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The trio arrived at least half an hour earlier than the agreed time, determined not to annoy anyone by being late. As they neared the forest's edge, the swelling fear inside them became harder to ignore. Anyone below C-rank was strictly forbidden from entering this part of the Dark Forest, and the inner part was forbidden to all humans.

Usually, the beasts stayed deep within, away from the edge, but there were no guarantees. A single C-rank beast could wipe out hundreds, maybe thousands of F and E-rank hunters with ease. The gate they were heading to was a low D-rank, and although it still had a high gate count, no one was rushing to clear it since there was still a year left before its countdown expired. With roughly 200 dives left, it remained low on priority.

...

About twenty minutes later, a tank-like armored vehicle rolled up and came to a stop in front of the gate. The young, handsome man from the earlier day stepped out first, a smug grin spreading across his face as his eyes landed on Lucas. "Elena, your mules are here," he said with a sneer.

Carl's fists clenched, his anger boiling over. He was about to say something, but Javier grabbed his arm and shook his head, silently urging him to stay calm. Javier was right—there was no point. They needed this job. The bitter truth was that, in this world, the weak only had rights on paper, not in reality.

When Nelson stepped out of the vehicle, he completely ignored Lucas and his friends as if they were beneath his notice. Every part of his appearance radiated power, from his boots to the clasp holding his long blond hair, each item infused with C or B-rank enhancements. He was clearly being groomed as the future head of the Mander family, and it was rumored that he'd reach B-rank before the age of 25.

Reaching into his back pocket, Nelson pulled out a long staff, and the surrounding hunters immediately began whispering in envy. Their hushed admiration brought a smug smile to his face. Not everyone could afford a high-grade dimensional bag that would cost millions of credits.

As Nelson casually drew out more supplies from his bag, it became clear that his had several cubic meters of capacity—an item worth more than several million credits, easily making him the center of attention.

Lucas clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. Nelson's smug grin and the way he ignored them as if they were beneath him stung deeply. But Lucas couldn't afford to react. They needed the money from this gate run, and pride wasn't going to pay their debts.

Beside him, Carl was visibly seething; his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might crack. Lucas could feel the tension radiating from his friend. Carl had a fiery temper, and Lucas knew he wanted to snap back at Nelson, but he also knew that picking a fight with someone of Nelson's status would get them nowhere. So, Carl did the only thing he could—he took deep, controlled breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

Nelson, still basking in the envious glances of the onlookers, casually handed over the enchanted sword, shimmering cloak, and healing potions to Elena, as if they were mere trinkets. Each item cost more than Lucas and his friends could dream of earning in years, and yet Nelson acted like it was nothing.

The crowd's awe only seemed to inflate his ego further, and he finally waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Let's get this over with." His voice carried the unmistakable tone of boredom. This gate run was nothing but a chore to him, something ordered by his grandfather that he had no choice but to obey. To Nelson, it was just another routine task, like going to a mart, but to Lucas and his friends, it was their lifeline.

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As Nelson and Elena led the way toward the gate, Lucas and his friends followed from behind, the feeling of being looked down upon weighing on them. Elena's boy toy gave a smug smile and shook his head. "I would rather die, tsk, tsk, tsk." His mocking tone grated on Carl's nerves, and Javier had to hold him back. How could this gigolo, a mid-E-rank, dare to look down on Carl, a low E-rank? The insult was too much. They started to fight.

Nelson, irritated by the bickering behind him, snapped, "Shut up. Do I need to listen to your barking?" His commanding voice silenced everyone. Josh, the boy toy, froze, unable to retort. He glanced at Elena for support, but her expression remained cold. She wasn't going to risk angering her brother for someone so insignificant. She turned to Josh and, in a detached tone, said, "Josh, I think we should take some time off."

This shocked Josh to his core. Just last night, they had whispered sweet nothings to each other while making love, and now, it all meant nothing. After six months of dating, he had started to see himself as her future husband. But this cold slap of reality showed him he was nothing more than a toy.

As Carl and the others walked past, Carl leaned in and whispered, "Is this how a man should live? I could never...tsk, tsk, tsk, I would rather die." The words stung, and Josh clenched his fists. "You..." he started, but then remembered Nelson's earlier anger. Without Elena's backing, he was powerless. He bit his tongue.

Lucas, unable to hold back, let out a small laugh. The scene in front of him was just a reminder of the brutal truth he lived in. If you were weak, in mere seconds, you could become worse than a mule. Your fate was in the hands of others. He despised this reality. He wanted control over his own destiny, but that was something only the strong could achieve.

This laughter caught Nelson's attention, and for the first time, he examined Lucas closely. He approached slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face as if trying to recall something. "Do I know you?"

Lucas understood the importance of showing respect. "I don't think so, sir. I only raid F and E-rank gates." Nelson shook his head, dismissing the idea. "No, I do know you, but not from the gates. Why do I know you?" Just then, Elena interjected, "He was on the news four years ago. Don't you remember, brother? The S-rank..."

With amusement written all over his face, Nelson snapped his fingers and pointed at Lucas. "The Dud S-rank, the Blank Shot, right?" Lucas clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm. "Yes, sir, some people call me that."

Nelson covered his eyes with his hand and burst into laughter. "How the mighty have fallen! From being an S-rank and a member of the Esperanza Guild to being a mule." He shook his finger mockingly. "Oh, sorry—my mistake. You were never mighty. People just thought you were."

Lucas was boiling with anger, but he had to keep it hidden. He could only bottle it up inside without showing any outward signs. "Sir, I'm just here to do my job..." Before he could finish, Nelson seized his neck and lifted him off the ground. "Do I need to remind you who I am? Do I need to ask who I'm talking to or what I'm going to say? Am I making you angry? Did I annoy you?"

Nelson might have been a caster-type hunter, but as a C-rank, he had the physique of a low D-rank, which made it impossible for Lucas to escape his grip. Struggling to breathe, Lucas managed to say, "Of... course not... Sir... I... apologize... if I... offended... you."

Nelson dropped him. "Hmph, know your place, trash. Do you still think of yourself as an S-rank?" Carl and Javier rushed to help Lucas up, but in a matter of seconds, Nelson returned to ignoring them as if their exchange had never happened. "Let's go in. We've wasted enough time on pointless chatter."

As they approached the gate, Lucas felt a tingling sensation of magic in the air. The energy was stronger here, just outside the gate, and its pressure made his skin prickle. D-rank gates weren't as dangerous as higher-ranked ones, but for an F-rank like him, even the lower-tier threats inside could spell death.

Nelson, clad in his high-ranking gear and radiating confidence, seemed completely unfazed. To him, this was just another stroll in the park. "We need to stick close," Javier warned, his tone shifting to something more serious.

"We'll handle our side of the work, just like we planned. No mistakes, and don't get careless." As he spoke, his gaze settled on Carl. Carl understood the unspoken message and nodded in annoyance, "Okay, okay, I will behave. I am not stupid enough to go wild in a D-rank gate."

They stood before the gate, its shimmering blue surface rippling like water. Without a second glance, Nelson stepped through with Elena by his side.

"Let's go," Lucas said, moving forward. The gate's magic enveloped him as he crossed the threshold, pulling him into the dungeon. Inside, the air felt thick and oppressive, warmer than it had been outside.

The dungeon's environment was bleak—twisted roots and jagged rocks cluttered the landscape while a knee-high mist clung to the ground, obscuring what lay beneath. The cave was vast, at least six meters wide and twelve meters high. It was needlessly big for snakols.