He moved to a part of the roof and took a seat while looking up.
In the night sky, countless stars, like glimmering diamonds, adorned the cosmic tapestry, twinkling with an ethereal brilliance that seemed to transcend the boundaries of time. The moon, a radiant crescent, cast a gentle, silver glow, painting delicate shadows upon the world below.
The sight made Sword Hero Morningster remember his world. While there was no magic in his world, it was a whole lot more peaceful.
"I wonder how the modeling gig is doing..." A melancholic vibe filled the air as he muttered.
After recalling his time in his original world, a smile appeared on his face, "They'll be fine... this world needs me right now. I can always return after closing all the gates," He muttered.
Upon mentioning the situation of the gates, Morningster recalled that two weeks had gone by since he closed the D-ranked gate, which was still a missing piece in his archive of memories.
He checked his level once more...
[■■■■□□□□□□□ Level 68]
"The time slowly draws nearer," He muttered with a straight look.
"Twelve levels left. I hope the other heroes will be ready as well. I need to reach the required level in time," Sword Hero Morningster said in anticipation.
....
Ingal rose to his feet as the morning arrived and strapped a furry-like bag to his shoulders.
"Finally, Sword Hero Morningster's party is heading out again," He said with a look of excitement.
"Even if it isn't a quest to close a gate, it should still be fun," He added while headed for the door of his shed.
He suddenly recalled something and paused.
"Almost forgot," He muttered while turning around to pick up the amulet on the little table.
He swiftly hid it in his brown clothes and moved out of his shed.
The sight outside was the usual. It reeked of poverty and a low standard of living.
Ingal waved to some kids as he walked past. In the last couple of days, he had begun to feel out of place. The stares he was getting whenever he stepped out were starting to bother him.
Usually, Ingal never attracted any attention to himself and rarely ever spoke to the people around him, so no one was aware that he was a member of the Sword Hero's Party.
Who knew how they'd start treating him if they knew?
Ingal made his way across the small town toward the city within the kingdom. He was supposed to arrive at their designated meeting spot in over an hour, but he had left home way earlier due to the distance he had to cover.
Over an hour later, he arrived before the massive Adventurer's guild in the heart of the kingdom.
"Coming through!"
Chatters rang out as powerful adventurers could be seen moving about the vicinity.
Ingal was like an ant before them as they walked in and out boldly. He could feel the mana circulating them and knew that he wouldn't be able to survive a strike from either of them... or so he thought.
The heavy wooden doors of the adventurers' guild swung open, revealing a vast and bustling interior that echoed with the vibrant energy of intrepid souls.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Polished stone floors led the way through the entrance hall adorned with intricate designs depicting legendary quests and heroic deeds.
To the right, a colossal notice board stood proudly, covered in parchments and scrolls, each bearing quests and bounties waiting to be claimed. Adventurers huddled around, studying the details with fervent determination, their eyes reflecting the gleam of the flickering torches that lined the walls.
The soaring ceiling of the main hall was adorned with chandeliers, casting a golden glow that highlighted the rich mahogany furnishings. A long wooden counter, manned by diligent guild clerks, stretched across one side of the hall. Behind them, shelves stacked with scrolls and tomes contained the collective knowledge of countless adventures.
"Over here, Ingal!"
A familiar voice drifted into his ears in the process of him looking around.
Ingal turned towards the left and noticed Sword Hero Morningster and the others sitting around one of the tables.
A hearty smile appeared on his face as he trotted in their direction.
"Sword Hero Morningster," Ingal greeted as he arrived before the table.
"Princess Valerie, Sirs Ekiel, and Ezrel," He greeted them as well.
They responded by nodding back even though Princess Valerie's gaze remained as frosty as ever.
He turned to stare at Bright, "Sir... Bright," He voiced with a wry tone.
"Why is this little twat coming with us? Aren't we just heading to the Tradile caves to level up?" Bright immediately voiced with an irritated look.
"Whether we are headed to the gates or anywhere else, regardless of distance, Ingal is a member of this party. As such, he is obligated to come along with us," Sword Hero Morningster stated firmly.
"Tch," Bright had a look of repression as he realized the reason they had been waiting there was because of Ingal.
Ingal was scared of sitting beside Bright so he immediately took a spot beside Sword Hero Morningster.
"As I mentioned earlier, our party needs to improve in strength. I specifically need to reach at least level 80 in the next six weeks," Sword Hero Morningster stated.
Ingal listened keenly as he continued.
"But I didn't tell you all the reason for this," Sword Hero Morningster added with a cryptic tone.
Everyone's faces lit up with curiosity as they waited for him to continue.
"In the next six weeks, all five heroes will be gathered together under one umbrella to complete a special quest," Sword Hero Morningster voiced.
"A special quest? Could it be...?" Ezrel's face lit up with an expression of realization.
"Yes. We are going to close the B-ranked gates,"
Sword Hero Morningster's revelation was like a bombshell.
"The B-ranked gates?" Bright was visibly conflicted as he voiced.
"Yes. Of course, we can't close them all at once but we'll be starting with the one at the south of the lost Kingdom Rihonum," Sword Hero Morningster responded.
Bright's face visibly paled a moment after Sword Hero Morningster mentioned this.
This was the first time Ingal had seen him react this way. Was it fear or was there something else?
Although, the B-ranked gates were said to have been open for close to a year now. The three territories they appeared in, were currently overrun by beasts. They had practically become a haven of beasts that was void of humans.
Due to the B-ranked gates, a quarter of the planet was the territory of beasts that no sane person dared traverse.
It was said that one of the most powerful adventurers, Ridgmont Vennigan, a level 110 sorcerer lost his life while trying to save natives when the B-ranked gates first appeared.
A lot of people lost their lives and kingdoms were torn down since the Monarchs were unable to close them.
From the moment the heroes arrived, they were informed of this but since they had to gain levels to be powerful enough, they couldn't immediately head out to close the gates.
Due to the B-ranked gates being open for nearly a year, the number of beasts that invaded the three territories had increased vastly in number. If they weren't dealt with as soon as possible, it would become a greater problem in the future.
Originally, the heroes decided that after they reached level 100, they'd set out to close the gates but it was becoming quite an urgent situation.
Fortunately, the heroes were powerful to the extent that they could take on beings at level 90 and still win.
They believed that reaching level 80 would be enough for them to set out and successfully close the gates.
But why was Sir Bright having his current expression? Was he that scared?
"With the backing of the five Great Kingdoms army, we might be able to cut a path through the sea of beasts and find the boss. So long as we, the five heroes defeat the boss of the gate and shut it, the army of beasts should also meet their end," Sword Hero Morningster claimed with a tone of certainty.
"So all we are going to focus on for the next six weeks is increasing our levels?" Ekiel questioned.
"That is it. Besides the Tradile caves, we will be visiting other spots to slay creatures to keep increasing our levels. The party members of the other four heroes will also be a part of the venture in six weeks. You four have to be strong enough so you don't slow anyone down," Sword Hero Morningster added.
"Hmph! They have to be strong enough to keep up," Ezrel stated with a tone of confidence.
"Will Ingal still join us in heading out to close the B-ranked gates? His safety is questionable," For the first time, Princess Valerie showed concern for Ingal.
"That sorely depends on him. If he decides not to join us, I will certainly feel more relieved but If he decides to do the opposite, I won't stop him," Sword Hero Morningster stated.
Everyone except Sir Bright turned to stare at Ingal with expressions of concern.
"What is your decision?"