As Blue met his past beneath Murim's sun, Eve faced her future beneath the humming glow of an Earth bound gate...Shoulders squared, three shadows standing behind in her in silence.
Two wore black jackets etched with the Buckeye Guild emblem—the proud red maple leaf over a gate-shaped crest. The third wore white: a representative of the Association, their presence required for all ranker trials.
But this wasn't a team mission. Eve stood alone. Before her loomed the entrance to a B-class gate: a swirl of black mist carved into the air like a portal, rimmed with thorns of crystalized red energy. This was her moment. Eight months of training. Eight months of grueling missions, learning to control her spirits, bond with her summon, and stand alone against monsters that could rip through steel.
Now, she had to clear this gate. Alone. Only rankers were allowed to attempt solo B-rank gates. This was the final step. If she succeeded, her name would be added to the official list—one of the top one hundred in the United States. She turned her head slightly as the Association agent gave her a nod.
"You have twenty-four hours. If you fail, we pull you out. Don't die in there." Eve didn't respond. Her hand hovered near her side, where a small pendant hung from her belt. The silver charm pulsed faintly—the mark of her contract.
Then she stepped forward.
And vanished into the gate.
System Interface:
Core: Spirit Specialization: Spirit Manipulation / Summoner Golden Gate Resonance: Thalorin
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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. Will evolve with Eve's growth.
The gate wasn't a dungeon. Not in the old sense. There was no end boss sitting on a throne. Instead, these rifts functioned more like fractured pockets of worlds miniature realms where the energy of the gate bled out into monsters, terrain, and hazards.
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, defeating mini-bosses, or disabling anchors the system could take control.
It never said a word. But when the gate was clear, you knew. And when that happened, the system rewarded you. In this gate, Eve moved like water. One moment commanding vines to halt a charging beast, the next unleashing a torrent of flame through Cindyr to clear a ravine of winged hounds. She fought through dark ruins, ghost-blooded forests, and a mirror lake where Rhyla whispered tactics through their bond. Her spirit and control surged together, bringing harmony to her summons. When she faced a final field of stone-tusked beasts, she called upon Virelen.
The earth rose with her voice. The monsters fell. Golden light. It rushed over her skin, into her core, washing through her veins like a tide. The gate quaked and stilled. She had done it. The system screen pulsed.
Spirit: 103
Control: 101
New Ability Unlocked: Spirit Synergy
Allows fusion of two contracted spirits for up to 30 seconds.
Eve breathed slowly.
The System had gained control of this gate. It would stay open for 3 to 5 days afterwards. This gave guilds time to form expedition teams to clear the remaining monsters and gather precious materials that may be inside the gate. Eve walked toward the entrance of the gate, relieved and a thought crossed her mind. "I wonder what he's doing?"
Outside, the Association agent tapped her watch.
"She made it."
"She did," said one of the Buckeye Guild hunters, impressed. "And with time to spare."
Eve emerged seconds later, looking calm but winded.
"You good?" the other hunter asked.
"Yeah."
"We'll request an expedition team. From the information you gave us that gate had at least two nodes worth of high-quality magic stone. Hopefully it stays open for a full five days."
Eve didn't answer. She opened her system screen again. Read the description for Spirit Synergy. "Fuse two contracted spirits into a singular entity for short bursts. Duration scales with Control. Cooldown: 1 hour."
She let the screen close.
Then followed the others out.
Later – United States Hunter Association, Columbus Stronghold
The Association was buzzing. In the main hall, a crowd shifted near the front desk. Eve stepped forward as her name was called.
A glowing orb rested atop the registration pedestal.
"Place your hand on the stone," the receptionist said.
Eve complied.
Her stats and core flashed before the staffer's eyes. The woman gasped softly.
"Congratulations, Eve. You've officially been recognized as a ranker. You're now authorized to request B-rank gates and above through your guild."
As the receptionist stamped her file, a presence loomed behind the counter.
The woman stiffened. A man leaned over her shoulder. Silver hair. Long coat. Quiet authority. He glanced at the projection. Then down at the file.
EVE – Buckeye Guild (Provisional)
He chuckled. "So that's your name." Eve turned. The man gave her a casual nod. "Didn't know we had someone like you in the guild. Come find me at the hall." He began to walk away, then paused. "I'll be waiting, young one. Come find me later at the guildhall, let's say around 6 pm."
Then he was gone.
The receptionist exhaled slowly.
"You…you know who that was right?!"
Eve nodded.
"I do, Aaron Kade, Number 4 in world rankings, number 2 in the United States. The only Aether user in the top 100, and my guildmaster.
Later that evening Eve arrived at the Buckeye guild. A tall, maginificent glass building in the center of downtown Columbus. She approached the receptionist sitting all alone at the front desk." I was told to be here at 6, to meet with the guildmaster."
"Ah, yes." The receptionist replied. "Take the elevator on the right to the 50th floor. They are waiting."
As Eve approached the elevator, her nerves started getting the better of her. "They? Who is they?"
A long table stretched across the guildmaster's hall in the heart of the Buckeye Guild. Five chairs were occupied—two to his left, two to his right, and one at the head. The late afternoon sun bled through the slotted windows, casting golden shafts of light over the polished wood. Eve stepped inside, steady but cautious. Her eyes scanned the room.
"Have a seat, Eve," Aaron said.
She took the open chair beside a man in robes holding a gnarled wooden staff, its twisted top housing a softly glowing crystal.
"I'm sure you know who I am," Aaron began. Eve nodded, unsure whether to speak.
"Do you know why I called you here?"
She shook her head.
"I saw your stats. And to be honest, we don't have anyone like you. Not here. Spirit users of your caliber usually stay in South Korea. Most of them get poached by their guilds or the Association there. So tell me, why did you come back?"
Eve hesitated. Her fingers fidgeted beneath the table.
"I came back for someone... a friend. But when i returned he was gone. He has been missing now for like six months or so. Maybe eight...I'm not sure anymore. I stopped keeping track of the days awhile ago."
The room quieted. The guildmaster'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?"
"There's no way," Eve replied. "He wasn't even awakened. His mom said he worked as a porter for a small guild. That day he dissapeared, he went into a gate and never returned home. I asked the guild about the raid. They said no one died. He even told them he was going to grab pizza after. Then they all split up."
Eve continued. "I dont have any proof, but he wouldn't just dissapear like this. He is not weak by any means either. I have a feeling he went through the golden gate that appeared. It is behind the pizza shop we go to all the time. It's his favorite spot in town. There is no way its a coincidence."
One of the older men at the table, seated beside the guildmaster, leaned forward. "You think he went through it?"
"Yes," Eve confirmed.
The staff-bearing mage responded, "Impossible. If he wasn't awakened, the gate should've rejected him. Golden gates require resonance. You have to be compatible with the world on the other side. If his core didn't match..."
The guildmaster chimed in. "We still haven't found anyone compatible with that gate. It hasn't opened for anyone else. Could he have awakened while you were in Thalorin, Eve?"
She looked down. "It's possible. But he wouldn't just disappear. He's not the nicest guy... but he's a good person. He wouldn't leave without telling someone."
The guildmaster nodded. "We'll get his description from you before you leave. Distribute it to the smaller guilds. Maybe someone saw something. But for now, let's get to why we brought you here." Behind them, the wall came to life, lighting up with a glowing map of the United States. Blue lights flickered across twelve known strongholds. Red lights flooded the rest.
"This is what remains," the guildmaster said. "Of the fifty states, only twelve strongholds remained. Columbus, Minneapolis, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Denver, Seattle, Phoenix, Chicago, and Boston — these were the last bastions of humanity, walls of steel and will rising from broken cities."
The woman across the table chimed in. "When the gates first appeared, panic shattered order. Governments fell. The military held the line only long enough for civilians to flee toward the coasts and corners of the country. Everything in the middle was lost. What used to be the heartland had become something else entirely."
They called it the Monster Highway. A corrupted artery running through the middle of the country, it pulsed with monsters, dungeon breaks, and untamed red gates. No one who entered came back. Not intact.
The surviving guilds—formed by awakeners and backed by scientists and engineers from other worlds, banded together to fight back. Each stronghold was a city-state now, defended by hunters and protected by walls powered by magic, or Flux. But even these alliances weren't enough to reclaim the land. Not yet.
He turned to Eve. "We need leaders. We need people like you. We want you to build a team, one you handpick. These four already lead squads. Let me introduce them."
He gestured beside him. "This is my father. Wind mage. Visited Nytherra. Ranked 45 globally." The old man gave a quiet nod.
"Next to him, Flux user. His team built the outer defenses, turrets, walls, power systems." Across the table: "Another Aether user like me. I make weapons with my will. He conjures volleys of arrows and never misses."
Lastly: "Olivia. Assassin. Surveillance, recon, intel. Keeps tabs on dark guilds. Scares the hell out of me, honestly. But the best at what she does." Eve took them all in. The weight of their expectations settled around her.
"We brought you here because we believe in your potential. And because the war outside these walls isn't slowing down. Welcome to the real fight, Eve. Let's win it together." The United States was no longer united.
Washington D.C., despite barely surviving the chaos, still called itself the seat of the American government. With no real power, it issued decrees the guilds ignored—until one day, a dark elf walked through the front door of the Capitol. No one knows his true name. But he promised the President power. Promised him authority, an army, and dominion. All he had to do... was kneel. The man who now wore a suit of enchanted armor and called himself The American Sovereign did not hesitate.
And in doing so, he invited something else into the world. Something bigger than earth, murim, or anything humans could comprehend.