That night, Eric's phone screen became a window to another side of Aethelgard. The dark forums he found were filled with anonymous posts and cryptic offers. This was where desperate low-Tier Sealers sought work, and individuals or groups who couldn't rely on official organizations sought assistance.
He scrolled through hundreds of announcements. Most were requests to clear small Aberration nests in remote areas for paltry sums, or reconnaissance of newly emerging Green Gates. Many sounded like traps, suicide missions promising high pay but ending in futile death.
Eric's heart pounded as he found one post that caught his attention:
Title: [Priority Mission – Isolated Green Gate Purification] Description: A new Gate has emerged in a former waste treatment plant in Sector 7 District, on the city's outskirts. Low-to-medium Aberration activity. High priority due to proximity to a slum residential area. Requires independent Sealer or small team. Payment: 500,000 Gilt per normal Aberration, 3,000,000 Gilt for Dominus. Additional bonus if Gate is fully purified. Tier F accepted. Contact 'Sentinel-X' for details.
Eric's eyes widened. 500,000 Gilt per Aberration? That was an enormous sum for a Tier F Sealer, who usually only earned a tenth of that. But Sector 7 District... it was known as a desolate area, full of narrow alleys and dilapidated buildings, a place where the law often didn't reach. And 'Sentinel-X'? A suspicious-sounding username.
He reread it. Tier F accepted. The phrase danced in his mind. This was a chance. A dangerous, dirty, and possibly lethal chance, but a chance nonetheless. If he could defeat ten Aberrations there, he could advance to Tier E. This was the only way out of the hole he'd dug for himself.
Ignoring his caution, which had been dulled by desperation, Eric clicked the 'Send Message' button. He typed a brief message: "Interested in Sector 7 District Green Gate mission. Tier F Sealer, Eric Jenson."
A reply came almost instantly, making Eric jump.
From: Sentinel-X Subject: Re: Priority Mission – Isolated Green Gate Purification Message: Coordinates will be sent to your Sealer device. Location: 14.332, -7.887. Time: Midnight. Alone. Do not bring a team. Payment will be automatically transferred upon purification confirmation. Ensure your Sealer device is active. Good work, F-Grade Sealer.
Alone. Midnight. Those were strange and suspicious instructions. Sealers were always advised to work in teams, especially in unknown Gates. However, the money offer was too tempting to ignore. Eric felt adrenaline begin to flood his body. This was no longer training at the Awakening Center. This was the real thing.
He spent the rest of the afternoon preparing his gear. His worn backpack now contained a few water bottles, energy bars, a small flashlight, and a standard Sealer combat knife he rarely used. The knife felt cold and heavy in his hand, reminding him of how fragile he was without real power. He tried to activate his [Adaptive Catalyst], feeling the same subtle hum, like a gentle breeze that couldn't hold anything.
"Damn it," he muttered, clenching his fist. He would have to rely on strategy, speed, and pure courage. That is, if he even possessed it.
As night fell, Eric's nervousness transformed into frozen tension. He donned a dark hoodie to obscure his uniform, trying to appear inconspicuous as he left his small apartment. The city streets were quiet, lit only by flickering streetlights and the holographic glow of distant billboards.
The journey to Sector 7 District felt like crossing a boundary into another world. Modern buildings gave way to towering, dark, uninhabited concrete structures. The smell of waste and rust filled the air. Narrow alleys became a terrifying labyrinth, and every shadow seemed to move. This was a place where Shattered Gates could emerge undetected for days.
Finally, he reached the given coordinates. In the middle of a ruined factory complex, surrounded by piles of debris and rusty silos, lay a sickening anomaly.
A Green Gate pulsated.
Its faint, luminescent glow illuminated the surrounding area, casting long shadows that danced on the filthy walls. The air around it felt cold and heavy, smelling of sulfur and something undefinable, yet utterly putrid. Several small Aberrations, the size of large dogs with scaly green skin and glowing red eyes, were already prowling outside the gate, emitting low growls.
Eric hid behind a stack of empty drums, his heart pounding like a military drum. He had never seen an Aberrations this close outside of a simulation. They were real. Horrifying. And he... he was just a Tier F.
He fumbled in his pocket, pulling out his phone. He wanted to contact Liam, or even Sarah, to ask for help. But no. The instructions were clear: Alone. And he had to prove something. Not to them, but to himself. For the first time, he would truly confront this threat.
Eric gulped water from his bottle, feeling every drop trickle down his dry throat. He closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath.
"Okay, Eric. This is it," he whispered to himself. "This is my chance."
He peered from behind the drums. Three Tier F Aberrations prowled near the Gate. If he could defeat them, he would make progress. And he had to enter the Gate to find the Dominus.
A whispering voice, which only he could hear in his head, came from his Gift. [Adaptive Catalyst]. It wasn't words, but an impetus, a faint promise of power waiting.
Eric clutched his knife tightly, feeling the cold metal against his palm. With newfound determination, he stepped out of his hiding place, into the dim glow of the Green Gate, ready to face the darkness that awaited him.
The air around the Green Gate was thick with a foul stench and the nauseating aura of Aberrations. Eric stepped forward, the knife in his hand feeling strange, too light, like a toy. Three Tier F Aberrations, with slender, scaly bodies and glowing red eyes, immediately noticed his presence. Low growls emanated from their dry throats, followed by shrill howls as they charged.
Adrenaline surged, making Eric's blood hum in his ears. This wasn't a simulation. This was real. Sharp claws aimed at his chest, jaws filled with pointed teeth opened wide. Eric reacted instinctively. He dodged sideways, feeling the whoosh of a claw barely missing him. He rolled, avoiding another attack, and somehow managed to plunge his knife into the side of one Aberration's body.
The creature shrieked, blackish-green blood spurting out. Its body spasmed, then collapsed to the ground, slowly dissipating into a puff of black smoke.
One. Eric's heart pounded. He succeeded! His fear receded slightly, replaced by a small wave of euphoria. But another Aberration was already leaping.
The fight was an awkward dance between panic and survival instinct. Eric dodged, blocked with his arm, and sought openings. He had no superpowers, no energy blasts or protective shields. Only his knife and his scrawny body. He moved faster than he thought possible, perhaps due to pure terror. After several minutes that felt like an eternity, the two other Tier F Aberrations also fell, disappearing into smoke.
Eric gasped for breath, his body trembling, his knees almost giving out. There were several scratches on his arms and a tear in his jacket, but he didn't care. He had killed three Aberrations. He actually did it!
A whispering voice returned in his mind, not words, but the subtle sensation of his [Adaptive Catalyst], slightly stronger than before. As if the Gift was congratulating him.
Eric took a deep breath, gathering his courage. Now it was time to enter the Gate.
Stepping through the pulsating green light felt like passing through a thick layer of cold water. The world within was a distorted nightmare. The sky above was purplish-black, with clouds swirling like tentacles. The trees that should have been there were only grotesque silhouettes of spiky, leafless branches, towering like giant fingers clawing at the sky. The ground beneath his feet felt damp and sticky, like stepping on giant mushrooms.
The air here was much heavier, smelling of sulfur and decaying flesh. Strange sounds echoed from the distance—groans, hisses, and something akin to horrifying laughter. Eric shivered. This was the Aberrations' dimension of origin.
He walked cautiously, knife held out in front of him. Every small sound made him jump. He knew Green Gates were generally beginner Gates, but still, a Dominus could be anywhere. He had to find the source of this Gate and eliminate it.
After walking for several minutes through the nightmare forest, he heard clearer sounds. Not Aberration sounds. But the sound of conversation. And the clanging of metal.
Eric crawled closer, hiding behind a strange mound of earth. From there, he saw a sight that made him gasp.
In a large open area, lit by the purple glow of a smaller Gate in its center, a battle was underway. Dozens of Tier F and E Aberrations—more than he had ever seen—attacked relentlessly. However, the focus of the battle was not a Sealer squad. It was... one person.
A young woman.
Her long, silver hair, tied in a high ponytail, whipped wildly as she moved. She wore light armor in dark blue and white, accentuating her athletic silhouette. In her hand, she held a gleaming spear that emitted a bright blue light, each swing cleaving the air and obliterating Aberrations in bursts of particles. Her power was extraordinary, her movements graceful yet deadly, like a war goddess.
This was a Tier A Sealer, clearly. Her Gift, he could see it now, was "Wind Cleaver." Every spear attack created sharp gusts of wind that sliced Aberrations into pieces. She fought alone, surrounded by a sea of enemies, yet showed not the slightest fear. In fact, there was an expression of focus and slight boredom on her face. As if all of this was a tedious routine for her.
Eric was frozen, mesmerized by the sight. He had never seen such power directly. Compared to that woman, he was just a speck of dust. He should retreat, let this Tier A Sealer finish her work. After all, he wasn't needed here.
Suddenly, from the darkness behind the woman, a much larger Tier E Aberration emerged, with elongated claws and a deafening roar. It was the Dominus! The silver-haired Sealer was too busy with the smaller Aberrations, and the Dominus moved quickly, ready to attack from her blind spot.
"LOOK OUT!" Eric yelled without thinking. His voice cracked, but it was loud enough to cut through the din of battle.
The silver-haired woman flinched slightly, her sharp gaze immediately turning towards Eric. However, it was already too late. The Dominus's claw was already swinging towards her.
Eric knew he couldn't do anything. He was too far, too weak. But he saw an opportunity. On the ground beside him lay a stone that fit perfectly in his hand. Without hesitation, Eric threw the stone with all his might towards the Dominus.
It was a desperate, foolish throw. But the stone hit the Dominus's head with a loud 'thwack,' just enough to disrupt the giant Aberration's concentration for a moment. That split-second distraction was everything.
The silver-haired woman exploited the opening. With lightning speed, she spun, her spear glowing brightly, and thrust it straight into the Dominus's core. A horrific shriek echoed, and the Tier E Aberration exploded in a burst of black smoke, leaving a small crater in the ground.
The battle immediately subsided. The remaining Aberrations seemed disoriented, trembling with fear, before finally scattering and vanishing.
A deafening silence enveloped the area. The silver-haired woman turned, her cold gaze now fully directed at Eric, who was still hidden behind the mound of earth. She walked closer, each step feeling heavy and deliberate.
"Who are you?" her voice was cold, like frozen ice. "And why are you here?"
Eric swallowed hard. He knew he was in trouble. The woman, a far more powerful Tier A Sealer, would likely view his presence as a nuisance, or even a protocol violation. He had yelled, drawn attention, and even thrown a rock. What should he say?
This was his first encounter inside a Gate, and it felt like he had just run into an ice wall.