Within the Third Gate (2)

Making my way back through the forest with the little girl by my side was a bit different but I wasn't going to leave her out here to die. Whether this was a test of my morals or not, I would bring her to safety.

"You don't seem to be from around here." She speaks up.

"I'm not. Just here to end the monster that's causing chaos." I respond while we walk.

These places have to be real worlds that use to thrive until the monarch showed up, why else would people be here?

I couldn't make much sense of it if I tried to but maybe it's a good thing since I haven't seen anyone besides my party in awhile. I got use to only being around them that I didn't think much of other people.

"I'm glad. Maybe then we'll be able to live like how we use to." The girl says with a bit of happiness in her voice.

"Perhaps you'll have that opportunity again." I say back to the girl while looking ahead.

Danger is everywhere in the gates but the worry is more on the boss who awaits us in the darkest depths of the world. They have the power to move wherever they please and that's something I'm concerned about.

This creature could be waiting for me to bring her to safety then strike me there.

"How far is your home?" I ask with a curious tone.

"Not too much further." She answers while staying close to me.

Living in a world like this must really be hell. I'm not sure how the people do it since there is no real way to survive with mobs like that everywhere. The soldiers don't even seem to be around to help anyone here.

"Ria!" A womans voice calls out in the distance.

"Mommy!!" The girl shouts before running towards her.

A house was ahead of us with a woman standing on a porch, looked like it was barely hanging in there with the amount of damage it has taken over time. The woman was wearing a dress and had some sort of apron over her.

Blonde hair, grey eyes, and it appears that she had been waiting for her daughter to return.

I watched briefly as she made it to her mother so that I knew there was nothing to worry about.

"Thank you so much mister!" The woman shouts to me while hugging her daughter.

Casually I just lifted my hand up and gave a thumbs up before heading back into the forest. So much ground to cover in a short amount of time.

I don't know how to find this damn thing, it's been sending things towards me this whole time but nothing is giving me any clues.

~Can't expect every gate to be so easy Sevarian.

I know but something should've clicked by now.

Even if it was something small.

Thump. Thump. Why can I hear my own heartbeat all of a sudden?

"Come towards my voice." A females voice began to call out.

A sharp pain suddenly began to form within my chest as if I was being stabbed over and over again.

"Quickly or you will die here." She calls out once more.

Follow the woman's voice before this damn thing kills me.

"Gah. Wow this is really starting to hurt." I say in pain while grabbing onto my chest.

Before I could say or do anything else, she appeared.

{The perspective has changed }

Rika's POV. Back at the base outside the city.

"Rika he's gone. He left a note about going out to power level but this note doesn't look recent." Kallista says while holding the note in her hands.

Where have you gone now Sevy?

"I knew it was odd for him to be gone so long. He doesn't take long in those dungeons, usually only a few hours." I respond while holding back my anger.

I hate when this stuff happens. I had to do it in the past but now again for Sevarian, how awful this feeling is.

You better not die on my Sevy, I'll never forgive you.

"You don't think he would go after a gate on his own right?" Onyx asks with a bit of curiosity in his voice.

"I doubt it. He's been with someone every time he's gone into them so it wouldn't make much sense." I answer while trying to think.

Going into a gate alone is very risky whether you're Sevarian or just a hero like Kallista or Onyx. Fighting together is a lot more logical then doing it by yourself.

"His new system manager could convince him." Elizabeth speaks up.

"How?" Kallista asks with a bit of a confused tone in her voice.

"Urgency. If it's life or death I'm sure it would convince him to look for the gate since Sevarian isn't the type to let people die." Elizabeth answers with a worried expression on her face.

Her being worried is troublesome since she was the old system manager for Sevy, it means someone is up to something. We are going to have to setup a search for him so that he doesn't get killed in the process.

I won't lose him to that damn Monarch.

"Let's start the search for him then." I suggest while my gauntlets begin to form.

"Best to be careful while we search. I've noticed a lot of mobs starting to show up." Onyx warns everyone.

"Usually that's a sign of a gate being close by." Kallista mentions.

With that last statement we all left the base and began to search the surrounding area for any sign of Sevarian. Starting off with the closest dungeon to us since he mentioned he was going to power level.

No signs of him anywhere in the dungeon though, just dead mobs and a dead dungeon boss.

"Got nothing over here!" Kallista shouts.

"Me either." Onyx shouts from another side of the dungeon.

Please tell me you didn't go into a gate alone Sevy.