Gate Breakers

I hope you guys will like this chapter!

Chapter 8

The atmosphere in the cave shifted as the battle ended. The tension and adrenaline ebbed away, leaving the raid team with a mix of relief and exhaustion. Nureha stood near the fallen kobold arch mage, her breathing heavy and her body aching from the hits she had taken. Despite the pain, a small spark of pride burned within her—she had dealt the finishing blow.

Lio, the support Hunter who had helped her earlier, approached with a friendly smile. He adjusted his slightly fogged glasses and gave her an approving nod.

"You did great out there, Nureha," he said, his tone genuine. "I was worried when you went in without a weapon, but you proved everyone wrong. That final hit was something else."

Nureha managed a small smile, still catching her breath. "Thanks, but I couldn’t have done it without your speed buff and healing. You really came through."

Lio chuckled, extending a hand. "The name’s Lio. And honestly, you’ve got guts. That determination of yours is something we could all learn from."

She shook his hand firmly. "Nureha. And… thanks again for having my back."

Nearby, Rael leaned against a rock, arms crossed, watching the interaction with his usual smirk. "Looks like the lone wolf still has some bite, huh, White-hair?"

"Gee, thanks for the encouragement," Nureha replied, rolling her eyes but unable to hide the faint smirk tugging at her lips.

"Hey, credit where it’s due," Rael said, straightening up. "But don’t get too comfortable. You’ve still got a lot to prove."

Before Nureha could retort, Flora approached, her blue bob cut slightly disheveled but her presence as commanding as ever. She placed a reassuring hand on Nureha’s shoulder, her piercing gaze steady.

"You showed incredible resilience today, Nureha," Flora said, her tone warm yet firm. "It takes courage and strength to charge into a fight like that, especially without proper gear. Keep that determination alive, and you’ll only grow stronger."

Nureha nodded, gratitude swelling in her chest. "Thank you, Flora. I’ll keep pushing myself."

Some of the other Hunters gave her reserved nods or murmured faint congratulations. A tall tank with a gruff demeanor grunted, "Not bad, Nureha. You’ve got fight in you."

A red-haired mage gave her a faint smile. "You held your own out there. Just don’t make a habit of going in unarmed, alright?"

However, not everyone was impressed. A cluster of Hunters lingered at the edge of the group, their expressions skeptical.

"Big deal," one muttered. "She got one lucky hit. Doesn’t make her special."

"Yeah," another scoffed. "She’s still low rank. Barely worth noticing."

Yumi and her group, standing apart from the others, didn’t bother hiding their disdain. Yumi crossed her arms, her lips curling into a mocking smile.

"Well, well," Yumi said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "The liability actually managed to survive again. Maybe the rumors about your bad luck keeping you alive aren’t so far-fetched after all."

Nureha stiffened, her fists clenching as she turned to face Yumi, her silver eyes burning with defiance.

"Say what you want, Yumi," Nureha said, her voice calm but steely. "I didn’t survive out of luck. I survived because I refused to give up. And I’ll keep surviving, no matter what you throw at me."