Morning spread slowly across Neo Aurora City.
Golden sunlight reflected across thousands of glass windows that covered the towering skyscrapers. The city had always been known for its futuristic skyline—an endless forest of metal, glass, and glowing neon signs.
But above everything else floated the thing that had changed the world.
A Gate.
It hung in the sky like a tear in reality itself.
Swirling violet energy rotated endlessly around its circular frame, emitting faint ripples that distorted the air around it. It was enormous—large enough that it could be seen from nearly every district of the city.
To outsiders, the sight would be terrifying.
But to the people of Earth, it had become almost ordinary.
Ever since the Global Gate Emergence, humanity had been forced to adapt.
Monsters.
Dungeons.
Hunters.
A new age had begun.
And right now, deep inside Aurora Central Hospital, the newest anomaly of that age was quietly staring out a window.
Auren Kairos rested against the hospital bed, his long silver hair falling gently over his shoulders.
Soft sunlight illuminated his pale skin, giving him an almost ethereal appearance.
If anyone walked into the room right now, they would see a slender, delicate-looking young man with gentle features and elegant posture.
His body was slim.
His shoulders narrow.
His long eyelashes framed his soft violet eyes.
Combined with his flowing silver hair, he looked almost unreal—beautiful in a way that blurred the line between masculine and feminine.
The hospital gown hung loosely over him, emphasizing just how slender his frame truly was.
And yet…
This seemingly fragile person had defeated a dungeon boss by himself.
Auren stretched slightly.
"Ah…"
The soreness in his body had mostly faded.
Which was surprising.
Considering the state he had been in yesterday.
He lifted his hand slowly and clenched his fingers.
His muscles responded smoothly.
Lightly.
Almost like his body had been rebuilt overnight.
"…Weird."
Then the system window appeared again.
---
System Status
Name: Auren Kairos
Level: 4
Hunter Rank: F
Strength: 10
Agility: 13
Endurance: 9
Spirit: 24
Titles:
Gateborn
---
Passive Effect
Enhanced Recovery
---
Auren blinked.
"…So that's why."
His body had healed faster because of the system.
It made sense.
Ever since the mysterious Eternal Gate System had appeared inside his mind, everything about his life had started changing.
Before yesterday…
He had just been another weak hunter.
Someone barely able to survive inside the lowest ranked dungeons.
Now…
He had killed a boss monster.
Alone.
Auren sighed softly.
"This is going to attract attention."
Almost immediately—
Knock.
Knock.
The hospital room door opened.
Auren looked up.
Garrick walked inside.
The massive hunter still wore his reinforced armor, though he had removed the helmet this time.
His scarred face carried its usual confident expression.
"Morning."
Auren nodded.
"Morning."
Garrick leaned casually against the wall.
"How's the body?"
"Better."
"That fast?"
Auren shrugged slightly.
"I guess my recovery is good."
Garrick chuckled.
"Good recovery doesn't explain that."
Before Auren could ask what he meant—
Two more people entered the room.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
These newcomers carried an air of authority that was impossible to ignore.
Both wore dark uniforms with silver insignias on their chests.
A circular gate symbol surrounded by five stars.
The emblem of the World Gate Authority.
The woman stepped forward first.
She had short blonde hair and sharp blue eyes that seemed to analyze everything around her.
Her posture was straight and confident.
"Auren Kairos?"
Auren nodded slowly.
"…Yes."
She extended her hand.
"My name is Elena Richter."
"Senior Investigator of the World Gate Authority."
The man beside her bowed his head slightly.
He was older, with thin glasses and a calm scholarly expression.
"Dr. Malik Hassan."
"Gate research division."
Auren shook Elena's hand politely.
"…Nice to meet you."
Although he couldn't help feeling slightly nervous.
The World Gate Authority wasn't just any organization.
It was the global organization responsible for monitoring hunters and gates across the entire world.
If they were here…
It meant something serious.
Elena sat down beside the hospital bed.
"First, let me say that you're very fortunate."
Auren tilted his head slightly.
"…Fortunate?"
Dr. Malik opened his metallic briefcase.
Inside was a tablet device filled with data.
"You survived a combat situation that statistically results in death for beginner hunters."
Garrick crossed his arms and grinned.
"Translation: you did something crazy."
Elena tapped the tablet.
A video appeared.
Auren immediately recognized the footage.
It was the dungeon battle.
Someone had recorded the fight.
The camera angle was shaky, but the important parts were clear.
Auren dodging the Ironfang Alpha's claws.
Spinning lightly past its attacks.
Moving with graceful steps that looked more like a performance than a fight.
Even Auren felt slightly embarrassed watching it.
"…That looks weird."
Garrick laughed.
"Weird? Kid, you were dancing around that thing."
Elena paused the video at a particular moment.
The moment Auren's body spun lightly around the monster's attack before counterattacking with the glowing spirit blade.
"Your combat style is unusual."
Dr. Malik nodded.
"Extremely unusual."
He zoomed in on Auren's movements.
"These motion patterns do not resemble conventional combat training."
Auren shifted slightly.
"…It's just how I move."
Elena studied him closely.
"Your movements are very fluid."
"Graceful."
Garrick smirked.
"Elegant."
Auren rubbed his cheek slightly.
"That sounds embarrassing."
Dr. Malik turned his tablet toward him.
Another graph appeared.
"This is the energy reading taken when you exited the dungeon."
The data fluctuated wildly.
Spikes of energy surged across the chart.
"This pattern is highly irregular."
Auren frowned slightly.
"…What does that mean?"
Elena leaned forward.
"It means you don't behave like a normal hunter."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Then Dr. Malik spoke again.
"There is also the matter of the boss core."
Auren stiffened slightly.
"You absorbed it."
Elena watched his reaction carefully.
"Our instruments detected the moment the energy vanished."
"That type of absorption ability shouldn't exist."
Auren hesitated.
The Soul Devour skill had activated automatically.
He didn't even fully understand it himself.
Elena noticed his uncertainty.
"You don't understand your own power yet."
Auren shook his head.
"…Not really."
Dr. Malik and Elena exchanged a glance.
Then Elena reached into her bag.
She placed a document on the table.
Auren read the title slowly.
World Gate Authority — Special Hunter Evaluation Program
He looked up.
"…Evaluation?"
Elena nodded.
"Yes."
Dr. Malik added,
"We believe you may represent a new hunter classification."
Auren blinked.
"…A new type of hunter?"
Elena smiled faintly.
"That's what we intend to find out."
Outside the hospital window, the massive gate above Neo Aurora City shimmered quietly in the sunlight.
But far beyond Earth—
Across a distant dimension filled with ancient ruins and colossal gates—
A massive stone structure slowly began to glow.
Ancient runes lit up across its surface.
A deep voice echoed through the silent ruins.
"…The Gateborn has begun his journey."
And one by one…
The gates of another world started awakening.