Ambrosio K. Garcia, a 26 year old man who just got discharged from the military in the Philippines. After he fought in several terrorist attacks for his country, being the fight against terrorism from Mindanao being the latest one, he could finally enjoy his Veteran benefits.
He earned enough for both of his brothers who were in college and one in senior high school. His smile is from ear to ear after thinking of home that he could be finally resting as the bumps on the incomplete road are taking him to the airport.
But on an unlucky event one of the days he was looking forward to, the Truck that was carrying all this infantry was stopped making them all slide forward due to the sudden stop. Something in the distance can be heard making the noise 'whoosh' 'szhhhhhhhh' akin to a sound you'd hear in a sci-fi movie
"Boss, what's happening?" the soldier from the far inside asking the drivers in front
"I don't know either!" then after a few second rumbling in the grounds are being felt all around.
"Wh-what the hell is this?!" one… two, soldiers are looking in front of them as if there was something there. After a few minutes all of the soldiers decided to get out of that truck and with their weapons out
"Awakened…? Hunter?" one of the Soldiers looking in the air suddenly said that when they saw a blue circle in front of them they were weary to the point that they took their guns out and pointed at the shape that's floating in the air. Moments later two of the three people who were looking in the air said "Outbreak?!?"
Then on the blue circle floating in the air a giant snow leopard came out.multiple of them In fact and the moment it spotted us. It's roar incapacitated us. Except for the three that were talking in the air. They were the ones who opened fire first and made sure to wait for us to recover, but the leopards are fast and they already are in front of us.
It clawed the one guy in front of us and half of his body went flying. I thought I'm already out of this fighting shit but I guess god really hates us so. But not hope was not lost, when the guy who was one of the three got attacked he tanked the attack and said "Fire sweep!" and three of the leopards that came out of the blue circle were burned.
One of the three attacked too but instead of any words he used his machete, which was glowing the entire time. The last one of the three dashed in action too saying "shield bash" but using his shoulder which stunned the three leopards. They attacked the three leopards all by themselves. The guns were useless. The casualties are 2 dead. 6 injured out of 16 soldiers on board. That's how hunters and gates were introduced to this world. On March xx 2029.
~~~~
June xx 2032
Up and down I swing this enchanted pickaxe. Three years ago when the Hunters and gates were introduced to the world. Also the day where My parents died and my brothers became a hunter, they abandoned me, I didn't expect that though after all of that shit I went through. Though their anger after our parents died isn't something you could just brush off. They plan to eradicate every gate in the Philippines. Though it's for a good cause I hope they were fine.
"Ambrosio- Ambrosio!"
"Hm Mike? Yeah?"
"We gotta leave, though I'm pretty sure what you have there is enough"
We both looked at the cart that's supposed to be behind me. It was already full to the brim that it's already trying hard not to fall. I was behind the team too, mining this much is the reason I stayed in the back. Mike is calling me, means the Gate is about to close.
"Yeah just tell them to push now, Lets go"
"Aren't you tired?"
"Nah, feel like I could mine more but you can guess it, they killed the Boss monster so fast we only have an hour to prop"
Yeah, I've been trained to move a lot but to use less energy,that's military for you I guess. We walked out of the Gate with all the mana stones we mined, though I'm pretty sure I'm getting another raise by the amount I always give.
"Team 4 mining squad, over here"
Section chief calls our team, well no wonder. Everything I hold here right now is the Messiah guild's property. I just give it back, and oh it's the end of the month, we'll get our pay today.
"Get in line salary is getting handed out"
I went to the tent they set up, and I got my salary in an envelope, 15k huh. That's good enough 8k for rent, food and needs, and the remaining 7k is for the debt. Having a 150k debt when the incident happened 3 years ago wasn't really pleasant, especially when no one has your back
"Ambrosio!"
"Mike?"
"Let's have a drink! Cmon don't say no now we already have the karaoke rented!"
"Sheesh you and your habit"
To be honest the mining thing didn't really suit me since I was not awakened. Mike had to lie to the Chief but it was eventually found out, I only managed to get in because of how much I can do, though good thing I wasn't picked on because I was still a veteran.
"We're renting a karaoke stand too, be sure to sing there"
"If there's Gin I will"
"There we go~ see you there"
Mike came in with a truck, the other Hunters are all sitting on it, I guess he also work as a cab haha. After all that I went to the locker room and started packing my things up, as I left, someone who's not visited me for a long time decided to show up. Jaypee, the youngest brother who is on the entrance of the degrading C rank gate.
"What are you doing here, Kuya" (brother)
"That's my line, Jay, what do you want that you have to go here"
"You still managed to be part of the mining team, hah.. I paid your debt. Stop going in this dangerous gates-"
I just walked past my brother, I don't know what to say, my blood is already boiling,I can't have another fight with him here. I don't want to have harmful words come out my mouth to the very same person I watched grow up.
"KUYA! You're not an awakened- you're not a hunter, please know that I'll remove you from the team-"
With an instinct I threw a pebble at him, It missed because he dodged
"So am i to stay useless?"
"That's not what I meant! You could work in other jobs why do you still insist on doing something that would kill you?! You're fucking stupid!"
"What would a high school diploma get me? The food stand? God, Jay you were the fucking lifeline back in the days. Mom would scream at me if you get hurt, I fucking guess I was too soft on you shit!"
"How hard is it to understand! You don't have to work on something that could kill you! This is different from the military!"
"Yeah cuz I mine stones, not put bullet holes"
I don't want to hear more, so I walked off, not listening to a shard of word Jay tried to scream, there' the other brother who drifted his car in front of me
"Kuya.."
"Jeremy, get out the way, this is the sidewalk"
"Listen to us then-"
"Just… hah…"
I decided to walk the other way and of course with Jeremy's car he blocked my path, the I ran in an alley where only bikes can fit in and walked off
"Kuya!"
I rather sleep than hear any of this, this alley connects to the main road if i cross the Intersection later down the road, As i walked the road gets harsher and harsher
"The government really needs to fix this kind of roads"
Then the similar sensation I felt three years ago is happening again, my hairs are up and the wind is blowing harshly, the pressure I felt 3 years ago, I can't do this so I ran before it forms to a gate, wherever it is, no matter how unfortunate I am I shouldn't brought it with others. A rod came out of the ground with sharp spikes on its edge, like a serrated rod. And the reason why I wasn't hit was because someone unluckily bumped into me and pushed me off the way. Poor guy was a young hunter
I heard it behind me, a growl of an unknown creature. I didn't have time to dawdle. I wasn't stunned like last time. The young hunter who died in my place has a weapon, two short sticks, like the ones used in arnis. Two of them felt heavy but it's not something I can't handle. Both of my arms are equipped with something. I can assume it's a magic weapon. I looked at the monster that came out of that same Gate that I felt.
The Monster looked like a giant mantis. It struck me in the left, but I still remember my training since 8 of arnis knew that I cannot take that at all, so I moved in to avoid the strike since it was an L shaped claw it would miss a lot. And it did. I struck with the weapon I had from the dead hunter. And struck it down with speed. My attack left a scratch but the monster wasn't having it.
It showed its wing and serrated rods came shooting out. I hid under it because when it opened its wings it didn't use its claws. None of the rods managed to take me out. I aimed for the joints and saw it stagger. So I continued to strike it before it had the time to recover.
I crippled it, it can't reach the back of its head so what I did was simple: I repeatedly hit its shell till it's inside was crushed enough to die. I lay near the concrete wall because I was already tired.I catched my breath because even though I simply broke its joints and destroyed its back, that took a lot of effort.
I had my eyes closed for a moment, and when I opened them again I'm in the hospital full of bandages. What happened? I don't remember being carried to the hospital at all?
"You stupid idiot!" my younger brothers coming in to reprimand me, My blood boiled honestly
"That crude mantis is an e rank monster! Even though it's weak you shouldn't have fought it!"
"Ah so I have to run with my back exposed having a higher risk of being dead?"
"That's not what i-"
"Jay if you are here just to make me listen to your bullshit go back to your so proud guild and-"
Ah, how unlucky am I today? Another Gate opened before us. This time it started sucking us. I saw a patient being sucked in and I jumped off to grab them- my brother holding hand out on the door, but I decided the patient's life much important and threw the patient's body to them, Oh boy that's the second time I can confidently say, that's the last thing I remember after being sucked in the Gate that immediately closed. I wished my life didn't go downhill because of these damn gates.
Now I have to survive in the woods because of that.
"Papa!"
"Mgh?"
"Uncle Schuit told us there we're near a gate"
"Okay okay Hailey, you memorized everything I told you right?"
"Mhm!"
"English, a bit of Math and Manners. You got all that right?"
"Yep!"
"*&%#$%"
"Yes yes, thank you Schuit"
It's been 8 years since I was sucked in that Gate I wonder how the Other side is faring.