The morning sunlight bled lazily through the academy windows, washing the halls in a warm haze. Students crowded around digital boards, whispering excitedly about new gate postings and of course—Renji Kurozawa.
"He soloed a whole gate?"
"Brutal."
"Didn't he awaken like… three days ago?"
Renji kept walking.
When he passed, people moved aside.
His eyes flicked toward them—casual glances, trained reflexes. They weren't threats, but that instinct to gauge everything hadn't faded. If anything, it was sharper.
He slipped into the back of the lecture hall, but before the teacher arrived, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Renji. A word."
Mr. Ain.
The man's expression was unreadable as always, but his gaze was locked, precise. He didn't wait for a response. Just turned and walked down the side hall.
Renji followed silently.
They stopped in a small private break room—no one else in sight. Ain reached into his coat, pulled out a black-and-blue card with faint circuitry glowing across its surface.
He placed it gently on the table between them.
[System]:
[Item Acquired: Emergency Gate Escape Card]
One-time use. Instant extraction from any active Gate.
Cooldown: 24 hours (gate-side only)
"Don't waste it" Ain said. "Use it when you know you won't win."
Renji stared at it. "You think I'll need this?"
Ain didn't blink. "I think… you're not afraid to die. That's the problem."
Renji pocketed it. "Thanks."
The teacher turned away, footsteps echoing down the empty hallway.
Then he want to the next gate.
On the screen it read:
Gate ID:Zone—56F
[F Rank(Low) – Serpent Biome]
Location: Abandoned Underground Garden Sector – District 12
Stability: Controlled
He didn't hesitate.
Two hours later, he stood at the edge of the entrance. The gate shimmered with a humid, pulsing glow. Vines crept along stone walls, coiled like sleeping snakes. The air was thick. Sticky. The ground beneath was damp and soft like a marsh. A faint hiss slithered through the atmosphere.
Renji pulled his rusted word . His breath was calm.
[Gate Entered – F Rank – Serpent Biome Initiated]
"Let's hunt," he whispered—and stepped through.