Approaching danger

Out there in a distant land covered in snow, mountains obscuring the periphery of the vision, distant stars were glimmering the night sky stretching the sky making an shimmering bridge of glistening pebbles in the night sky.

A man in dressed in casual garbs was staring in an seemingly empty stretch of land, his face held a neutral expression illuminated in an faint glow.

The empty space in question had a small crack in space, a gate was about to manifest, but what was curious about this one was that the rift in space didn't seem to expand, it was pulsating as if someone was forcibly trying to widen it from the other side.

"Did you get the readings from GRT (gate radar team)" the man said

to another person standing behind him, a girl in formal clothing with hair tied in a bun holding a screen tablet at her hands.

"Yes, they say it is behaving strange, they have never seen something like this before, they have no data on gates like this" She replied seemingly looking at her tablet for data 

"As for the tier it is probably a T4 but they said there is a chance it might turn out to be a T5 gate" 

"I see" The man seemed silent for a while, in deep thought, eventually he said

"Contact all the Guardians, tell them the situation"

"We might have a Behemoth at our hands"

******

Kei slowly opened his eyes, warm light caressed his cheeks, soft winds came through the window, delicately moving the curtains of the hospital room.

'I'm back here again, huh, second time this week'

"Kei, you're awake" Chrome hugged him tightly

"Ahhhh" startled by the sudden show of affection and still hurt from the previous battle Kei let out a stifled scream

"Chrome, when did you get here"

"You passed out yesterday, after that Donnes and others fought the fiend and he killed it" Chrome replied in an energetic tone.

'He seems to be doing well at least'

Kei looked around the room and noticed that Chrome was the only one there, maybe he was hoping to find Ayumi there also 

'Ah, maybe its for better, I don't know if I can see her right now,,,, maybe she is embarrassed'

'Ya with her personality, I doubt that'

Hearing that Kei woke up, Donnes burst in the door

"How's my favorite disciple doing" Donnes said energetically 

"Blowing up the fiend from the insides, you're pretty crazy huh"

Donnes burst in the room, he had an ecstatic look on his face, Yuna was also there behind her, she was aloof and quiet as always.

'He seems particularly happy, also did he say favorite disciple?'

"Hello sir, I'm doing fine I think, you seem to be in a good mood tho"

"Don't call me sir" Donnes retorted

"Ok Donnes" Kei said 

"Mphh" Donnes got startled by the sudden change in tone "Ah, anyway I'm in a good mood, I got to kill that fiend you know"

"It was an E rank fiend, Wyrm Centisect, thanks to you I got a lot stronger after absorbing the mana core of the fiend, it's not everyday you get a fiend core"

"Normally, there are many Sentinels fighting one fiend, which means splitting rewards, but thanks to you I got to keep the fiend core all to myself"

Yuna pinched Donnes's side and gestured at the two pouches that were around his hip.

"Oh yeah, these are beast cores that we salvaged, come to think of it you never got the monster core from the stalker, as a thanks I've put in some extra cores"

Donnes gave one to Kei and another to Chrome

Kei opened the pouch to see four shimmering, bluish crystals, the crystals or cores had concentrated mana energy that was left behind after killing creatures, these are absorbed in ones body to grow stronger and as for dormant human's like Kei build his own mana core

Chrome also opened his pouch, but his expression wasn't the joyed one as one would normally see after receiving a commodity like mana cores.

"What's wrong, are you jealous of little Kei here" Donnes said "Just so let you know he got extra for defeating the monster from before, so I'm not doing favoritism,,, maybe a little, beside the point"

"No, its just that I didn't even do anything, I don't deserve this" Chrome said

Donnes sighed "listen, you did well, even if you don't think so, going in battle, seeing face to face with abominations takes courage especially at your age, and you even confronted the beasts and stopped them on their tracks, in my books that's more than not doing anything, so you deserve it"

Chrome looked at the shimmering crystals for a moment then his fierce determination ignited in his eyes "Thank you sir, i will work harder" he declared, clenching his fists tightly.

'wah, so gullible' Kei looked with narrow eyes

"Anyway, We should go" Donnes said

"Come meet us again, once you get better, don't worry I got you an appointment with the best healer I know" Donnes said as he was exiting the room

"Wait no, I'll be fine no need to call her" Kei exclaimed but before Donnes could reply another person entered the room.

The newcomer was dressed in casual clothing, and between her fingers, countless long needles danced gracefully.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh" A loud scream was heard sometime later from the room