Besides the mansion and other facilities, there were also many homes in the vicinity. The Grey Family was a big family with lots of branches and many people lived in the estate.
In one of the smaller house, Ricardo was sitting on his couch while eating a slice of pizza. A local news channel could be seen from the television.
"Sigh, I am still at the second gate. With the potential of my body, it will take 3 months to open the third gate. I can use other Techniques to increase my strength but it will bring more harm than benefits until I reach the Chakra Stage."
Ricardo was deep in thoughts. His first objective was to find a 1 star or 2 stars case before the Right of Witchcraft or he would not be allowed to have a family's familiar.
"I also need to secure Alicia's locket. That thing has a lot of secrets and it also has one of the blades of the ancients stored inside it." Ricardo's mind was forming many plans.
"I need to take Alicia and my familiar away before the disaster strikes the family."
He stood up after eating his dinner and went to his room.
A picture of a couple and a little kid was framed and placed on his study. The couple was his late parents. They died at the hands of a crazed Vampire that they were supposed to kill.
"Huff… All the Gates technique have the similar effect on my energy gates. I just need to find appropriate resources to quicken the rate of opening the gate. In my previous life, Alicia went to solve a four stars case alone and barely returned alive. It was found that there was an eye of a mutant specter strengthening the vengeful spirit. Maybe, I will make a trip together with Alicia."
He sighed and continued his cultivation of opening the eight inner gates of the body.
Meanwhile, Sigil had arrived at the training facility as usual. The training facility looked like a modern gym from regular Earth. The facility had all the types of equipment of practice and many weight lifting equipment.
The moment he entered, he could see a group of 12-13 years old kids training with those pieces of equipment.
The children of this world had different entertainment methods.
After opening their first gate, they already had the strength to lift 30 kilogrammes.
"Young Master Sigil, here for the regular course?"
A brawny man walked towards Sigil.
"Yeah! Just set me up a regular course."
This man was the head of the facility. He had already opened all the gates inside his body but failed to enter the later stages of Chakra.
This world is filled with mythical existence like Ghosts, Demons and other supernatural entities. To ensure the survival of humanity, some experts started to spread certain cultivation methods that could allow regular mortals to have great physical strength while talented humans could enter the realm of magic and witchcraft.
The first realm of the Cultivation practice is to open the eight inner gates of the body.
The eight inner gates of the body are Gate of Opening, Healing, Life, Pain, Limit, View, Wonder and Death.
Unlike their names, the act of opening the gates only enhances the body as a whole.
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They both made way towards the open ground to train the basic movements of his body.
Sigil started with simple exercise.
200 push-ups, 200 squats, 200 sit-ups, 5 kilometres jogging and 2 hours of basic Martial Arts movement consisting of Three variations of punches and kicks alongside three variations of defence using hands.
"I barely broke a sweat even after all this. My previous body would have already been admitted to the hospital if I performed such a hardcore training." He muttered to himself as he rotated his wrists.
"I figured you will be here." A sweet voice startled him.
"Well, I was missing my fiancé during the dinner." Sigil chuckled.
"Oh! Already missing me, you really are going to be a sweet husband."
Alicia smiled and sat near him.
"Did you go through the file I sent you?"
"Yeah! It looks like a work of a ghost, a psychotic serial killer or a mortal witch hexing some strippers out of spite."
Unlike Sigil and Alicia, who were on the path of magic and 'good' witchcraft, there were many mortals who failed to enter the Chakra stages and used hexing spells and other sacrifices to perform spells.
Alicia looked at him for a long time without saying anything.
"What happened? Did I become too handsome?"
Sigil chuckled.
'Finally, I can pull this kind of joke.' He felt pretty good after saying that.
"What changed you? That day, you became unconscious right after touching my hand and had some troubles getting into physical contact with others. You even stopped your shenanigans and even stopped teasing other girls of the school. Moreover, you actually completed your school work and even perform basic training like this during the night."
Alicia looked at him curiously.
At first, she really felt something for Sigil since they have been raised together. They have seen each other naked for crying out loud. But slowly, Sigil turned into a wastrel of a young master with a famous reputation in wrong places. But now, he had completely changed. He became someone comfortable to talk to. He won't try to take advantages of her and even treat maids and other mortals of lower status with consideration.
Sigil fell silent after hearing Alicia's question.
What changed?
What should he reply with? That his soul changed? That he went through a terrible heart attack and sees life differently?
"How should I put it? I just came to see myself in the mirror. I realised the ugliness hidden inside my body and want to get rid of it."
Sigil wore his jacket and replied calmly.
Alicia's eyes held a complicated expression when she heard Sigil's words. She had wanted to cancel the marriage agreement but now, she had second thoughts. This also the reason that she had invited Sigil to hunt together.
"We both have been granted a leave from the school until we complete the case. The school and the family will send officials to check our progress and make a complete report after the case has been solved. You should prepare all the necessary items, we will leave tomorrow morning."
Alicia sighed and got up.
Sigil didn't move until she was out of sight.
"What a complicated world. The previous Sigil really had it easy. Simple minded without the care of the world."
He sighed and stood up.
***
The next morning.
Sigil got out of his room in casual clothes and a black jacket. He held a bag on his shoulders and walked outside the mansion, towards the exit of the estate. Inside his bags were various items like a bottle of holy water, a pistol, a rifle, loads of ammo, a bottle filled with salt and a lot of markers and cans of spray paint.
He could already see Alicia with his enhanced vision. She was wearing a white crop top with a pair of light blue denims. A black jacket, similar to Sigil's, was worn by her. Her long black hair was tied into a single braid.
A bag could be seen near her feet, filled with various supplies to hunt down supernatural entities.
"Here is your Family badge and this one is your Witch permit."
A white sports car was parked near them.
"I will drive." The car had an automatic roof and Alicia immediately hopped in the driving seat.
"Fine."
Sigil loaded the supplies in the car trunk and sat on the front seat.
"You ready? Our first Hunt." Alicia had an excited smile on her face.
"Yeah, sure!"
Even Sigil held a little bit of anticipation towards the supernatural beings of this Earth.
Vrrrrooommmmmm
Alicia immediately geared the car and revved as if she was in a race battle.
John looked at all of this from the top window of his mansion.
"Best of luck, kiddos."
***
"What? They both went to solve a case together?"
Ricardo just heard the top news of the family. His heart felt a little uneasy since most of the things had already changed. Alicia was supposed to solve the case 8 days later while Sigil should have gone to solve a 3 stars case.
"Let's hope that all the changes still lead to the same outcome."
He wasn't strong enough to change anything and his only focus was to get stronger quickly.