The seven MHS workers gathered around to discuss their next move.

“With our new powerful bodies, we can move a good amount of Gateshards with us,” commented one of them.

Another agreed with enthusiasm, “Yea, we’re filthy rich, boys. When we get out of here, not only are we now Anointed, we’re also going to be rich!”

“I’m going to get a big house and nice car…” one of them began to daydream aloud, and the others joined in, sharing their fantasies.

“We just need to wait for nightfall,” Lucian suggested, “That's when the Gnolls will return to their dwellings, and that's when we should go for the Monster Gate.”

“But there might be a Monster Gate break by then!” Mort argued. “And when the gate breaks, we'll be transported into that superstore along with the monsters. No thanks!”

Lucian ground his teeth, annoyed by Mort's clear belligerence toward him. However, Mort had a point. There was never a certain time period for a Monster Gate break to occur. The only safe window of time measured was about half a day. Other than that, it could occur a second after or years later. There wasn't much consistency in breaks.

Mort scoffed seeing Lucian’s derision and summoned fire from his hands, causing Lucian to back off warily.

“Yea, look at you,” Mort taunted with spiteful delight, “You’re not so smart and cool now, huh, Lucian? Yea, I got the power of fire while you’re still struggling to find out what skills you have.” The flames in his hands grew in size, forcing Lucian to fall over onto his backside. “Whatever you unlock, it won’t measure up to my magic fire.”

Mort then sent a sheet of flames into the air, casting a fiery red glow on their surroundings. The others watched in shock witnessing how powerful Mort was already with his fire.

“We're heading through the Monster Gate now,” Mort declared confidently. “You all saw how fast those Scavs were. We're now just as fast, and we've got more people on our side than they did. Our plan is simple: if the monsters show up, we'll fight them off long enough to make our escape.”

Some members began to nod in agreement, while others still showed doubt. Sensing their hesitation, Mort used what could motivate any man: money.

“We have so much Gateshard,” Mort began to coax, looking at their faces one by one. “We don’t even need the Gnoll hide. We can go to the Heart Rings with the amount we can carry out of here. Hell, even a few shards could get us into the Workers’ Ring!”

Mort's words effectively dispelled the lingering doubt in their hearts and set their plan in motion. Together, they strategized, leveraging their current abilities and group dynamics. The defense type members would lead the way, deflecting enemy blows with their resilience. The magic users that were attack types would provide ranged support, keeping the monsters at bay. Speed types like Gabriel would distract the enemy further. They had only one healer, who would focus on tending to the defenders. Unfortunately, they lacked any support type members to bolster their strengths.

After an hour of careful planning, they were ready to begin. Each hoisted up their packs filled with Gateshard, and they departed, their spirits a mix of anxiety and excitement.

“Hey, Gabe,” Lucian called out, stopping Gabriel when he was about to join everyone on the move, “Don’t do this. It’s suicide to try and get past a Boss Monster and three sub-bosses. Let’s just wait.”

“Mort said you would say some stuff before we left,” Gabriel said then sneered, “Lucian, stop pretending to know everything. I’m going back to my familia! With that, he utilized his incredible speed to take get to the head of the departing group of MHS Anointed.

Lucian could only shake his head in regret.

The group of Anointed workers effortlessly traversed the dense jungle, their new Anointed bodies allowing them to rip apart vines with ease and step through thick mud as if it were water. With each step, their confidence swelled. They were new men, not the same laborers to be looked down upon, but men of standing now—Anointed. However, when the bright blue glow of the Monster Gate appeared ahead, tension gripped them all.

“It looks clear,” one of them murmured, hopeful.

“Stick to the plan,” Gabriel responded, his expression serious as he looked at each of them. They all nodded in agreement.

“Look who showed up,” Mort snickered, looking to a head of black hair closing in on them through tall plants and a flash of red from a jumpsuit. Lucian had followed along despite saying the plan wasn’t a good one.

“Don’t mind him,” Gabriel dismissed and waved everyone forward, “Move quickly but don’t make too much noise!”

They went toward the Monster Gate, the bundles of Gateshard on their backs, each of their breaths shallow with anxiety.

“We’re going to make it!” one of them murmured quietly, excited.

Mort turned his head to look backward at Lucian watching from inside a bush.

“Fuck you, Lucian!” Mort said not too loudly as he stuck up his middle finger at him.

Laughter echoed through the jungle, causing their bones to tremble from the sheer volume, as a smiling hyena head emerged from behind the Monster Gate before the entire Boss Monster revealed itself.

“It was hiding behind the gate…?!” a worker sputtered, his face draining of color.

Three muscle bound figures materialized from the thicket surrounding them—sub-bosses, their fur painted with red designs and their muzzles stained red from their previous consumption of workers. They licked their lips, remembering how the humans from earlier tasted and excited to indulge in more.

“Stick to the plan!” Gabriel shouted, “Defense type Anointed, step forward!” No one moved, each man too paralyzed by fear. Someone broke away from the group, running toward the Monster Gate. “Mort!” Gabriel yelled, seeing the chubby man run off.

However, before Mort could get through the gate, the Boss Monster got in his way, snickering like hyenas tended to do. Mort released the full fury of “Magic Art”: [Fire Magic], his flames washing over the Gnoll’s oversized face. When the flames dispersed, the monster’s hyena mouth was still smiling but a hint of annoyance had crept into its blood red eyes.

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It thrust its spear forward, impaling Mort with the force of a wrecking ball crashing through a wall. Mort's life was ended in an instant, leaving no room for a final thought.

At the sight of his gruesome death, the MHS Anointed began to scatter like roaches when the lights turned on. Their sweaty faces contorted with desperation and fright, heartbeats pounding in their ears as terror drove them in all directions. Desperation fueled their flight, but there was no escape from the nightmare that was beginning to unfold before them.

“The plan…!” Gabriel shouted and then murmured with disquiet, “I need to get home to my family…”

“Gabe, watch out!” Lucian suddenly cried out.

A spear nearly impaled Gabriel as he turned to look at Lucian still hidden behind bushes, a red cut appearing on his shoulder when he suddenly turned, barely avoiding being killed. His eyes looked with horror at what could’ve been his death, images of his family who were waiting for him, appearing in his mind.

“Run, you idiot!” Lucian roared, “Use your Skill!”

Gabriel’s body began to emit a white light, which Lucian recognized as “Aura,” the energy source for Anointed who were focused around physical abilities rather than magic.

Another spear hurtled through the air toward Gabriel, whose body began to vibrate before he suddenly burst forward like a racecar at the start of a race, narrowly evading the deadly projectile as he sprinted away. Gabriel headed toward Lucian. Lucian knew about monsters the most. Lucian kept a book filled with facts about monsters. If anyone could get him to his family, Lucian could.

He felt foolish for doubting Lucian before.

The ground shook, nearly causing Gabriel to lose his footing, but he still needed to stop as the source of the tremor appeared in front of him—the Boss Monster, the Alpha Gnoll. Without hesitation, the Alpha Gnoll swiped at Gabriel, its claws tearing into his body like scissors through paper. The beast’s blood red eyes shifted to the other humans about to escape and bounded toward them right after.

The clouds rolled overhead peacefully, the blue sky behind it as blue as sapphire and appeared welcoming. Gabriel stared up at it, thinking how nice it would be to fall into the sky and be embraced by the limitlessness of it all.

“Gabriel!” he heard his name but couldn’t look away from the sky that called to him. He began to float, a sense of elation overwhelming him, making him feel as though he were bound for a better place. He was mistaken, he found out. In actuality, someone was carrying him, whisking him away into the jungle.

“Gabriel,” Lucian shouted down at him, gently placing the man on the ground. The light in Gabriel’s eyes began to fade. “Gabriel, your family, your family is waiting for you!” Gabriel seemed to reorient his senses at the mention of his kin.

“Familia…my familia…” Gabriel muttered, blood pushing out of his mouth while he spoke, his teeth stained red.

“Yes! You can’t go yet.” Lucian frantically scanned the area for the healer type Anointed but found him being torn in half by Gnolls biting on opposite ends of his body. Lucian returned his attention to Gabriel. “Did you bring any first aid?” His hands fumbled around Gabriel’s jumpsuit, the fabric slick with blood. As he searched, he had to get something off his chest, saying, “I never looked down on you, Gabe. You were the only friend I could ever talk to about this stupid monster stuff and I appreciated that.” A sickening disappointment washed over Lucian as he realized he couldn't find a first aid kit.

“I should’ve listened to you, Lucian,” Gabriel coughed, choking on his own blood. “You were always the smartest guy I knew. And me—just a dumb pendejo from South Sun Mega City.”

“Gabriel, just focus on staying alive. I’m going to search for herbs. I may be known as a monster Skinner, but my Gather skills ain’t bad. Just hold on.”

“No, Lucian. Let me apologize before I go.”

“Didn’t you hear me, idiot?” Lucian shouted, his emotions becoming turbulent, “I’m going to go get you some Mending Root. Stay there.” The Mending Root was a miraculous herb found exclusively in specific Monster Gates, essential for crafting “Metacelluar Revitalizine,” a potent medicine capable of healing any wound except dismemberment. But there was no guarantee he’d find any here.

Gabriel grabbed Lucian by the collar and pulled him in.

“It was me who felt small compared to you,” Gabriel whispered, his voice weak. “You were always the smart one, the hard worker. I thought you would leave me behind like trash once you got your opportunity. I’m sorry, Lucian. I was a fool to agree with Mort.” More blood erupted from his lips. “You gotta promise me, amigo. Accomplish our dream for us, man. You’re Anointed now.” He took off his cowboy hat and placed it on Lucian’s head.

Gabriel suddenly let go, and his head fell. “Dream...” he whispered, his voice fading before he became still. His eyes remained fixed on the blue sky above.

Lucian’s head dropped low in grief and sat back into the dirt, his mind whirling. He stared at the carnage near the Monster Gate, attempting to comprehend why they had taken such a fatal risk for mere monetary gain. Gabriel had left his family alone in this world, for money.

A rustling sound from behind jolted his attention, and he turned to find himself locking eyes with two menacing Gnolls that had suddenly materialized. His heart raced.

There was a moment of tense stillness before a frantic scramble ensued. Lucian sprinted, with the Gnolls closing in from an intercepting angle. The two pursuers nearly caught him before he suddenly lunged backward to punch one in the jaw. It fell back, blood oozing from its mouth, a tooth flying through the air. However, Lucian's choice to attack had been poorly calculated.

A burning sensation entered Lucian’s abdomen. Looking down, he saw a bloody spear point exiting his body. He clutched the wound, stumbling backward. While he had attacked one Gnoll, the other he hadn't hit reacted quickly and was able to spear him. Another spear jab followed, glancing off Lucian's side but still cutting into flesh.

Lucian dropped to one knee, luring the attacking Gnoll in, making it believe he was vulnerable to a fatal blow. As the Gnoll closed in to strike, Lucian sprang upward, delivering a devastating uppercut to its jaw that rendered the two-legged hyena beast unconscious.

However, his triumph was short-lived. Lucian yelped in pain as he felt his shoulder get pierced by another Gnoll. The one that had previously lost a tooth returned with fury. Lucian attempted to grab the oncoming weapon but missed, resulting in it impaling his other shoulder. As he backed away and knelt down, this time, the Gnoll, while not particularly clever, remained cautious.

Lucian hadn't initially planned a sneak attack. Instead, he picked up a rock and hurled it at the Gnoll. The projectile struck the creature squarely on the head, causing it to momentarily drop to one knee. Lucian seized the opportunity to charge, but as he neared, the Gnoll swiftly sprang back to life and delivered another swift stab.

“Damn...!” Lucian grunted, clutching his injury and attempting to retreat. He hadn't expected the Gnoll to turn his own tactics against him.

The Gnoll snickered in response and lunged forward, delivering rapid, successive strikes with its spear. Lucian began to fear that he might not make it out of the Monster Gate alive. The thought of death sent shivers down his spine, and faced with the relentless onslaught, he felt powerless.

A strange phenomenon occurred as a floating screen materialized in front of him, displaying the words, “Welcome to the Master System! Magic Art: [Mimicry of the Wild] has been activated. [Basic Polearm] has been copied from [Laughing Gnoll]!”

It took a few moments, and another jab from the Gnoll's spear, for Lucian to realize he was receiving a message from the Master System. He endured another thrust from the Gnoll to slip past it, rolling onto the ground and grabbing the spear that the other Gnoll had dropped. Turning swiftly, he faced his opponent with spear in hand.

The Gnoll initially snickered, finding it ludicrous that Lucian, challenging it—a Gnoll skilled in spear combat—to a duel of spears. However, its grin soon vanished as Lucian expertly parried its attacks and landed a devastating blow. They engaged in a skilled spear duel, thanks to [Basic Polearm] granting Lucian proficiency. The fight would’ve lasted longer if it wasn’t for Lucian fighting dirty and throwing dirt in the Gnoll’s eyes, blinding it.

Though blinded, the monster attempted to locate Lucian but was defenseless when Lucian squatted low to avoid blind strikes and delivered a precise, upward spear thrust directly into its heart, ending its life.

Lucian stood above the beast breathing hard from over exertion. He had done it. He had slayed a monster. In his dreams and fantasies, the moment was a lot more grandiose, though the feeling was exactly the same. He felt enormous, bigger than life itself. He had always wanted to kill monsters.

"That was for my family," Lucian said, spitting on the Gnoll's corpse, though the words felt hollow to him. He couldn't even remember his family's faces. Instead, he chose to add, "That was for Gabriel, you pendejo." That felt better to him.