One by one, the team members leaped into the pool.

  Garth hesitated, making him the last to go. He stared into the swirling depths, swallowed hard, then jumped.

  The sensation was like plunging into any other body of water—except he didn’t get wet, and this water was cold to the bone. The chill rushed through him, but it lasted only a second before he plunged into complete darkness.

  The fall seemed endless, stretching on for nearly a minute before he finally hit the ground. At first, he thought he had landed without injury… until a sharp pain shot up his feet.

  "Ow, ow, ow," he hissed, shifting his weight.

  "Don't worry, you'll get used to it," a voice echoed from the darkness.

  Garth straightened up quickly, pretending the pain hadn't bothered him. "Oh, it's fine. I’m used to it—just missed my step is all." A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as he lied.

  "Right," the voice responded, unconvinced.

  A spark ignited in the dark, and suddenly, their surroundings were illuminated by the warm glow of a Star Stone Torch.

  Garth took in the sight of the Void. It resembled a massive cave, its walls lined with burrowed tunnels—holes large enough for something huge to have carved them out.

  A party member raised the torch higher, sweeping it across their surroundings.

  "Which way, Raid Leader?" someone asked.

  The Lightning Wielder from earlier—now officially leading the raid—took his time analyzing the cave.

  "Should we split up?" another suggested.

  "No, we stay together," the Raid Leader said firmly. He pointed straight ahead, choosing the most obvious path forward.

  As the others focused on the mission, Garth focused on something else entirely—how to get away from them.

  He had already studied the details of this Void multiple times. He knew exactly what kind of demons lurked here and, more importantly, how to defeat them. If he played this right, he could take all the rewards for himself instead of splitting the profits.

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  His plan was simple: gather enough demon cores and leave before anyone noticed. He wouldn’t even take the party’s Space Rings—they could still access them eventually, even if it would be difficult without him.

  All he needed was the perfect opportunity.

  The group pressed forward, every Venator on edge.

  Soon, they entered a vast, open chamber—so massive that even the Star Stone Torch couldn’t illuminate its full extent. Shadows swallowed the edges of the cavern, making it impossible to tell how deep it stretched.

  Unease settled over the group. There were too many places for an ambush.

  The Raid Leader gave a quick command. "Huddle up. Kill circle formation."

  Everyone obeyed, forming a tight defensive stance.

  "Prepare yourselves," the Raid Leader warned. His sharp gaze scanned the darkness. "We're surrounded."

  Tension shot through the group. Some drew their weapons, others prepared their Wielding. Garth and the two Healers were pulled to the center of the formation, shielded by the others.

  But while the party braced for battle, Garth's mind was elsewhere.

  He had been observing every detail of this Void since their arrival—the red and green sand beneath their feet, the snake-like vines crawling up the walls, the faint poisonous scent in the air. These were all hints. Clues that most scholars and researchers had overlooked for centuries.

  The Void’s official documentation might have been wrong.

  The demons they were about to face might have not been what they expected.

  Before he could voice his thoughts, the first demon fell from the sky and struck.

  SLASH. CRACKLE.

  The ominous silence shattered as the Raid Leader sliced through the demon in a single, effortless motion. Its long, spindly body fell to the ground in two pieces, blood turning to dust. A demon core gleamed where it had perished.

  Garth watched, enthralled.

  A thrill ran through him. His body reacted instinctively, a flicker of excitement stirring inside him.

  But his mind lashed out. Stupid! He punched himself in the head, immediately regretting it.

  "Light!" the Raid Leader barked.

  A Fire Wielder lifted his hand, sending a massive plume of fire soaring into the air. For just a few seconds, the entire cave was illuminated.

  It was enough.

  Dozens—hundreds—of long-legged demons clung to the walls and roof, motionless and waiting.

  Then, all at once, they dropped.

  "Fire Wall!" the Raid Leader ordered.

  A wall of flames erupted above them, incinerating the demons that fell into it. Their bodies turned to ash before they even hit the ground—no cores left behind.

  A shame.

  The rest of the demons landed beyond the flames, charging the Venators from all sides.

  The demons leaped at them. And at once, every Venator ducked—except for Garth.

  He did the opposite.

  As a demon pounced, he allowed himself to be grabbed. The creature's claws wrapped around him, yanking him into the air.

  Exactly what he wanted.

  In one swift motion, he dropped the Space Ring he had been holding as he flung through the air.

  "Valet!" The Raid Team shouted, attempting to help, but they were already swarmed by demons.

  The demon that had grabbed him pinned him to the ground, raising its bladed arm to strike—

  But Garth moved first.

  A simple pinch—precisely applied to the creature’s heel—sent it crashing to the ground, stunned.

  The move looked effortless, but it required years of practice. Garth had mastered it through experience—thousands of long legged demons had fallen to that same maneuver.

  Without hesitation, he bolted.

  He sprinted down the tunnel from which they had come in from, gripping tight the sword and torch he had nabbed from the Space Ring before dropping it.

  Once he had put enough distance between himself and the Raid Team, he paused, catching his breath.

  He wasn’t safe yet.

  Now that he was alone, he needed a strategy—one that didn’t rely on brute strength. He couldn’t face these demons head-on.

  So, instead, he’d use the resources of this Void against them.

  Garth wasted no time.

  He gathered materials—dead leaves, strange mud, red sand, and silver prickly stones.

  With these, he would create a weapon.

  A weapon that could eliminate multiple demons at once.

  This wasn’t about closing the Void anymore.

  It was about profit.