[: 3rd POV :]

As the last echoes of his explanation faded, Arcturus Veylan's gaze swept across the sea of warriors before him.

The projection dimmed, the map of Tetaria flickering out, leaving only the torchlight and the raw tension in the air.

He straightened his posture, his voice rising like a battle-drum.

"Now you know the truth. Now you know the path before us. So I will ask you only once"

His hand slammed against his chest, his aura flaring with commanding authority.

"Are you ready to raid? To bring ruin upon the Zero Organization?"

For a heartbeat, silence hung heavy.

Then.

"READY!"

The hall erupted with thunder.

Screams, roars, war cries—voices layered with rage, grief, and unshakable determination.

Swords clanged against shields, axes slammed into the floor, staves crackled with mana as the warriors poured their fury into their answer.

"READY!" shouted a dwarf, his voice breaking yet fierce, as tears glistened in his beard.

"READY!" bellowed a beastman, raising his clawed gauntlet to the ceiling.

"READY!" cried an elven huntress, her bow raised, eyes burning with vengeance.

It was no longer a crowd.

It was an army.

The area shook beneath the force of their united voices, the very air vibrating with their rage and resolve.

They were not merely prepared for battle—they were starved for it.

Arcturus allowed their cries to swell, his eyes sharp, proud, and burning with the same fire.

When the roar finally began to ebb, he raised his hand one last time.

"Good," he said, voice carrying over the storm of their passion.

"Then let us march—and let the Zero Organization learn the cost of their sins!"

The warriors roared once more, this time not as scattered individuals, but as one unified storm ready to descend upon Tetaria.

Without another word, Arcturus reached into his clothes and pulled forth the scroll.

It was no ordinary parchment—its edges shimmered with silver threads of mana, the surface etched with ancient glyphs that pulsed like beating hearts.

As he unfurled it, the air itself grew heavy, vibrating with an ominous hum.

The moment the final seal was broken, a surge of blinding blue light burst forth.

*FWOOM!*

The ground beneath their feet shook as runes erupted outward, spiraling across the plaza in intricate, interlocking patterns.

The sigils expanded until they formed a colossal magic circle, stretching wide enough to envelop every warrior present.

The air trembled.

Mana thickened, so dense that it crackled across their armor and weapons, raising goosebumps along their skin.

"Let's go!"

Arcturus's voice thundered above the roar of arcane energy.

His clothes whipped violently in the torrent of magic, but his stance never wavered.

"From this moment, there is no turning back!"

The circle flared.

The light was blinding, swallowing every shadow, every flicker of torchlight.

For a heartbeat, they all felt weightless—as if the world beneath them had vanished.

A rush of wind screamed past their ears.

Space bent, twisted, and shattered in silence.

And then—

*BOOM!*

They were gone.

Hundreds of warriors, mercenaries, and adventurers vanished in unison, ripped from the heart of Velaria Nexus.

The hall where they once stood was left empty, the only trace of them a faint shimmer in the air and the lingering echo of the magic circle's hum.

On the other side, their destination awaited—the abandoned island of Tetaria.

The blinding flash of teleportation faded, and the warriors felt solid ground beneath their boots once more.

When their vision cleared, gasps and murmurs rippled through the ranks.

They were standing on the outskirts of Tetaria.

The island stretched before them like a paradise frozen in time.

Towering trees of emerald and jade pierced the sky, their roots coiling into the remnants of abandoned streets.

Vines wrapped around crumbling stone houses, weaving them into the forest itself until it was hard to tell where civilization ended and nature began.

Crystal-clear streams cut through moss-covered ruins, glowing faintly with the shimmer of mana.

In the distance, great blossoms the size of shields swayed gently, their petals releasing faint trails of golden pollen that sparkled like starlight.

The very air was heavy with power—sweet, alive, and intoxicating.

One of the younger recruits staggered, eyes wide.

"Gods… it's beautiful."

Another mercenary knelt beside a cracked stone pillar where glowing moss grew in luminous green strands.

He brushed his fingers across it, only to recoil as sparks of mana crackled at his touch.

"These plants… they're overflowing with energy."

Further ahead, a veteran guild member pointed toward a vein of crystal jutting from the earth, glowing with a soft blue light.

"Mana Veins," he muttered in awe.

"This much could fuel a city for decades and could nurture countless hunters"

An elven woman whispered, her voice almost reverent.

"This was paradise once… it still is, in a way. To think the world abandoned it…"

But not all reactions were gentle.

A beastman warrior growled low, his eyes narrowing at the ruined buildings entwined with roots.

"And yet, look closer"

"Empty homes, streets swallowed by vines… nature reclaimed what man fled"

"Why? Because the seas made this island a death trap."

Another mercenary spat, his voice bitter.

"And now the Zero scum use this place for their filth. Corrupting even a land like this. Makes me sick."

The awe mixed with unease, every pair of eyes shifting between wonder at Tetaria's natural beauty and the grim reminder of why they had come.

Arcturus stepped forward, his cloak brushing against the glowing grass as he surveyed the land.

His voice cut through the murmurs like steel.

"Do not be deceived by what you see"

"Yes, Tetaria is beautiful"

"Its resources are rare"

"But beneath this beauty lies corruption—and danger"

"The Zero Organization chose this place for a reason."

He turned, his gaze sweeping over the assembled warriors.

Daniel, standing among them, remained silent.

His eyes traced the glowing rivers, the fused ruins, the veins of power running beneath the earth.

Unlike the others, awe didn't stir him—only a tightening resolve.

'Such beauty… and yet it's been twisted, tainted, used as a shield for monsters.'

'Zero doesn't deserve to breathe in a land like this.'

He clenched his fist, his jaw tight.

The island was beautiful, yes—but that only deepened his hatred for those who had made it their den.

As Daniel's eyes swept across the island, the faint glow of mana veins and the harmony of nature struck him—not with wonder, but with a quiet sorrow.

The ruins and the greenery fused into something hauntingly beautiful, yet there was an emptiness in it all.

He lowered his gaze, his thoughts slipping inward as he conversed with the system.

'It's a bit sad,' he admitted silently.

'Even with this kind of natural beauty, it's been overwhelmed… drowned by monsters.'

[ : It can't be helped. After all, countless islands and lands have long been overrun by monsters and gates. This is but one of many tragedies scattered across the world. :]

Daniel exhaled slowly, his jaw tightening.

'Maybe so… but knowing that the Zero's are here, hiding in this paradise they don't deserve…'

His dark eyes sharpened, a flare of resolve cutting through his sorrow.

'I won't give them any mercy.'

After Daniel's declaration, the Guild Master raised his hand, signaling the next phase.

At once, the guild members began moving with silent precision.

Layers of magic and skills rippled into existence—shimmering veils of darkness, illusions, and wind manipulation wrapped around them like invisible cloaks.

One of the rogues muttered, "Shadow Veil—active"

A faint black mist coiled before fading from sight, merging them into the environment.

Another mage raised her staff, whispering an incantation, and a wave of distortion pulsed outward, bending light around their forms.

Even their footsteps grew soundless, swallowed by stealth techniques honed over years of dangerous missions.

"Presence suppression complete," reported a ranger, his eyes glowing faintly as he scanned their surroundings.

Then came the second wave—detection.

Scouts knelt low, pressing their palms against the ground, sending pulses of mana through the soil.

Hunters closed their eyes, activating beast-sense abilities that picked up faint vibrations in the distance.

From the trees, a druid whispered to the winds, letting nature itself reveal paths of danger.

"Mana snares, fifty meters ahead," one scout announced in a hushed tone, marking the area with faint glowing symbols only allies could see.

"Hidden sentry construct buried near the ruins," another ranger added grimly.

"Someone was careful to cover their tracks."

The Guild Master nodded with approval, his voice low but commanding.

"Good. Map every trap and ward. We'll advance like ghosts—no noise, no mistakes. If we trigger even one, the Zero dogs will know we're here."

The group exchanged firm nods, determination burning in their eyes.

Step by step, shrouded by stealth and guided by detection, the raiding party began their silent march through the ancient ruins of Tetaria, the shadows of the forest swallowing them whole.

The scouts continued their sweep, eyes glowing faintly as detection skills pulsed outward in steady waves.

Each surge came back clean—no alarms, no hidden snares, no cursed wards woven into the land.

Even the ground beneath their boots carried no trace of magical distortion.

"Clear," one ranger whispered, narrowing his eyes as if he didn't quite believe it himself.

"Another sweep, three hundred meters ahead. Still clear," a scout reported, his brow furrowing.

The Guild Master's gaze darkened. Smooth—too smooth.

For an organization like Zero, who were infamous for turning battlefields into death traps, this silence reeked of something unnatural.

"Could it be… they didn't expect us?"

One younger mercenary asked in a low voice, his tone carrying a mix of hope and nervousness.

A veteran beside him snorted bitterly.

"Don't be a fool"

"The Zero Organization doesn't leave their front door wide open. If there's no resistance, then it means they want us to feel safe."

The younger man swallowed hard, realizing the truth of those words.

Still, with the massive stealth veil cloaking them, their passage was like shadows slipping between the cracks of reality.

Even when they passed close to a nest of slumbering serpent-beasts coiled among ancient roots, not a single scaled head stirred.

Their scent, their mana signatures, even the sound of their heartbeats were erased from the world.

To the monsters of Tetaria, the guild's strike force was nothing more than a passing breeze, forgotten the moment it brushed past.

And so they advanced—quiet, unseen, unhindered.

The broken ruins of Tetaria gave way to overgrown pathways, and the jungle thinned just enough to reveal a dark silhouette in the distance: jagged spires of metal and stone rising from the earth like a scar, the unmistakable structure of the Illegal Facility.

The air grew colder.

Every step forward felt heavier, like walking into the jaws of something unseen.

The Guild Master finally whispered, voice tight with suspicion.

"Stay sharp. A path this smooth is not a gift—it's a lure. And sooner or later… the trap will close."

The guild members exchanged grim looks, but none faltered.

Their rage, their grief, and their oath to strike Zero down pressed them forward, even into the unknown.

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