A day later, Lin and Yulan finally arrived at the Fort Post — Hope.
A large road stretched near the Fort Post, where vehicles occasionally passed by. Most of them were trucks delivering various items. But there were also regular SUVs or pickups belonging to ordinary Awakened groups.
There were also people who didn't use vehicles, traveling by bicycle or sidecar motorcycles. These were usually individuals who preferred to work alone or in pairs, but rarely more. Some didn't use any form of transportation at all, though they were few.
Lin wasn't surprised when he saw modern vehicles on the roads. After all, the Red Gate standing at the center of Fort Post — Hope was thirty meters in diameter, and it could allow not only regular vehicles to pass. If someone wanted to transport a vehicle through the Gate into the Magic World, the price was astronomical, yet people still paid it.
It was much more convenient to drive than to walk.
Seeing the massive twenty-meter stone walls ahead, Lin smiled. These were the walls of Fort Post — Hope, built to defend against Distorted creatures.
He and Yulan reached one of the four gates of Fort Post — Hope, namely: by his calculations, the Eastern Gate. These were large retractable gates that lifted upward, and at the moment, they were open, allowing anyone to exit — of course, after filling out some paperwork.
Lin and Yulan slowly approached the checkpoint specializing in people. There were three checkpoints, and they chose the left one, since it had the fewest people.
Their appearance naturally drew the attention of some people. But interest quickly faded, as the Magic World was so strange that seeing teenagers dressed in animal skins didn't seem odd to anyone.
After waiting in line for a few minutes, it was Lin's turn. He slowly approached the checkpoint, where a man in a blue uniform was seated. The man looked at Lin and, slightly surprised, asked:
"What's a teenager doing in the Magic World? Are you a student of an Awakened Academy? And why are you dressed so strangely?" he asked several questions, waiting for Lin's response.
Lin smiled and slowly began explaining the situation.
"So you ended up in the Magic World because of the Red Gates? I'm surprised you managed to return safely. Alright, you may enter with her, but you'll need to provide your details so I can save you in the database." the man in blue explained and handed them two forms with blank fields to fill out.
Lin and Yulan quickly filled everything in. They also had to indicate whether they were Awakened and what type. Lin slowly wrote: "Physical Awakened", Title: "Swift Wind". In the surname section, he left it blank.
After completing the forms, they were allowed to enter the Fort Post.
Upon entering the Fort Post, they were immediately greeted with scenes of vehicles, roads, modern buildings, and stores. The views made it feel like they were in a modern city, not another world.
Yulan's eyes lit up at the sight, and she said:
"Finally, civilization! I can eat properly... take a bath... meet my family..." She immediately smiled and walked ahead.
Lin also smiled. Modern scenery was far more pleasant than surviving in the wild. He looked at Yulan and said:
"We need to head to the Red Gates quickly. I heard there's free public transport inside the Fort Post that goes to the Red Gates." Lin walked along the sidewalk with Yulan and began explaining basic facts about the city.
Yulan was surprised by Lin's knowledge of the Fort Post and asked:
"How do you know all this? Have you been here before? Or did you just watch videos about every Fort Post?"
"You could say that," he replied, and then arrived with Yulan at a bus stop.
While they waited, many people glanced at them but then turned away. When the bus arrived, Lin and Yulan quickly boarded, taking seats across from each other.
The bus started moving, stopping at different stations as they looked around the Fort Post.
Mostly, the Fort Post was filled with Awakened, but ordinary people could also find work here. It was well-paid, which made it highly sought after.
"Look, Lin." Yulan called to him and pointed to a billboard.
Lin looked in that direction and saw a billboard advertising admission to the Awakened Academy. It would be held in a week and accepted all Awakened under the age of seventeen.
"Awakened Academy..." These words once seemed pointless to him — why waste precious time studying at some academy when he could improve himself on his own?
But after this journey, he realized he had been a complete fool who, even with free time, spent it on everything but self-improvement. Fortunately, he came to his senses quickly, and now he was seriously thinking about entering the academy to gain theoretical knowledge about the Dead Worlds, survival, and more.
"Will you enroll?" Lin asked Yulan.
Yulan nodded.
"Yes. I've become Awakened, and now I must become better, earn money, and support my family!" she replied with enthusiasm and asked in return:
"And you? Will you join the academy? From your personality, I thought you probably..."
"I'll join," Lin simply answered.
"Well then, great. That's good in any case." Yulan smiled and sighed softly, realizing she wouldn't be alone there.
They continued watching the scenery until they arrived at the Red Gates.
Getting off the bus, they saw a massive plaza and a wide road leading to the Red Gates. The Red Gates themselves were huge — about thirty meters wide and twenty meters high.
They were black and red, seemingly made of obsidian, with a crystalline appearance. The Gates were heavily guarded by Awakened, likely of Adept rank or higher. People and sometimes vehicles with cargo were constantly coming out of them.
"To keep a Gate this big open, how many Distorted creatures had to be killed? What was the highest level Distorted creature? Where did the Matrix family get such power, and how did they withstand the wave?" Yulan asked in a quiet voice, unable to hide her amazement.
"I don't know..." Lin replied. But in truth, he knew very well who held the Gates and who cleared them — he just didn't want to say.
"Alright, let's go."
They walked together to the designated area for people at the Red Gates. When Lin stood before the Red Gates, he involuntarily felt their power and pressure — something he had never experienced before.
He scoffed coldly and with a serious expression stepped into the Red Gates. A moment later, he emerged on Earth.
He found himself in a majestic vestibule with ceilings fifty meters high. He smiled involuntarily and proceeded to another checkpoint, where people were being checked.
"Name and surname," asked the man in blue.
"No surname, but the name is Lin. I'm a Physical Awakened," Lin replied quickly.
The man quickly checked Lin's data and then let him through:
"Welcome back," he said and asked the same of Yulan.
Lin walked ahead, and when Yulan was let through, he told her:
"Our journey ends here."
Yulan smiled and sighed.
"Y-yeah, I'm really grateful to you for saving me and for this whole journey. I hope we meet again, in the academy," she said, waved to him, and walked to the main exit.
Lin just nodded and watched her walk away. When she disappeared from view, Lin's face turned cold, and he briskly walked toward the exit.
"Wait! Who do we have here? Isn't it our little half-blood, Lin?" came a young voice.
Lin's face changed instantly. From cold, it turned slightly furious. With pure killing intent in his heart, he turned and looked at the young man.
He had black hair and violet eyes, his appearance was quite handsome, and even somewhat resembled Lin. It was Ron Matrix — Lin's older cousin.
"Why are you looking at me with such anger?" Ron's smile faded, and his expression turned cold. "I don't like dealing with half-bloods either."