The cold touch of raindrops against his exposed skin was the first sensation Noel felt as he stepped through the portal. A heartbeat later, a full torrent of rain came crashing down, pelting him furiously and drenching him almost instantly.
Noel immediately scanned his surroundings, a faint frown tugging at his lips. He stood in a narrow clearing where knee-high grasses swayed under the weight of the downpour, and the visibility of the environment was greatly hindered.
The only thing he could see ahead of him was an ocean of towering trees that stretched endlessly, their thick trunks tens of meters wide, and their thick canopies barely visible through the sheets of rain.
The ground beneath his boots was soft and already turning to mud, and the scent of wet earth, as well as rotting foliage, clung heavily to the air.
"Oh well, it could be worse," Noel grumbled, his voice nearly drowned out by the relentless drumming of rain against his skin.
Rifts served as portals to remnants of ancient civilizations, with some of them as small as a town, while some of them were as large as a continent. However, aside from the top-tier Guilds and organizations with access to ancient relics and artifacts, no one ever truly knew what lay beyond a portal.
Most Hunters entered blind, unaware of what kind of world they would emerge into. That uncertainty, paired with the dangerous nature of various rifts, led to a high mortality rate among Hunters, and it was one of the many reasons why so many Hunters dreamt of joining first-rate organizations.
"Damn it, I'm already soaked!" Willie grumbled, his leather armor completely drenched by the heavy downpour.
"Couldn't the portal have dropped us somewhere dry? Why do I feel like it's messing with us on purpose?" Luther muttered, his hoarse voice laced with annoyance as the downpour continued relentlessly.
"I can barely see three feet ahead, and this downpour is relentless. It'll definitely affect the potency of my spells." Nadine added, her voice tinged with frustration as she tried to shield her eyes from the rain with a slender hand.
The rest of the Hunters grumbled as well as they stood scattered across the clearing, their tense postures and annoyance visible under the unrelenting deluge.
"That's enough. Gather round now." Yi Wenzhou suddenly said, his voice cut through the rainfall, firm and commanding. His crimson hair wet from the heavy downpour of the rain clung tightly to his forehead, but his expression remained sharp and unreadable. Without hesitation, the Hunters obeyed, trudging through the muddy clearing to regroup around him.
Standing just behind Yi Wenzhou was the scarlet-eyed beauty, her gaze cool and aloof as she observed the others with thinly veiled disdain. The rain slid down her face and robes, but she didn't pay it any mind.
Noel's gaze lingered on her for a moment. The rain had plastered her crimson robes to her figure, emphasizing her devilish and enchanting curves, but the cold expression on her face and the imperious tilt of her chin made him suspect that the lady was probably from a powerful background, so apart from occasionally stealing glances at her, he did not do anything else.
"We're all experienced, so I'm not going to waste our time," Yi Wenzhou said sharply, his voice cutting through the noise of the rain.
"This rift is not a playground. We don't know what lies ahead, and a single misstep can be fatal. If you value your lives, make sure to follow my instructions without question. If you don't, I won't be held responsible for any mishap you encounter." Yi Wenzhou issued a cold warning, his eyes glinting maliciously as he spoke.
Noel felt a chill run down his spine at Yi Wenzhou's warning, and his instincts could easily tell that Yi Wenzhou was a dangerous person, and he was not someone to be trifled with.
"We don't know where we are now, but since we've emerged in this dense forest, the ancient ruins will likely be a long way off." Yi Wenzhou continued, his voice unwavering.
"Therefore, we'll have to push through this terrain and find shelter as quickly as possible." Yi Wenzhou concluded firmly.
Noel and the rest of the Hunters frowned at Yi Wenzhou's words, and a few of them exchanged uneasy looks. None of them were novices, and they understood that the danger level of the rift had just escalated.
The heavy downpour obscured their vision and made the ground slippery and muddy, which in turn dulled their movement. This was unfamiliar territory, and in such unfavorable conditions, even higher-ranked Hunters would be fortunate to exhibit half of their usual abilities, not to mention them. If they weren't careful, it would be a one-way trip to the underworld.
Still, there was no room for protest, and their only option was to follow Yi Wenzhou's lead.
"We don't have much time, so we have to move really quickly." Yi Wenzhou added, his voice rising over the roar of the downpour.
"I don't know what hour it is, but night is closing in. We don't know what kind of monsters to expect in this ruin, so we have to find a shelter as fast as possible. If we wait until nighttime arrives, perhaps the only thing left of us would be our bones." Yi Wenzhou spoke urgently.
No one said anything, but the grim expressions on their faces were enough. They all understood and agreed with Yi Wenzhou's statements.
"Let's not waste any more of our time." Yi Wenzhou said as he began pointing out spots and arranging the team into position. As the team quickly shuffled into place, Yi Wenzhou took his position at the front, shielding the rest of the team as their tank.
The mage-type Hunters were placed in the center of the formation—safeguarded from flanking and direct assault. The crimson-haired beauty, aloof as ever, stood amidst them like a noble among peasants.
Noel was placed near the rear, alongside Luther. Although being near the rear was relatively dangerous, Noel felt satisfied with Yi Wenzhou's decision. Since he was near the rear, he was protected sufficiently from both the front and back, and if there was an enemy that they could not handle immediately, he would still have sufficient time to protect himself.
"Since everyone is in formation now, let's move. This downpour doesn't seem like it's stopping anytime soon, and we have limited time, so let's make every second count." Yi Wenzhou said, glancing once at the forest that loomed ahead.
Without further delay, he stepped forward, vanishing into the misty, rain-soaked thicket. One by one, the Hunters followed. In less than two minutes, their silhouettes melted into the forest, swallowed whole by the downpour and the dense curtain of trees.