As I walked my mind raced through the possibilities.

  A dungeon portal appearing on a railway… That alone was a problem.

  But what worried me more was the fact that no Hunters were present, at least, none willing to step up.

  That meant two things, either there truly were no strong hunters on board, or those who were awakened didn’t think they could handle whatever was inside that portal.

  Neither possibility was reassuring.

  I clenched my fists, my pace slowing slightly.

  If the portal could make both weak and strong hunters in this train fear...

  Then what rank could it be?

  Dungeon portals were categorized from E-rank to S-rank.

  A normal E-rank, were good for regular low-tier hunter.

  Those were the kinds of dungeons new hunters used to train, full of monsters, like the so called Goblin dungeon I bearly survived.

  But anything above D-rank?

  That was when things got dangerous.

  D-rank portals required full teams or experienced hunters of either powerful D or C rank, some could threaten a town, while some could threaten a country if left unchecked.

  C-rank could threaten continents depending on the monsters it could threaten more than that if left unchecked.

  And B-rank?

  B-rank dungeons were apocalyptic nightmares.

  If a B-rank outbreak happened, very powerful B, or A rank would be needed to clear that.

  In the end, it is not about rank, but it depends on the monster ability and power.

  Just like Minotaurs, if a dungeon portal outbreak happens and all the hordes of monsters that comes out are Minotaurs, it wouldn't be good, it could be a world disaster.

  I remember that I have heard about Minotaur once from a blog post.

  The post mentioned that Minotaurs can be immune to more than one thing, depending on their rank, just like the Minotaur I and the team encountered...

  Those were low rank which can only be immune to one, but what about higher, the highest rank Minotaurs are rumoured to be immune to everything.

  I swallowed the unease building in my chest.

  What are the chances this is something serious?

  Low-rank dungeons portal didn’t just appear in places like this.

  The system that governed these portals, whatever unseen force decided where they opened, tended to place them in any location.

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  A random anomaly like this, in a heavily traveled area, didn’t feel natural.

  Which meant…

  This isn’t normal.

  The thought sent a chill down my spine.

  I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves.

  I wasn’t the strongest person out there, I knew that for sure.

  But if no one else was stepping up, then I had no choice but to prepare for the worst.

  I could still feel their eyes on me, dozens of them, filled with confusion, skepticism, even mild amusement.

  It was suffocating.

  The murmurs hadn’t stopped either.

  I could hear snippets of their conversations as I walked.

  "Is he really a hunter?"

  "Look at him, no gear, no weapon…"

  "Maybe he’s just pretending."

  "He should know now isn't the time for that."

  "He doesn’t look strong at all."

  I clenched my jaw, resisting the urge to sigh.

  I wasn’t stupid, i knew exactly what they were thinking.

  No flashy armor, nothing expensive, not even a visible weapon, nothing showed if I am a strong high rank Hunter.

  To them, I was just some idiot trying to act brave.

  I didn’t blame them.

  Instead of letting their judgment get to me, I forced my attention elsewhere, on something that actually mattered.

  The portal.

  The voice over the train’s intercom had said it opened mysteriously.

  That was an understatement.

  Dungeon portals usually gave warning signs before forming, unstable mana fluctuations, spatial distortions, things like that.

  The fact that this one appeared out of nowhere meant it was either completely unnatural… or something had forced it open.

  Neither option was good.

  I ran through the possibilities again.

  If it were an E-rank dungeon, some wouldn’t pose much of a threat, while some can.

  In some E-rank portal outbreak, civilians could probably evacuate before any monsters emerged.

  While in some E-rank portal outbreak, it could release monsters that could easily tear through humans in an entire town or country.

  But if it were higher…

  A D-rank?

  Some could wipe out all the continents, and more if left unchecked.

  And if it were an C-rank or above?

  My fingers twitched slightly.

  I didn’t want to think about that.

  I need more information.

  The military was securing the area, which meant they must have detected something dangerous.

  But they had asked for hunters assistance, meaning they weren’t confident in handling it alone.

  Which is normal.

  What exactly is in that portal?

  I exhaled slowly, keeping my pace steady. Whatever it was, I had no choice but to find out.

  The tension in the train was suffocating.

  Every step I took felt heavier under the weight of their gazes, their whispered judgments creeping into my ears like static noise I couldn't turn off.

  I considered walking faster, just to escape their scrutiny a little sooner, to reach the door and step out of this pressure.

  But then I stopped myself.

  That would look like I was rushing.

  Like I was nervous.

  Like I was scared.

  And I wasn’t.

  I forced my feet to keep the same steady pace, my posture relaxed, my breathing even.

  There was no need to look over my shoulder, I could feel their eyes drilling into me, waiting for me to slip up, to show any sign of hesitation.

  If I hurried now, they’d think I was second-guessing myself.

  And I refused to give them that satisfaction.

  Instead, I kept my head up, focusing straight ahead.

  The train door wasn’t far now.

  Beyond it, the unknown dungeon portal, and whatever nightmare awaited.

  Still, the weight of their silence pressed on me.

  Someone let out a scoff, barely audible.

  Another muttered something under their breath.

  They didn’t believe in me.

  I didn’t need them to.

  I was already close to the train exit door now, just a few more steps and I’d be out of this suffocating carriage.

  Away from the weight of their judgmental stares, away from the murmurs questioning whether I was actually a hunter or just some fool walking to his death.

  Relief washed over me, subtle but present, like a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

  Almost there.

  Then, a hand clamped down on my shoulder.

  “Wait.”

  The voice was firm, steady.

  Not aggressive, but enough to make me pause.

  For a split second, my body tensed.

  My instincts flared, muscles coiling as if expecting an attack.

  But I forced myself to stay still.

  Slowly, I turned my head to see who had stopped me.

  Was it another hunter?

  Someone finally stepping up to help?

  Or just another bystander trying to talk me out of it?

  I didn't know...