The dungeon Vanessa called Matthew to was actually a lesser gate called Blue Moon Gate. Inside it was a pocket dimension oh huge forest that was always covered in a dim blue light that came from a moon-like object floating in the sky.
The ecosystem in that gate was very peculiar. Its trees had sharp red leaves, mostly resembling pine trees. Their trunks were gray and the wood that came out of them were widely sought for building furniture because of their coloring.
Matthew was reading in the bus about the sort of creatures that lived in there. None were intelligent. Wolves of red fur, simply named Red Wolves, a moose like creature of black fur, red eyes and steel horns, called by its elven name Roth, and a human sized spider with flat gray body that camouflaged well on the tree barks, called Trunk Spiders for their habit of hiding themselves as part of the trunk of the trees, were the most dangerous creatures in there. They were also the main target for adventurers for their materials.
The Red Wolves for their fur that was used in the fashion industry, the Roth for their horns and mana crystals and the spiders for their venom that was used in cosmetics. Their meat and other parts were just used locally, but could still bring quite a profit.
Matthew's mother as a bit sad when he said he'd spent the next 4 days in there hunting with the others, but didn't protest against it. She seemed to be more accepting of his career choice.
The front of the gate was very similar to the dungeon he used to go, but the coming and going looked a lot more like a migration office than the simple ID check of the dungeon.
He had to fill a form, read a bunch of rules and sign a term of compromise to follow those rules. He had his bag searched and some fruit he was carrying confiscated. They were really tough about bringing in and out produce from and to Earth. The ecosystem, specially in lesser gates was quite fragile and invasive species could bring huge damage.
On the other side of the gate, seemed like a big logging operation. But, as the gate wasn't very big, not much timber was sent back to Earth. Apart from the logging site, there was a dormitory for the logging employees, three bars, a crystal exchange office, a weapon store, an inn and a small shopping center with some restaurants and a diversity of stores.
He met Vanessa in the inn, at the lobby. She was sitting there reading a newspaper. Cellphone reception was unavailable inside the gate. Even through wires, electricity and other signals didn't travel well through the dimensions. They were basically cut off from Earth with only physical forms of communication available through the gate.
The only way to make any connection from inside a gate to outside was through dreams, which was discovered after the appearance of Mana was a realm of its own. However, only Somniomancers had the skill to enter dreams willingly.
Vanessa greeted Matthew with a quick hug, helped him to his room, that she already had in order. He was going to share it with the other man in the group. Matthew hurried to put away his luggage and prepare for adventure in the woods.
"You don't need your backpack." Vanessa said. "Paula has a inventory bag with her. Bring only what you can carry."
Matthew filled the many pockets of his pants with bullets, sheathed his machete on his waist, the gun on the other side, his second gun on his ankle and the small shield he wrapped around his left arm.
"What is that on your ear?" Vanessa asked, while was tying the shield, looking at the ear that was bit off by an imp.
"What?" Matthew asked, but soon realized. "Oh, it's a white spot. The doctor said that the new part of of the ear would take a while to tan and become normal."
"What? New part?" Vanessa asked confused.
"Yeah… When I was in hell, an imp bit a bit off…"
As soon as he said those words, Vanessa got close to him and started to examine his ear.
"The doctor regrew the part that was bit off, but as it is new skin, it still isn't tanned like the rest of my body. It's basically a tan line." He explained.
Vanessa's attention then drew to his face. Because he was very white, the white spots on his ear, from where he was bit, and on his face, where he was burned, were not very noticeable. But now that she was looking close, she could see them clearly.
"And this on your face?"
"I got burned. Luckily I didn't lose an eye."
"And who did the healing?" Vanessa kept asking without letting go of his face and examining him like a doctor.
"Faralynn's family doctor. They said it was a thank you for helping her in there."
Vanessa let him go and sighed. "Thank God you didn't go into debt for that. He did a really good job."
"Yeah. The Laufgraan are good people."
"Laufgraan?!" Vanessa got really surprised, but soon realized they left the others waiting for them. "You'll tell me more later. But we need to meet the others now."
The other two members were waiting for them at a cafe, the only one there. One of them was a man, not much older than Matthew. He had blond hair, green eyes and was wearing a leather vest engraved with runes and a single blue crystal near the neck. He carried a modern bow with him, a quiver filled with arrows at his back and a scimitar like sword on his waist. His name was Michael a level 8 adventurer.
One could not see use in using a bow when you can carry a gun. However, when it comes to infusing objects with Mana to pierce a creature's Vitality, it depends on the size of the object, as well as the material it is made off. A bullet, although faster and more powerful than an arrow, is considerably smaller and lighter than the latter. Meaning that an arrow can carry more Mana than a bullet and be more effective than it when it comes to pierce a creature's Vitality.
The other one was a woman, Paula. She was Michael's older sister, as old as Vanessa. She had the same hair color and eyes than her brother. Her hair was very long, wavy and silky. She wore a black dress that showed really well her figure, and a hat similar to those wizards wear in fairy tales. Around her waist, a leather bag hanged from a golden chain. Matthew got really worried when he noticed she also wore high heels. How would she ran in those?
"So this is the kid." Paula said after Vanessa introduced everybody. "Eric was right, the kid is handsome." She said after getting closer to him making Matthew feel uneasy. Another beauty, and this time one that knew how to use it against others.
"Don't tease him too much, Paula." Vanessa said to the woman and then turned to Matthew. "She's a Visomancer at level 12 and the strongest of us. She'll be leading today."
A Visomancer, a mage that enhanced others. A great support class. Even more because it required the Healer class, meaning she could also heal and not strength others.
"She's in Eric's guild, but as her level got behind the others, she agreed to come with us." Vanessa explained.
"Sis is quite lazy, you see. She's more the type to stay behind and let other's fight." Michael explained.
"Well, I'm not build to fight anyway." She said while checking her very well cared nails. "And you shut up. You also picked the bow because you don't like to fight."
"Well, Michael was a world champion bowman when he in high school." Vanessa complemented while the siblings bickered with each other. "I'm sorry about them, they are great adventurers, but you see that they like to fight."
"I also have a sister. I know how it is." Matthew laughed.
Suddenly a white owl came flying and landed on Paula's shoulder.
"Oh! Lumi is back!" Paula said while patting the bird.
"Lumi is Paula's pacted spirit." Michael explained to Matthew.
"She was scouting while we were waiting for you, kid." Paula said with a smile when the bird started to rub its head on her cheek.
"Sorry I took so long."
"You came by bus, we drove here. It's not your fault." Michael said.
"Then all is ready?" Vanessa asked.
"Yeah, Lumi got a good look on the outskirts. Let's go, shall we?"
The complex was surrounded by walls made of the gray wood and wires with high towers guarded by men with rifles. The gate had little security, just one soldier to open and close it. Since there was no intelligent life in that gate, it was all just to ward off the critters of that place.
The plan was to hunt a Roth or some wolves and come back before the Blue Moon got too far away and darkness took over.
Matthew was a bit nervous, he never hunted before and had no idea what to expect. But thinking on how he survived hell itself, he could steel his resolve and perhaps even enjoy the hunt? Actually… Something deep in him was eager to hunt… Eager to kill.