Reborn With the Infinite Gods System

"Another portal?" Noel was the first to mutter, his voice trembling as the large purple portal swirled ominously before the stone wall.

The appearance of the portal stirred a wave of unease throughout the group. Tension rose swiftly as they stared at the swirling vortex, uncertainty thickening the air.

"It's a trap!" someone shouted from the back.

"But it might be our only way out!" another voice responded with equal urgency.

Axel could hear the frantic breathing of those around him. They had been trapped in this cursed dungeon for two long days, with no food, no water, and barely any sleep. The sense of desperation was palpable, and now, the possibility of escape stood before them—wrapped in layers of danger and the unknown.

A hunter, his halberd held in a defensive posture, stepped forward, shaking his head. "We can't sit here and starve to death," he growled. "We've fought off hordes of Fatek before, and we survived. If it's a trap, we'll handle it. We don't have a choice anymore."

Axel remained silent, his mind racing through potential scenarios. The stakes were clear—stay and starve, or go through the portal and face whatever lay beyond. His thoughts turned to the others, their fear clouding their judgment. He couldn't blame them. Hunger, exhaustion, and the constant threat of death had driven them to the edge of their sanity.

Carlos, the leader of the other guild, approached Axel, his face tense and filled with hesitation. "What do you think, Mr. Teras? Should we take this opportunity?" Carlos asked, his voice low but urgent.

Axel didn't respond immediately. He stared at the portal, watching the violet tendrils of energy twist and writhe like snakes. He understood the risks, but as Carlos had said, there weren't many options left. Finally, he gave a slow nod.

"There's no other choice," Axel replied, his voice calm despite the anxiety around him. "But keep your people under control, Carlos. We have no idea what's waiting for us on the other side. For all we know, an army could be lying in ambush."

Carlos tightened his grip on his sword. "I'll do my best. But... let's move quickly before panic sets in."

The two leaders stepped forward together, standing at the edge of the portal. Carlos kept his sword raised defensively, its hilt pointing forward. Axel, in stark contrast, kept his hands tucked in his pockets, exuding an aura of cold calculation. Behind them, the rest of the group followed, a mix of nerves and cautious determination.

"Stay close," Carlos called back to the others. "And don't do anything reckless."

Axel silently hoped for the best as they stepped through the portal, a blinding light swallowing them whole. His mind raced. *If we meet an army on the other side, I might have to teleport us out. But how long can I maintain that?*

As the light faded, Axel's eyes adjusted to the new environment. They emerged in what appeared to be a massive hangar bay. The sight chilled his blood.

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Hundreds—no, thousands—of Fatek warriors stood there, armed with energy blasters and cold, calculated eyes fixed upon them. Their armor shimmered with an otherworldly sheen, and the air around them vibrated with the hum of deadly technology.

"Damn it," Carlos muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's a trap."

Axel remained stoic, though the odds were overwhelming. His eyes scanned the Fatek warriors, searching for any opening or weakness. "Don't do anything rash, Carlos," Axel said softly but firmly. "We won't survive a fight against these numbers. Not here."

Carlos' grip on his sword faltered, his hands trembling. "But... but how can we—"

"Just stay calm," Axel cut him off, his voice steady. "We'll figure something out."

One by one, the rest of the group stumbled out of the portal, their faces pale as they realized the dire situation. The oppressive silence of the hangar hung over them like a death sentence. No one needed to be told twice—each hunter slowly dropped their weapons, their faces etched with defeat.

"Drop your weapons, or we'll slaughter you where you stand!" a Fatek soldier roared, stepping forward. His uniform was distinct from the others, marking him as a leader. His eyes glinted with malice as he watched the hunters comply.

Axel's eyes darted across the room. The ship was massive, far larger than the ones they had encountered before. This wasn't just a Fatek outpost—it was a warship.

"If I had to guess..." Axel muttered under his breath.

"S-rank," Noel whispered, finishing his thought. The realization sent a shiver down their spines.

"Move!" the Fatek commander snarled, gesturing with his blaster. "Follow us, and don't try anything. I enjoy eating your kind."

Reluctantly, the group formed a line, led by Carlos and Axel. As they marched forward, the Fatek warriors flanked them, snarling and growling, their breath foul and their eyes gleaming with sadistic glee. The stench of death and decay clung to the air, making several hunters gag.

Carl, one of the hunters, stumbled, his steps shaky with fear. "This is it," he whispered to himself. "We're dead without our weapons."

Beside him, Rowin's face was pale but strangely calm. He leaned closer to Axel, his voice barely audible. "They're taking us to their commander. I can feel it."

Axel shot him a questioning glance. "How do you know?"

Rowin hesitated, glancing nervously at the Fatek before continuing. "I... I don't know. It's like I can hear them. Or... sense their thoughts.

It might have something to do with the infection."

Axel frowned, his mind racing. "What else can you pick up?"

Rowin closed his eyes, focusing as hard as he could. The Fatek soldiers' conversations were chaotic, their thoughts jumbled, but he tried to piece together what he could. "They... they want to kill... someone. One of us, I think.

Something about a cell. A sleeping cell... that's about to awaken."

His voice trembled with confusion and fear.

Axel's heart skipped a beat. A cell? What were they talking about? He reached out in his mind. *Velerium, are you there?* |em|p,yr

The familiar, shadowy figure of Velerium appeared beside Axel, his voice soft but urgent. "Yes, my lord. What troubles you?"

Axel gestured subtly toward the Fatek soldiers. "They're talking about something called a 'cell.' Any idea what they mean?"

Velerium's expression darkened. "A cell... that's no ordinary creature. If the Fatek are preparing to awaken it, you're all in grave danger. They're likely planning to pit you against this being for their amusement."

Axel's blood ran cold. "A forced battle against some... monster?"

"Yes," Velerium confirmed grimly. "A powerful one. If they succeed in awakening it, survival will be slim."

Axel clenched his fists, his mind whirling with possibilities. "We need a plan... and fast."

As they were led deeper into the ship, Axel couldn't shake the growing sense of dread gnawing at him. The Fatek weren't just planning to kill them—they were planning to use them as sport. And the "cell" they spoke of… it sounded like something far worse than any enemy they had faced before.

***

Trisha stepped cautiously into the midst of the Fateks, their guttural growls echoing off the walls of the massive alien ship. The tension in the air was suffocating, and the oppressive silence of her fifteen men was no comfort.

Trisha's eyes flicked around, taking in the sight of the hulking Fateks surrounding them—grotesque, humanoid beings with grayish skin, adorned in strange armor that gleamed under the dim lights of the ship. They had weapons, crude yet deadly, and their sheer numbers were enough to make any normal hunter tremble.

But Trisha wasn't just any hunter.

Her mind raced back to when they had first entered the portal with her guild, confident and prepared for another routine mission. They had expected to clear a ship, but instead found themselves trapped inside a cube-like container, lost in darkness for two agonizing days. The disorientation, the claustrophobia, the creeping fear of the unknown—it had all gnawed at their resolve.

Yet, she had a gut feeling.

*They didn't kill us then,* she thought. *They could've blown us up while we were trapped, yet they kept us alive. Why?*

She turned her gaze to Thor, walking lazily behind her with his hands in his pockets, as though he were strolling through a park rather than facing down an army of bloodthirsty aliens. His unruly hair fell into his eyes, which were half-lidded with boredom, his mouth curled in a faint smile. It almost unnerved her how little he seemed to care about their dire situation.

But then again, this was Thor—the most powerful S-rank hunter she'd ever met.

A ripple of unease fluttered through her as the Fateks' guttural language filled her ears. She wasn't fluent, but she had learned enough to understand snippets of their conversation.

*'They keep talking about someone… Cell.'*

She furrowed her brow. *Who is Cell?* The word kept coming up, almost reverently, like a chant. The Fateks were praising him, exalting him as if he were some kind of savior or deity. Trisha's skin prickled. Whoever this Cell was, he had to be dangerous. No, more than dangerous.

To command this kind of awe from an army of alien warriors meant one thing: he was powerful.

*Maybe as powerful as us... or worse.*

Trisha's hand twitched toward the dagger strapped to her thigh. Her instincts screamed that they were walking into a trap, yet there was no backing out now. The mission was clear—find the missing hunters, destroy the enemy, and get out. But things had taken a darker turn. The portal had never been this deceptive before, never this cunning.

A sharp crackle of static buzzed in her earpiece. "Trisha," a voice whispered. One of the A-rank hunters, barely holding his composure, his voice shaking with fear. "They're moving us somewhere. They're not attacking yet... why?

What do they want from us?"

She bit her lip. That was the question gnawing at her too. *What do they want?* The Fateks were no mindless beasts. They had a plan, and that plan included keeping her and her team alive—for now.

Thor yawned. "You're overthinking it," he said casually, barely glancing at her. "We'll find the hunters, burn this ship to the ground, and be home in time for dinner. I'm more worried about missing a good night's sleep."

Trisha wanted to believe him. She wanted to think they could make it out easily, that this was just another mission. But as the Fateks growled and her ears caught another mention of Cell, that sense of dread only deepened.

*Whoever this Cell is... he's waiting for us.*

She clenched her fists. Something told her they were heading straight into a nightmare.