CHAPTER 126: CHAPTER 126 – THE SEALED GATE

Chapter 126 – The Sealed Gate

"That’s... hmm... understood."

Adonis hesitated for the briefest moment, then nodded and stepped forward.

It didn’t take long for Jhin to realize why he had hesitated.

People were running. Desperately.

Some wore hospital gowns, others were covered in blood and grime. Some looked like vagrants. But all of them had the same wide, frantic eyes.

At the head of this ragged group, Caleb was sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him, Evan still unconscious on his back.

Ku-gu-gu-guung! Ku-gu-gung!

The intermittent explosions echoing from behind weren’t just noise. They were the tolling of a funeral bell—announcing death.

He didn’t have to look back. He knew what was coming.

A monster...!

A massive reptilian creature—its tail alone capable of shaking the earth with one slam. With each movement, buildings crumbled as if made of sand.

It was like watching one of those giant monsters from an old disaster movie.

KWAANG!!

Caleb veered off the street and into a sunken underpass, ducking beneath the overpass just in time. A few others followed, diving into the shadows with barely-contained panic.

Some continued running aboveground, still visible on the open road.

Thankfully, the monster chased them instead.

"Hah... haah..."

Caleb leaned against the cool concrete, trying to steady his breath, but his heart refused to calm down. It was pounding hard—too hard.

What the hell was that thing...?

He would’ve rather been surrounded by Lizardmen. At least he could fight them. At least there was a chance.

But that...? That wasn’t a fight. That was a force of nature.

Even the infamous Nuada from the Phantom Train hadn’t been that terrifying.

"AAARGHH!!"

Trouble found them again.

More movement—shadows shifting inside the underpass. From the far end, Lizardmen began to emerge.

Had they been hiding here?

Caleb gritted his teeth and shifted Evan to secure her weight better. He tightened his grip on his spear.

Fssshk!

Fortunately, the ones approaching now didn’t seem to be high-grade. Maybe D-rank at best.

The first Lizardman’s scales tore open with a clean strike, and it collapsed with a pitiful shriek.

Startled by the sharp attack, the others paused. Around Caleb , the survivors began clustering toward him instinctively.

KIIIIK!

Three more charged at once.

Their coordination was sharp—spear jabs aimed for his head, heart, and gut. They attacked with practiced rhythm, pushing him into a defensive stance.

That’s the problem with Lizardmen.

They were pack-hunters. Every action was in sync, optimized for group combat. Taking them on alone was a nightmare.

And Caleb wasn’t even fighting solo—he had someone on his back.

But then—

"You sons of bitches!"

"Get back!"

About seven low-level players—clearly under-geared—rushed in with broadswords.

Their swings were clumsy, barely effective. But they threw the Lizardmen into momentary disarray—just enough.

And that was all Calebneeded.

Compared to the goblin hatchlings on the Phantom Train, these Lizardmen weren’t nearly as terrifying.

Their level’s lower than I thought!

Fssshk! FSSSH!

[Skill: Raging Wave activated.]

His blue spear shimmered with the effect of his skill. A ripple of power burst out as he pierced through Lizardman hide, carving clean through.

The tide turned.

One by one, the monsters fell.

"Huff... huff..."

The players gasped, bloodied but alive.

But the moment of relief didn’t last long.

KRRRRRRAAAANG!!

The ceiling at the far end of the underpass collapsed with a roar.

A massive tail slammed through the opening.

It was that creature—the giant lizard’s tail had crashed straight through the tunnel wall.

No one breathed.

Not a sound.

Everyone stared at the tail as it twitched once, sending vibrations through the floor.

And then, with excruciating slowness—it retracted.

BOOM. BOOM.

Each of the monster’s distant steps sent tremors down into the tunnel, and gradually, the quaking faded.

Finally, everyone exhaled.

"Fuuuuh..."

Caleb surveyed the tunnel. Fourteen people, give or take. Some were low-level players. Most weren’t even that. Just civilians.

He straightened up and spoke.

"Sector 2. Let’s head to Sector 2. Now."

His police uniform. His level. His presence—it was more than enough to make him a de facto leader.

No one argued.

They followed.

Soon, they reached the edge of Sector 2, only to find a large crowd clustered around the sealed gate, screaming in panic.

Thankfully, no Lizardmen had reached this far—yet.

"Open the gate! Lizardmen are coming!!"

"Please, open it—don’t do this, you bastards!!"

BANG! BANG!

People pounded their fists on the thick gate. Above, on the wall, soldiers stared down—but their expressions were cold.

They didn’t budge. They didn’t even answer at first.

When they finally spoke, their words were ice.

"Back away! If you cause a disturbance, we will open fire!"

"Have you lost your mind?! Open the goddamn door!"

"Step away from the gate!"

"You know who I am?! I’ll—!"

Pop.

A silenced gunshot rang out.

The man shouting stumbled as blood sprayed from his shoulder. He hit the ground, screaming.

Caleb had just begun to approach the gate—only to freeze.

[Effective immediately: Any individual approaching the sealed gate will be treated as a hostile.]

[Engaging such individuals is authorized. For your own safety—back away.]

Above, the soldiers leveled their rifles—not at monsters.

But at the crowd.

The cold steel of their gun barrels gleamed under the failing light.

It didn’t take long for Jhin to spot the Lizardmen horde.

"So many of them."

All it took was a short walk before he saw the streets crawling with the creatures. Dozens—no, hundreds—of Lizardmen wandered the roads, screeching as they scoured the ruins for hiding humans.

Jhin took cover in a nearby building and crouched low to observe their movements. Fortunately, the Lizardmen didn’t seem comfortable navigating modern buildings; not one of them had ventured inside yet. For now, they were safe from immediate detection.

Time passed slowly in that silence.

Peering warily at the Lizardmen, Millie finally broke the quiet.

"...Something’s off."

"You felt it too?"

"Yes. None of this adds up."

Jhin nodded as he watched a Lizardman jab its spear into a heap of garbage on the street. Their current perch was the second floor of a shopping center. A perfect view—glass windows gave them a clear line of sight down onto the roaming monsters.

"Lizardman soldiers," he muttered.