Academy - The World Gate Concourse

The next morning, Hex found himself standing in the center of a massive chamber that likely rivaled the naves in New Valour's largest cathedrals to the Creator. The ceiling arched above, higher than the tallest trees he'd ever seen. Dozens—maybe even a hundred—of World Gates were stationed throughout the room, some against the wall, some free standing, some on the wall appearing like little windows into other worlds. The gems embedded in the stone arches pulsed blue, far brighter than the one he and Dracala had discovered back in Gulliver's Cave.

That feels like ages ago...

These Gates were also active, unlike that one. Liquidous portals rippled within the arches, distorting scenes of trees, castles, sunsets, oceans, and more.

His bat friend hopped up beside him and gripped his hand, likely thinking the same thing as him.

He'd finally had a chance to catch up with her earlier that morning in the dormitory. It turned out she was not, in fact, a Level 72 Rogue like she'd claimed when they'd played Heroes and Monsters on that fateful day, but a Level 5 bat with no assigned Class yet. Still… Higher than him.

The jealousy only lasted for a moment. That's all he allowed it. He was happy for her. Proud of her.

And they stood here now, hand-in-hand, ready to explore worlds they couldn't even dream of.

Countless Humanoids and Monsters were already on the concourse—other students, as well as graduates performing their duty to collect Heroic Energy and keep the Rift sealed.

A squad of humans in shining silver armor ascended a carved staircase to a World Gate halfway up the side of the room. And that wasn't even the most extreme location. Near the back, a series of gear-powered lifts carried a group of Monsters to a Gate so high it looked more like a mouse hole than a portal to another world.

Skel walked up and nudged him with an elbow. "Not intimidating at all, am I right?"

He could only look on in wonder. I had no idea there were so many.

Dracala let go of Hex's hand and pointed to a Gate further down where a large skeleton with six arms posed, showing off four twirling swords and two spiked maces. A crowd of other Monsters admired the skeleton and cheered as he tossed two swords into the air and deftly caught them. "Is that…?"

"Yup," Skel interrupted. "Good ole pops."

The other first-year Monsters joined them to watch the scene.

"All right, stop yar gawkin' and let's get down ta it, shall we?" a familiar voice boomed over the din of conversation and the whooshing of portals as Monsters and Humanoids travelled through.

Professor Blackbeard and Florimell had been waiting for them at the entrance to the Gate Concourse after Talara, Shale, and Howler had woken them far too early. They'd provided a brief update on Brains and the other zombies, saying that they were still unconscious, but the potion used to put them to sleep had been identified.

Hex continued watching Skeletor 'The White Demon of Doom' Bonedust as he concluded showing off and sheathed his weapons. He bowed low and stepped into the Gate beside him.

Yup. Definitely Skel's father. He wondered if Skel would grow four additional arms when he was older.

The closest free-standing Gate appeared to be one of the most popular, with a stream of both Monsters and Humanoids entering and exiting in a steady flow. An ornate rug on the floor before it read: 'Planet of PeaceCraft.'

All the Gate travelers wore armor, carried weapons, and held large bags filled with Creator knew what. Shale had told Hex and his fellow students to bring nothing except their Leveling Scrolls and Energy Capsules.

Of course, Hex hadn't listened. He patted his pocket of goo where Rupert's lazurite gem rested, hidden away. It didn't feel right to be apart from the stone.

He smiled and looked around, only then noticing that everyone else had continued on somewhere else. The first day and already left behind. How in Creator's name did I manage that? He glanced around frantically.

They were no where to be seen.

They went through a Gate without me. I'm in so much tr—

"Hex!" Dracala appeared at the edge of a tunnel leading out from the main concourse. "Hurry up!"

He sighed in relief and bounced after his friend.

"Thanks, Dracala. That was a close one."

"You're telling me! Half the class is already through the Gate."

They really did leave without me.

Dracala led him into a small room off the tunnel, where Professor Blackbeard was distributing small bags to the last two students as they stepped through a Gate.

The World in the portal looked fairly plain. Brightly colored grass, trees, and mountains. It was all oddly angular, though he couldn't tell if that was from the portal distortion or if it was a feature of the land.

"Hello, Hex," Florimell thought-said from the dwarf's shoulder. "You're late. Off daydreaming again?"

"I'll have you know I was examining other Gates. Preparing myself for future travels."

"I'm sure you were." Her eyes smiled at him.

"Hex. Dracala. Good! I've got yar Gate bags right here." He handed them each a medium-sized leather pouch. "Now put yar Scroll and Capsule in there. Anything in the bag or on your body will travel with ya through the Gates. Same goes for Inventory when ya return. It'll all be in the bag."

He motioned for them to stand at the entrance to the Gate.

"Any questions?"

"Uhh... Yes. A million," Hex said.

"Good! No better way ta learn than ta jump into the fire."

"Wait what?"

Professor Blackbeard shoved him and Dracala through the Gate.

He didn't even get a chance to read the name of the World on the floor.

"Good luck, young Hex," Florimell said.

The transition felt exactly the same as when he went through the Sarc for his entrance exam. Dissociation and re-association of mind and body. The only difference was that he knew this wasn't a simulation. This was real.

He didn't know how he could tell, but he could.

A moment later, he stood on a flat field of green grass.

Where he expected to see Dracala beside him, there was nothing.

A few trees were scattered around the landscape at random intervals. They were... oddly cubular. Each was two cubes tall of brown tree trunk, with four cubes of green leaves atop.

In fact, everything was cuboidal. Even a small hole in the ground beside him was cube shaped.

He didn't have long to examine the world before something flashed in his vision.

Words popped into view one by one.

What the actual gnoll farts?

The words were teal—highly contrasted from the world around him—and stayed anchored in his vision as he moved his head around. They were written in a perfect calligraphy matching his Leveling Scroll.

[New character identified.]

[Registering new character...]

[Please wait.]

[Please wait.]

[Registration complete.]

[Character profile linked.

Name: Hex.

Type: Monster.

Species: Slime.

Class: Unassigned.

Level: 1.]

[Default Passive Ability Unlocked: Character Interface.]

[Establishing interface... Please wait.]

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Hex’s vision blinked even though his eyes never wavered. A circular map faded into view in the top right corner of his vision. Most of the map was blacked out, aside from a small cone of clarity coming out of a blue dot in the center. He turned and watched the map rotate, the cone revealing more of the surroundings. The area of the mini map that he’d been facing before remained populated with grass and trees, but faded grey.

So, the blue dot is me.

Several other small images appeared under the map. A stick figure, a bag, a scroll, and a capsule. The bag, scroll, and capsule each had a white ring around them.

He went to pull his Leveling Scroll and Capsule from the bag Professor Blackbeard had given him, but it was no where to be found.

I swear I didn’t drop it…

In the top left of his vision, additional information presented itself, though it was all unlabeled, as if he should inherently know what everything meant. They were the same three bars that had been in his Leveling Scroll under his name. Red, yellow, then blue.

He knew from overhearing bits of chatter from other Monsters that there was some sort of 'System' invented by the Creator to help them interact with items and skills across the Gates... But this was beyond anything he could have imagined.

The icons in his interface—I think that's what someone called it—couldn't be activated by poking them with a finger. He tried that for far too long, probably looking like a fool to anyone who might be watching. The images and words seemed tied directly to his vision, rather than out in front of him.

He hopped forward a step.

[Achievement Unlocked: Gate Traveller - You took your first step in a new World.]

[Rewards:

Welcome Box

10 Heroic Energy

New Title: Adventurer]

Well, that's neat. I haven't even done a thing and already earning rewards! Hex smiled. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all. Sure, he was Level 1. Sure, he was a slime.

But he was also an Adventurer.

Now, if only I knew how to open the Welcome Box...

"Hey, you!" a voice shouted.

Hex turned around to find a human standing next to two half chopped trees—at least, he thought it was a human. The boy's mis-shaped body was comprised of only blocky features like the rest of the world. His square head appeared almost too large compared to the rest of his skinny limbs.

On Hex's map, the boy appeared as a yellow dot with a dim glow around it.

"Are you... A Hero?" he asked, almost too excited to even speak the words.

"Die, slime scum!" the boy yelled. He swung his axe wildly, even though he was still well out of range, and started running toward Hex.

It might have been funny, watching the Hero's little arms and legs swing back and forth with no joints, but he moved far quicker than Hex expected and was still swinging the sharp weapon around like the air had insulted his mother.

Hex screamed and ran the opposite direction.

This was not how he’d imagined his first interaction with a fabled Hero across the World Gates.

He quickly came up to a cliff that looked too high to jump down. The hesitation cost him.

The Hero's axe came around and hit him in the side of the head. The edges of his vision flashed red and the top red bar on his interface—which was apparently his health—dropped halfway.

What?! After a single hit from this guy?

The yellow bar below his health had also dropped a small amount, but he didn't know why.

Then the axe came down again.

This time, when his vision flashed red it stayed red. He fell to the ground, unable to move as everything faded to black. His interface oddly remained visible though.

[Death - You have been killed by a Hero.]

[Hero gains 1 EXP.]

[Reward: 1 Heroic Energy]

Hex could hear his heavy breathing, but he still couldn't see anything besides his map, icons, and status bars. His health was completely depleted, but his yellow and blue bars remained the same, whatever they were.

[Achievement Unlocked: First Death - You have died for the first time.]

[Rewards:

Common Death Box

5 Heroic Energy]

[You are being transported to the Minecube Respawn Hub.]

[Please wait.]

The world slowly faded into view around Hex, but instead of the cuboidal forest where he'd been, he stood in a small grey room with two picnic tables formed from normal materials—not the same blocky shapes as the trees and the Hero he'd been killed by.

Against one wall, a red and white striped awning hung over a wooden stall. A purple imp with glasses leaned against the counter reading a book, his veiny wings folded behind his back. He appeared as a green dot on the minimap of the small room.

[Welcome to the Minecube Respawn Hub.]

[You have gained a total of 16 Heroic Energy since your last spawn.]

[Your Health and Stamina have been regenerated.]

[Enjoy your stay.]

The red and yellow bars had returned to their full status.

So, yellow is stamina. That makes sense. It must have depleted from running away when the Hero attacked.

The only other Monster in the room seemed not to notice his arrival. Hopefully he would be able to help him figure out what to do next.

"Umm... Hello?" Hex said.

The imp peered up lazily. With a huff, he closed the book and slid it to the side.

"That's right. It's the first day for the new students. Of course, Gretchen assigned me here. Joy."

There was a sudden whomp sound and the air blinked like a giant star beside Hex.

Professor Blackbeard appeared. Florimell wasn't with him. He took a step forward, rummaging through a bag. Then he stopped and looked over.

"Zoopy! Wow, I didn't think anyone would be here that fast." He looked up at the ceiling. "Or maybe I took longer than I thought in the bathroom... Anyway, good ta see ya."

"Professor, where are we?"

"Why, we're at the Respawn Hub, of course. How ya doin', Charlie?"

The imp waved a hand, then adjusted his glasses and returned to the book.

"I know that. The System or whatever told me, but—"

"Oh good, it's workin' for ya? It can be a bit finicky in the less traveled Gates."

Well, that's a disheartening thought.

"Are we still in the Gate?"

"Yes, indeed. All Respawn Hubs are isolated instances within the World Gates. Anyone who dies in the Gate will be sent here—no Heroes though. It's a holdin' station for Monsters and Humanoids only." Professor Blackbeard made his way to one of the tables and sat down. "Two coffee's, please Charlie."

The imp groaned and used his tail to open a cabinet and grab a pair of mugs without looking up.

"If anyone who dies comes here. Does that mean you died too?"

"Oh, no no no." He chuckled. "I used a transportation stone ta jump here. Ya couldn't catch me dead wanderin' around this World."

"Oh."

"So, how much Heroic Energy did ya collect?" the dwarf professor asked.

"Uh... Sixteen."

Professor Blackbeard did some math on his fingers, then frowned. "Ya got the Gate Traveler and First Death Achievements, right?"

Hex nodded, starting to feel nervous.

"Ya only gained 1 Heroic Energy from yar battle?"

His cheeks began to turn red. "I don't know that I'd call it a battle... I kind of ran away and got attacked from behind."

The professor laughed. "Well, that explains it, my boy! Fight back next time. See what happens."

"Oh. Okay."

Charlie walked over, still reading his book in one hand. He slid the two mugs onto the table, spilling almost half.

"Thanks, Charlie." Professor Blackbeard craned his neck to get a look at the book's cover, which had a picture of a scantily dressed, personified unicorn draping its hooves over the chest of a muscular, shirtless human. "Ya get ta the part yet where—"

"No!" Charlie held up a hand with unnaturally long fingernails. "You will not spoil this book for me, Rufus. You already ruined 'Galagaga's Last Princess' and 'The Lost Ruby Heart.'"

The dwarf grinned. "Ya'r keepin' track?"

"It's very annoying."

"Galagaga... Is that the one where she eats him at—"

Charlie plugged his ears. "La la la la la. I don't want to hear it again, Rufus. I can't relive that memory. The main character's death. At the end of a thirty-two book series... How could you?"

Professor Blackbeard shrugged and ran a hand through his braided beard. "It's a talent."

The imp returned to his post behind the counter and let out a heavy sigh.

"Ta yar first death!" Professor Blackbeard said, raising his mug.

Hex picked up the cup of steaming liquid and clinked it against the professor's. It tasted like tar, and he silently wondered if Charlie made it that bad on purpose.

A new, small icon of an hourglass with an up arrow beside it appeared below his status bars. It had a little blue ring around it that slowly depleted counter-clockwise.

"How much time left on yar respawn timer?"

"My who-the-what-now?"

The professor pointed a thumb over his shoulder.

Two closet-sized alcoves were cut into the grey wall. The left had a wooden sign overhead that read 'Respawn,' while the other said 'Return Home.' Inside each alcove was a shimmering portal, similar to the ones in the World Gate arches. The Respawn portal had a countdown timer hovering in Hex's vision. It was reducing faster than one second per second of real time.

Maybe that's what the little hourglass means. It's increasing the speed of the cooldown.

"About three minutes," Hex said.

"Perfect. If ya haven't already, why don't ya open yar boxes?"

Hex took another sip of his coffee. The blue ring around the hourglass icon replenished.

"How do I open boxes?"

Professor Blackbeard blinked. "They should be in yar inventory."

"I... don't know how to access the inventory."

"Ah." He chuckled. "That's right. Ya arrived late ta the Gate and missed the explanation."

Is it too selfish to blame Skeletor ‘The White Demon of Doom’ Bonedust—the greatest Monster to ever cross the World Gates—for distracting you?

"It's simple really." The dwarf gulped the remainder of his coffee. Some dribbled into his beard. "There are four icons on yar interface that ya should be able ta interact with. Yar Character Sheet, Inventory, Levelin' Scroll, and Energy Capsule. All ya have ta do is focus on the one ya want and think 'open Inventory,' for example."

"That's it?" It was almost too simple. Why didn't I try that? Oh right, because a raging lunatic charged at me with an axe and cut me to pieces.

Hex did exactly as Professor Blackbeard suggested. A translucent scroll opened in the center of his vision labelled 'Inventory.' Just like the inventory section of his physical Leveling Scroll, it had a grid of empty grey boxes with only a few filled near the top.

The items in his inventory were the Leveling Scroll, Energy Capsule, lazurite gem from Rupert's axe—still tucked into his goo pocket, and the two boxes he'd earned from the achievements.

He chose the Welcome Box first, selecting it the same way he opened the Inventory.

The box enlarged and a description appeared.

[Welcome Box - Unique Item. Contains a gift for new Adventurers.]

[Open? Yes/No.]

May as well...

Hex chose 'Yes,' and a small treasure chest appeared in his hands. He was so startled by the sudden appearance, he dropped it. The box bounced off the table and rolled underneath.

He had to crawl to get it, Professor Blackbeard chuckling the entire time—and offering no help whatsoever, even though it was right next to his feet.

After far too long fumbling beneath the table, the box was back on top and ready to open.

"Do I need to do anything special to open it?"

"How would ya guess ya’r supposed to open it?"

Hex shrugged and stared at the keyhole for a moment. It appeared to be a normal keyhole, but he had no key to unlock it. There as nothing new in his inventor either.

He touched the metal plate around the keyhole and heard pins dropping and gears shifting. Then the lid slowly opened on its own accord.

Celebratory music began playing from inside the chest.

"Do you hear that?" Hex shouted over the noise.

Professor Blackbeard smiled and shook his head. "That’s just for yar ears."

When the music stopped, Hex peering into the prize box.

There were three items resting on a plush purple cushion. A red vial. A round stone with a swirl in the center. And a book. He focused on each in turn for a detailed description.

[Lesser Healing Potion - Common Item - Single Use - 5 Count. Replenishes 10 Health Points.]

[Transportation Stone: Home - Uncommon Item - Single Use. Instantaneous transportation back to Pentory after 10 second charge.]

[The Hero's Complete Guide to Monsters - Rare Item. Reading grants double EXP to Hero who defeats the user for a short time. Usable once per day.]

Well, those could certainly be useful. Especially the Lesser Healing Potion and Transportation Stone, considering how fast that Hero took away my health. He reread the description of the book, but wasn't quite sure how it worked. It's marked as rare, so it's gotta be good, right?

"Alright," Professor Blackbeard said. "Pretty sure yar respawn timer is up by now. Back at it!"

Sure enough, the timer over the respawn portal had vanished.

"But I didn't even get to open the second box yet." He really wanted to check out his Character Sheet too.

Can't I just stay a little longer?

"There's always later." The dwarf was already helping Hex from his chair. "Ya can open it in-world if ya want, but it’s not recommended as ya’l be distracted."

He grabbed the items and added them to his inventory as the professor ushered him toward the portal.

"I'll see ya in a bit. Try not ta die so fast this time." He winked, then nudged Hex into the portal.

Hex fell backward into the rippling puddle. But not before he saw something strange.

Another teleportation star expanded in the corner, dropping a dark figure wearing a black hood into the Respawn Hub behind the professor.

And it definitely wasn't one of the first-year Monsters.