Into The Portal: Monster Invasion

“Still sleeping?” Maya asked as she looked at Val in Miles's embrace.

“Yeah, don’t know what is happening with her.” Miles sighed as he looked at the beautiful face of his childhood friend. Val was one of his oldest friends. Someone he thought he had lost and found again. He wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened to her.

“Don’t worry, she will be alright.” Alex comforted him. “Let’s move.”

After they cremated Everyperson, they started to walk back. All three of them decided that going further in Phantom World would be extremely dangerous. But after walking for 15 minutes, Maya stopped them.

“Miles,” Maya said as she looked around.

“Yea?” Miles asked as he looked at the map. He was just following the road back.

“I think we are lost,” Maya said. Miles looked at her in disbelief.

“It is impossible. I am following the path we took. You and I can be under the illusion, but Coin and others can’t.” Miles rejected the idea.

“Then what are those?” Maya showed the right side of the road. Miles walked between the dense trees and came to the edge of the mountain and looked afar. There he could see three giant structures.

“Pyramids?” He asked, dumbfounded.

“Why the hell are there pyramids here?” Alex asked in the same shocked tone.

“I don’t know, but it wasn’t there when we came,” Maya said.

“Coin, can you see those pyramids?” Miles asked and raised his arm. Coin detached from his arm and floated in the air. The camera in its body protruded from the main body and focused afar.

“There is some kind of power affecting me as well in this place, as we are lost, but yeah, I can see those pyramids.” Coin said. Miles remembered the time when he left the mysterious room where he found the Maroon Armor. At the time, he thought he saw pyramid-like structures, but he shrugged it off, as the air was misty, but now, they were clear as day.

“Should we go?” Alex asked. “They are probably human-made.”

“You think?” Maya asked in uncertainty.

“What are the odds of the same structural buildings appearing in two different worlds?” Alex asked with a laugh.

“But they look old. Almost as old as pyramids on Earth.” Miles didn’t think those pyramids were new. Ever since he saw the picture of Cross Empire Ancestral Lands, he was doubting if in the past there were creatures that traveled between two worlds. Now, after seeing pyramids, only cemented this idea.

“So? Are we going?” Alex asked.

“No, please don’t,” Val shouted with a jerk. Miles looked down and saw Val was awake and looking towards the pyramids.

“What is wrong?” Miles asked.

“N-nothing. It's just that I am seeing lots of monsters around there.” Val said as she looked away.

“Okay, let’s not go there.” Miles nodded and placed Val on her feet. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, sorry for troubling you. I don’t know what happened, but when I heard that scream, I just passed out.” Val said as he tried to remember.

“The creature was invisible, inaudible, and intangible. But I guess because of your powers, you were able to hear the shockwaves which made you faint.” Miles gave his opinion.

“Most likely.” Alex and Maya nodded.

“Can you track the path? Despite following the map Coin was showing, we got lost. Something is preventing us from leaving this place.” Miles said. Val nodded and activated her powers. In the next second, she found the source of the trouble.

“It is the trees. They are creating illusions that can affect reality. That is why wristwatches are also affected.” Val said and walked in the opposite direction.

“We should go that way.”

The trio followed her and soon, as she said, they all left the area where trees were producing pollen that was shaping reality. After they got out, it was easier to find the path. They walked towards the academy. They didn't forget to visit the King and claim the tokens promised to them on their way back.

When they arrived at the stronghold, they visited the clerk to let them know the quest was completed. But they had nothing to prove that they had actually accomplished the mission.

“Welcome back, younglings.” The same clerk who sent them off was there and greeted them with a smile. “Dean wants to see you.”

“Is there anything wrong?” Alex asked.

“Nothing is wrong, sweetheart. Dean wants to talk about the quest.” The clerk said with a smile. Alex nodded and all four passed through the portal and walked towards the dean’s office.

"Come in." Milosh's voice came from inside after Miles knocked on the door. Miles opened the door and four of them walked in.

"You wanted to see us, Dean?" Miles asked.

"I wanted to talk about the quest." Milosh nodded as he looked at all four of them.

"We completed it, but cannot bring any proof," Maya said in despair. They chose the quest because it was rewarding, but now they failed to find any proof, they were afraid the academy wouldn't believe them.

"Don't worry about the proof, we already know that you completed the quest." Milosh smiled.

"What? How?" Alex asked bewilderedly.

"The book!" Miles exclaimed. All three turned to look at him while Milosh was looking with a smile.

"The quest log book the clerk wanted us to sign before we left is an ultimate right?" Miles asked.

"It is indeed." Milosh nodded. "It records the person's energy sign and notifies the academy when people die or complete the mission."

"So, what is that you want to talk about?" Miles asked.

"You know we had this quest for a long time, and many had failed before you," Milosh asked, all four nodded. "I wanted to send a higher-tier hunter so many times, but the area is dangerous and filled with mysterious creatures lethal to higher-tier humans so my hand was tied."

"I just want to thank you and reward you for clearing this quest which was bugging my mind for so many years, and thank you for avenging all those who failed before you. I am glad you are all safe."

"Thank you, Dean." Miles and others smiled.

"You are dismissed. Miles, stay back."

"Yes, sir."