Reborn With the Infinite Gods System

Chapter 18: 18: C-Rank Guild?

The small, abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city stood silent, its once-bustling machinery long forgotten. Vines had begun to reclaim the crumbling walls, and the air around it was thick with an uneasy stillness. But now, something new had manifested before it—a portal, its swirling energies pulsing with a strange, malevolent light.

This was no ordinary portal; its size and the dark aura it exuded marked it as a C-Rank portal, the kind meant for seasoned hunters to clear. Yet, as Axel—now known only as *Nameless*—stood before it, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than just another mission.

The portal, though classified as C-Rank, felt wrong. It hummed with an energy that made his skin crawl, and he could feel the eyes of the B-Rank hunters around him, sizing him up, each one trying to decipher the enigma behind the black mask he wore. The mask concealed his face, his identity, his humanity—if he could still be called that.

This mission wasn't meant for public eyes; it wouldn't be streamed online like the others. No, this was a test—a test to see if he was still human, or something else entirely. And it wasn't just the party members he had to worry about. He could sense them—the military, lurking among the hunters, their presence subtle but unmistakable. They were here for him.

*Nameless*, the alias given to him by President Seo Jinhyuk, was a shield as much as it was a shackle. The world believed Axel to be dead, and it was better that way. Even now, with a pitch-black mask hiding his face, he could feel the weight of his identity pressing down on him. He was a ghost among the living, a shadow among hunters.

He sat apart from the group, his back against a rusted metal beam, eyes closed in silent contemplation. The portal wasn't ready yet, and until it was, he had to bide his time. The thought of what lay beyond it gnawed at him, but so did the knowledge that his every move was being scrutinized.

*Till they're sure, I better prepare myself,* he thought, but his musings were interrupted.

"Hey, I'm Hera. Nice to meet you in person," a voice broke through his solitude. He opened his eyes to find a young woman standing before him, hand outstretched in greeting. Her smile was warm, but there was something in her eyes—curiosity, maybe a hint of apprehension.

*Nameless* took her hand, shaking it with a timidity that belied his strength. "Nameless," he replied, his voice distorted by the mask, giving it an eerie, otherworldly tone.

"Nameless," she repeated, trying to suppress a shiver as she pulled her hand back. "Okay, Mr. Nameless."

Another hunter, a boy who bore a striking resemblance to Hera, stepped forward, his excitement palpable. "I'm Loki," he exclaimed, his grin wide and unguarded.

*Nameless* simply nodded. "Nameless," he said again, his voice a monotone.

The twins exchanged a glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Loki's grin didn't waver, but Hera's brow furrowed slightly, as if trying to puzzle out the man behind the mask.

"It's really nice to meet you," Loki continued, undeterred. "I hope you'll protect us during this mission because we aren't that experienced, and you seem like the strongest guy here."

A coarse, violent sigh escaped *Nameless*, the sound making Hera flinch ever so slightly.

"So, what's your ability, Senior Nameless?" Hera asked, her arms folding across her chest as she studied him with that same mysterious look.

"Nameless," came the reply, unchanging and unyielding.

Loki chuckled, but there was an edge to it, a nervousness he couldn't quite hide. "You must really like that word. Is that all you can say?"

"Or is it because we were ordered to watch your every move that you're being so distant?" Hera mused, her tone more serious now.

She wasn't wrong, but there was more to it. *Nameless* had always kept to himself, a habit formed long before the mask, before the missions, before the world turned upside down.

"Don't bother Nameless too much," another voice chimed in. A man stepped forward, older and more experienced, his presence commanding respect. He had the look of a seasoned B-Rank hunter—a large sword strapped to his back, modern armor fitted snugly around his muscular frame. "He might not seem like it, but I know he has a big heart."

Loki and Hera turned their attention to the newcomer, their earlier excitement tempered by awe.

"I'm Captain Rowin," the man introduced himself, his eyes locking onto *Nameless* with a gaze that was both scrutinizing and sympathetic.

"Nameless," *Nameless* replied, his tone flat.

"Loki, Hera, give me a moment with Nameless here," Rowin said, his voice gentle yet firm. The twins hesitated, but a slight nod from Rowin sent them on their way, leaving the two men alone.

Once they were out of earshot, Rowin's expression darkened. "I've heard your story, and I feel for you. I hope you've noticed—"

"Military are among us," *Nameless* interrupted, his voice low and wary as he scanned the other hunters, his senses heightened. He could feel it, the subtle tension in the air, the way some of them moved, too stiff, too precise.

Rowin nodded grimly. "Yeah, but if anything goes wrong in there, there's a big chance none of us will make it out alive."

The unspoken truth hung heavy between them. This was a raid with no witnesses, no livestreams, no accountability. If things went south, they'd be left to rot in the portal, their fates sealed.

*Nameless* met Rowin's gaze, his resolve hardening. "Another reason to be careful. It's not just my fate on the line now but everyone's here."

Rowin's eyes widened slightly, surprised by the intensity in *Nameless'* voice. "I'll keep that in mind. You too, Nameless. Look after yourself, especially if you've got someone waiting for you on the other side of this."

Rowin's words struck a chord, and *Nameless* rose to his feet, his eyes never leaving the captain's. "I advise you to do the same, Captain."

Before Rowin could respond, a shout came from the monitoring team stationed at the sidelines. "Captain! The portal is stable! You're clear to enter!"

Rowin turned, a mask of determination slipping over his features. He took a deep breath, then yelled out to the party, "Let's move, team!"

He was the first to step into the portal, his form swallowed by the swirling energies. One by one, the others followed, disappearing into the unknown.

*Nameless* lingered for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he noticed one of the hunters hanging back, speaking into a phone. The man's expression was tense, his words too quiet to hear, but the fact that he was on a call just before a raid set off alarm bells in *Nameless'* mind.

*Who takes a phone call just before a raid?*

His instincts screamed at him, warning him that something was wrong, but there was no time to act. The portal called to him, and he had to go.

Memorizing the man's face, *Nameless* stepped into the portal, the energy enveloping him in a flash of light.

---

Meanwhile, outside the portal:

"You hear me, Hegan?" A voice crackled over the phone, low and authoritative.

The man—Hegan—gripped the phone tighter, a grim smile spreading across his lips. "Loud and clear, boss."

"Make sure that masked man doesn't make it out alive," the voice ordered, cold and final.

Hegan's smile widened. "And the others?"

There was a pause, then the voice replied, its tone icy, "Kill them all."

Hegan's eyes gleamed with a deadly intent as he ended the call, the words echoing in his mind as he too stepped into the portal, the darkness swallowing him whole.

---

Inside the portal, *Nameless* felt the oppressive energy pressing in on him. The landscape was alien, twisted, as if the very air pulsed with malevolence. But it wasn't just the portal's atmosphere that set him on edge. He could feel eyes on him, a cold, calculating gaze that promised violence.

The raid had only just begun, but the real danger had already made its move. *Nameless* clenched his fists, the weight of his situation settling in.

In this portal, surrounded by enemies both known and hidden, survival was no longer just a mission—it was a battle against the unseen, and the stakes were life or death.