The crossing through the portal was smooth, and in no time all the selected students were gathered—at least the third-years. As Reginald had predicted, as soon as they arrived, those who didn't belong to the most advanced class were immediately treated as outcasts. Soon enough, only Reginald, Viper, and Rupert were left isolated from the group. Even so, neither Rupert nor Viper seemed interested in forming any sort of alliance. Reginald, on the other hand, felt a growing anxiety about the situation, but eventually calmed himself.
"Screw it. I didn't make it this far by relying on others. If this is the only way, then so be it."
Taking advantage of the moment of distance, Reginald began to observe his surroundings—and it was precisely because of this that he was the first to notice a discrepancy between the environment and the map they'd received. The surprise was so great that he ended up speaking too loudly, instinctively:
— We're supposed to be near a forest. Where the hell did we end up?
The comment made the lively chatter among the veterans come to an immediate halt. One by one, they began to notice what Reginald was pointing out.
— Lincoln, I think the first-year is right. Nothing here matches the map we were given.
Lincoln was considered by all the third-years to be a rare gem—perhaps the most promising among them. Proud, sharp, and so far trustworthy, he had been a key figure in Drokavas 2, responsible for protecting the moon they had been sent to. Despite the planet's defeat, Lincoln had been one of the few capable of facing a humanoid Aracnafon on equal footing.
— This terrain isn't natural. A battle probably destroyed everything around here — he declared, surveying the surroundings with trained eyes.
Lincoln's analysis made the veterans uneasy. For a battle to have altered an entire planet's topography, the scale of the confrontation had to be unreal.
— But it doesn't make sense... — someone muttered. — For this kind of destruction to happen, the creature involved would've had to be absurdly large.
The group quickly broke into a heated debate. Some argued that the terrain was the same as on the map, only altered by a recent event. Others doubted the map's accuracy altogether. Then, unexpectedly, Viper broke the silence:
— Lincoln is right.
Immediately, those who disagreed turned to her, ready to confront. A blonde third-year girl stepped forward, mockingly:
— And how the hell can you be so sure about that, first-year?
Viper didn't even bother to look at the girl. She began listing her reasons coldly, aware that Lincoln probably already knew them but had chosen not to mention them for some reason:
— Gargantua is one of the most populated planets in our universe. And all I hear here is a sepulchral silence. The map shows mountain ranges that are, in fact, exactly where they should be. And the only active portal in years is this one. There's never been any record of location displacement—aside from the premature deaths, of course. I could list many other reasons, but it wouldn't change the fact that we're in an extremely dangerous and hostile place. In a battle, there's always a winner—and I definitely don't want to be around when they decide to show up.
The silence that followed was thick with tension. Many wondered why they hadn't thought along those lines before. Lincoln then approached Viper and extended his hand with a diplomatic smile.
— Lincoln Umbral. A pleasure to meet you. I've always been curious about how your family rose so quickly, but now I see it was probably due to intelligence. Would you like to join our group? I think you'd be a valuable addition.
— No, thank you. — Viper declined coldly, still not looking at him. — I have no intention of sharing the burden of ignorance with you. I'm just waiting for you to decide which way you're going, so I can go in the opposite direction.
A vein pulsed on Lincoln's face, but to everyone's surprise—including Viper's—he simply let out a genuine laugh.
— Very well. We're heading East.
— I figured. Then I'm going West.
— I'd really like to understand why you plan to go straight toward whatever caused this destruction.
The conversation seemed entirely beyond the others' grasp, but for the two of them, it was a strategic game. Viper believed she could find and explore the remains of the loser of the battle. Lincoln, on the other hand, believed the winning creature was still around—and would never let anyone touch its prey. To Viper, Lincoln was a coward. To Lincoln, Viper was dangerously arrogant.
— So that's it. — Lincoln turned to the other two who were still isolated. — And you two... are you coming with me?
— You know what? I kinda like this idea of everyone going in a different direction... — Rupert said with a crooked smile. — I'm heading south. Or maybe north. Still deciding, hahahah!
Eccentric. That was the unanimous impression everyone had of Rupert.
— And you, Reginald? — Lincoln asked, turning to the last silent one of the trio.
Before Reginald could even respond, a sound began to echo around them. It was like the pounding of drums—shrill, rhythmic, and, more frighteningly, the ground vibrated with every beat.
BOOM... BOOM... BOOM... BOOM...
The first to react was Rupert. Without saying a word, he sprinted toward what, according to the map, was the safe zone. No one understood at first. Viper was the next to take off running. And after five seconds of hesitation, Lincoln finally spoke:
— What we're hearing... those are footsteps. We need to get out of here. NOW!
In a matter of seconds, panic swept through the group. Everyone started running full speed, as if their lives depended on it—and they absolutely did.
— Fuck this, see you at the safe zone! — shouted the blonde third-year who had earlier confronted Viper.
With a swift motion, she summoned her spirit animal: a massive golden bird with a wingspan of nearly twelve meters.
— Fork, let's fly!
Ignoring her teammates completely, she ascended quickly, effortlessly reaching the clouds. Up there, she started laughing and boasting:
— Sorry, boys! But I need to level up. I'm not dying on this shitty planet! Hahahaha!
But while she felt safe, flying at high speed, Lincoln and Viper had the same thought:
"Idiot."
Anyone who had read the reports about Gargantua knew: the skies didn't belong to humans. Too exposed. Too dangerous. A fatal mistake.
It didn't take long for shapes to move among the clouds. Massive creatures resembling vultures, each over four meters long, began to surround the golden bird. They attacked with precision, pecking at specific points as if they knew every weakness of the creature. In less than thirty seconds, the bird began to lose altitude.
The girl fired, threw knives—but nothing seemed to pierce the creatures' hide.
— HELP! Someone help me! GUYS, HELP ME!
Her desperate screams echoed across the field.
— Shut up and die quietly. — Viper was the first to say what everyone was thinking.
The girl had known the risks, had access to the same information. But she chose to put herself in danger—and now she was threatening to drag everyone down with her.
But before anyone could act, the vultures disappeared back into the clouds. The bird and the girl, still alive, were tumbling down, covered in wounds. It looked like they had survived.
— Shit... it's too late. — Rupert was the first to stop running.
And then, true terror appeared.
From the middle of the clouds, a massive, fur-covered paw tore through the sky, grabbing the bird as if it were a toy. Moments later, a colossal simian burst through the clouds, descending with the force of a meteor.
The impact made the ground tremble violently. In its hand, the creature crushed the bird with ease. Blood and bones—and what was left of the girl—oozed between its fingers.
With a chilling snap, the simian tore off the bird's head and devoured it in a single bite.
— What the fuck is that...? — someone muttered, terrified.
— Chordata Gigantis — Viper answered, her voice dry.
The name made everyone's blood run cold.
Chordata Gigantis. One of the worst creatures ever recorded on Gargantua. A legendary predator, colossal enough to dominate both sides of the planet—sky and ground—thanks to the symmetrical gravity that governed that semi-hollow world. On Gargantua, there was land both above and below, depending on where you were, and gravity reversed between these surfaces.
Chordata used that to its advantage like no other.
With a single leap, it could cross the sky, dropping onto its prey from the clouds as if falling from nowhere. It was a force of nature—unpredictable and lethal—capable of turning both the terrain and the sky into its hunting ground.
And now, that thing was staring directly at them.
— If we join forces, I think we have a shot at killing that thing. — Lincoln was the first to break the silence, resolute.
He knew that every second lost to fear was one less chance to survive—or to level up. And he needed to level up.
With a gesture, he summoned his creature.
It looked like something straight out of a nightmare: an entity made of black smoke, with no defined form, except for two glowing eyes in the midst of the darkness. Everyone there knew—it was one of the most powerful entities ever seen in battle.
— Let's end this quickly. I'll aim for the heart. Help me!
The creature was clearly irritated. Something inside it recognized that these small, tasty beings were starting to summon entities it had never encountered before. And that... that bothered it.
With a guttural roar, it charged forward, trying to crush one of the enemies with a direct strike.
— Viper... — Lincoln began, noticing the movement.
— I got it.
Before he could say anything else, Viper grotesquely inflated her throat, like a toad about to croak, and spat a jet of viscous fluid directly at the beast's face.
Large creatures often carry their greatest weakness in their size—they become easy targets. But this monstrous simian was more than brute force—it was intelligent. As soon as it sensed the attack, it halted its charge and raised its hand to its face, shielding itself.
Even so, the scream that followed made everyone cover their ears. The finger that had intercepted the jet began to melt before their eyes, dissolving into raw flesh under the acidic substance.
The creature howled—a mix of pain and rage—and went into a frenzy. It no longer wanted to eat. It wanted to kill.
— Shit! That thing killed Arnold and Cíntia! — someone shouted in the middle of the chaos.
One by one, the number of fighters dwindled. The chaos was absolute. Even with everyone summoning their creatures, few could withstand the beast's relentless onslaught. It crushed, punched, hurled stones and entire trees like toys.
In minutes, the group was reduced to just eight survivors.
— Fuck! This thing's gonna kill us and we won't even be able to fight back! — someone cried out, panicked.
Despair was spreading. The sense of helplessness burned like poison... until something caught everyone's attention.
Rupert.
Somehow, he had climbed the creature. He was on the simian's back, wielding a sword nearly as large as himself. The creature, still reeling in agony, took a moment to notice the small intruder. But when it did... it was already too late.
Rupert drove the blade with all his strength into the creature's ear, burying it to the hilt.
The scream that followed was deafening. The creature staggered, disoriented, and crashed to the ground with a thunderous impact.
— NOW! — Lincoln shouted. — This is our chance! EVERYONE, GO!
They all charged, stabbing, slashing, striking... but it quickly became clear: they weren't dealing enough damage.
— Damn it, this isn't working. If it gets back up, we're screwed!
That's when a voice cut through the battlefield:
— Get out of my way!
Reginald appeared, riding a massive reptilian creature—a lizard large enough for him to be seated comfortably.
— Reginald? What the hell... — someone murmured, stunned.
The creature Reginald rode began to spray a gas into the air.
— That's... GAS! EVERYONE, RUN! — someone in the group screamed.
Two boys didn't make it out in time.
Then, a massive explosion engulfed the area between the creature's chest and feet. Invisible, but lethal fire wrapped around the simian, burning its flesh from the inside, as if heat were spreading beneath its skin.
The creature whimpered, mortally wounded. It trembled, no longer moving with rage—only pain—as it felt something squeezing its heart and smelled its own burning flesh. Gathering its last strength, it opened its eyes one final time... and saw Rupert again.
He simply brought the sword down, driving it through the creature's skull between the eyes as it convulsed.
— It's dead. — someone confirmed, voice low.
Victory had come... but it left a bitter taste.
In just a few hours, more than half of the students had been eliminated from Gargantua, expelled from the planet before they could explore or gain anything from the trip. Only the freshmen seemed genuinely pleased with the outcome.
— Fuck! You killed my friends, you bastard! — a red-haired boy shouted, raising his weapon at Reginald.
But Lincoln quickly stepped between them:
— We didn't have a choice, Leon. If it got back up, we'd all be dead.
— Fuck you, Lincoln! That son of a bitch could've warned us from the start!
— No one here talked about their advantages. Not us, not them. This isn't injustice—it's survival. The strong kill the weak. That's enough. We're still not safe.
In the sky, the massive vultures circled overhead. They knew who had won the fight. And they seemed ready to challenge the new champion. So the group abandoned the creature's corpse—it was far too risky to take pieces of something that massive.
They took only the levels they'd gained. And ran.
The journey to the safe zone took longer than they expected. But they finally arrived.
Or at least... they thought they had.
— What the hell...? I thought the safe zone was supposed to be near a mountain... — someone said, confused.
The place they were now was... a hole. Deep, dark, and completely different from anything indicated on the map.
— No way this is it... — another murmured, as everyone looked around, wary.
Leon seemed the most reluctant of them all. He was determined to leave that hole immediately, convinced they had either walked into a trap or the map was wrong.
But no one there was in any condition to go anywhere. They were exhausted, wounded, traumatized… and night was approaching fast.
— Leon, we have to stay here. — said Lincoln, more calmly now, trying to defuse the situation. — If we go out there now, we're dead for sure. We have no advantage in the dark. Here, at least, we've got a chance... we can take the risk.
Leon huffed, hesitating. His rage still simmered under his skin, but he said nothing. The others were uneasy too, and another argument seemed ready to erupt.
But then... a deafening scream echoed from above, from clouds that now looked thicker and darker than ever before.
The sound was like thunder mixed with a roar. A chill ran down everyone's spine.
Rupert, the first to sense what was coming, stood up and murmured with the calm voice of someone who'd been expecting this all along:
— Too late to run now. We're about to find out if this place really is safe...
Everyone looked at him, confused. What the hell was he saying? Rupert was smiling, like a spectator at a play only he knew the script to.
And then... the answer fell from the sky.
Two smaller simians plummeted from the clouds like meteors, followed by a third one—just as massive as the one they had fought before. The impact shook the ground and raised a dust cloud so thick that, for a moment, the sky disappeared.
— You've got to be kidding me... — someone murmured, breathless.
— Looks like the husband... and the kids found us. — Viper replied with a sharp, bitter smile.
The larger creature stared at them with fierce eyes, filled with rage and pain. Its gaze cut like a blade, but... it didn't move. It paced back and forth, roaring and groaning in frustration, like a caged beast that knew it couldn't attack.
— Well... I guess this really is the safe zone. Hahahaha! — Rupert let out a laugh, as if he were in some tragic theater performance.
No one responded. They were stunned.
The simple fact that the simians didn't attack was all the confirmation they needed. Somehow, that hole—strange, hidden, and seemingly misplaced on the map—was protecting them.
At least... for now.