Reborn With the Infinite Gods System

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Fake Guild... Boom

"I'll pay you two hundred million, President Seo Jihnyuk! Just allow us to clear this portal with a five-man guild!" Axel snarled over the phone, his voice tinged with desperation.

The president of the association sighed heavily, clearly unimpressed. "It's against the law for a team of just five to clear a portal, Axel, and your price isn't as tempting as you think maybe you should rethink your offers and methods or build a team of nine at least, then I'll consider."

Axel gritted his teeth, his knuckles white as he tightened his grip on the phone. "Then I'll owe you a favor. Just let us through, Prez. We're right at the portal, all we need is your permission!" He practically yelled into the phone, unable to suppress the frustration bubbling inside him.

He'd already shelled out three hundred million to buy the rights to the portal from another guild—there was no way he was backing out now.

After a pause, President Seo Jihnyuk's voice came through, colder than before. "Fine, I'll allow your B-Rank guild to clear the portal. But in return, you will give me two hundred million *and* that favor, that should be manageable for a man of my status."

Axel's heart sank. His face went pale as the weight of those words settled in. "Wait, you don't need the money, just—" The call disconnected before he could finish.

He stared at his phone, disbelief slowly giving way to anger. 'Greedy bastard! My two hundred million is nothing to you, yet you still take it!' he fumed silently, kicking at a nearby rock in frustration.

"Axel! The monitor team approved us entering the gap! Whatever you did to convince the association head worked perfectly" Loki called from a distance, his long coat swaying in the wind as the scabbard of his sword clinked against his back.

Axel snapped out of his thoughts and trudged toward the team. Hera was nearby, switching to her double blades, both strapped to her back. Captain Rowin stood grimly, battle-axe in hand, his face as dark as a storm cloud. His brooding aura only seemed to intensify the closer Axel got, making his usual commanding presence feel muted.

Noel was the odd one out, as always. She had shown up in a crop top and high-waisted jeans, the most impractical battle attire Axel could imagine. Worse still, she hadn't bothered to bring any weapons. He sighed inwardly. It was one thing to be eccentric, but this?

"Thanks for showing up, everyone," Axel said, trying to muster some warmth despite the situation. "This is our first mission as a guild, and I—"

"It's safe to enter the portal now!" a monitor team member interrupted from a distance, cutting Axel's speech short.

Axel's jaw clenched. 'No respect,' he thought bitterly, his attempt at rallying the team completely derailed. Loki snickered under his breath, clearly amused, while Noel let out a small cackle.

'These guys don't take me seriously at all.' Axel thought as he looked at his team and sighed.

Shaking his head, Axel turned toward the swirling portal ahead, its eerie glow casting long shadows on the ground. He took a deep breath and led the way, the others falling into step behind him.

"Master, what's going on with Rowin?" Velerium materialized beside him, her voice soft but piercing.

Axel glanced over at Rowin, who trudged along in silence. 'Something's off about him. He's been like this since he showed up with Hera and Loki. Not a single word. It's... unsettling.'

"I see. Perhaps it's something private," Velerium mused, her tone thoughtful. "But his mood might endanger the mission."

Axel grimaced. 'I'll keep an eye on him.' With that, Velerium faded, leaving Axel to his swirling thoughts. 'I've got everything under control... more or less.'

---

In a small room nearby, the leader of the monitor team was in a world of his own, anticipating the results of his lottery ticket. 'Five hundred million Kyota… If I win this, I'll finally quit this miserable job.'

His phone buzzed, and with a rush of excitement, he snatched it from his pocket. But his excitement evaporated as soon as he saw the message wasn't from the lottery.

His face contorted in disappointment, but that quickly turned to horror as he read the message.

"To all monitors: DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT allow any hunter to enter the portals of the Fateks. We have just received news of hunters getting trapped. Fifty hunters have already disappeared—"

He shot up from his seat, panic overtaking him. His eyes darted toward the portal. 'Where is it? It was just there a second ago!'

The portal had vanished. His blood ran cold.

"Oh my God!" someone from his team screamed.

"What's happening?"

"The portal closed as soon as they entered!"

"Damn it's bon the Monitors news!"

"Fuck... Those his are gonna die!"

Chaos erupted among the monitor team, fear and confusion spreading like wildfire. The team leader, however, stood frozen, his mind racing as memories of a similar incident flooded back. It was a massacre.

"They're all going to die..." he whispered, his voice barely audible amidst the panicked shouts around him.

---

Inside the portal, Axel and his team were met with a dimly lit room, the air thick with tension. The portal behind them flickered once, then closed abruptly.

Axel's heart skipped a beat as he spun around, his sword materializing in his hand almost instinctively. "Everyone, prepare for an ambush!" His voice cut through the silence.

The team reacted instantly, weapons drawn, eyes darting in all directions. Even Noel, who typically shrugged off danger, looked more alert than usual.

"This is impossible!" Captain Rowin shouted, his voice laced with agitation. "A portal has never closed this fast! Not with Fateks still inside!"

Everyone was on edge, their eyes scanning the dark corners of the room for any sign of movement. The silence was deafening, the tension almost unbearable. Axel's grip on his sword tightened as he strained his senses, trying to detect anything—anything at all.

Then, Noel spoke. "There's something... coming," her voice was quiet but firm, and everyone's focus shifted.

A figure stepped into the faint light, hands raised in a gesture of surrender. Axel's instincts screamed at him that this was a trap.

It was a man, followed by eight others. All of them looked human.

"Please!" the man called out, his voice trembling. "We're humans, just like you! We don't want to fight!"

Axel's eyes narrowed as he studied them. 'This feels wrong...'

Another voice, a woman this time, echoed the man's plea. "We got transported here by the portal. The next thing we knew, it was gone. Please, help us."

Loki exchanged a glance with Axel, his usually sarcastic demeanor now serious. "What do you think?"

Axel hesitated, then finally lowered his guard, if only slightly. "We're in this together," he said, though the words tasted bitter in his mouth.

The others followed suit, loosening their stances, though the tension never fully left the air.

Noel sidled up to Axel, her voice barely above a whisper. "Does this feel like a trap to you?"

Axel's mind raced. This wasn't just a bad situation—it was a nightmare. 'If this is a trap, it's not just for us. What if they've captured other guilds the same way? What if this is happening all over Kyota? This would be an issue if most hunters got sucked into this mess, meaning the entire world would be unprotected, if that happens mum and sis will he in the cross fire...

damn! I really this is really fucked up.'

His fists clenched as a realization dawned on him, a sickening truth that sent chills down his spine. 'They're thinning out Earth's defenses... drawing hunters into fake portals and leaving us vulnerable for a real attack.'

"Damn it!" Axel cursed, slamming his fist into his open palm. His thoughts spiraled deeper into fear and anger. 'This is bigger than us. If they've trapped this many hunters, Earth's going to be defenseless when the real attack comes. And I led us right into it...'

Loki's voice cut through his thoughts, softer this time. "I gotta hand it to them... This trap is foolproof."

Axel closed his eyes, a heavy sense of guilt settling over him. "And I walked us right into it."

*Author's Note:**

Discover tales on m_vl_em_p_yr

After this chapter the mass releasing marathon will begin....

We've now entered the beginning of the final arc for season one. Thank you for all your gifts and support! I'll be pushing out mass releases during this arc, so stay tuned for the race to the finish! I hope we all get a win at the end of this volume.