Chapter 29:
Aiden and a few others stood silently at the edge of the city, eyes fixed on the flickering crimson portal before them. It pulsed ominously, casting an eerie red glow on the surrounding area.
"Of all the portals Rin could get sucked into... why did it have to be a red one?" Han muttered, his fists clenched.
Red portals were known across the world as the most dangerous type—requiring at least two S-Class heroes and a team of elite warriors just to have a chance at clearing them. There were even whispered rumors that an S-Class hero had once perished inside one.
"Let's go," Aiden said, preparing to morph into his combat form.
Han stopped him with a firm hand. "No. I'm going in alone."
"What?!" Aiden exclaimed, stunned. Even the elder looked at Han like he'd lost his mind. No one—no one—would try to clear a red portal alone.
"I'm serious," Han said. "I appreciate the help, but I can't let you follow me in. You've never faced a red portal before. This isn't like a yellow one—it's a different tier entirely."
He looked at Aiden with firm conviction. "These portals are massive—continent-sized realms. Once you step in, there's no exit until the portal boss is slain. If anything happens to you in there, it'll be on me."
Aiden stared at him in disbelief. "Those are all the reasons I should come with you!"
But Han wouldn't budge. "I have to save Rin. I won't endanger another life in the process."
After a tense silence, Aiden reluctantly nodded, though frustration lingered in his eyes.
Han turned to face the flickering red vortex. He'd never entered one before. He had no idea what horrors waited inside. But his little brother was in there—so he had to be too.
With a final exhale, Han stiffened his resolve and stepped into the portal.
"Will he be okay?" Aiden whispered.
The old man beside him simply closed his eyes. "Let's just hope he survives. Of everyone here, he has the greatest chance at surviving—but red portals... they're nightmares."
---
Inside the Red Portal
The moment Han stepped through, the difference was palpable. The air was scorching hot—so much so that it shimmered like fire itself.
"Damn… this place is brutal," Han muttered, beads of sweat forming instantly.
Thanks to his Prime Body, he could endure it—but barely.
The ground stretched endlessly, a wasteland of burning red soil. Heat radiated from every surface.
"Rin!" Han called out, stepping forward cautiously. "Rin! Can you hear me?!"
Suddenly, something moved in the distance. A feline-like creature emerged, but it was unlike any normal beast. Flames danced across its fur, and its crimson eyes burned with hostility.
"What kind of cat—"
Before Han could finish his thought, the beast lunged.
A swipe came directly for his head—but Han vanished, moving faster than the creature could track. A thunderous bang echoed as the flaming feline was launched back, skidding across the scorched earth.
Han stood in the crater left by his kick, his leg raised, eye twitching.
"Quite durable," he noted.
The firecat didn't hesitate. It snarled and charged again.
Han smiled. "Let's play."
Fourth Jungle Art: Cheetah Stride!
He darted forward, fist cocked.
Fourteenth Jungle Art: Tiger Punch!
The impact created a thunderous boom. When the smoke cleared, the beast's head was gone, and its body collapsed.
Han sighed, a wry smile tugging at his lips. Sometimes, he wondered if maxing out Tiger Punch to A-rank had been a mistake. Ever since then, finding a worthy opponent felt more like chasing a myth than a battle."
+300 EP, the system chimed.
Han blinked. "Three hundred for that thing? And it's not even the boss? This place is a goldmine."
Closing his eyes, he expanded his senses. He couldn't scan the entire area—it was too vast—but he detected several high-energy zones.
"I'll cover more ground this way," he muttered. Multiple copies of himself materialized besides him.
Several clones of Han shot into the sky, splitting off in different directions like streaks of light. At first, their ambushes worked—the beasts were caught off guard, their defenses thin. But that success was short-lived.
"These things are tougher than I thought," Han muttered.
The creatures were unnaturally fast, their attacks vicious. But it was their flames that made them truly dangerous. Even a successful hit meant Han would get scorched, and any blow he took left blistering burns. His clones were no exception—they were getting overwhelmed one by one, reduced to wisps of white energy before vanishing into the air.
After unleashing Tiger Punch multiple times, the real Han finally carved through the monsters surrounding him and launched himself skyward, scanning the field. Some clones had taken down enemies, but the numbers were still overwhelming. If he burned too much energy now, he wouldn't have enough left for the boss—and that thought alone made him shiver.
If the minions were this powerful, what kind of nightmare was waiting as the boss?
This… was a mistake," he admitted.
Looking at the swarm below, Han made the most logical decision: he bolted.
But the monsters weren't about to let him go. Fire eagles and phoenix-like creatures erupted into the air, spitting fireballs from their beaks as they pursued him.
"Damn it!" Han cursed, dodging a fireball that nearly clipped his shoulder.
He split into three, the clones peeling off in different directions to scatter the enemy. Once the heat died down, he then dispersed the clones to recover the energy they had left. After repeating the process a few times, he finally managed to lose his tail. A fire eagle caught up, but Han struck it down mid-air with a powerful spin kick, the charred feathers raining around him.
He landed, panting. "Maybe… maybe I should've let Aiden come," he muttered.
Aiden could've absorbed these monsters' DNA and adapted.
Just then, a faint cry for help reached his ears—followed by the scent of charred meat.
Han's instincts kicked in. He turned sharply toward the sound and saw a horrifying sight: a young boy running naked, his skin already blistering from burns, clothes reduced to ash. Behind him, a hulking fire gorilla thundered in pursuit, flames licking its massive fists.
Han's heart clenched. "Rin."
He had almost forgotten in the chaos. His little brother.
"Help! Help! Help!" Rin cried, tears streaming down his smoke-stained face as he ran with all he had.
He stumbled and fell, landing hard on the burning ground. Turning back, he froze in terror as the fire gorilla loomed above, raising a flaming fist.
"So bad this isn't a game," Rin thought, trembling. "If it was, I'd have a cheat skill to disintegrate this thing…"
"Hey, Mr. Gorilla! I'm just a kid, okay? Can't you let me go!?"
The fire gorilla growled, its massive fist engulfed in roaring flames as it raised its arm to strike. Rin could only watch in horror, trembling. If only I had a skill… he thought bitterly. Then, like a spark in his memory, he recalled something—his brother. A hero. But no, Han was barely an E-rank, only pushing into D after scraping through a dozen near-death experiences. There's no way he'd be here—
"Fourteenth Jungle Art: Tiger Punch!" a voice thundered from above.
BOOM!
The flaming fist met another—leaner, faster—and to Rin's disbelief, the beast's arm was thrown aside with shocking force. He blinked in pure astonishment.
There, standing in front of him, was Han.
"You came…" Rin whispered, tears swelling in his eyes.
Han tried to play it cool, brushing invisible dust off his shoulder. "Don't be scared, little brother. I'll always protect you."
Rin's mouth opened. Han readied himself for praise, maybe even awe.
"Big brother… you're so nice… to want to die with me."
Han's eye twitched. He resisted the overwhelming urge to scream: If you've lost hope, don't drag me with you!
But he calmed himself quickly. There was a bigger issue—the Tiger Punch didn't finish the gorilla off in one hit. That was troubling.
The beast staggered, its arm grotesquely bent, then snapped it back into place with a sickening crack. It roared, charging again. Han met its rush head-on. Fists collided with earth-shaking force. For once, Han had found his match.
The battle raged—flames, fists, and sheer force. The gorilla fought like a berserker, but Han refused to give an inch. With each clash, he studied the creature, eyes glowing faintly.
Analyzer Eyes… show me everything.
Little by little, Han adapted. He read the patterns, exploited the gaps, and launched perfectly timed counters. The beast stumbled, stunned. One final blow—Tiger Punch—landed with a devastating impact, sending the fire gorilla crashing to the ground. Lifeless.
Han panted heavily, sweat mixing with ash. That thing fought like a Yellow Portal boss… He glanced at his health.
HP: 180/300.
He'd lost a lot more than he liked.
"Cough… cough…" came a raspy wheeze.
Han turned sharply. Rin was on his knees, skin blistering, eyes glazed. His body couldn't take the heat any longer.
No choice.
Han reached into his system interface and dragged Rin's body into his inventory. It was a risk—living beings could only survive three hours in system storage—but it was better than letting him roast alive.
Three hours. That's all I've got… to find and kill the boss.
He took to the skies—and instantly regretted it. The firebirds from before spotted him immediately. Dozens of flame eagles and ember hawks shrieked and charged.
"Damn it! I hate Red Portals!" Han yelled as he swerved midair, dodging another barrage of fireballs.
Left with no choice, Han dove back to the ground—only to find it crawling with fire-infused land beasts. "Screw it!" he yelled, then took off at full speed.
"F*** it!" Han shouted, sprinting like hell through the heat-blasted wasteland. There was no decent cover; the trees were long turned to ash, and all that remained were scorched boulders and molten soil.
Worse, his health dropped passively.
-2 HP every 30 minutes…
An hour later, Han collapsed behind a glowing red rock, panting.
HP: 40/300.
Energy: 400/5000.
A restoration pill appeared in his palm—one of only three he had left. Honestly, it was the main reason he'd been so cocky when he first entered. He had learned his lesson the hard way.
He swallowed it. Warmth surged through his veins as his health and energy climbed back up.
He smiled—until the next system alert popped up.
Warning: Environmental Heat Intensifying.
-7 HP per 30 minutes.
"What? From two to seven?! Are you kidding me!?" Han shouted. And now that he felt it, the air was scorching. Even breathing hurt.
He scanned the surroundings, looking for the source—and that's when he saw it.
Floating just above the mouth of a bubbling volcano was a monstrous figure—easily twice his height—wreathed in living flame.
Its body was sculpted like a warrior god, made not of flesh, but hardened magma and pulsating lava veins that glowed a menacing crimson. Broad shoulders, blazing claws, and a flame-forged mane that danced like a wildfire crown trailed behind it. Two massive horns spiraled from its head, glowing white-hot at the tips. And though its eyes were closed, Han could feel the oppressive heat radiating from it like a sun at close range.
What... the hell is that thing? Is it the one causing all this heat? Han thought, frozen in place.
Then the creature twitched.
Its eyes snapped open—twin infernos that blazed with primal fury. The moment their gaze locked with his, Han's instincts screamed.
DANGER.
The system chimed with an ominous tone:
Certain conditions have been met.
New Hidden Quest Unlocked.
Quest: SURVIVE.
To be continued...