[Is the host sure about using the new feature?]

[The host will be teleported to a new location. During that time, the host will be absent from the hospital.]

[The host may also be unable to use his phone.]

For some reason, the warnings were beginning to sound increasingly ominous.

Can I return whenever I want? Kyle asked.

[For the first attempt, yes. The system will treat the initial journey as an introductory visit.]

Kyle felt both excited and nervous. Still, since the system had assured him it was safe, he chose not to dwell on it any further.

A moment later, he got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom.

Before entering, he deliberately positioned himself so the camera, mount of the wall across from the entrance, would capture him walking inside.

That way, if anyone arrived while he was gone, they would simply assume he was in the bathroom.

’Though I highly doubt anyone is keeping such a close watch on me.’ Still, there was nothing wrong with being cautious.

Once inside, he looked at his reflection in the mirror mounted across from the door.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Alright, transfer me and initiate the livestream."

[Command accepted.]

[Transferring to Temple Tsuhimi.]

[Initializing livestream in 3... 2... 1...]

Kyle could barely make out the words before the ground beneath his feet seemed to shift while he remained perfectly still.

A strong gust swept past him, causing him to instinctively raise his arms and shield his face.

The wind wasn’t powerful enough to push him back, nor did it feel violent. It was simply an reflexive reaction.

The sensation was strange.

It felt as though he were being carried through a long passageway on a moving platform, gliding forward at incredible speed.

A slight knot formed in his stomach from the motion, but it was far from unbearable.

[You can open your eyes now, Host.]

The system’s voice echoed in his mind.

Kyle slowly lowered his arms and took in his surroundings.

He was no longer in the bathroom.

In fact, he was no longer in the hospital at all.

An open field stretched before him.

Lush green grass covered the ground beneath his feet, swaying gently in the breeze.

Rows of flaming posts stood on either side, their steady flames illuminating the area. At first glance, the place resembled a camp.

No.

A training camp.

A sharp fluttering sound drew his attention.

Kyle turned toward it and spotted a flag waving proudly in the wind.

It was dark crimson in color, with a black eye emblazoned at its center.

His eyes narrowed.

The symbol looked familiar.

Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember where he had seen it before.

Before he could dwell on it any longer, a series of messages flooded his vision.

Myuri: [He looks absolutely adorable in that outfit. Kyaah!]

Tharos: [Kyle, are you alright?]

One-Eyed: [So it has begun, huh? I admire your determination to learn and grow, Kyle.]

WarHorse: [Ahahaha! My brother has embarked on yet another adventure!]

[God of Mischief watches you with mild interest.]

SnakeQueen: [A bit sudden, but welcome nonetheless. Dance for me, human.]

Kyle’s lips twitched.

He had barely arrived, and the spectators were already making their presence known.

Kyle skimmed through the messages, but instead of feeling reassured, a strange sense of unease settled over him.

This place...

It felt like it held far more challenges than he had been led to believe.

Shuank!

The sudden roar of flames shattered his thoughts.

Kyle immediately spun around.

A massive pillar of fire towered before him.

The flames burned fiercely, twisting and surging with almost violent intensity. Despite standing only an arm’s length away, he wasn’t burned. In fact, he could barely feel its heat.

That alone was strange.

But it wasn’t the strangest thing.

"Why is it golden?"

He had seen crimson flames.

He had seen blue flames.

But golden flames?

They looked almost unreal, as though they had been rendered by a graphics engine rather than created by nature.

Yet the moment he focused on them, he felt it.

The heat.

It was there, hidden beneath the surface.

Wild and fierce.

Raging enough to reduce an ordinary person to ash within moments.

"I am astounded."

The sudden voice made Kyle whirl around once more.

His eyes widened slightly.

Another failure of his senses.

The speaker was sitting beside one of the flaming posts, and there was no way someone of his size should have gone unnoticed.

Yet Kyle had completely missed him.

The man was enormous.

Tattered pieces of armor covered his body, though the design clearly belonged to a bygone era. It wasn’t decorative armor worn for appearance’s sake.

Every dent, scratch, and crack told a story.

It had survived countless battles.

And judging by the weathered sword hanging at the man’s waist, its owner had survived just as many.

The armor had seen better days.

So had the sword.

And perhaps...

So had the man himself.

"Who are you?" Kyle asked.

At the same time, he discreetly activated God’s Eye, unwilling to take any chances.

He was completely unfamiliar with this place. Taking unnecessary risks would be foolish.

Myuri: [I am still skeptical. Should he be allowed to visit that place this soon?]

Kyle barely registered the message.

His attention remained locked on the man before him.

Even while seated, the man’s reached Kyle’s shoulder height. That alone made him intimidating.

But his size wasn’t what unsettled Kyle the most.

It was the energy surrounding him.

Savage and raw.

A bloodlust so dense that it seemed to stain the air itself.

Kyle found it surprising he was still standing there unharmed.

"Despite being a Blessed One, you failed to recognize me." The man spoke in a formal tone, his voice carrying a trace of longing that Kyle couldn’t quite understand. "That confirms my era has long faded into history."

"What is this place?" Kyle asked again, trying to gather information while he could.

The system had deliberately withheld details from him. If he wanted answers, he would have to find them himself.

"Hmm..." The man tilted his head slightly. "You cannot feel it?"

"Feel what?"

"The raging flame of life behind you."

The golden flames.

Kyle immediately understood what he was referring to.

"Am I supposed to know what that flame is?"

The man crossed his arms.

"No wonder you appear so frail. Humanity has long abandoned its ambition to conquer the Temples."

Kyle frowned. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Temple...?"

The word sounded familiar.

Then he remembered seeing it during the teleportation process.

Temple Tsuhimi.

"Does that mean this place exists somewhere on Earth?"

The man ignored the question entirely.

"Back in my day, my unit was forged for a single purpose." His voice grew distant, as though he were staring into the past. "A single ambition was engraved into our souls from the moment we were created."

His eyes sharpened.

The darkness within them deepened.

"And that ambition was to conquer this place."

"The bridge between our world and Hell."

Kyle froze.

Temple.

Bridge.

Bridge...

His eyes widened.

"Don’t tell me..." he muttered. "These are the pinpoints that allow Rifts to appear in our world. The places guarded by the strongest immortals known as Sentinels."

[Ding! Ding! Host is absolutely correct.]

"..."

Silence.

Kyle stared blankly ahead.

Then he silently questioned every decision that had led him to this moment.

He had willingly entered a place guarded by beings powerful enough to traumatize someone like Veronica.

And somehow...

Kyle had a sinking feeling he wasn’t standing near the edge of this place.

No.

Somehow the flames behind him made it feels he was near the dead centre of the place.

Just...

Wow.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been reading this story so far, please drop a comment or review to help the future readers.