Chapter 3 - Chapter 3: The Gate Keeper

Previously on MDU System..

Before opening the door heading to great hall,
Esme spoke and told me, if its possible to stay in one of the rooms with M.kei instead coming with me since we don't know what is waiting for us in there. Then it made me think then ask if there are anyone else would like to stay as well, Belle also wanted to stay with my wife and so we went and tried opening the door to one of the rooms, but it was locked, I then tried to ram it with my body, even used boost strength and bash on it however nothing worked, as if someone is forcing all of us to attend the feast.

Chapter 3

As I'm about to grab the door handle, a music from a mid-boss location currently playing inside my head, I could actually feel my heart thumping, both from excitement killing high experience monsters and scared for my wife and kid at the same time.

Although the door looks very old it isn't making any noise right after we opened it slowly and see what's waiting for us on the other side, seeing nothing is out of the ordinary except for added heartless soldiers guarding each doorways, I immediately used Inspect 2 on them. Turns out they are all in passive state but I can't shake this feeling that we can't bring our guards down, something is telling me that I need to be extra, extra wary of our surroundings more than ever.

I saw one of the heartless soldier guarding the doorway we were in turned its head and glanced at our location, looks like it just noticed our presence while I kept the door slightly open and right away moved its head to its normal position facing the other doorway. I told the group to cover each sides just incase they decided to attack us, we'll be able to act asap.

We started walking cautiously heading to the middle of the great hall, while trying to look for something we might have missed or over looked.
We immediately noticed that we are boxed in, inside this wide dining hall. The usual doorway heading to the stairways are no longer there and was transformed into a wall with giant glass windows.
As soon as the group saw the wall, Belle got scared even more and she's close to giving up. Then suddenly other doorways start opening up and a couple groups of people walked right in, talking to one another and all their guards are down.

The groups that just walked in got their selves a nice surprise on their faces, when they saw us in the middle of the room on guard like our lives are on the line. Took them quite a while before they positioned themselves a bit of distance from us and readied their weapons and their guards are finally up.

Other group Leader - Michael said: where's the monsters? Are they invisible or just hiding?

No one replied but Jessica, she said just be on guard, no monsters are hostile yet in this room.

Michael thought something might have happened while they were resting that made them wary of their surroundings even more. He told his group to be on guard as well and all just accepted his decision.

The 2nd group leader heard our groups conversation and was conversing with the their members and went towards us and introduced themselves

I'm Charley and this is my group, everyone just waived their hands.

We all thought that they are so relaxed. Esme instantly said You should watch your back, they might attack any minute now.

Charley and his group just stood there and laughed, his buddies then went to each of the soldiers guarding the doorway and started poking them and others, placed the edge of their blades close to the soldiers necks and faces.

Charley said: look here lassie we tried their patience already before but no matter what we did they just stood there like mannequins, some of us even killed one of this monsters and we waited for their companions to act. Guess what, they still didn't do anything to us.

While Charley telling us what they did to these bags of experience before, his group started poking, stabbing and cutting the soldiers standing on each doorways while laughing their asses off

Michael: Hey man I know your the leader of your group but this looks wrong don't antagonize these monsters we all know when one is provoked, they're brethren might kill us right away. They seems to have intelligence like us humans and they might be just following orders, what if they couldn't take it anymore and just lunge at us simultaneously, what's gonna happen then, won't your groups be held liable for the deaths of everyone in this room.

Charley: Mind your own fu**ing group man, you got your ways and we got ours. You have no "RIGHTS" to tell me what to do within my people, we will do what we want and where we want it, and you can't do anything about it

While these is happening Esme has been watching the soldiers reaction through Charley's buddies behavior, she noticed one of the monsters being stabbed in their arms twitching and straight away she told me and I used inspect on it and saw that their green panel is currently switching back and forth to aggressive red and passive green.

Simultaneously I activated the inspect on all the soldiers being provoked by Charley's group and saw that they're panels are also doing the same thing.

...

While this is happening unbeknownst to all the people in the great hall, a figure covered with armour from head to toe looks a-lot like a piece of art has been listening in all their conversation and currently speaking to his master in the room pass the gate he's currently protecting.

Gatekeeper: Master my soldiers can no longer take it, I could sense the spell that was placed on them will wear off anytime soon. These meat bags are trying our patience, listening to their conversations, watching they're actions they look and act more savages than the dwellers below.
(Dwellers - Disfigured humans living in The Pit, an area beneath the single max prison section of Butcher Bay Correctional Facility) from Riddick

Councilor: The King is just preparing to meet the contenders. You need to hold your grounds as much as possible.

Gatekeeper: These lunatics are bound to get what they deserve soon. Master please.. give me the signal and I will send all the impure souls down to the nether regions of the underworld

Councilor: Do not worry.. I will let you know.. I am very proud of you, you have served me quite well over this past centuries, we all have our purpose, the Gods will surely grace us with his benevolence and bring us to samsara.

Gatekeeper: All for the sake of our King, I will do as what is foretold.


~{Back to the Great Hall}~



All the ruffians in the midst of their enjoyment suddenly stopped what they were doing and looked everywhere as if looking for something that made them shivered and sense fear. On the spur of the moment a heavy pressure of some kind was released directly at them almost making them suffocate and from this pressure alone, some peed their pants and the rest dropped to their knees while keeping themselves sane.

The leader of all these ruffians is currently in distressed watching his comrades slowly being brought to their knees by an unknown individual that can't be seen anywhere in the room. Slowly but surely his composure is breaking down and after a while his mind gave in and he immediately exploded into a maniacal laughter.

Jason and Michaels group went together started covering each others backs and their own blind spots while glancing to the other leader that went insane Esme and Michael spoke "I told you so" in a very low voice almost a whispering tone.

All at once all the heartless soldiers that was being harassed by the ruffians that was put on their rightful place are now walking to face the back these people. Then weapons of different kinds started appearing in the hands of these monsters and in that moment all ruffian died by stabbing and slashing made by the monsters they provoked.

Jason and Michael's team predicted this outcome from the start and witnessed the demise of Charley's group and now readied they're selves for the up coming battle.

While watching the monsters tearing the ruffians limb from limb, I told my system to connect my thought to my family in order for me to hear them while in battle. Immediately I went and test it

Hani can you hear me? M.kei can you hear me?

Both Esme and M.kei was caught surprised and looked at me and both replied Dad!?, Jason!?

I explained it to both of them that when the battle starts this room will surely be noisy and we might not be able to hear ourselves talking but this way thanks to the system I will be able to hear you both clearly no matter the noise in the room.

Daddy are we gonna be ok? I'm scared daddy..

Sweetie its all gonna be ok after all your mom and I are strong, we won't let anything touch you and of course we bolster your defense quite well. Most attacks won't leave a scratch on you but it doesn't mean that we won't protect you. I promise that I will always be here to protect you and mom. Ok baby girl..

I know daddy, but don't forget to always keep yourself safe, I love you daddy.

I love you too sweetie.

Esme hugged our daughter tightly then hugged me right after.. and said "I love you so much", go do your thing Hani.

I broke off from the group and told them to watch each others back and please protect my wife and kid, at that moment they finally noticed M.kei behind my wife and I saw most girls in Michael's group all had they're morale got boosted and said that they will help protect the little one.

I then went ahead and told them that I will whittle down the enemy forces so we can breathe better. I went straight to one of the heartless soldiers right after Activating all my boost skills and did a diagonal slash and right away after just 1 move the heartless turned to data and disappeared.

Those people in Michaels group saw me killed a soldier in one move and was just in awe.. then I proceeded on each location where the heartless is currently located and just until I finished cutting down the soldiers numbers in half. I suddenly felt some kind of sensation that I'm about to get attacked by something and at that instant my body moved by itself and a blue flaming ball almost hit me.

A notification from the system just popped up but I just ignored it and told my system to turn off all notifications for now except level up.

Looking at where the ball of fire came from, I saw a flaming humanoid figure up above the ceiling, close to one of the edges of the room.
I hurriedly and casted Inspect 2 on it and saw

Rank I
Class 3
Variant Wisp

Weakness: Very low Defense and M.defense

Hmmp! ... (another experience bag..)

After I saw the weakness of the monster, I took out one crude sword from the inventory and threw it at the variant wisp and it perished just like that, right after the sword hit the centre of its body and all this happened in a span of 30 seconds.

(From killing the first soldiers, whittled down the soldiers number in half and finally killing the first wisp took approximately 30 seconds)

When the body of the variant wisp disappeared, the whole room suddenly lit up from all the wisp started appearing one after another covering the entire ceiling and walls of the room we are currently in.

System can you give me a weapon from the inventory right after I've thrown one to the enemy using both hands just like reloading me with bullets but instead with sharp weapons (hoping that I could use the inventory without accessing it myself)

[Yes, master I could do that]

As soon as I read the systems reply, I didn't wait for all the variant wisp to appear and start attacking us. So I immediately casted haste again and boost strength then I commenced firing (in this case throwing) sharp weapons to the wisp

Luckily that the haste skill and boost strength only has a cool down of 3 seconds and the skill last for 30 seconds, I was able to spam this attack to all the wisp that are surrounding us. I surely hope that all sharp weapons inside the inventory is enough.

I have been continuously releasing sharp weapons after weapons to wisp bodies while glancing time to time on my family's direction making sure that the wisp and soldiers are not attacking them. A notification just popped up showing my remaining sharp weapons in the inventory are almost gone. I told my system to take all the thrown weapon back in the inventory by saying "store all thrown weapon within my radius" then the notification count was replenished and went backed up again.

It was going so well for me and our group, while protecting my kid they are still able to kill some monsters for some experience for themselves and I'm very grateful for their help protecting my family and taking down enemies at the same time.

I've been seeing a lot of level up notifications since the starts to now, all the soldiers have been dealt with but the variant wisp still keep coming. I wasn't complaining since they are easier to kill than the soldiers and it gives 96 experience to each of us in the party. But it still pressuring us since the enemies isn't getting any lower.

Later the unthinkable happened a group of wisp all of a sudden charged towards the combined group, then I heard M.kei yelled help!! inside my head and after I saw what was coming for them I switched my target to the group charging but it was no use, so I tried to go to their side instead and shield them from what may comes after with my wide blade yet the other wisp started to besieged me, covering my sight and distracting me by placing their bodies making up a wall of wisp in front of me. Subsequently I started wielding my blade to them trying my best to cut thru and go to where my family current positions and at that moment a tiny opening opened up I then saw the group of wisp bodies are now looking like a balloon that is about to pop. I started to fear for their lives, the time seems to be slowing down and little by little the bodies of the enlarged wisp started to crack and bright purple light has began to come out from them.
Afterwards the world stopped it went from colored to black and white. A skill unexpectedly got unlocked and saw a glimpse of it and I instantly used the newly unlocked skill to my family. Time started to run its course again and the black and white scene crumbles down and a colored environment begun to appear once again.
A glass looking barrier commenced to form itself covering my family and that's the last thing I saw until the explosion took and swallowed everything in front of me including all the wisp around the room.
The explosion was so intense as I was thrown off towards the wall and waiting for the smoke to clear up, I started to tear up from sadness then again I saw a silhouette of my barrier, the dust and smoke starting to dispersed and I could finally see that the barrier was covering the entire group and saw both Esme and M.kei are fine, I hurriedly run up and hugged them while the barrier begun to disintegrate and disappeared.

Everyone inside the barrier couldn't believe what they just saw and experienced, they all thought that they're about to die from the explosion but from out of no-where a glass like barrier started forming around them and at the last second before the explosion the the whole barrier was formed and they're life was saved.

System list total killed monster

[ 7 total killed - Rank I Class 3 Heartless Soldier ver. 192 Exp, and 365 UP each]

[ 360 total killed - Rank I Class 3 Variant Wisp 96 Exp, and 190 UP each]

Oh my gawd, I didn't expect to have hunted this many no wonder the monsters made a very risky attempt to take most of us with them.

After checking my status I have noticed that I have unlocked 1 passive skill, 1 active skill and 1 new function in the system. First we quickly updated out panel because three of us have levelled up from 19 to 33 and this is our new panel looks like.

—————Level 19 -> 33 —————————

Title : Gamer, Hoarder
Rank: I -> II

Host: Jason A.
Age: 34
Lvl: 19 -> 33
HP: 1800 -> 4500 (+2700)
MP: 600 -> 1800 (+1200)
Exp: 260/3200
UP: 3 -> 68403 (+68400)
BP: 210 -> 0
SP: 20 -> 160 (+140)

Str: 120 -> 150 (+30) Int: 30 -> 90 (+60)
Agi: 80 -> 90 (+10) Dex: 54
Vit: 60 -> 150 (+90) Luk: 30 -> 50 (+20)

Total stats: 584

Other skills: Mechanic I, Carpentry I, Electrician I, Driving II,

Passive:
- Survival I, Pistol Mastery II, Archery IV, Hand to eye coordination VIII, Katana Mastery II, Adaptability III, HP Regen I, Improve Concentration I, Drop & Critical up II, Super Strength I -> II, Iron Skin I -> II(new), Mana Sense I, Mana Manipulation I* -> II(new), Mana body I -> II(new)

Dual Wielder (no rank), Hp Max Up (no rank)(new), Heightened Reflex (no rank)(new), Danger sense(no rank)(new)

Active:
- Inspect II, Boost strength II** -> III(new), Haste I* -> II(new), Bash II*, Barrier I (unlocked)

Stat combo skills: (new)

Strength & Intelligence:
30 - Power shot (no rank)
90 - Rain Shot (no rank)
Strength & Vitality:
30 - Blood Forging I - V
90 - Muscle and Bones Forging I - V
150 - Body and Soul Forging I - EX
Vitality & Intelligence:
90 - Vital Energy I
Intelligence & Luck:
30 - Enchant Luck (no rank)
Agility & Dexterity:
30 - Hiding (no rank)

Ability: (Can only be use for any vehicles owned)
- Speed up I

———————————————————————
Title : The Wife
Rank: I -> II

Name: Esme A.
Lvl: 19 -> 33
HP: 2700 -> 4500 (x2) -> 9000
MP: 1800 -> 2200 (+400)
Exp: 260/3200
BP: 210 -> 0
SP: 140 -> 0

Str: 60 -> 90 (+30) Int: 90 -> 110 (+20)
Agi: 50 -> 90 (+40) Dex: 30 -> 90 (+60)
Vit: 90 -> 150 (+60) Luck 47

Total stats: 592

Passive:
Knife Mastery III, Scalpel V, Cooking II, House cleaning III, Gardening III, Memorization III, HP Regen II, Drop & Critical up II, Improve Concentration I*, Iron Skin I -> III, Enhanced strength I (new) -> II, Mana Sense II, Mana Manipulation II, Mana body I -> I*
Hp max up (no rank) (new), Heightened reflex (no rank) (new), Double attack (no rank) (new)

Active:
Inspect II, Knife throwing II, Boost strength I**, Haste II

Stat combo skills: (new)

Strength & Intelligence:
30 - Power shot (no rank)
Strength & Vitality:
30 - Blood Forging I
90 - Muscle and Bones Forging I
Vitality & Intelligence:
90 - Vital Energy I
Intelligence & Luck:
30 - Enchant Luck (no rank)
Agility & Dexterity:
30 - Hiding (no rank)
90 - Fast Firing I
Agi, Vit, Dex:
90 - Body weight manipulation (no rank)


———————————————————————


Title : Genius
Rank: I -> II

Name: M-kei A.
Age: 5
Lvl: 19 -> 33
HP: 3600 -> 6300 (x2) -> 12600
MP: 1200 -> 1800 (+600)
Exp: 260/3200
BP: 210 -> 0
SP: 140 -> 10

Str: 32 -> 90 (+58) Int: 60 -> 90 (+30)
Agi: 30 -> 52 (+22) Dex: 30
Vit: 120 -> 210 (+90) Luk 20 -> 30 (+10)

Total stats: 532

Passive:
Building blocks (Lego) EX, Structural design S, Good at games I, Quick learner II, Hand to eye coordination VII, HP Regen II* -> Super Regen II* (evolved skill new) -> III** (new), Improve Concentration I, Defense Up II, Iron skin I**, Mana body I (new), Mana Sense II**, Mana Manipulation III, Drop & Critical up I (new)
Hp max up (no rank) (new), Enhanced strength (no rank) (new)
Active:
Inspect II, Throwing III, Haste I, Boost strength I, Mana Hands I**

Stat combo skills: (new)

Strength & Intelligence:
30 - Power shot (no rank)
90 - Rain Shot (no rank)
Strength & Vitality:
30 - Blood Forging I
90 - Muscle and Bones Forging I
Vitality & Intelligence:
90 - Vital Energy I
Agility & Dexterity:
30 - Hiding (no rank)

———————————————————————

Victory is at hand, everyone are relieved now that the fight is over. Looking at my family realizing that we have survived another confrontation gives a smile on my face.

Casualties vs survivors is still ok so far since no one died in both my group and Michael's but on the other hand Charley is the only one that survived in his group. If only he just listened, there might be more survivors facing the actual dungeon boss but they couldn't be reasoned with and wasted their lives. Charley the leader of the pack is currently sitting down beside the right wall when facing the door heading to the throne room, wounds can be seen throughout his body, I believe he mostly got it from the explosion.

I just started upgrading my equipment but out of the blue, a thumping heart beat can be heard, the sound it makes vibrates throughout the room, the rhythm sounds normal but loud, its like listening on someone's chest with a stethoscope amplified by a surround speaker.

Everyone abruptly stopped what they were doing and begun looking where its coming from. I went ahead and told my system to pour all my upgrade points to my weapon stats as much as possible then I slowly moved in the middle of the group and activated the hiding skill and asking for the system for its description

[For reaching both agility and dexterity stats at 30 stat points each Hiding was unlocked]

[Hiding - once activated user's body presence, smell will be hidden to any being whose rank is lower than the user's current rank. While hiding user can move but once the user attack its target the skill will be undone]

System also displayed my weapon stats after it was done pouring at points in the weapon stats.

———————————————————————
Jason A. - UP: 68403 - 47590 = 20813
Attack: 630 Defense: 255 Magic defense: 82 Agility: 120 Sharpness: 350 Penetration: 350
———

Attack: 430 -> 630/765
Sharpness: 150 -> 350
Penetration: 20 -> 350

Main Weapon: Buster Blade -> Bloody Guillotine ★***-> ★★***
Atk: 150 -> 350 (+200)
Shp: 150 -> 350 (+200)
Blood Familiar I unlocked for reaching ★★ ->III*** (Rank max)

Off-hand Weapon: Pistol-> Boom-Boom ★*-> ★★***
Atk: 15 -> 350 (+335)
Pnt: 20 -> 350 (+330)

———————————————————————

After finding out that I can't boost the blades skill past Rank 3, disappoints me but on the other hand my buster blade changed its appearance once its grade has been upgraded. Before it looks like a big knife but now, the blade looks more intimidating. The whole structure changed into a Bone like Blade that protrudes outward on each side and it concave in the middle with 3 eyes sticking out. Also ask the system to display new weapon ability

[Blood Familiar - Summons a blood spirit that mirrors the users power, Requirement: 25% of users health points; Cool down 24hrs; Rank 3 have 2.5 times the power of its summoner]

The thumping heart beat just stopped and the armored structure by the gate entrance suddenly vibrates, afterwards a shockwave was directed at us.

Booooom!!

While at the same time after I witnessed the shockwave and where it came from, I started to focus on the armored structure and activated my Inspect II on it. All this time The only thing that I have overlooked was this art structure

[Rank II]
[Class 1]
[Gatekeeper - Butcher]

[Weakness: Brain & Heart]


Charley immediately stood up and faced the armored structure by the gate and said "so it was you" after he laughed hysterically. He started walking towards his supposed enemy bleeding and in the spur of the moment Charley somehow had his energy boosted and instantaneously launched himself to it, right after he has taken out his silver tomahawk, a broad sword that can only be found in middle ages of medieval era and about to lashed his fury towards his prey.

The gatekeeper also known as Butcher is currently sitting on the floor in ball like position, hugging his both sheen, that is also the reason why he was overlook as an armored mannequin.

Butcher was watching this whole time the struggle made by the humans that challenged his master's authority, he also witnessed the human named Jason's survival instinct that made him able to dodge an attack at the last minute.
Now Butcher was about to taste Charley's fury but unknown to everyone, his rank and his power is much more than the usual monsters found in the castle.
As soon as Charley hit Butcher's armor the attack just bounced back and made a very crisp sound of clashing metal this cycle kept repeating continuously until Charley tried to catch his breath and stopped moving.

After Charley totally expended his energy, from the center of the room where all the humans are located, the armored structure can be seen slowly moving his limbs stretching them out from its rested state, it operates as if someone is stretching their body and it sounds something like.. Clack! Clack!, slowly making his body stands in-front of the exasperated human and after he fully stood up. The height difference between us humans and him, by far exceeds about 2 feet from Michael's height, we all looked a lot like a child compared to Butcher.

Butcher whose now fully stood up looks a lot like, a fully armored knight and only a few gaps from his armor can be seen where most his joints are located. His skin looks more like purplish grey in color and about 8.5 feet tall.

He is now focusing his attention to the crowd afterwards he stretched his arm and grabbed a giant axe hanging vertically on his back and raised it up high over his head, then he gazes down to Charley, whose still catching his breath and let out his blood lust towards him.
His blood lust can be felt all the way to the center of the room, everyone suddenly shivered from fear and at the same time while all of this is happening I just reached the back of butcher, literally standing right behind him.

I started creeping up behind of butcher when Charley launched himself toward the fully armored knight. After the blood lust was released mainly to Charley, I simultaneously activated {Boost strength III}, {Haste II} then Butcher with his lust for blood finally reach to its peak, finally holding the axe above his head by both his hands and with all his might dropped the giant axe and made a beeline to Charley's body.
When butcher decided to drop the weapon to Charley intending to decapitate him, I also decided that this is the right time to act as well and activated {Bash II} and directed my attack toward his joint behind his knees. Second's before I hit his joints the Hiding skill deactivated and my presence was known to him by then, I felt his gaze changed towards me and was about to change the swings direction but its already too late. The moment I made contact on his joints behind his knee he cried out in pain then dropped kneeling on the floor.

Everybody was shocked and didn't notice my disappearance before they saw me suddenly appearing behind the armored knight and cutting his ligaments behind his knee making the armored knight drop on the floor kneeling, the Butcher's blood lust disappeared and all who felt it are now glad that they were able to move like normal once again. Then after I took out the pistol named "Boom-Boom" positioned it by his nape where no coverings can be seen and before I pulled the trigger, I activated the skill {Power Shot} at point blank range.

Each bullet fired from "Boom Boom" explodes on impact, the exploding bullet alone has a 2 times multiplier attached to it and after the skill {Power Shot} was used, Boom-Boom's attack power was multiplied by a fix amount of 300% totaling to 2100 for the attack power and 1050 for penetration. In addition to that, the current stat I have for strength stats was multiplied by 3 from the skill super strength and 2.5 times from boost strength which now comes down to whopping 3225 attack power with 1050 penetration which is directly shot closed to his nape.

After the shot made by my boom-boom his nape caved in and seeing that he has not died yet from it, I pulled the trigger once again but this time I activated the {Rain Shot} also at point blank range and this time, Butcher's head flew off closed to the center of the room and then it disappeared like data including the body that fell on the floor right after his head flew.

Charley was saved once again, everyone wasn't expecting any of this but it seems, bad blood will always have a long life.

Right after the battle a blinking red notification box appeared right in-front all of us suddenly changed into its normal white transparent box and it stated that the room was now considered as a safe zone.