Leonar hurried into the guild, crossing the back parking lot and descending the stairs where he found the team he'd worked with the day before.

This time, everyone wore dark, functional uniforms with protective padding on their elbows and knees, designed specifically for portal expeditions.

Leonar recognized the man who had given him an advance the previous day; he chuckled and pointed at Leonar.

"Relax, kid, you're still on time," he said with a laid-back smile.

'Damn, how embarrassing to be late on my first day…' thought Leonar.

He was still processing the man's words when he turned and gave an order to another worker coming up the stairs.

"Hey, take the new guy to the lockers. Make sure he's suited up like the rest of us."

The worker nodded and gestured for Leonar to follow.

They walked through a few corridors until they reached a room lined with uniforms.

Leonar quickly changed, feeling the weight of the gear on his shoulders.

As he adjusted his jacket, his companion joked,

"What happened? Did you oversleep?"

"Something like that…" Leonar replied, attempting a smile, though nerves were eating at him.

After finishing up, he rejoined the team, who were already moving a large cart toward the guild's main entrance, where hunters were gathering and climbing into various vehicles.

Without wasting time, Leonar helped his team load the cart onto the assigned truck, securing it tightly before the vehicles started moving.

He climbed in, wedged between his teammates, and during the silent ride, his mind drifted between anxiety and excitement.

After several minutes of silence, the vehicles finally stopped.

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Everyone got out and unloaded the cart quickly, wheeling it to a spot near the portal.

The first thing that caught Leonar's attention was the crowd gathered around: reporters pointing their cameras and microphones toward the portal's entrance, and security personnel securing the perimeter to keep people from getting too close.

He watched as some guild members spoke with security staff, who, after checking permits, allowed the team to proceed.

When they finally crossed the security barrier and reached the portal's entrance, Leonar's nerves spiked.

He had never been on an expedition before, and the tension gnawed at him.

However, seeing the calm expressions of his teammates, he tried to mirror their composure and took a deep breath.

In front of him loomed the portal, a swirling red vortex that seemed to swallow the light around it.

Swallowing hard, Leonar took the first step and passed through the portal.

What he found on the other side took his breath away.

The sky was a deep red, almost as if the air were laced with fire.

The sun, instead of shining yellow, glowed with a dim orange hue, casting a strange light that made him feel as if he were on another planet.

Giant rocks rose up toward the horizon, and the air was thick and dry with heat.

Around him, another team appeared to have arrived earlier and had set up a military camp with army vehicles, tents, and barricades to establish a secure perimeter.

Leonar stared in awe, struggling to process everything he was seeing.

Beside him, a teammate noticed his reaction and whispered,

"First time in a portal?"

"Yes…" Leonar replied, still speechless.

"Relax. This area is usually safe. When the first teams arrive, they scout the area to make sure the non-awakened can set up camp without trouble. So we're in a kind of 'monster-free zone.'"

Leonar nodded, trying to calm himself.

Knowing the area was secure gave him a surprising sense of relief, and though he still felt a tightness in his chest, he no longer felt so out of place.

Not far from where they stood, the red-haired woman he'd seen in the elevator the previous day appeared.

In an authoritative tone, she gave instructions:

"We'll be clearing nearby areas for a few hours. Later, another team will handle gathering the stones."

For Leonar, those words were like music to his ears.

It meant that, at least for now, he wouldn't have to face any monsters or be near danger.

As the team of hunters moved off toward the camp's outskirts, his group settled near the cart they'd brought, chatting about the heat and how unusual this world felt.

Leonar joined the conversation, trying to distract himself from the tension.

But suddenly, a strange sensation washed over him.

His eyes began to sting slightly.

Instinctively, he rubbed them, trying to relieve the discomfort.

He blinked a few times, and then… something changed.

Looking up, he noticed something remarkable: each of his teammates appeared to be surrounded by a faint green glow.

He blinked again, feeling baffled.

His mind searched for an explanation, but deep down, he already knew.

'It can't be…' Leonar thought, fighting disbelief.

But the evidence was clear.

Right before his eyes, he was seeing it, clear as day—his ability had returned.