Blue (Inside The E Ranked gate)
The small party gathered at the entrance of the dungeon. The leader of this raid team was Barry, a big burly man known as one of the strongest C-class hunters. He's a tank dressed in full knights armor, shiny and polished, he towered over everyone at almost 7 feet tall. "Alright, everyone, same drill as always. Newbies, focus on leveling up your skills. The rest of you, stick with them and keep them safe. BLUE!" Barry's voice boomed, his patience wearing thin. "Focus, man! We need you hauling the materials. Jennifer will contact you soon—stay sharp! "
Jennifer was a C-class mage who had spent time in Velvoria, and had a knack for telepathy, she nodded at Blue signaling the next step of the raid.
Blue's gaze drifted to the dungeon ceiling, empty eyes fixed as the team gathered around Barry. His mind was far away, lost in frustration. "I'm almost as strong as some of these newbies, and yet here I am, stuck as a porter. Why? Because I haven't 'awakened.' It's bullshit."
He clenched his fists so tightly that his forearms strained, veins bulging under the pressure. "I could wipe the floor with these 'awakened' idiots. Just because I'm not 'awakened'... I'm stuck gathering scraps while they get to play hero. Hell, I could probably clear this dungeon faster than most of them." He was drowning in bitterness, but there was an edge of resignation too. "But it's not a bad gig. The pay's decent. They treat me okay. What else is there to do? Keep my head down, gather the materials, and hope someday I'll be more than just a glorified delivery boy."
A small, bitter smirk tugged at the corner of Blue's mouth as he watchedthe group. "Maybe one day I'll 'awaken.' I don't know why it hasn't happened yet. No matter how much I search, I can't figure it out."
"Sigh. Oh well, for now lets do what we can and gather these materials and quickly get home so we can train some more. Its a simple e ranked gate to get these FNG'S acclimated to their powers and teach them how to raid dungeons and work as a team. So it shouldn't take too long. Easy job"
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On Thalorin
Eve stood by the portal, her heart heavy. Her master stood beside her, Faelorn, the High Druid, he towered over most like an ancient tree, his brown beard reaching his stomach. He placed a hand gently on Eve's shoulder, his voice thick with both pride and sorrow. "Ms Evelynn, you have to be the brightest student to come from Terra. It has been my great honor to have been your master, its a shame you can't stay longer. There is still much more you could learn." Eve's smile faded as her master praised her, sadness creeping into her eyes. She had trained hard in Thalorin, but she missed something or rather, someone: Blue.
"I'd love to stay longer, Master. But I have family back on Terra... and someone I, well... miss dearly." Eve's voice faltered, before she caught herself and looked away, the words hanging between them. "Ah, you miss someone back home, don't you? Someone special?"
Eve's eyes drifted to the side, her cheeks flushed. She coudn't deny it. Blue had always been on her mind, and even now, she was thinking of him. Faelorn chuckled. "I've seen it before. You can't hide it, Eve. You've been in love with that boy since your first days here." Eve's heart fluttered at the thought of Blue. She remembered the long nights, when she'd stare at the stars, talking about him with Faelorn. His strength, his work ethic, his kindness. There was always a sparkle in her eye when she mentioned him.
"Don't forget what you've learned here," Faelorn adds, his tone turning serious. "But don't forget to tell him how you feel. Don't let time slip away." He handed her a small box. "This is for you. It will allow you to communicate with me, even while you're on Terra. It's the first of its kind. Take care, my disciple." A lump formed in Eve's throat, but she smileed through it. 'Thank you, Master. I won't forget you, or the lessons you've taught me."
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Back On Earth
Blue sat against the wall, relaxed despite the uncertainty of his surroundings. "Damn, they are sure are taking their sweet time getting through this dungeon. I guess I'll throw on some music." He's about to settle in when Jennifer's voice echoes in his head. "BLUE! We're finished, get over here and haul the loot!"
Blue jumps, dropping one of his earbuds in the process. "Shit! Can't she be a little more gentle about that? A little warning next time…" With a grunt, he picks up the fallen earbud, rolling his eyes as he heads toward the team.
The raid team walked out of the dungeon as you hear them giving each other pointers, talking about how awesome that was and how strong Barry is. About 30 feet behind comes Blue walking out of the gate carrying a huge bag that has to weigh almost 300 pounds, it is three times the size as he is. The new recruits glance at each other, whispering. "Why is that dude a porter?" "I heard he hasn't awakened yet!" "No way bro, did you see what he just did, he has to be hiding the fact he awakened. I bet Mr. Barry would have a hard time doing what he just did."
Blue rolled his eyes but doesn't respond. Instead, he dumped the heavy sack into the truck's bed with ease, causing more whispers from the recruits. He smiles slightly, but the bitterness still lingers.
Afterward, Blue headed to his favorite little pizza joint, the one owned by the elderly man who's been there for decades. He's greeted with a slice and a lemonade already waiting for him. "Thanks, old man," he says, tossing a five-dollar bill on the counter.
He sat at the bench behind the shop, chewing on his pizza in silence."I bet So-Yeon wouldv'e loved this pizza. She always had a taste for junk food, didn't she?"
But just as quickly, his thoughts shifted. "What am I thinking about So-Yeon for? And Eve… I wonder how she's doing. When will she be back?" Blue's thoughts are interrupted as the winds pick up, and the sky overhead darkens. He looked up, noticing the unsettling change. The sky turns darker and an ominous feeling comes over him.
He's reminded of the unease he felt when the monsters first invaded Murim and Earth. Behind him he can hear crackling and suddenly he sees sparks flying above the bench. The power flickers and goes out, followed by the violent shatter of nearby streetlights, sending shards of glass tumbling to the pavement. Blue feels a surge of panic...something is wrong. He knows hes not awakened, but if a monster emerges from a gate, he needed to protect the old man.
Blue watched as the gate begins to materialize. He lowers his head, bracing for whatever madness is about to unfold. The air grows thick with energy, and a faint hum fills the space around the gate. As it materialized, its golden light shimmers like a sunburst, almost blinding as it stretches across the sky "HOLY SHIT! A special class gate? I should call the guild and inform them." The golden glow wasn't just rare...it was mythic, the first of its kind in America and it was here. Right in front of him.
In that moment something inside Blue coerced him to reach his hand out to the gate. He started to reach his hand out, but pulled it back quickly smacking himself in the head. "I'm not even awakened, so why do I keep kidding myself. There's no way in hell I'd be qualified to enter this gate. Forget it, let's just get home and then call the guild and let them know that this gate appeared. It's the first special class gate that has appeared in America, so its bound to garner attention. Maybe I can report this to the guild and get a finder's fee... Hell, it could pay for more pizza. If I'm lucky, I might even get some recognition. Blue is obsessed with pizza, a food not found in Murim. It is an item he cant live without.
As Blue started to walk away to head back to his truck the winds pick up, and Blue felt the hairs on his neck rise. Something... something is wrong, but he can't pinpoint it. His steps faltered as an unseen force tugged at his willpower. It feels like he is being called, or pulled towards the gate. Again, he gives himself reason after reason that he must be over reacting. Finally Blue gave in. "Fuck it, what could possibly go wrong right? These gates lead to other worlds right? So if I try to enter it and I can't then I can just go home. No harm no foul right? Blue looked left, looked right, goes to the edge of the building to peek and make sure no one else has noticed the gate yet.
The Awakeners Association had strict rules about entering gates. You needed approval to go through, especially to places like Velvoria or Thalorin. No one entered those worlds without being registered. The risks were too high. They keep track of every person that enters these gates and go to these worlds. It helps them keep track of the hunters for safety reason, and also to put these awakeners on a watch list. The people who do get a chance to go to these worlds typically come back stronger than most others. Every awakener can level up, and obtain new abilities, but the ones fortunate enough to go to other worlds though have an advantage. These worlds are full of exactly what they need to level up quickly and learn skills otherwise not given by the system. So accessing these gates was forbidden without the associations approval.
Against every rational thought, Blue stepped toward the golden gate, his heart hammering in his chest. There was a 99% chance he wouldn't be able to cross—he knew that. But still, something inside him, something he couldn't explain, pulled him forward.
"This is stupid," he muttered under his breath, "I've said before I won't waste my second chance… but this... this is insane." His thoughts were a whirlwind, crashing against each other, but the pull of the gate was stronger. "No going back. If I step through, no one will know where I am, if I ever come back, It's reckless. I don't even know what's on the other side. But… what if it's my only chance? What if this is the moment I've been waiting for? I can't be stuck like this forever, right?"
Blue's steps were slow, deliberate, as if he were moving through thick mud. But each inch closer made his skin prickle, his senses igniting with a rush of energy. A tingling sensation crawled from the top of his head, shooting down to the tips of his toes. The air around him felt charged, like static before a storm.
His heart pounded harder, the weight of the decision sinking in. What if I never see my family again? What if I never see Eve again? Blue clenched his jaw, fighting the wave of uncertainty. What if I'm rejected by this gate? Will I be stuck in this life as a porter for some guild forever?
He stopped, breath hitching in his chest. For a moment, he stood still, frozen in the face of his own fear. The gate, like a living thing, seemed to watch him. The golden light flickered, almost pulsing, as if something on the other side was aware of his hesitation. It felt like the gate was staring straight into his soul, waiting for him to make up his mind.
For one last second, he thought about turning away. About calling it in and reporting this golden gate to the guild. But the he looked up, meeting the intensity of the gate's glow.
His doubts dissolved in an instant. If he didn't take this chance, he might never get another.
With that, the decision was made. He took a step forward. Then another.
The moment his fingers neared the shimmering threshold, electricity sparked from the gate, arcing toward him. His pulse quickened. A flash of blinding light shot through the air, illuminating the whole block as if the sun had suddenly exploded.
In that instant, Blue felt a surge of energy, a force that seemed to pull him from the very ground beneath him and then, just like that, he was gone.
Not a trace remained. No footprints. No echo of his footsteps. No one saw what happened. No one would ever know what he had just walked into. A gate...only he could enter.