1 Prologue

As the gateway shimmered before us, our group of superhumans, it cast an eerie purple luminescence that painted our faces with an otherworldly glow. Our instruments, designed to measure the unmeasurable, were struggling to cope with the scale of the energy emanating from this rift in the fabric of space. The readings were clear: this was an S-rank gate, a categorization assigned only to the most powerful and dangerous of cosmic anomalies. Anticipation gripped us, our hearts pounding in our chests like war drums, echoing the excitement and anxiety of the extraordinary journey that lay ahead.

Danger and treasure are of the same coin in this new world.

Crossing the threshold, we found ourselves in an environment that could only be described as surreal. The air vibrated with residual energy, making our skin tingle and our hair stand on end. The terrain was a chaotic mess of upheaval and destruction, with gaping chasms filled with glowing, bubbling lava that pulsed with raw, untamed power. Bits of land, torn from the ground and suspended in the air, hung like fragmented islands in a sea of chaos, defying the universal law of gravity.

Littered across this desolate battleground were the lifeless husks of an array of alien life forms. Their bodies, twisted and broken, told silent tales of the ferocious battle they had waged. Amidst these fallen warriors, one corpse stood out - a chilling mutant that seemed to be a unique specimen amongst the diverse array of alien bodies.

This mutant bore an exoskeleton that glowed with a bluish hue, radiant and ethereal. Its body was riddled with cracks and fractures that seemed to channel the raw energy of the surrounding environment, making it seem a part of the chaos rather than just a victim. Its limbs, long and sinewy, were designed for quick and lethal strikes. Its eyes, though lifeless, retained a malevolent glow, as if even in death it exuded a sense of danger and cunning.

Our silent contemplation of the scene was brutally interrupted by a spectacle that sent shivers down our spines. A spectral entity, hovering in the air, was engaged in a gruesome display of dominance over what seemed to be an even superior version of the mutant corpse. It moved with a predator's grace, each motion filled with deadly intent and lethal precision. With a swift, decisive strike, it sank its fangs into the mutant's exoskeleton, tearing it apart with shocking ease.

The mutant's body, though lifeless, seemed to throb with residual energy, as if refusing to submit even in death. Alien blood, thick and otherworldly, oozed from its wounds, creating a macabre spectacle. The scent of death, mixed with the sharp tang of spent energies, filled the air, creating a chilling atmosphere that served as a grim reminder of the struggle that had taken place.

The entity released the lifeless, throbbing body from the heavens, scattering pieces of it as it fell. In an instant, it reappeared before the group, its body covered in glowing alien blood that did not belong to it. A menacing grin stretched across its face, revealing bloody, jagged teeth from the head it had just devoured. Towering a meter above the superhuman group's three-meter vanguard tank, it struck fear and froze them in their tracks.

As the entity moved with incredible speed, the vanguard found the strength to shout, shaking the others out of their fear-induced paralysis. With newfound composure, they banded together, readying themselves to launch a coordinated attack on the entity.

*****

All battle preparations have already been done, magical buffs, and blessings all activated even before the scouts spotting the entity. Minds and body all at best condition

Battle hardened individuals all around him, all holding the top cream of human power and skill and yet he felt the all so familiar scent of death linger so thick in his spine.

All Felix thought at that moment was-

' Damn! I knew something was wrong after the first carcass mountain! '