Ring-ring, ring-ring, ring-ring, ring-ring, ring-ring.
Mylo groaned softly as the phone rang again. His tiny, one-person bed in the cramped apartment offered little comfort, and he shifted from side to side with a tired sigh. The persistent ringing stabbed at his ears, pulling him fully awake.
His cell phone—a low-model Android with a heavily cracked screen—continued to blare. With a frustrated groan, he rolled over, grabbed it, and squinted at the display.
4:04 a.m.
'Who the hell calls at four in the morning?' he muttered under his breath.
But then recognition struck.
It was from the Magic Guild.
Without hesitation, he tapped the screen and answered. As he listened to the voice on the other end, his eyes widened in disbelief.
It was an agent from the Magic Guild.
Apparently, since he was not an awakener, he had been selected as one of the few commoners eligible to become a weapon carrier.
There were six classes in awakening. The lowest, E-Class, was called the Ash Class—people with minimal to no magic energy at all.
But Mylo, being unawakened, had apparently been chosen as one of the rare few who could either accept the role of a weapon carrier or refuse it.
Weapon carriers were authorized to assist sorcerers during adventures. They were provided with all the necessary resources to pass through the gates and were expected to follow the sorcerers' instructions.
In short, they were basically the ball boys of the battlefield—carrying the weapons for those who fought.
And that was exactly what Mylo was being offered.
He was going to be a ball boy.
It sounded humble, even shameful—but it was his first real chance to step into the world of sorcery. He was broke and had no other means of making money, so this opportunity was too valuable to refuse.
"Yes, yes," he said instantly, accepting the offer.
When the call ended, he let out a small, excited scream, muttering under his breath as a wide grin spread across his face.
'My life is not over yet.'
The registration was scheduled for 8 a.m., and he was ready.
Less than an hour later, he arrived at the Sorcery Association building. After completing the registration, he was officially enlisted as a ball boy.
It wasn't a bad deal at all.
He would earn $300 per raid.
All he had to do was carry weapons, and the money was his. To others, it might have seemed modest—but to him, it was a fortune.
The thought that he could participate in raids just by volunteering thrilled him.
He went straight to the schedule board and carefully chose a raid. It wasn't above his rank; he picked one of Ember Rank—D-Class.
He chose D-Class because it paid $300. E-Class raids, the lowest, offered only about $50—even if the mission was successful and yielded plenty of loot.
Having enough knowledge about gates, he knew that E-Class raids were often trivial. Sometimes there were only a few villains—ones that even normal humans could defeat.
This was perfect for him.
He didn't need danger—he needed money. Better to start small, play it safe, and still earn something worthwhile.
Higher-class raids would be handled by stronger adventurers.
This option was safe, reliable, and paid well. Naturally, he took it.
He ticked his name on the board under Weapon Carrier Instruction and assigned himself to the D-Class raid.
Then he checked the date. Two days from now, he would embark on his first assignment.
Returning home, he had little to do—just a few idle activities like video games.
As soon as he sat down, his thoughts drifted to Sheila and what had happened yesterday.
'She's probably off doing whatever she wants… getting high with Carlos or something.'
'But it doesn't matter. Nothing in my life would change anyway. At least this gives me a chance to push forward. Even if I only get a taste, I'll know what a good life feels like. Then I'll save, build my own path, and rise. Even as a commoner, I won't let this cruel world swallow me.'
Here's a polished version of your passage with improved flow, easier readability, and system conversations added in brackets as you requested:
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All I need is some training, he thought.
Personal training, and I'll be fit enough. I have three days. I just need to start now. That's the best way to go—start now.
He began immediately, pushing himself as hard as he could. The day passed in a blur of effort, and soon it was the day of the raid.
On that day, he dressed as simply as possible. With little to no money, there was only so much he could do. Once ready, he picked up his backpack and headed to the gate.
As he stepped forward, a strange light immediately caught his eyes. The gate was enormous, glowing with an eerie aura somewhere between pale pink and soft purple.
'So this is a D-ranked gate,' he thought as he moved closer.
Carrying his backpack, he finally arrived at the spot where the sorcerers commissioning the raid were gathered. He sized them up carefully. The badges they wore indicated rank, and most of them were G-Rank.
One sorcerer immediately caught his attention. She had long golden hair and wore armor that accentuated her perfect figure. On her chest gleamed a Sikka-class badge—C-Rank.
'So a C-Rank sorcerer is escorting us,' he thought. 'That's reassuring.'
It was standard procedure: a sorcerer ranked above the gate would escort participants in case anything dangerous appeared.
Feeling more at ease, Mylo stepped forward. He cleared his throat softly.
"Hello. I'm Mylo. I'm the weapon carrier," he said, bowing gently. "Nice to meet you, Immortal."
They looked him over. One huge man stepped forward, lifting Mylo's chin slightly.
"Wow, look at this—the weapon boy," the man said. "He's a pretty one, Immortal."
A girl nearby scolded, "Don't be a pervert!"
"I'm not a pervert," the man replied, raising his hands. "I'm just… admiring. Welcome to the team, boy." He tapped Mylo gently on the cheek.
'First raid…' Mylo thought, pausing.
"Yes… it's my first," he stammered.
The man smiled and tapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Stick with me, and nothing will go wrong." He pointed at himself confidently.
"No time to waste, Immortals!" the man yelled to the team.
Kaden, the captain, was leading the raid. "Okay, boys and girls, it's time. Let's move!" he commanded.
The team followed him—four D-Rank sorcerers and the C-Rank escort—into the gate.
Mylo stayed behind for a moment, glancing at the bracelet on his wrist. A soft blue emerald glowed faintly.
'This is all I need to have enough magic capacity to pass through the gate,' he thought. 'My first gate run. My first real adventure to get stronger. I'm not letting what Sheila did slow me down.'
'Let's do this. Let's get this started. Let's kill some damn beasts,' he thought as he stepped into the gate, vanishing from the real world.
However, something unprecedented happened the moment he entered. He felt as if his body was being trapped, lifted, and pulled together in strange, twisting ways. A blinding light shone over his eyes, nearly obscuring his vision.
For a long moment, he barely felt like himself, suspended in that disorienting state. Finally, his senses returned, and everything seemed normal—as if nothing had happened.
But then, a loud ding echoed in front of him—a system notification.
[Ding]
[ You have entered a combat zone. Threat detected.]
[System Message: You are under attack. Defend yourself, or you will be slain.]