EPISODE FOUR

Episode 4: Just a reporter!

The morning air hung thick with mist, curling around the towering steel arches of the Instant Portal like ethereal ribbons. The ground beneath buzzed faintly, a low hum of dormant energy as hunters gathered near the rippling surface of the gate—its swirling, iridescent blue reflecting fractured light like a cracked mirror.

Ken stood at the edge of the barrier, casually flipping through his tablet while adjusting the camera slung over his shoulder. His reporter's badge glinted under the sun, the sharp lettering of Guild Press Media catching the light. Around him, armored hunters bustled—members of the Black Knight Guild and Dragon Bold shouting last-minute instructions, tightening straps, and checking their weapons.

The distinct scent of iron, sweat, and faint ozone clung to the air—the unmistakable perfume of an impending gate dive.

"Where is he…?" Ken muttered, tapping his foot.

In the distance, the sound of sneakers slapping pavement echoed before Kaede jogged into view, his breath steady despite the run. His appearance had changed—shoulders squared, movements more fluid—but there was still a flicker of the old, awkward Kaede in the hesitant smile he threw Ken's way.

"You—jogged here? From the station?" Ken asked, blinking in disbelief.

Kaede wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, his grin sheepish. "Needed the cardio. I Hope I wasn't late?"

"Oh no, I barely just got here myself."

Before Kaede could retort, a blur of brown hair collided into him with a thud.

"Watch it!"

Kaede stumbled back as Minatoma, the young, bright-eyed C-rank hunter, dusted himself off, his guild tag—Black Knight—dangling from his chest plate.

"Hey! You're Kaede, right? I saw you at the assessment. A fellow hunter " Minatoma beamed, eyes glinting with the eager energy of someone yet untouched by true danger.

"Not a hunter just a reporter but, that's me."

"Name's Minatoma! Future S-class, obviously." He threw up a peace sign. "A reporter that's cool, You with Black Knight too?"

"Nah. I'm just… figuring things out," Kaede replied.

"Cool! Mind if I hang with you guys before we head in? I wanna give the media an exclusive—y'know, before I make it big."

Ken snorted. "Kid, I'm here to cover Dragon Bold, but sure—more faces, more clicks."

The trio approached the portal, the blue energy rippling like water disturbed by a stone.

As Kaede neared, the edges of the gate flickered—and the weight of a memory slammed into him.

That night.

The blood. The shadows. The death.

His breath hitched, a cold sweat prickling the back of his neck.

"Hey, you good?" Ken asked, holding out a smooth, crystalline pendant—the Entry Crystal, its surface swirling with faint runes.

Kaede took it, fingers brushing over the cool surface. Instantly, a pop-up window exploded before his vision—only he could see it.

[INVENTORY SYNC AVAILABLE]

Save | Copy

Entry Crystal?

Time Limit: 59:58

His brow furrowed. Save or Copy it? Why?

"Oi! Kaede! You freezing up on me?" Ken teased, tugging him forward.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" Kaede quickly hit YES before slipping the crystal into his pocket.

Minatoma stepped forward, all enthusiasm and overconfidence. "Don't worry! I'll protect you if anything happens."

Ken laughed, "A real knight in shining armor."

They stepped through.

Inside the Gate

The world twisted—time slowed—and then snapped back.

The cavern was vast and hollow, its jagged stone walls shimmering with embedded mana crystals—raw veins of blue, green, and red glinting in the dark. Lanterns cast flickering shadows as laborers chipped away at the cavern walls, their drills buzzing like angry hornets.

The air was thick with mana residue, a heavy metallic tang that clung to the tongue.

"Damn, this cave's a goldmine," Ken muttered, snapping photos of the workers prying out glowing stones.

Kaede, eyes wide, drifted toward a cluster of crystals half-buried in rock.

[INVENTORY AVAILABLE]

[Mana Crystals Detected]

Save | Copy

He hesitated—then reached out, brushing his fingers against the surface - Save.

PING!

The crystals vanished in a flash of light—sucked directly into his inventory.

His heart pounded. No one saw that… right?

Nearby, a miner scratched his head, confused. "Huh? I swear there were some crystals right there—"

Kaede coughed loudly. "Hey, Ken! Over here!"

Ken wandered over, camera dangling. "You look pale. You okay?"

"Fine. Just… a little overwhelming, that's all."

Minutes passed.

"Class D cave. Total snoozefest," Minatoma announced, rejoining them. "No bosses. Barely any mobs. Waste of time."

"Good for the workers, though," Ken pointed out.

They packed up, ready to leave when Minatoma perked up. "Lunch? I know this ramen place—killer miso broth!"

Ken checked his watch. "Thanks but no, I'm booked, but Kaede's free."

Minatoma grinned. "Awesome! We'll strategize. I'm gonna be S-class someday, y'know."

Kaede chuckled. "Yeah, I can tell."

As Ken left, Kaede noticed another pop-up window flickering in his vision. This one was new.

[WELD SYSTEM UNLOCKED]

Combine crystals to craft: Temporary Gates, Buff Charms, or Enhanced Gear.

Available crystals : 3

1 component crystals missing for portal creation crystal.

His fingers itched with excitement. The possibilities were endless.

As he closed the menu, his gaze drifted to a towering banner near the gate's exit—Hayami, her armor black as night, sword resting against her shoulder.

"Hey, Kaede! You daydreaming again?" Minatoma called, waving.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go."

But as Kaede followed, a small, crooked smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

I'm definitely onto something here.

The towering glass façade of the Global Gate Exchange and Armory Centre shimmered under the noonday sun, its mirrored surface reflecting the endless sprawl of the city beyond. Neon kanji flickered across digital billboards—"Trade. Forge. Survive."—while streams of hunters, traders, and guild representatives bustled through the revolving doors, the soft whir of automated gates punctuating the noise.

Inside, the air was cool, crisp with the faint scent of polished metal and the lingering hum of mana-infused artifacts. Display cases stretched across the vast hall, each filled with glimmering mana crystals, enchanted weapons, and relics pulled from the deepest gates. Overhead, massive LED screens displayed fluctuating market rates for crystals—Magic Grade A: ¥420,000—while hunters haggled with brokers in hurried tones.

Kaede stood at the entrance, a duffel bag heavy with crystals slung over his shoulder. The sheer scale of the Exchange was overwhelming—like a mix between a high-tech stock market and a centuries-old weapons bazaar. His eyes flitted over the organized chaos: blades glinting under cold lights, shimmering armor sets, and walls lined with mana-infused relics.

"Alright," he muttered to himself, gripping the strap tighter. "Let's see what 120 crystals can get me."

The trade counter buzzed with activity. Brokers in sleek uniforms sat behind transparent screens, their fingers dancing over digital panels.

Kaede dropped the duffel bag onto the counter with a heavy thud. The attendant—a sharp-eyed woman with a low ponytail—raised an eyebrow.

"Inventory check?" she asked, tapping her ID badge: Hikaru - Senior Broker.

"Yeah. Got a ton of crystals to offload. Mostly health and magic types."

She slid a Mana Detector over the bag. It hummed softly before numbers spiked across her screen.

"Over 120?" she blinked. "You run with a guild?"

"Something like that," Kaede replied, scratching the back of his head.

She chuckled, clearly skeptical, but tapped a few keys. "You're in luck—prices are high today. After commission, you're sitting on ¥8.7 million."

Kaede tried to play it cool, but his widened eyes betrayed him. "...That's a lot of zeroes."

"You got lucky. So, what are you buying? Or just cashing out?"

He leaned in. "I'm looking for something specific. that can be used for power boost. I think it's called the—"

"Asra Crystal, nobody works with that?" she finished for him, sliding a holo-screen toward him. "Rare find. But with what you've got, you can afford it."

Bingo.

Moments later, the Astral Core Crystal floated in a containment case—pure, translucent white, its core pulsing like a heartbeat.

Kaede slid it into his inventory. Immediately, the WELD system flared to life.

[COMPONENTS COMPLETE: CRAFT PORTAL CREATION CRYSTAL?]

Welding Time: 00:30:00

He hit YES without hesitation.

A small, glowing countdown appeared at the edge of his vision.

Thirty minutes.

"Not bad," Kaede muttered, slinging the now-empty duffel bag over his shoulder.

He was halfway to the exit when he stopped cold—his gaze caught by the glint of polished steel.

Weapons. Rows and rows of them.

He strolled toward the armory section, where swords, axes, and mana guns lined the walls. Each weapon floated slightly above its pedestal, mana-infused runes shimmering in the air around them. Hunters debated over blades, some testing the weight, others scanning stats through their augmented reality visors.

I should get something. I can't keep going in unarmed, Kaede thought.

His fingers skimmed over the weapons, reading the digital descriptions.

[Mana Katana – +20 Strength, +10 Speed]

[Twin Daggers of Shade – +15 Agility, Stealth Enhancement]

[Enchanted Longbow – +25 Range, +10 Critical]

Too complicated... too fragile... way too heavy...

Then, tucked between two high-grade polearms, something simpler caught his eye—a sleek, silver Magic Steel Baseball Bat, its surface etched with faint rune lines, the end heavier than standard for enhanced impact.

"Seriously? A bat?" a hunter nearby snickered.

But Kaede wasn't listening.

The inventory scan flickered before him:

[Magic Steel Bat – +30 Health, +15 Strength | Durable | Beginner-Friendly]

He gave it a practice swing—smooth, balanced, and surprisingly heavy.

Perfect.

"Bet you can't slay a goblin with that," the same hunter jeered.

Kaede smirked. "Bet I can hit a home run, though."

The transaction was quick. The bat disappeared into his inventory, its weight now resting comfortably in the back of his mind, ready for quick access.

As he moved toward the exit, the weld timer ticked down—00:15:12—and Kaede couldn't help the grin creeping across his face.

Portal access... my own way in and out. No more waiting on guilds. No more relying on others.

But even as he stepped outside, the weight of it all settled in his chest.

The power to open gates... or the power to get lost in them forever.

The city stretched before him, endless and vast, its skyline fractured by shimmering portal gates high above.

"Alright," Kaede whispered to himself. "Let's see where this rabbit hole leads."

The soft glow of paper lanterns bathed the narrow street in amber light as Kaede stepped toward "Nakamura Ramen House", its wooden sign swaying gently in the breeze. The scent of soy broth and charred pork filled the air, mingling with the faint trace of rain still lingering from the afternoon drizzle. The rhythmic clatter of chopsticks and muffled laughter from inside beckoned him in.

Sliding open the wooden door, Kaede spotted Minatoma already seated by the window, waving enthusiastically. A small table sat before him, steam curling from twin bowls of ramen, their golden surfaces shimmering under the shop's warm glow.

"Oi! Kaede! Over here!" Minatoma called, his voice carrying over the chatter.

Kaede slid into the seat across from him, the wooden bench creaking under his weight. "You didn't have to order ahead."

Minatoma grinned, his spiky hair catching the light. "Trust me—this is the place. Best miso broth, magic ramen in the ward. Plus, they add a little something extra."

The bowls before them were a masterpiece—thick slices of chashu pork laid over hand-pulled noodles, marinated bamboo shoots, and a soft-boiled egg split perfectly in half. But it wasn't just the aroma that made Kaede pause—it was the faint, iridescent shimmer in the broth.

Mana-infused?

As Kaede lifted his chopsticks, a faint ding echoed in his ear, followed by a glowing pop-up:

[Ramen of Resilience] — Health Boost: +0.5 | Temporary Mana Surge: +1.0 (Duration: 1 hr)

His eyes widened. "Food... gives stat boosts now?"

Minatoma slurped his noodles with enthusiasm. "What do you think? "

"This is really good!" Kaede said, impressed.

They ate in easy silence, the warmth of the broth spreading through Kaede like a calm wave, his nerves relaxing.

"So," Minatoma began between mouthfuls, "you're pretty new to the gate scene, huh?"

Kaede chuckled, setting down his chopsticks. "You could say that."

"Well, I gotta say—I am but no really as well, I happen to have dreamt of hunting ever since I saw her, The S-class guild master of Black knight Guild, Hayami."

At that, Kaede froze mid-sip. "Hayami!"

"Know her? She's the reason I started all this!" Minatoma's eyes gleamed. "When she took down that Class B Rift last year solo? Man, that was legendary."

Kaede hesitated before speaking. "We happened to be uh…we went to school together. Briefly."

The table went silent. Minatoma practically leaped out of his seat. "You're kidding me!" His voice echoed through the restaurant, earning a few curious glances.

"Keep it down!" Kaede hissed, but the smile tugging at his lips gave him away.

By the end of the meal, their initial awkwardness had dissolved into laughter and shared stories. The bond was sealed—like brothers forged in fire, or in this case, ramen broth.

As they stepped out into the cool night air, Minatoma clapped Kaede on the back. "Let's do this again, yeah? Tomorrow, there is so much more I need to know about The guild master "

Kaede nodded. "Okay, thank you for today, good night."

They parted ways at the street corner, Minatoma's figure disappearing into the glow of neon-lit alleyways.

But Kaede didn't head home.

Instead, he ducked into a dim alley, the glow of lanterns fading behind him. In the shadowed corridor, the air felt heavier, almost expectant.

Time to see if this thing works.

With a flick of his hand, the Inventory screen materialized before him. The timer had hit zero—Portal Creation Crystal: READY.

"Alright." He reached into the ether, feeling the cool pulse of the crystal as it solidified in his palm.

The moment he activated it, the air warped and twisted before him. A ripple, like the surface of a disturbed pond, spread outward, then tore open—a swirling gate of deep blues and crackling silver.

[D-Class Gate Detected | Stability: 100%]

Kaede's heart raced. "D-Class… not too bad for a first try."

He summoned his Magic Steel Bat, its weight grounding him. He checked his vitals—health full, mana stable. Good enough.

With a deep breath, Kaede stepped forward. The gate shimmered, then swallowed him whole.

In an instant, the alley was empty once more.

Meanwhile, at the GLOBAL GATE RESEARCH, DISCOVERY, AND CLASSIFICATION CENTRE…

Monitors glowed in the darkened control room, streams of data flowing in real-time. Technicians leaned over their consoles, the hum of the servers filling the air.

Suddenly, one of the screens flashed red.

"Spike detected—Sector 7-B," a junior officer called out.

Another leaned in. "Portal activity… but it's gone. Instantly."

The room fell into a tense hush.

"Portals don't just appear and vanish like that," the senior analyst muttered, fingers racing over the keyboard. "And those energy readings… incredibly stable."

A third officer scowled. "Glitch?"

"Maybe. Or…" the analyst hesitated, "something new."

They exchanged nervous glances.

One of them lowered his voice. "Think Akihiko's got something to do with this? I mean, the guy does run the G.G.A.C. and half the time we don't know what he's working on."

Another scoffed. "You really think he's just a bureaucrat? Rumor says he was a top hunter once. Some say S-Class… maybe even SS."

"That rank's a myth."

"Or it's been covered up."

They fell into silence, the weight of unspoken possibilities hanging in the air.

In a dark corner of the control room, an automated log quietly recorded the anomaly.