Playing Dress-up

Lanz woke up feeling like someone had replaced his spine with a brick. He rolled over, groaned into his pillow, then rolled back because groaning took effort. His arms ached. His legs ached. His eyelids ached. Hey! That was new.

Still, he got up. Couldn't limp around like a weirdo or Miko would never let it go.

In the background, the apartment's tiny living room TV was already on. The volume was just low enough to be passive-aggressive.

A hunter news anchor gestured dramatically toward a frozen image of a half-collapsed gate with glowing residue on its edge.

"...stabilized before a full break occurred. Officials confirm no casualties, but at least three E-ranks were hospitalized due to shock. Again."

Kaz was zipping up his courier jacket, half-toast in mouth, shoulder bag already slung. "Don't forget to lock up when you leave."

"I'm not a dog," Lanz said, stretching like a dying tree.

Kaz shot him finger guns before slipping out the door.

Their mom was already gone, a post-it note on the fridge with a scribbled heart and something about picking up an extra shift at the café.

Miko shuffled past in socks, staring dead-eyed at her phone. "Your failure memes are still trending," she said. "That's kinda crazy."

"Thanks, gremlin."

She flipped him off with her pinky.

He headed to the bathroom, splashed cold water on his face, stared at himself in the mirror, then reached for his toothbrush.

"Another day that feels repetitive," he muttered.

And started brushing like he meant it.

Later that afternoon, Lanz tapped the relic crystal out of habit, expecting the usual simulation flicker.

It didn't come.

Instead, a soft chime sounded, and a window floated up with a system prompt he hadn't seen before.

[TARGET GATE: TIER 1 – LOCATION MARKED]

[IDENTITY ENCRYPTION RECOMMENDED]

He stared at it, waiting for the usual simulation lobby to load. But nothing happened.

Suddenly, a system window popped and showed the map of Velmordop. The map expanded, showing a marker just past the edge of the city. It was a forest near some old water facility, eighteen minutes on foot from where he was. The icon pulsed steadily like it was daring him to move.

Lanz rubbed his face, leaned back on his heels.

"You're kidding," he said to no one. "You're just gonna drop this on me with zero warning?"

He let out a dry laugh. It wasn't even disbelief. Just... 'of course it would happen like this,' he thought to himself.

The system window didn't vanish. Instead, a new window popped up.

[Manual Gate Entry Required.]

[System Tracking: Still Disabled.]

"Right, so no support, no explanation, and now you want me to do an actual dungeon."

He checked the rest of the prompt. No countdown or forced entry. It was just waiting on his decision.

He looked at the blinking dot again. 'A Tier 1 gate... an actual dungeon, not simulated. Outside the city, but close enough to walk...,' Lanz thought to himself

"...Guess I need a disguise."

He grabbed his tablet and opened his browser. "Let's not pick anything fancy. Anything dark, flexible, and anonymous. Something that Zero could wear. That being said, holy sh*t, clothes are this expensive online? You know what? I'll just buy one near this apartment,"

The shop near his place didn't even have a name.

Just a flickering sign that read GEAR in half-dead letters and a door that rang like a microwave when it opened. It was tucked between a vape store and some kind of pawn-café hybrid, in one of the rougher strips near the outer districts. The kind of place that sold knockoff hunter gear and didn't ask for ID.

It was perfect.

Lanz stepped inside, tried not to breathe too deep — the place smelled like dust, old rubber, and fried circuits. A sleepy guy behind the counter gave him a nod and went back to watching something on his tablet.

He walked the cramped aisles, checking tags. Most of the good stuff was locked behind chipped glass, way out of budget. But tucked in one corner, half-forgotten, was a rack with a few cheap black hooded cloaks. Nothing too fancy, just dark, breathable fabric with reinforced lining.

He grabbed one.

Next: combat pants. Slim fit, dark gray, slightly elastic, lots of pockets, which was a bonus. Then a pair of reinforced biker gloves, synthetic leather, some grip on the palm. Finally, a basic black motorcycle helmet with a tinted visor, just plain and anonymous.

He stood in front of a cracked mirror in the changing corner, fully suited.

Cloak draped, gloves tight, visor down.

"...I look like a discount burglar," he muttered. He pulled the hood up and tilted his head. Then grinned. "It's f*cking perfect."

This wasn't about looking cool. It was about not looking like Lanz Kuroda. No one needed to know a failed FFF-rank student was sneaking into gates on his own.

He paid in credit and almost all his savings, gone in one trip.

As he stepped out into the street, helmet tucked under one arm, a breeze hit his face and he suddenly felt it in his chest, that mix of thrill and terror, buzzing just under the ribs.

'Am I being too risky?' he thought, and shrugged it off, "Ehhhhhh, who cares."

Back home, he scribbled a note and taped it to the fridge.

"I'm gonna be gone for 2 days. Don't worry. Studying with a friend. — L"

Then he slipped out the door before anyone came back.

The sun was starting to dip low over Velmordop. Streetlights flickered on, one by one.

He adjusted his gloves, slid the helmet over his head, and made his way toward the trees. The walk wasn't far, just twenty minutes out from the edge of Velmordop. Still, it felt longer with each step.

Sidewalks gave way to cracked pavement. Pavement turned to dirt, power lines thinned out, distant hum of city life faded behind him, replaced by cicadas and the occasional buzz of a delivery drone passing overhead like it didn't care someone was about to risk their life in the bushes.

Lanz adjusted his grip on the helmet, already wearing the rest of the outfit. He looked like someone either cosplaying a stealth game or about to rob a vending machine. It was perfect.

The trees grew denser up ahead. It wasn't a full forest, just one of those thick patches of green that city zoning forgot. Moss on the barks and a faint smell of wet leaves.

He stopped at a small clearing surrounded by tall grass and crooked roots. But there was no gate, just a bunch of plants and a whole lot of nothing.

"...Cool," he muttered. "So I just wasted all my savings for a good scenic lie."

Then his relic buzzed.

A soft vibration in his pocket, followed by a system prompt:

[TIER 1 GATE — CONFIRMED]

[ENTER? Y/N]

He looked around, thank god it was just him and the wind.

"So... it's just me, huh?"

He tapped YES.

The air in front of him wobbled, like heat off asphalt. A ripple passed through the clearing. Then something shimmered into view, it was a tall rough stone arch etched with faint glyphs that pulsed blue every few seconds, like a proper gate.

Lanz let out a slow exhale. The helmet visor was down now, and in the reflection of the stone, he didn't see himself. Just a figure in black, standing at the edge of something way too real.

"Alright," he muttered. "Let's see what the hell's in there."

And he stepped through.

...

Once everything went quiet, a system panel suddenly appeared:

[Difficulty: Increased]

End of Chapter 6.

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ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO

Level: 5

EXP: 0 / 50

Next Unlock: Skill Upgrade Token (Level 6)

Global System Tracking: DISABLED

World Rank Association: UNLINKED

Stats

STR: 4 | AGI: 4 | VIT: 3 | DEX: 1 | INT: 0 | WIS: 0

Skills

[Basic Footwork Lv.2]

[Blade Control Lv.1]

[Parry Timing Lv.1]

[Feint Step Lv.1] (NEW – Active Skill)

[Reflex Sync Lv.1] (NEW – Passive Skill)

[Combat Awareness Lv.1] (NEW – Passive Skill)

Equipment

Aged Blade Fragment (??? Rarity) (NEW – Bound)

Lightweight Chest Padding

Boots of Basic Mobility

Fingerless Gloves (Basic)

Starter Cloak: Faded Black

Training Ring (+1 VIT)