As Blue met his past in Murim, Eve faced her future in front of a gate on earth. She stood facing the gate. Three men stood behind her.
Two of them wore black jackets etched with the Buckeye guilds emblem, the proud Buckeye nut amd a green leaf over a gate shaped crest, stitched on their backs. The third wore white, a representative of the Association, their presence was required for all ranker trials.
Before her loomed an A-rank gate. A black mist covered the edges of the red portal. All her training in Thalorin had led her to this moment. All the grueling missions, learning to control her spirits, bonding with her summon. All so she could stand alone against monsters.
Now, she had to clear this gate. Alone.
"You have twenty-four hours. If you fail to meet the time limit, we will send a team in to recover you. Don't die in there." The Association member checked his clipboard. "You may begin, when you're ready."
Eve didn't respond. She looked down at nomi, her fox companion. She nodded and walked toward the gate. The gate pulsed, arcs of electricity spread as Eve walked through.
System Interface: Eve
Core: Spirit
Specialization: Spirit Manipulation / Summoner
Golden Gate Resonance: Thalorin
System Interface - Core Attributes:
Strength: 35
Agility: 55
Endurance: 52
Perception: 70
Spirit: 95
Control: 92
System Interface - Spirit Arsenal:
Primary Abilities (via Summon Companion):
Entangle – Summons vines from the ground to trap enemies
Heal – Restores moderate physical injuries over time
Current Spirits Contracted:
Myth Rank – Earth Spirit: Virelen
Legend Rank – Fire Spirit: Cindyr
Epic Rank – Water Spirit: Rhyla
Summon Companion:
Nomi – A small fox-like spirit bound to Eve's life force. Provides Entangle and Heal. Can evolve.
Gates weren't just a dungeon. They were more like rifts that opened to other worlds. Filled with beings, some resembled humans, others resembled monsters you'd see in movies. Gates were measured by energy density. The stronger the monsters, the more energy the gate possessed. When enough of that energy was absorbed or destroyed by killing monsters, or defeating bosses. The system granted to hunters could take control of the anchor.
When a gate was clear you would know. The anchor and the gate itself would change colors from red to blue. When the gate was cleared the system rewarded hunters.
In this A-Rank gate, Eve moved quickly. She commanded her vines with finesse. She halted a charging beast, unleashed Cindyr, and commanded him to release his torrent of flames toward a horde of winged hounds. She called upon Rhyla to drown another horde in a massive wave when they approached her while she rested near a lake. In a giant field, the last boss appeared. A huge stone tusked beast. She summoned Virelen who sent spears of rock straight through the beast, while her vines entangled it. Virelen spewed flames. The last boss had fallen.
She approached the anchor. A massive red crystal pulsed in front of her. She reached her hand out. A golden light over took her and the crystal. The world itself quaked, then stilled. The gate was clear. Her system screen came to life.
[System Notification]
[Spirit: 98 + 8: 103]
[Control: 92 + 9: 102]
[New Ability Unlocked: Spirit Synergy]
[Allows fusion of two contracted spirits for up to 30 seconds]
Eve sighed. The system took control of this gate. It would stay open for three to five days afterwards. Enough time to allow guilds to form expedition teams to clear the remaining monsters and gather precious materials left inside.
Eve walked toward the entrance of the gate. A thought crossed her mind. "I wonder what he's doing right now."
As she appeared back on Earth the Association member approached her. "Great job. You may head to the Association and request your new Ranker ID."
Eve nodded and walked away. She opened her system again. She clicked expand on her new ability.
[Fuse two contracted spirits into a singular entity for short bursts. Duration scales with Control. Cooldown: 1 hour]
She smiled and closed the system as she walked back to her car.
That evening, the Association was buzzing with life. Lines of hopeful hunters filled the lobby. Eve sat on a bench near the wall, patiently waiting for her turn.
"Eve!" A hand waved her down. She approached the counter.
The receptionist sat behind a glowing orb that protruded from her desk. "Place your hand on the orb please."
Eve complied. As she put her hand on the stone, a system screen appeared in front of the receptionist. She typed away for a moment, glancing at the screen every few seconds. Then she handed eve a new ID. "Congraulations, Eve. You're officially recognized as a ranker. You're now authorized to request B-Rank gates and above through your guild."
As the receptionist stamped her a file, a presence loomed over her. The woman stiffened. The man leaned over her shoulder. Black hair, black eyes. Long coat. He stared at the screen and the file. Then he looked up. "You're Eve! Perfect timing. I was just about to come find you." The man chuckled. "Come to my office, say around 6... yeah?"
Eve nodded. The man smiled. "Good, I'll be waiting." He turned and left.
The receptionist exhaled slowly. "You do know who you just agreed to meet right?" She whispered to Eve.
"I do." Eve paused as she watched the man walk away. "Aaron Kade. Number 4 in the World Rankings. And number 2 in the United States. The only Aether user in the top 100. And my Guildmaster."
Eve turned and walked away toward the Buckeye Guild.
Later that evening, Eve arrived at the Buckeye Guild. A tall, magnificent glass building at the heart of the old Ohio State Univeristy campus. She appraoched the receptionist. "I was told to be here at six, to meet with the Guildmaster."
"Ah, yes." The receptionist pointed. "Take the elevator to the 50th floor. They are waiting."
Eve turned and approached the elevator, as she clicked the button to the fiftieth floor she paused. "They... wait... who's they?"
The elevators door opened. In a conference room across from the elevator, Eve could see Aaron flanked by two people to his left, and two to his right. Their eyes locked as he waved her in.
As Eve walked inside Aaron stood. "Eve. Have a seat."
She took the open chair beside an old man in robes and a wooden staff. It's top housed a soft glowing crystal.
"You know who I am, I presume. Since you were the one who applied to the guild."
Eve nodded.
"Do you know why I called you here?" Aaron asked.
Eve shook her head.
"Well, we need team leaders. Strength. I've had my eye on you since you joined. After seeing your stats, it's a surprise you didn't stay in South Korea. Most Spirit users get poached by Korean guilds the moment they return from Thalorin. So, tell me. Why did you come back?"
Eve hesitatrd. Her fingers fidgeted beneath the table. "I came back for someone... a friend. But, when I returned he was gone. He has been missing for quite some time. I stopped keeping track, honestly."
The room quieted. Aaron's expression turned thoughtful.
"Where could he have gone? It's nearly impossible to leave Columbus without Association authorization. Did he get involved with a black guild? Or die in a gate?"
"He wasn't awakened." Eve said softly. "His mom said he worked as a porter for a small guild. He went into a gate, on his way home he disappeared. I asked the other porters, they knew nothing. The assocation guaranteed me, he didn't go through the golden gate. He wasn't awakened, and they've yet to find anyone who resonates. But that gate... it appeared behind our favorite pizza place. That's no coincidence."
The older gentlemen turned toward Eve. "So, you think he resonated?"
"I do." Eve confirmed.
"That sounds impossible if he wasn't awakened. The gate would've rejected him."
Aaron chimed in. "Let's not assume we have exact knowledge of how these gates work. They are still a mystery we are just starting to unravel."
"He wouldn't just disappear, that's not like him at all. He sent one text to his mom saying I'll be back."
A tear started to form in Eve's eyes.
"I understand your concern, and what you saying maybe be correct. We will get a description from you before you leave. Then we will make sure everyone keeps an eye out for him. For now, let's get into why I brought you here."
Behind Aaron, the wall came to life. Lights flicketed on as a map of the United States filled the wall. Blue lights flickered across twelve known strongholds. Red lights flooded the central parts of the country and most states as well.
"This is what remains. Of the fifty states, only twelve major cities have established strongholds for survivors and hunters alike. Columbus, Minneapolis, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Denver, Seattle, Phoenix, Chicago, and Boston. These are the final bastion of hope for our country." Aaron looked out the window over Columbus. "There are survivors in small towns even across Ohio, we find them everyday, and everyday we expand the walls of Columbus outward."
The woman next to Aaron stood and approached the wall. "The center of the US is all but a lost cause. Monsters roam the land. Gates break daily. It's called the monster highway.
Aaron looked back at Eve. "Each strongholds acts as a city-state now. We need team leaders. Strong ones like yourself. Build a team, you can handpick them. Help us reclaim Ohio and the monster highway." Aaron gestured. "These four already have teams. Let me introduce them."
He gestured to the old man Eve sat next to first. "That is my father. Wind Mage. Visited Nytherra. Ranked 45th globally. The old man gave a nod.
"Next to him. Terrance. Flux user. His team built the city's defenses, walls and power grid." Asron moved on. "Across from his is another aether user like myself. Tony. He conjures arrows... and he doesnt miss."
Aaron turned his chair around. "Lastly, Olivia. She's an assassin. She runs surveillance, recon, intelligence. Keeps tabs on dark guilds. Scares the hell out of me, but she's the best as what she does."
There are a total of 15 A-Rank teams in this guild. You will be the 16th." Aaron tossed her a folder. "In there you'll find B-Rank and A-Rank talent that have applied to the guild recently. You pick em."
Arthur, Aaron's father, placed his hand on Eve's shoulder. "We believe in your strength. It's up to you how to use it child."
Aaron clenched his fist. "Welcome to the real battle, Eve."