Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 163 - The Key To The Portal

Jack's hands clenched into fists as he took a slow step back, his mind racing. He had no more than three strong fighters on his side, and now they were standing face to face with a three-tailed Gorvak—something they had never encountered before. In this dimly lit cavern filled with the remnants of their past suffering, a new battle was about to begin.

His heart pounded as he assessed the situation. How are we supposed to fight this thing?

Jack had never been a frontline fighter. His strength wasn't in brute force or elemental power. His ability was unique—it allowed him to suppress the abilities of others, but that was useless here. Gorvaks didn't rely on special abilities. They were monsters, pure and simple, built for carnage.

He gritted his teeth, cursing under his breath. If Ryder were here, this fight would already be over. If Madison or Alice were with them, they could freeze or incinerate this thing before it had a chance to react or so he thought. But they weren't here. It was just Jack, Sam, and a handful of survivors who didn't stand a chance in a direct confrontation.

A low growl rumbled from the Gorvak's throat as it took a slow, deliberate step forward. The cavern was large, but in this moment, it felt suffocating.

Jack swallowed hard. Think, damn it!

Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. A whisper brushed against his ear as Sam leaned in, his voice barely audible.

"I have an idea," Sam murmured quickly. "I can make an illusion. Make it think something is on the other side of the portal. If I do it right, I can make it walk through on its own."

Jack's eyes widened slightly, but his mind instantly saw the flaw in the plan. His voice was hushed but firm.

"But that means more trouble for Alice and Madison," he countered. If they sent this thing through, it wouldn't just disappear. It would show up right in the middle of their battlefield, and that could turn the tide against them.

Sam didn't hesitate. "What do you want to do, Jack? Fight it? Die here?" His voice was laced with urgency. "At least if we send it over there, Alice and Madison might have backup by now. If we stay here and fight it, we will die."

Jack inhaled sharply, his mind reeling. He didn't like it, but Sam was right. They didn't have the numbers. They didn't have the strength. The only way out of this was to outsmart the enemy.

Before Jack could respond, the Gorvak moved.

It was fast. Faster than Jack expected. In the blink of an eye, the massive creature lunged forward, its claws extended as it crashed down onto one of the survivors. The man barely had time to react. A green glow erupted around him as he instinctively activated his ability—some kind of defensive shield—but it didn't matter.

The Gorvak pressed him into the ground like an insect.

The survivor choked out a pained gasp as the weight crushed him, his shield cracking under the sheer pressure. Jack started to move, but before he could react, something changed.

The Gorvak stopped.

For a brief moment, the massive creature seemed frozen in place. Then, without warning, it lifted its foot from the struggling survivor and turned away, its entire posture shifting.

It was ignoring them.

Jack's breath caught in his throat as he watched the beast take slow, deliberate steps toward the portal. It moved with urgency, as if suddenly drawn to something beyond the swirling gateway. It didn't even acknowledge the people around it anymore.

The second it crossed the threshold, Jack reacted.

He reached over his shoulder, yanking another staff from his back. He had been carrying a spare, just in case something went wrong. Without hesitation, he slammed it into the ground, activating the mechanism.

The portal sealed.

The golden energy flickered, then solidified. Jack took a step back, his chest rising and falling rapidly. It was done. The Gorvak was on the other side now.

He turned toward Sam, who was practically collapsing onto the stone floor, his body drenched in sweat. His face was pale, his breathing ragged.

Jack took a step toward him, his eyes narrowing. "How the hell did you pull that off?"

Sam let out a weak chuckle, rubbing a trembling hand over his forehead. "If it stayed here for more than a few seconds, the illusion would've broken," he admitted breathlessly. "Convincing something that strong to follow an illusion isn't easy. I had to make it real in its mind."

Jack frowned. "What did you show it?"

Sam exhaled heavily, his head tilting back against the stone wall. His voice was weak, but there was a hint of pride in it.

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"I made it see Zoro."

Jack's entire body stiffened. "You what?"

"I made it see Zoro walking through the portal," Sam repeated. "Made it think it was supposed to follow."

Jack let out a slow breath. He wasn't sure whether to be impressed or terrified. The illusion had worked, but if the Gorvak truly believed it was following Zoro… what did that mean?

Before he could dwell on it, something else caught his attention.

Jack's gaze shifted toward the area where the Gorvak had been standing moments ago. There, embedded in the floor, was something… unnatural. His steps were slow as he approached, his brow furrowing at the sight before him.

A mechanism.

The ground was carved with intricate patterns, some kind of array etched into the stone. But in the center, pulsing with faint energy, was a crystal.

Jack crouched down, his fingers hovering just above the strange device. The glow from the crystal was dim, but something about it felt… wrong.

"The array," he muttered. "It's just a distraction."

Sam barely lifted his head. "What?"

Jack exhaled sharply, his mind piecing it together. "They want us to think the array is what's controlling the portals. But it's not. This—" he pointed at the crystal "—this is the real key."

He reached out, pressing his fingers against the glowing surface.

A pulse of energy shot through him, and for a split second, he felt something—something vast, stretching beyond this room, beyond this island. The crystal was connected to something bigger.

Jack's breath hitched. If he could figure out how this worked…

Then they weren't just one step closer to stopping the Gorvaks.

They were one step closer to going home.

He rose to his feet, his expression determined.

"We need to take this with us."

Sam groaned from the floor. "Give me… five minutes. Maybe ten."

Jack smirked slightly, shaking his head. He glanced toward the rest of the group. "Stay with him. Make sure he doesn't pass out."

Then, with one final look at the glowing crystal, Jack reached down, preparing to pull it free.

He had a feeling they were finally getting closer.

---

Alice and Madison stood side by side, their gazes locked on the incoming wave of two-tailed Gorvaks. The battlefield trembled beneath their feet as the monstrous creatures charged, their claws tearing into the earth, their eyes glowing with primal fury. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, and the distant echoes of survivors cheering from their earlier victory had faded into tense silence.

The first wave had been wiped out, but this… this was different.

Alice exhaled slowly, her breath misting in the air as she began to rise, her body lifting effortlessly. She didn't ascend too high—just enough to hover beside Madison, close enough that she could still feel the heat radiating off her friend.

She turned her head slightly. "What do you suggest we do?" she asked, her voice calm but firm.

Madison's grip tightened around her bow, dragging the crystalline weapon along the ground, leaving behind a faint trail of glowing energy. She shrugged, her expression unreadable. "I don't know," she admitted, eyes narrowing at the Gorvaks. Then, a small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "Guess we'll just have to do what we've been doing since the beginning…"

She raised her bow, and an arrow of pure energy materialized in the air. "Fight."

Before Alice could respond, a familiar voice cut through the tension behind them.

"You two don't need to worry about the people back here."

Ryder stepped forward, his massive frame casting a shadow over the smaller survivors who stood anxiously behind them. His armor radiated power, the faint glow of Ray's craftsmanship pulsing along the plates. His sword was already drawn, the metal shimmering with raw energy.

"I'll stay with them," he continued. "You two fight—go all out. Don't hold back. I'll make sure no one behind you dies."

Alice's breath hitched for just a second. She turned toward him, meeting his gaze. There was no doubt in his eyes—only certainty.

She nodded once, the smallest smile appearing on her lips. "Thanks."

The weight on her shoulders lifted just a little. She had been holding back, worried about the people behind them, worried that if she pushed too far, she wouldn't be able to protect them all. But now, she didn't have to think about that. Ryder had taken that burden.

Now, she could focus on one thing.

Killing every last one of these creatures.

She turned back to Madison, who was already looking at her, a knowing expression on her face.

"Remember what we did in training yesterday?" Alice asked, tilting her head slightly.

Madison's eyes gleamed with excitement. Her fingers flexed around her bow, and she let out a short breath. "Yeah."

Alice's lips curled into a sharp smile. "Time to put it to use."