Chapter 16: Welcome to the new world - From youth to death
The mornings all began to blend; wake up, dad off to work early first, Emi leaving for school and he stayed at home, alone with his thoughts.
Not the most glamourous life. But at least he could catch up on all the anime and music he missed over the past decade. Somehow the media had gotten better not worse like the world around. Eren thanked who ever lived above for that.
*Bzzzt*
~
Baelor: I see you haven't cleared any gates yet. None can guide you through your journey except yourself. Remember why you are here and make good use of the blessing Death gave you. Good luck, young one.
~
Eren scrolled through his phone to the gates app. A list of available gates appeared before his eyes. Many smaller gates listed among the larger ones. Most are green and blue coloured.
"Let's start small, I guess." Choosing an amber ranked portal closest to home; not bothering to read the description or any warnings. He was impatient. Wanting to get back to doing nothing.
Quickly he set off, wearing nothing special for the occasion. Just jeans and a long sleeve shirt, comfortable and practical enough for adventuring.
---
A brisk 30 min walk later, arriving at the entrance.
Eren had expected the gates to be crowded with people rushing in and out. Yet surprisingly, the place looked quiet. Nothing moving within the area. It was abandoned. Eren only had limited experience with the gates. Back when he was starting out, gates were filled to the brim with starry eyed rankers, all clamouring to get their shots. Now nothing.
"Perhaps I went to the wrong gate..." He murmured to himself.
Checking his phone however, showed that this was indeed the right location. Maybe the guilds had come through and cleared it out already?
'I probably should have read the description.' Opening the gate back up, he finally read through its details.
---
Gate Info:
Location: Desert of Saryn.
Gate cycle: Once a month for 10 days
Danger Level: D+++
Owners: Crimson bandits
Last Clear: 7 months ago
Rewards: Jewellery, weapons, materials
Gate closing time: 03: 15: 37: 58
---
Eren read over the short passage of information. His brows furrowed together, forming lines in his forehead. This was all new to him.
'At least it's concise.' He thought.
"First time?" A stranger's voice called out, a sign of life breaking through the silence. Eren turned to find a heavily armoured man striding towards him.
The crimson armour covering every inch of his body glowed brightly in the sunlight, a hood hung limply from his helmet. Matching waist cape flowing gently with the wind. Face obscured by a dark crimson visor. A broadsword resting to his right.
"Yeah..." Eren was apprehensive. The crimson armour was a sign of the bandits that plagued the area, and yet, somehow this young man didn't seem dangerous at all; friendly even, a cheery smile under that visor.
"Ahh, I see. This one never gives that many resources, it either goes uncleared or used for training. Only a newbie would try." A chuckle slipped past his lips.
Eren frowned; this kid's casual condescending character was pissing him off.
"I'm Jun member of the... Crimson bandits." The guild name spoken softly with some hesitation; a faint whisper of disdain in his tone.
"I'm Eren." A hesitant nod to the taller bandit.
"I'm here to collect their share of the cut... 66% of whatever you gather from this gate will be ours to claim."
"66%!? That's a bit high." Eren scoffed indignantly, glaring sharply into his eyes.
Jun's expression changed; no longer cheerful, instead his shoulders sank, condescension countermanded with empathy.
"Sorry... Guild policy. I'm just here to collect. If I don't, the guild will be angry... They will send someone less amicable." His mood continued to deteriorate; head lowered in shame.
"...Understand?"
Eren sighed deeply. He could easily force the issue but something in this boy's tone told Eren that it would not end well, regardless if Eren won the conflict.
"Whatever, let's get this over with." Eren turned away from Jun, returning his gaze to the towering gate of golden light before them. A pulsing beat of energy; alive and beckoning.
A sound in the distance broke the silence though, roaring of motorbikes approaching fast. Jun reacted with alarm, suddenly ushering Eren to enter the gate quickly.
"Let's go in and out." Jun vanished first followed shortly by Eren.
'I forgot about this.' Changing realms gave a tingling feeling, like a static shock across his body; leaving goosebumps on his skin.
---
The desert of a Saryn... Was fucking hot.
The blaze hit the pair like a steam train; heat assaulting all five senses. Sand stretched on endlessly, blending into the horizon; not a cloud in the sky.
"Fuck, shouldn't have worn black today." Eren hissed bitterly, already regretting his life choices. The scorching sun baking him alive; sweat running down the sides of his face; drenching his underarms and back.
"You never get used to it." Jun replied flatly, appearing perfectly fine despite the circumstances.
Jun led Eren into the shimmering heat; a line of footprints trailed behind.
"Your armour looks like you would boil inside." Eren muttered.
"It's not made from traditional metal, helps keep the coolness in, but it also uses my power so there is a bit of a drawback." The suit lit up ever so briefly, an illuminating purple glow visible through the cracks.
Time passed for the pair as they trudged through endless dunes. Nothing at all; not a structure nor a single monster.
"Where are we going exactly?" Eren huffed impatiently.
"The pyramids."
"The pyramids?" Eren echoed questioningly.
"Yeah, the boss is usually at the Pyramid... Also the place where arachnids dwell."
"How far away is it?" Eren inquired irritably.
"... Dunno, the gate always appears in different spots. It could be another 10 mins could be a day-"
"A Day!" Eren burst.
"Shit man... you really are a baby ranker, aren't ya? Wait until you get to the red gates, some have gone on for months." Jun chortled softly.
'I've already had enough of this. Death take me back.'
After what seemed like hours labouring in the sun; structures began to appear on the horizon. Large stone monuments rose into view. Pyramids stretching to touch the clouds above. The unbearable air; dry and thick was soon to be a thing of the past.
As they approached, Eren's steps became lighter. More confident, filled with excitement.
'This is more like it!' Eren thought eagerly.
"Wait! We can't just rush in." Jun called out, reaching out for his arm. However, the ground began to shift around them; large legs erupting from the sands beneath them.
From the ground a spider rose; golden fur shining radiantly under the sun, towering over Eren and Jun. Its numerous beady eyes observing them warily. Mandibles dripping with gluttonous desire.
"I knew it." Jun drew his great sword in an instant.
"Run to the pyramid! Go now!" Eren scoffed, watching the crimson bandit step forward fearlessly.
"I'll hold it back, just get there before the swarm appears." Two more pairs of legs burst forth, joining the first, forming a triangular shape around them.
The bravado of the young man amused Eren. A single person against 3 beasts would surely result in their deaths. At best they will both get seriously injured. With a flick of his wrist; his whip materialized, cutting the first spider straight down the middle. Black blood splattering across the sand.
*Ch-Click* *Ch-Click*
The other two charged from opposing sides, flanking the duo from behind. Jun dashed forward, launching a heavy swing, splitting the left leg spider directly in half, decapitating it from its body.
Its upper torso flopping uselessly into the ground.
Jun's fighting form was... lacking, no signs of skill or technique behind his blade, just a hack and slash. Although, not lacking in courage, discipline, or spirit.
The final spider opened its mouth, releasing a Jetstream of yellow liquid, aimed directly at Eren.
Avoiding the barrage, Eren leapt aside, lashing out with his own attack. The bone blade slashed open a new scar along its exoskeleton. Black goo oozed out of the wound.
With a final slash the monster crumbled, giving out a deafening screech before falling silent. Falling into the sand, the desert fell silent once more, only the howl of the desert remained.
Jun panted heavily, hunched over onto his knees. His chest heaved like a bellow, breath coming in ragged gasps.
"We...we should hurry. There will be more." The young man staggered towards the closest Pyramid, stumbling over his own feet; each step heavy with fatigue. The relentless heat wearing away at him.
The cool shade of the ancient monument provided much needed respite. "You had me worried there, but I guess you are pretty strong."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Eren questioned suspiciously.
"Well, you didn't bring a weapon in. And you not knowing anything about the danger level. Or... well, I thought you'd be a dead man without me. Forgive me I was wrong." Jun bowed respectfully.
Eren waved the apology away. "Don't worry, it seems I have a lot to learn still... So, the boss is inside?" Eren asked curiously, pointing at the massive hole that led deeper underground.
"That's right, the queen is somewhere down below, unless she has left the dungeon to spawn more children."