"Put on the ground, you pervert!" Carolina scread as Shin jumped from tree to tree.
When they finally got close enough to their destination, Shin simply dropped the girl midair.
"Aaaaaah! Catch !"
Carolina fell straight toward the forest floor while desperately flailing her arms. At the last second, she managed to stabilize herself and landed awkwardly, nearly stumbling face-first into the dirt.
"You bastard!" she shouted.
Shin didn’t spare her a second glance and walked directly toward the woman studying the Lost Portal.
Lívia was a beautiful blonde woman wearing light armor and carrying an absurd amount of equipnt. Small pouches were attached to her legs, several bags hung from her waist, and a massive backpack rested on her shoulders. Even her arms carried straps loaded with various tools and instrunts.
She was an instructor for the test, but it was obvious that research interested her far more than examining newcors.
"Hi. How have you been?" Shin asked.
"Oh, the new boy." She looked up from her notes. The two had spoken before. "I didn’t think you would actually co back. Are you sure you should be here? If you keep delaying, you might lose your chance to leave the Dark Forest."
"Couldn’t I say the sa thing about you?" Shin replied with a grin. "Anyway, it took longer than expected, but I found it."
He reached into his storage ring and pulled out the yellow serpent nucleus. Lívia, who had barely been paying attention before, imdiately froze.
Then her entire expression changed, her large green eyes widened with excitent.
"You really got it."
She practically jumped in place. The sudden movent nearly sent her glasses flying from her face.
Without hesitation, she rushed toward Shin and carefully grabbed the nucleus. Her eyes scanned every detail. There was no mistake. This was exactly what she needed.
For a mont, she simply stared at it in disbelief, then her heart began racing. After so many failed attempts, she had genuinely thought she would lose her chance to enter the Lost Portal once again.
"Thank you so much!"
She suddenly threw herself at Shin, nearly knocking him over, despite her small fra, all the equipnt she carried made her surprisingly heavy.
"This is great! This is amazing!"
She danced around while staring at the yellow crystal, she couldn’t hide her happiness.
Watching it, Shin simply smiled, her reaction was exactly what he had expected.
"Seriously, thank you so much. I’ll never be able to thank you enough." Lívia practically bounced in place. "Is there anything I can do to repay you?"
She leaned slightly toward him. Her green eyes were so sincere and grateful that Shin found it difficult to maintain eye contact.
’What now?’ Lilel’s voice echoed inside his mind. ’Are you feeling guilty about using her?’
’I’m not using her,’ Shin imdiately replied. ’This is a mutually beneficial relationship. She gets to satisfy her curiosity, and I get access to the Lost Dinsion.’
Ending the discussion there, Shin looked back at Lívia.
"I would love a ride into the portal."
The smile instantly vanished from her face.
"No."
Shin blinked.
"No?"
"Absolutely not." Lívia shook her head repeatedly. "Do you have any idea what you’re asking?"
"I have a general idea."
"Then your general idea is terrible."
She pointed toward the portal.
"Every man who has entered that place has died. Every single one. We’ve sent adventurers, researchers, warriors, and specialists. None of them ever ca back."
Her expression beca unusually serious.
"This isn’t a normal risk, Shin. You’re basically asking to help you commit suicide."
Shin remained calm. "I know very well what I’m asking for."
"You know and you still want to go?"
"Yes."
Lívia stared at him as if he had gone insane. "Why?"
Shin looked toward the ancient structure and rembered the words most likely to convince Lívia.
"Because I need to know what’s inside," he said with fake conviction.
Lívia frowned.
"That’s not a reason to risk your life."
"I’m not just risking my life. I know what I’m doing. I won’t die."
"You sound exactly like all the other idiots who entered that place and lost their lives."
"Maybe." Shin shrugged. "The difference is that they didn’t have the information I have."
The researcher studied him silently. She knew Shin was an extrely unusual newcor.
His survival inside the Dark Forest alone proved that. More importantly, he had sohow managed to obtain the serpent nucleus she needed.
Normal logic didn’t seem to apply to him, after several long seconds, she let out a defeated sigh.
"I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this."
"So that’s a yes?"
"It’s a yes."
Before Shin could answer, another voice interrupted them.
"Then I’m going too."
The two turned.
Carolina had finally arrived, leaves and dirt covered her clothes from the rough landing earlier.
Lívia frowned. "You want to enter the Lost Portal too?"
Carolina nodded. "Yes."
The researcher hesitated for a mont. Unlike Shin, Carolina wasn’t a man, and that alone dramatically reduced the danger.
Furthermore, having another person helping with the expedition would be useful. More hands ant more equipnt could be carried and more data could be gathered.
Finally, Lívia sighed.
"Fine. You can co too."
Carolina imdiately smiled. At the sa ti, inside Shin’s mind, Lilel’s voice appeared once more.
’Do you think we should let Carolina enter the portal? What if she dies?’
’Don’t worry.’
Shin didn’t look concerned in the slightest.
’There is no way this girl is going to die. If there was any real danger, she wouldn’t have co with .’
Lilel remained silent.
’After all,’ Shin continued, ’she’s a fortune teller.’
A few minutes later, Lívia finally began preparing the ritual.
The researcher carefully placed the serpent nucleus into a circular formation engraved into the stone floor before the portal.
Several runes imdiately lit up. Golden light spread through the ancient structure. The air itself began to vibrate. Lívia quickly moved between multiple devices, checking readings and adjusting the formation.
The nucleus slowly dissolved into particles of light, and the portal responded. The darkness within its center twisted and churned.
Then a massive vortex ford.
"It’s open," Lívia whispered.
For a brief mont, all three stared at the phenonon before them, an entrance to a place that had claid countless lives.
Lívia adjusted her glasses, Carolina swallowed nervously, and Shin simply smiled. Without hesitation, he took the first step forward.
The others followed behind him.
Together, the three disappeared into the darkness of the Lost Portal.
"Just so both of you know, we’ll be sent to different places. So keep your cool and wait. I’ll co find you later," Shin said during the last second they still had together.
Lívia wanted to ask him what he ant by that, but in the next instant, she was alone. She found herself standing inside what seed to be a forgotten temple.
Then she noticed the dozen strong won surrounding her, all looking at her with curiosity and a hint of disappointnt.
They had been expecting their god, but once again, it was only a woman.
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