On the Other Side of the Gate

…

While Joseph gathered his gear, the story of the missing orc unfolded elsewhere.

In a dark, crumbling corridor—brickwork split with age, decrepit scaffolding clinging to the walls, loose planks and frayed ropes along the edges—flickering torches threw thin light across a maze of passages where the dark did most of the ruling. At a central intersection of these dimly lit halls, four figures clashed: one massive brute against three smaller adversaries.

The trio: a large, muscular man in a tattered blue shirt and shorts, bracing behind a sturdy shield nearly half his height; behind him, an average-sized woman in a slightly frayed long dress, gripping a staff, twin rings gleaming on her fingers; and at the front, a tall, fit, regal looking man, in a black undercut and cloak, his sword cutting arcs of light as he led the assault.

Their opponent was unmistakably the missing horned orc Joseph had been hunting. For nearly ten minutes they’d traded blows; bursts of fiery magic lit the cramped space, flecks of red marked the cracked stone.

At last, the cloaked swordsman seized his moment. His blade flashed in a clean arc; the orc’s scorched neck gave way, and the hulking body toppled like a puppet with its strings cut. The three sank down, chests heaving.

Strewn around the junction lay the bodies of small green creatures—goblins—with rusted knives and clubs scattered where they’d fallen, drawn by the noise of the fight.

The woman recovered her breath first. “Brother Han, are there really more of these things? Just taking down this one nearly got us killed with all those goblins piling in.”

The swordsman, Han, despite his wounds answered steadily with a smile. “Don’t worry. After the first, the rest get easier as we level. The goblins are a pain—but good practice.”

He suddenly flinched, pressing his hand against a deep stab wound on his side. The burly man with his stubby beard, inched himself forward, cloth strips in hand. “Cap, you sure you’re alright? That traitor struck you pretty good when the goblins rushed us. Once we’re back, I’ll make damn sure that he—”

Han raised his hand, a bitter sweet smile reassuring them as he let the man tend to his wound. “Thank you, Logan. I’ll be fine after a short rest. As for him—the goblins he feared took care of him. I heard his scream in the chaos.”

Han paused and let out a very slight pained wince as the burly man’s arm’s bulged, pulling the cloth tight against the wound. “Tsss, you really know your stuff don’t you Logan.”

“I wasn’t a combat medic for nothin, now hold still while I finish up.”

“Oh—did you two reach level ten?”

They both nodded, with the girl speaking up with a pep to her voice. “Ai ya! Finally, I can advance my class! Waiting on that last level has been such a hassle.” Rolling her eyes in a mix of exhaustion and annoyance. Han let out a slight chuckle after her response.

“Good, we’ll sort them out when we get back to camp.” With a nod, they both agreed and after a few minutes, they set off down the goblin-strewn passage. Before long they passed a mangled human body. Each gave it a cold look and stepped over without comment.

After a winding trek in the torch lit corridors, the passage eventually bled light as the space opened up, momentarily blinding them. A sprawling forest clearing stretched ahead, lush greenery at odds with the tunnels—yet above, the ceiling was a cold black brick, proving the forest and sunlight a constructed room within the dungeon. A makeshift wall of planks, rivets, and ropes guarded the approach not far away.

Nodded through by posted guards wielding starting equipment, they entered a busy camp: people building fortifications, processing beast remains, hewing stone and timber with crude tools.

At the center stood a woman whose face might have seemed ordinary at first glance, but the aura she carried was anything but. Authority radiated from her—every word measured, every decision cutting sharp and clean.

Dirt streaked her skin, the weight of exhaustion etched deep into her features, yet the moment her eyes landed on them, the strain lifted. A flick of a switch, and she seemed to blaze with sudden energy, as though the room itself had brightened with her.

“Thank goodness you’re back, leader. We were a little worried after not hearing anything for a while. Did the hunt go successfully? Where’s the rat?”

“He’s dead,” Han said evenly, spreading a nearly empty green paste across his deeper wounds after he took a seat, before wrapping them with leaves and retightening the cloth.

She only sighed, mostly annoyed. “A pity to lose two healthy hands but keeping a rat around was worsening tensions. It also made hiding our secret provisions… awkward.” She narrowed her eyes. “What about Ming’s group? He was one of his. He won’t let it pass—this gives him a pretext.”

Han was calm. “It won’t amount to much. People die in dungeons; everyone knows it. Starting a war over one man—especially one everyone knew was Ming’s—is flimsy. He isn’t yet confident he can take us head-on; that’s why he uses tricks. We stay strong and keep order—he should keep his distance.”

At the mention of ‘war’ her expression tightened. “Do we have to fight him at all? Even if we win, too many would die. He’s the type to kill indiscriminately if he feels the tide turning. There’s not many of us left as it is already.”

Han rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Trust me. I have a plan—we’re waiting for the right moment.” His gaze swept the camp. “How are supplies? Food, water?”

They discussed logistics for several minutes, then split. Han found his two teammates and joined them at a table, settling in with an easy readiness to go over their classes.

“Alright, Logan— decided what you’re going to pick?”

With a headshake, Logan itched his stubby beard. “Not yet I’m afraid. One definitely stands out over the others but, I’m just not all that good with this wall of text, hurts ma eyes.” Letting out a chuckle, Han offered to hear the options and weigh in his thoughts.

Knight (F) – Skill: Minor Strength Boost, Skill: Enhanced Strike (+2 Strength, +1 Vitality, +2 Dexterity) Warrior (F) – Skill: Destructive Strike, Skill: Endure (+3 Strength, +2 Dexterity) Heavy Shielder (F) – Skill: Reinforce Shield, Skill: Aggressor (+3 Vitality, +2 Dexterity) Charger (F) – Skill: Charge, Skill: Immovable (+4 Vitality, +1 Dexterity) Defender Knight (E+) – Skill: Cover, Skill: Reinforce, Skill: Aggressor, +Stat: Willpower (replaces Magic) (+3 Vitality, +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +3 Willpower)

Han quickly assessed the short list and gave his newfound friend a genuine smile that radiated warmth.

'As expected of the leader of the empire’s defense force. An E+ class this early is a huge boost to his future potential. Defender Knight is outstanding among defensive E-rank classes.

Cover gives a burst of straight-line speed to interpose himself between an ally and an attack. Reinforce buffs the defense for him and others nearby—and only grows stronger with a higher rank. Aggressor pulls enemy attention, perfect for his shield-first style, especially helpful this early on.'

His eyes narrowed slightly at the stat change.

'Willpower replacing Magic fits him. It blends benefits of Vitality and Dexterity and can substitute for mana in some skills. Magical skills get weakened or completely unusable, but in return physical skills get amplified instead.'

He nodded. “I’d say Defender Knight; it sounds pretty perfect for you.”

Logan gave a firm nod, choosing without hesitation as he allocated his points as he thought best.

The young woman’s face lit up, her earlier contemplation giving way to excitement. “Brother Han, my turn! I think I’ve figured out which one I want—but being a witch does sound kind of cooler, even if it’s a little strange.”

Listing out her options:

Caster (F) – Skill: Magic Affinity, Skill: Speed Casting (+5 Magic) Fire Mage (F) – Skill: Fire Affinity, Skill: Overheat (+5 Magic) Water Mage (F) – Skill: Water Affinity, Skill: Raincoat (+5 Magic) Wind Mage (F) – Skill: Wind Affinity, Skill: Swift (+5 Magic) Witch (E) – Skill: Wither, Skill: Aura of Despair, Skill: Terror (+6 Magic, +1 Agility) Fire Caster (E+) – Skill: Fire Affinity, Skill: Leeching Flame, Skill: Blessing of Flames, +Stat: Wisdom (+5 Magic, +3 Wisdom)

Han decided in a heartbeat, a surge of near-desperation rising at the thought of Che choosing witch.

“Che…”

Rolling her head at his look, she already knew his answer. “Fire Caster?” she asked, reading the ‘please’ written across his face. She sighed, puffing out her cheeks before nodding. “I know, Brother Han. But witch just sounds so much more interesting! Imagine it—turning womanizers into frogs, or making arrogant men trip over their own feet. That thought alone makes me smile. Still… I know Fire Caster is the better choice.”

Finalizing their stat allocations, the two headed off to test their new skills on nearby trees, leaving Han to consider his own progression. He pulled up his status.

Name: Han Ha-Sun

Class: Magic Swordsman [D] (+2 Vitality, +3 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +3 Magic)

Title: Returnee, Protagonist, Slaughterer of Gods

Level: 12

Vitality: 20
Strength: 30
Dexterity: 30
Agility: 30
Magic: 32
Luck: 150

Available Stat Points: 0

Active Skills: Body Enhancement (E), Enhanced Vision (F), Mana Edge (D), Quickstep (D), Elemental Infusion (F), Bloodlust (E)

Passive Skills: Eyes of the System (SS), God's Bane (SSS), Sword God's Swordsmanship (E), Goblin Slayer (E), Mana Control (D), Meditation (D), Sixth Sense (E), Lightning Affinity (F), Leadership (F)

Han meditated on which skills to prioritize for a while. When he rose, the stab wound was sealed, thanks to the paste. While his mana reserves were still low, he felt fairly energetic and rejoined the others helping them on their training.

…

The next day, after a good long rest, together they headed back into the dungeon depths searching for new prey as they stalked the corridors.

An hour later, after turning corridor upon corridor and carving through goblin packs, they still hadn’t found a single other horned orc. Doubt pricked at him, making him question the validity of his own memories.

'Strange. We should have met another Rukvar by now. Is this an effect of my time travel? No—nothing I’ve done should change this so dramatically.'

Another thought cooled his expression.

'Ming’s party couldn’t have possibly killed them all. He bullies the weak and avoids high risk fights. He wouldn’t engage a Rukvar without an overwhelming swarm of fodder at his back, unless one of his underlings chanced into a strong class?'

Han’s instincts curdled, a sharp unease rising in his chest.

'We should head back. Something’s wrong, we shouldn’t be able to head this deep without any issues. The Rukvar that block premature advancement to the next section have vanished. If another group pushes forward now, they’ll stumble into the next stage and be slaughtered.'

He turned to his companions. “We’re heading back. Something’s wrong. A Rukvar should have shown up by now. We’ll check the other area guardians on the way—either they’ve vanished, or they’ve strayed too far from their posts.”

What he didn’t know was that no sinister hand was behind it—only a single person pushing far beyond their level, clearing the board alone.

…