully, this may be one of those cases."
Chase grimaced but quieted, fists clenched at his sides. The rest of the team looked at each other awkwardly, the woman's words hanging heavy in the air.
Xavier, still looking at where the portal used to be, finally said, "So, do you have an idea how long before the portal appears? After all, the flow of time in a dungeon is always faster than out here. If it's too long, then..."
The woman sighed as she said, "We can't really tell. It could be a week, a month, probably a year even. All we can do is hope that doesn't turn out to be the case. If this was in fact an anomaly, every piece of data we capture now will prove invaluable for confronting it down the road. You've done your part by surviving and telling us what you've witnessed. Leave the rest to us."
Xavier's jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything else.
The woman turned back to Xavier with a stern expression on her face. "Have you informed the White Comets of this development yet?"
Xavier sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I already have. But I'll need to give a full report to my Guild Master as well."
Before the conversation could continue, one of the officers working the scanners called out urgently, "Commander! Something's up!"
The green-haired woman turned sharply toward the voice, her eyes narrowing. "What is it?"
Xavier and his team instinctively shifted their attention to the direction the officer was pointing. Their eyes widened as they saw movement where the dungeon portal was.
Emerging from a faint shimmer was a set of claws-long, black, razor-sharp, and dripping with blood.
"Something's coming through!" another Union official yelled, gripping his weapon tightly. "It looks like a monster!"
The air suddenly became tense. Xavier and his teammates immediately prepared themselves for the possibility that it was that wolf, their hands moving to their weapons.
Chase muttered, "Haven't we already had enough for one day..."
Before anyone could act, the sound of an approaching vehicle drew their attention. A sleek, white SUV with the White Comets' insignia came to a stop just behind the barricade.
The doors opened, and stepping out first was a composed woman with light blue hair, dressed in the White Comet Guild's uniform.
Adjusting her glasses, she took a look around the scene with a sharp gaze.
It was none other than Lady Aiko.
She paused for a moment, then proceeded to open the back door of the vehicle. From inside, another figure stepped out a young man clad in a beautiful silver, white, and blue uniform. His silver hair fell messily over his face, obscuring it. His shoulders were slightly hunched, and his expression was uncharacteristically downcast.
It was none other than Guildmaster Yuuto.
For a brief moment, his jaw clenched, and his teeth gritted audibly. But he quickly composed himself, standing tall and pulling his hair back from his face. His silver eyes seemed to carry a storm of emotions within them.
But then his expression suddenly became blank as his eyes landed on the claws that emerged from the portal.
Lady Aiko quickly noticed the tension among the Union officials and Xavier's group. She then
proceeded to ask,
"What's happening here?"
Meanwhile, Yuuto's eyes suddenly sharpened. He stepped forward, and as he saw those claws slowly re-opening the dungeon portal, his thoughts raced.
'This mana... Wait... Don't tell me.'