The portal to evolution

The faint glow of dawn crept through Victor's windows. He had barely slept. His mind churned restlessly, replaying everything he'd learned and speculating about what awaited him beyond the portal. Today wasn't just any day—it was the beginning of a new life. One of survival, power, and opportunity. As much as he had prepared for this, doubt still gnawed at the edges of his resolve.

His alarm hadn't yet gone off, but Victor swung his legs over the side of the bed anyway. The quiet dormitory was a stark contrast to the chaos in his mind. He rubbed his temples and exhaled deeply. This was it. Today, he would step into the Forsaken World—a place that had captivated humanity's collective imagination for centuries. A world where danger and opportunity went hand in hand, where only the strong thrived, and the weak were forgotten.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Victor muttered to himself, "No use lying here any longer. Might as well make the most of the time I have left."

He pulled on his running shoes and stepped outside into the crisp morning air. The academy grounds were silent, the stillness broken only by the faint rustle of leaves. He began his usual running route, the familiar rhythm of his footsteps calming his nerves. Running had become his ritual, a way to clear his mind and focus.

"Beyond the portal," he thought as his feet pounded against the pavement, "lies the Forsaken World. Shelters, creatures, biomes—everything we've trained for, and yet it feels like I don't know anything at all."

He rounded the first corner, his breathing steady despite the cold sting of the air. His thoughts wandered to the other dangers of the Forsaken World. "And then there's the land itself. Volcanoes, oceans, forests… biomes filled with creatures we've only seen in training simulations. Lava giants, fire eagles, leviathans…" He shook his head, pushing the fear to the back of his mind. "It's not just about surviving the creatures. It's about understanding the world. Every area has its own rules, its own ecosystem. One mistake, and you're done."

Each biome had its own unique threats, and Victor could only hope that his starting location wasn't one of the more extreme environments.

Yet today, his thoughts refused to be silenced. His mind wandered to the stories he'd heard about the Forsaken World. The portal assigned every new Evolver to a shelter upon entry. These shelters were scattered across the landscape, acting as both safe zones and markets for trading knowledge, weapons and resources. Some were small and remote, housing only a few hundred people. Others were vast and bustling, controlled by powerful factions, their populations numbering in the thousands.

Victor couldn't help but wonder which shelter he would be sent to. The portal's assignments were random, but rumor had it that those with high potential were directed to more challenging locations. He wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse. A larger shelter would mean more resources and training opportunities, but it would also mean fierce competition and danger.

By the time Victor finished his run, the sky had lightened to a pale blue. His legs burned, but it was a satisfying ache. Back in his room, he grabbed the well-worn manual of the Titans steps and began his morning practice.

"Forty percent mastery," he thought, moving through the first sequence with precision. "It doesn't feel like much, but every step forward counts." The initial stages of the technique had been deceptively simple, but after reaching the 25% mark, the difficulty had skyrocketed. Now, each new percentage felt like clawing his way up a cliffs highest peak.

Victor's body strained as he went through the movements, his muscles protesting with every step. "If it's this hard now," he muttered under his breath, "what will the final stages be like? Mastering this might take years—or worse, decades. With the increased anger and competitiveness, hiding my power is gonna be hard "

By the time he finished, sweat dripped from his forehead, and his arms felt like lead. He leaned against the wall, catching his breath. "Still, even a snail's pace is progress," he reminded himself. "Still this technique… might be the edge I need out there."

Looking at his watch there was no time to waste, he grabbed his bag filled with essentials, the armour and dagger he had bought for a cheap price before and headed towards the academy gates.

The academy buzzed with energy as the morning wore on. Today wasn't just another day of training; it was the day they would pass through the portal. The anticipation was palpable, a mix of excitement and dread hanging in the air.

Victor made his way to the training hall for the final stat check. The hall was filled with students, their conversations a low hum of nervous energy. As Victor stepped in, he noticed Adrian Darrow at the center of his usual group. The elite-class student carried himself with the same cocky confidence as always, his smirk firmly in place.

Victor's heart pounded as he approached the scanner. His progress over the past two weeks had been extraordinary, but he couldn't let anyone see the full extent of his growth. Thanks to the Titan Steps technique, both his strength and vitality had increased by a staggering 0.4 points each. Such rapid gains were almost unheard of.

Reaching into his pocket, Victor fingered the small, artefact given to him by Ms. Riven. The Suppressor was a simple but effective tool, temporarily lowering his visible stats. With a quick press, he felt his strength and vitality drop by 0.25 each—enough to make him appear unremarkable. Sadly enough it couldn't be used on others. Even advanced one could only be used on people below the 1 point stat mark, let alone experienced evolvers with stats in the eights, nines and even beyond 10.

The scanner beeped, displaying his adjusted stats:

Strength: 1.35

Vitality: 1.2

Reflex: 1.1

Victor exhaled quietly, blending into the sea of students around him. His suppressed stats were still below average compared to some of the elite-class students, particularly those with wealthy or martial backgrounds. Many of them had access to advanced training techniques and rare resources that gave them an edge. Almost all of them had used some kind of special item to increase their stats by a huge margin during the last few weeks. Naturally the elite classes stat average has gone up by a massive amount.

Adrian glanced at Victor's results and smirked. "Still playing catch-up, Crow?" His tone was laced with amusement, his words calculated to provoke Victor to reveal his secrets. With his background even a 0.1 stat improvement of his stats was impossible without some kind of special item. Especially considering that his vitality broke through the 1.0 mark.

The possibility of a combat technique didn't come to Adrians mind once as these type of techniques were too rare and every noble family treasure. Even the country didn't share their combat techniques easily even though they had a gigantic collection in the capitals main library.

Victor forced a neutral expression. "Guess so."

What Adrian didn't know was that Victor's real stats—if revealed—were dangerously close to his own. Two weeks ago, Victor wouldn't have dared to dream of such progress. Now, he was a silent threat, biding his time.

By 13:00, the students had gathered in the main courtyard. The elite class stood at the forefront, flanked by the three regular classes. The teachers and mentors were assembled on a raised platform, their expressions a mix of pride, nervousness and sternness.

Victor scanned the crowd, his eyes lingering on Ms. Riven. She had been his most unexpected ally during his training, pushing him harder than anyone else. Her advice rang in his ears: "Don't reveal your true strength. Not yet."

The principal, one of the countries strongest and most experienced evolvers stepped forward, his voice booming across the courtyard. "Today marks the beginning of your journey as Evolvers. Beyond the portal lies the Forsaken World—a land of unimaginable danger and opportunity. You have trained hard, but remember: training is only the beginning. Out there, survival depends on your strength, your wits, and your choices."

"No matter how many of you decide to continue staying on the path of an evolver, remember that life is not a game with invite opportunities to revive. No matter where you are you have only 1 life. Make the best of it, no matter where you decide to use your time and what you decide to do in the future."

Victor's gaze flickered to the shimmering portal where . It pulsed faintly, its surface rippling like liquid glass. Beyond it lay a world that had been a mystery to him for as long as he could remember. A world where humanity had found its true purpose—evolution.

The portal stood like a towering monument to humanity's ingenuity and ambition, a colossal, swirling vortex of energy that stretched nearly twenty meters into the sky. Its base wasn't carved from unbreakable stone or futuristic alloys, but instead crafted from an intricate mesh of gleaming black metal and translucent crystal, both of which seemed to hum faintly with life. The structure almost resembled the ribcage of some long-forgotten titan, curving upward to form a natural frame around the portal itself.

The portal's outer edge shimmered with bands of light, a constantly shifting gradient of gold, silver, and azure, as though the frame were alive and breathing. However, it was the center of the portal that truly stole one's breath. The swirling interior was a hypnotic maelstrom of deep, pulsating space that seemed to ripple outward in slow waves, tinged at the edges with glimmers of violet and streaks of blinding white and black. It was like looking at outer space filled with stars and planets.

The portal seemed alive, breathing with an energy that no human had yet been able to replicate. It wasn't just a gateway—it was the city portal, one of the largest and most advanced connections to the Forgotten World, standing as both a testament to human ingenuity and a constant reminder of the dangers that awaited beyond.

A crowd had gathered in front of the portal, with a mix of excitement and tension hanging thick in the air. Rows of Evolvers, many of them veterans, were stationed in neat lines, waiting impatiently as they'd been ordered to pause their usual entry. For the first time in months, the portal was reserved solely for the students from schools across the world. The atmosphere buzzed with murmurs, scattered conversations, and the occasional flare of nervous energy from the soon-to-be Evolvers.

Victor scanned the courtyard, his eyes catching glimpses of parents lined up on the sidelines. Some stood close together, holding hands or clasping each other's shoulders for reassurance. Others stood apart, their faces unreadable but their eyes betraying a mix of pride and fear. 

Victor's chest tightened as he watched the scene. His own parents weren't here. They couldn't be. He'd accepted that a long time ago, but watching other students exchange hugs and words of farewell made the absence feel sharper somehow. He tore his gaze away and fixed it back on the portal, its shimmering surface reflecting the sunlight like a fractured mirror.

The massive structure was surrounded by security personnel in black, their presence a clear reminder of how important and dangerous this event was. Not that they were really needed; no one in their right mind would attempt to disrupt a city portal, especially one as active as this. Still, their stoic expressions and imposing gear added to the gravity of the moment.

Victor shifted his weight, trying to shake the restless energy coursing through him. The Evolvers in line were growing visibly impatient. Some glanced at their wristbands, others leaned on their weapons, their postures oozing frustration. He could overhear snatches of complaints:

"Why are they holding us up for a bunch of kids?"

"Don't they know time in there is everything?"

"This is ridiculous. We're losing prime hunting hours."

Standing close, one could feel a strange resonance in the air, a rhythmic thrum that echoed in the bones, not unpleasant but undeniably powerful. The light from the portal cast eerie reflections on the crystal frame, sending fractured beams spiraling across the courtyard and giving the impression that the very fabric of reality was bending under its strange powers.

As Victor approached the portal, he couldn't help but feel dwarfed by its immensity. The sheer scale of it, combined with the unearthly glow of its purple heart, made it seem less like a human creation and more like an ancient force plucked from the depths of the cosmos. He stared into the swirling void and felt the pull of the unknown, as though the portal were alive and calling to him.

When he stepped closer, faint tendrils of mist—some bright as lightning, others dark as shadows—drifted out from the vortex, curling lazily in the air before dissipating. The purple core seemed endless, its swirling patterns forming shapes that teased the imagination, fleeting and enigmatic. Some claimed to see visions of far-off biomes and creatures in those swirls, while others swore they glimpsed entire cities in the vortex's depths.

And yet, despite its beauty, there was an edge of danger to the portal. It radiated raw power, untamed and overwhelming, a reminder that stepping through it was not without risk. It wasn't just a doorway—it was a threshold to a world of opportunity and peril, and Victor couldn't shake the feeling that once he entered, there would be no turning back.

Only by stepping through that portal could he become an Evolver, someone capable of shaping their own destiny in a universe that demanded strength and adaptability.

But the Forgotten World was no utopia. For every tale of glory, there were ten more of loss and failure.

The principal continued his speech, outlining the rules and expectations for their journey. Victor listened intently, but his mind was already racing. The shelters, the artefacts, the creatures—everything about the Forsaken World was both fascinating and terrifying.

Ms. Riven caught his eye from the sidelines, giving him a subtle nod. The gesture was small, but it carried a wealth of meaning. Stay focused. Stay sharp. You're ready.

The crowd began to move, the students lining up in front of the portal in orderly rows. Victor tightened his grip on the hilt of his dagger, his heart pounding in his chest.

As he stepped closer to the portal, the faint hum of its energy grew louder. The air around it seemed to vibrate, sending shivers down his spine.

This was it. The moment he had been preparing for. The Forsaken World was waiting.

Victor took a deep breath, steeling himself. No matter what lay beyond the portal, he was ready to face it.

The distant sound of an announcement being made over the comm system pulled him from his thoughts. A voice echoed through the courtyard, crisp and formal. "Attention, all students. Final preparations are underway. The portal will be ready for student entry in ten minutes. Please ensure you are assembled with your class and ready to proceed."

Victor exhaled slowly, forcing his nerves into submission. He'd been up since before dawn, his restless energy driving him to complete his morning run even after barely managing an hour or two of sleep. The streets had been quiet, and the familiar rhythm of his footsteps on the pavement had been the only thing keeping his mind from spiraling.

At 2:00 PM sharp, the signal was given. The first group of students, their faces a mix of excitement and apprehension, began stepping toward the portal. The Evolvers waiting nearby watched with disinterest, though a few exchanged knowing glances.

Victor's heart pounded as the line moved forward. Each step brought him closer to the portal, its swirling purple core reflecting in his eyes. He could hear snippets of conversations around him—nervous laughter, whispered prayers, determined vows.

And then, finally, it was his turn. He stood before the portal, its immense height and pulsing energy making him feel small and insignificant. The air around it was electric, charged with a power that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Step forward," came the calm voice of the official overseeing the process.

Victor took a deep breath, steeling himself. His thoughts raced—about the shelter he'd be sent to, the creatures he'd face, the people he'd meet. This was it. The threshold between his old life and the new.

And with that, he stepped through.