I’m a teenager, finally! I hope they stop treating me like a child soon.
What to write? How about this…
13th Birthday gifts:
Comics from Uncle Zach.
Video game and a journal from Mom and Dad.
And a used guitar from Grandpa George.
I like them all, but I’m unsure about the guitar yet. He said it would take years to learn. Not sure I have that kind of patience.
But I promised Mom to journal at least once a week for the year. If I do, I get a special gift next year.
Does she know how to motivate me, or is that just manipulation?
Jordan’s first journal entry
#####
I was a little bummed I wouldn’t get some kind of spatial storage. Who wouldn’t jump at the chance not to physically carry loot and gear? Wait. Is. There. Loot.
“Quick question,” I tried to hide my excitement, looking back and forth between my two mentors. “Do TGs have loot? You know, items and reward drops from killing things inside?”
They nodded as we stepped across the outer circle of bubbling fluid and onto the platform.
Hey System. What kinds of things drop when we kill stuff inside a Gate?
The list would be extensive, and it is an extensively studied topic. The network, for example, reports over 100,000 different unique drops types in the last five years, but most go unreported from private TGs, which do not have public reporting. But I must warn you that the gate entrance here will not lead to difficult creatures. There will be drops, but they won’t be impressive.
Are you kidding? I’ve wanted to see a drop since my parents returned from the Garden tutorial. No, before that, after reading fantasy books. I mean, that’s what the system is really for, right? Prizes, chest, loot! I don’t care if it’s not valuable; I want one; I want them all.
At this point, I was smiling like an addict about to get their next fix. With a backpack in one hand and my sword in the other, I bounced on my feet.
“That excited to see the other side, huh, kid?” Felicity smirked, asking me while side-eying me.
“Yeah, I am, but I’m not a kid anymore. I’m all grown up,” I said as I stood up straighter and pounded my right fist across my chest. It just felt tough, I’m aware I’m a total noob here, so don’t comment.
“Is that a solute or something from Earth,” Felicity inquired while leaning away as if examining me.
Wait, when did you change?” I asked. Her hair was tied back with a single tie, and she wore a full suit made out of the same stuff as my boots. She still showed curves but had added padding on her shoulders and knees. It looked very functional for sports, but the material might lack durability to withstand a fight with blades and claws.
“What, did you want to watch me change?” She flirtatiously joked. “Sorry. You just missed the show.”
Is she teasing me, or is she like into me? Wait, Jordan, remember you might be 18, but she is, like, grandma-old. I tried to squash my hormone’s response. Thankfully, my system didn’t comment. Either way, I was blushing and forgot to reply.
I wasn’t sure what Eld was doing, but he finally interrupted us.
“Jordan, this should be a safe walk-through. Try to enjoy this. I still remember my first trip. We will take things slow as you soon need to make several choices.”
Without explaining further, I saw a flash of light all around that originated from the liquid circle shooting up into a dome over us and down to the small pool on the pedestal. Then the light flashed again like the brightest headlights, and after blinking, I saw we were no longer in the garden.
I began to look around. It was incredible. It was darker than where we had been. Stars shone overhead, yet everything was bright enough to see as if it was early dawn. We were outside and on the top of a hill, standing on the same pedestal and circle. Or is this just the exit for the gate?
You received an important Notification from The System; I recommend reviewing it and making a choice. I will display System messages originating outside of my communication in a distinct mental window. Let me know if you’d like a different display format.
Welcome to your first Temporal Gate. For entering a Temporal Gate, you are granted a spatial storage. Please choose an item to anchor your storage. Do you wish to use the bag in your possession?
Do I have to use the bag? What about one of my rings? Yeah, the gold ring on my left index finger, please.
Please confirm: Ring spatial storage from condensed Arcana material.
Yes, I confirm.
Spatial Storage granted: minor growth item created based on material. Starting space is decreased due to added growth aspect generation. The current area available is equivalent to the size of 2 spatial units.
That’s about the size of a laptop but half a foot tall. It’s roughly fifteen by ten by six inches or 0.52 cubic feet.
That seems small.
You can configure the size, but yes, you are just starting and will obtain more extensive volume storage or upgrade this one. If you had chosen the backpack, you would have twice the bag volume, but you wouldn’t have gotten a growth item due to the material. You will still need to use the physical bag for class.
“Have you upgraded the bag yet?” Eld questioned, turning back from his scanning of the area.
“Not exactly,” I hesitantly said, but then decided to trust my choice.
“Well, take the upgrade,” Felicity said.
I went on to explain. They were surprised but accepted my logic. They both told me to put the backpack on and carry my sheathed sword. They didn’t explain everything and said I would learn as I went but pointed out things I should know to avoid trouble, which annoyingly was not to gather. I get it already, jeez.
The entire vicinity around the pedestal was considered a “Safe Zone.” No creatures would approach it. That proved true, as I didn’t see anything but a hill with smooth rocks and sand at our entry point. But a half mile away, I could see the edge of a forest. This had to be artificially constructed or maintained because I didn’t see any way a forest could make such a perfect circle around us with the first trees nearly perfectly spaced.
We walked down the rocky hill, not walking over anything living, and stopped before the divide between the contrasting environments.
“You know enough to handle the next few miles away from this edge without us holding your hand,” Eld said, smiling at his jest. “To exit, you would need to return there and put your hand on the top of the TG pedestal. There is no special requirement to leave.”
“For the next several hours,” his tone turned firm, “You will search and kill any creatures you encounter, and we will watch from a distance. Use the sword and get familiar with it. If you have questions, speak them aloud. We will hear and decide whether to give you an answer.”
“That sounds very one-sided,” I said, and very annoying. I kept that last thought silent; I was still too excited to get too riled.
“You will benefit from focus rather than distraction,” Eld replied, “And right now, you are distracted by your arrogance. Arrogance born of inexperience. You still know almost nothing about your new world. Humility would better suit you.” He turned away from me with folded arms.
“Sorry,” I started apologizing, as I dropped my heart. I did see the wisdom he was sharing. They both seemed to want me to succeed.
“Don’t overthink this; we,” she pointed to Eld and herself, “both are here to see you grow. So we won’t let you die in the woods all alone. Just take this seriously. If you do, this will be fun.”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
I nodded and walked into the woods. The ground between trees was initially sand, gradually showing more signs of life. Dry grass and brush became normal, followed by greener life. Then, after another mile, I found my first sign of animal life. It was a deer.
That would have been tough to catch and attack with a sword, but I should be quick enough now. It still hadn’t noticed my slow and nearly silent approach.
There is no reason to kill that animal. There is no benefit in killing anything natural. Plants and animals do appear and support food chains within the TGs. You could kill it if you wish to harvest and eat the meat. Otherwise, it is highly offensive to kill them wantonly.
Well, how do I know if something is killable?
I will show you. Turn to your right, clockwise 90 degrees. Proceed 200 yards.
I grumbled at the lack of info, even if they were clear directions. That is until I saw a pig with dark fur and small tusks with blue text floating above it.
Lvl 1 Boar
Oh, so that is what you meant. Why blue?
I thought it would remind you of Earth and motivate you to achieve your goals.
Solid reasoning. So, I guess I should kill this thing.
I took my time stalking the boar. Yes, I could probably destroy it, but I wanted to be stealthy and get the drop on it rather than go on a pig chase.
When I was within 20 yards, I started a dash that seemed ridiculously fast; even after just a few steps, I almost lost my footing, but my new body was more than just fast. It was coordinated and stronger than ever.
I closed most of the distance and had sound footing when I jumped the final 5 yards; my lunge was headed straight at the boar’s side.
The creature was about the dimensions of an adult bicycle in height and length but was quite broad. I drove my sword to the hilt just behind and below the boar’s shoulder.
My momentum carried me straight into the beast and knocked it over. I unintentionally let go of the sword stuck in the boar and toppled less gracefully end over end into a tree trunk.
Not forgetting I had just started a fight with a system-generated creature, I shook my head and got to my feet, looking for the boar. The only thing I found was my sword tipping over and falling to the ground next to a glowing rock.
“What is that?” I went to pick it up, but Felicity was there before I could get it. She picked it up and tossed it into the woods.
I stood still, jaw open in disbelief. “Hey, that was my first loot drop, wasn’t it? Why?” I began to spit before my words turned to growls.
“Before you lose your temper, listen. Our method of training has a purpose. We don’t want you worrying about drops yet. Just focus on combat.”
I kept my grumbling to myself but went in the direction Felicity pointed. I ran across several other boars. I could get closer or move ahead of them and wait in ambush.
My fourth boar was a level 2, and my ambush allowed me to chop its head clear off. I was splattered in its blood, but the boar itself dissipated like digital dust. I thought I’d be clever and reached for the drop as it formed in the air.
The next thing I knew, I was tumbling twenty feet away. I stand up, rubbing the left side of my face.
“Hey, why’d you do that?” I spoke from the right side of my face as I rubbed the left.
“No touching the drops!” She said as she grabbed the stone and disappeared.
“I am offended!” I spoke in a mocking, authoritarian tone while I pointed to the sky. I don’t know where my sense of humor came from after getting my bell rung like that, maybe because a hit like that should have hurt but hadn’t.
Is my pain threshold different? Or did that just not hurt?
It did not hurt you in any physical way. Your face is only red due to the flow of blood. Your pride might have suffered a bit.
Hardy har har. Keep laughing. I’m not embarrassed…much.
And they knew it too, from the smile I couldn’t hide. The shock of taking a hit more like Superman than a teenage boy was exhilarating. Even if I flew like a rag doll, it was still cool. I hopped to my feet and rushed to my next victim.
Over a few hours, I covered many miles and saw boars and primarily other harmless creatures. None of them had put up much of a fight for me and my sword.
As I spotted my next kill, my system displayed the text above it. Despite it being 400 yards away across a small ravine, I had a line of sight and was able to read the description.
Level 5 Wolf - Alpha
My smile grew wide again—a new challenge. Before I took another step, I nearly screamed as a hand landed firmly, gripping my shoulder.
I turned around to see Eld. “It is time you get a drop,” He smiled and reminded me of my uncle when he gave me my first comic book. Something about sharing his favorite childhood pastime with me. “You remember the number one rule?” His smile and question was kind.
“Don’t gather or enter the Source,” I spoke in a monotone to be funny. “I haven’t forgotten.” I was whispering not to alert my wolf.
“This is the exception,” Eld whispered back.
“What?” I exclaimed louder than I intended and stood up fully. “Why in the world would you so adamantly demand I not, and now…”
“When you attack the wolf,” he jumped in, “you should have no problem killing it. But rather than a quick kill, I ask that you wound it and then retreat to a safe distance. Only once it is immobilized. Then, step back but be on guard. Only then will I return to your side, and you will sit and enter the Source while I watch over your body.”
“That is the first predator you’ve encountered in a Temporal Gate, correct? You’ve also never taken a drop from one of your kills, correct?”
“Yes to both questions,” I replied, my curiosity growing.
What is he getting at? I asked my system.
He intentionally restricts your first drop, hoping the System will reward you with a more significant opportunity. It is more of a superstition than a proven science. But the superstition says that if you kill a prey creature, you will receive a defensive-focused class, skill, or bond opportunity. The opposite is true of predators. He wants to see you focus on offense for your Arc specialization.
What? You never said anything about any of that. Classes, skills, bonds, or specializations?
I wanted more information, but Eld continued before I could ask for more.
“Good, then start your hunt,” He turned and disappeared without another word.
I didn’t know what I was feeling. I guess it was a mix of emotions, from excitement for another kill and the rewards alluded to. Then, the negative side: frustration at the withheld information and my general lack of understanding.
Left to my hunt, I continued my silent stalk of the Alpha. I was never a hunter, but I read enough to know that wind and the animal’s sense of smell are vital factors. I thought I was doing a good job staying downwind. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to keep my approach a secret.
When I was fifty yards away, the wolf turned and looked right at me. Then, without warning, it darted at me.
My perception adjusted enough for me to track the previous blur. The passage of time slowed in the world around me. After only a moment, I followed its movements. I started charging the wolf with my sword pulled back and to the side, ready for a right-to-left slash across the beast’s front leg.
I had failed to realize when I was approaching that this animal was not your regular-variety wolf. This was a full-grown cow-sized meat-rending system-enhanced monster.
When I started my swing to cut its front left leg off, I was surprised when a flash of bright light caught my eyes, and I stumbled. Instead of the animal’s leg getting sliced clean, I hit only air, and my body twisted from the lack of contact, exposing my right shoulder and side to the beast.
The tender flesh just underneath and behind my armpit was pierced, and a claw slid painfully between my ribs before it retracted as the whole paw swiped in a downward motion, raking my right side, tearing flesh and scratching ribs along the way. In addition to that wound, I was knocked backward with the momentum of the wolf. I hit the ground, followed by the wolf’s chest, pinning me to the ground.
Help! I was only able to make a gurgling sound. My system informed me of a punctured lung, but I had already realized as my exhale sounded like a chunk was flapping around inside there. I began hacking with shallow breaths buried under the mountain of flesh.
Eld and Felicity are very near. Protect your neck.
My system was initiating some emergency healing via a surged release of the recently contained Rogue nanotech. I felt a burning in my chest.
At that moment, I felt the claws of the wolf’s paw rest on my neck. I tried to get my arm up, but the paw was like a mountain.
Why can’t I move this thing?
“Not the nicest welcome I’ve had recently. Most bow or run.” A voice from all around spoke as an aura exploded in the woods. I felt like I was submerged at the bottom of the ocean; I couldn’t move, and I lost the rest of the air in my healing lungs.
The force continued for a moment, then disappeared.
“Apologies, child.” A disembodied voice surrounded me, but I guessed it was the wolf’s. “That was for your minders; I couldn’t shield you while using this little guy. Now, hold still for a moment.”
“What are you?” Eld stood five yards away, but the end of his sword extended to the eye of the wolf.
“I assumed you would know,” the wolf growled, “or at least be smart enough to stay clear.”
“There is no way you are a level 5. How do you have an aura of consuming? There’s practically no Arc in this area now.”
“Now, don’t you know it’s rude to ask those kinds of questions? I was sent by someone you don’t say no to. I’m going to deliver a message to this one. His ears alone, you understand. Make a move, and I will be forced to kill him, and then the one who sent me promises to hunt you beyond the Gate.”
“You’re bluffing,” Felicity’s voice came from behind the wolf.
“You want proof? That might be the most expected response, but it is also the rudest. So a price is now due.”
The wolf moved so fast that I didn’t have time to take a full breath before it was back. But I felt drops hitting my forehead. I couldn’t reach them, but the wolf tilted its head and looked at me. In its jaws was a hand casually severed and dripping on me—a hand with thin, graceful yet bloody fingers.
I didn’t react, not knowing what happened, but then there was a scream, and Eld disappeared in front of the wolf.
The beast didn’t bother to turn to protect its back. Instead, I felt the wolf reposition and lay on my legs.
“I promise to heal him and the woman,” the voice declared. “But the meeting will happen first. Child, enter the Source.”
I knew it meant me, but I wasn’t in a suitable head space; how could I meditate? I didn’t think I would get much of a choice, though, so I closed my eyes. It took several painful tries for me to see the world of the Source. It looked like a wolf, but a glowing collar was around its neck. I looked, and a man off to the side was holding the end of the leash.
“Welcome, child,” the man had a noble bearing like he had a stick up his butt and a silver spoon in his mouth. He sounded pleasant but oozed arrogance.
“Hello,” I didn’t know what else to say. “What did you need so badly that you had to do this?”
Be careful; that is a Prince. Not something you can handle. And I’m guessing he is using borrowed Authority if he scared Eld. It wasn’t just the threats that held your mentor back. Look behind him.
I looked, and there was an open door. The frame was glowing red. The Arc and Zan in the area were all being sucked into the pitch-black opening.
“You misunderstand. Yes, I am someone to bow to, but I am only the messenger or, I guess, today, the delivery man.” The Prince grabbed my hand one moment, and I was tossed through the open door the next.