In a restaurant on the second layer of the city.
"Wow, the air up here is really fresh."
Currently, the new 'family' was sitting inside an empty restaurant that used to be the best in the city.
The restaurant was located on the city's 2nd layer, which was paradise for normal citizens living in the first layer and the workplace for the true top 1% in the city.
The city had two layers, the first layer is located on the ground where normal citizens lead their lives. There are schools, malls, hospitals, hotels and even a city hall located there. The Central, where Gran had previously resided, was an apartment complex for the top 10% in the first layer of the city.
The second layer, however, is another jungle altogether.
The second layer is built circling the entire city from above, supported by pillars that also act as a way into the layer. The layer is further supported by floatation devices to relieve some stress from the pillars.
With current technology, the latest breakthrough in the usage of natural energies has produced things like sunray relocation. With this technology, sunlight can be relocated and spread down towards the first layer, preventing the first layer from living in the shadows of the second.
Although, some of that aspects may never be solved with technology alone, figuratively. The air in the first layer was also not as fresh but normal citizens could hardly tell the difference.
Life on the second layer may seem to be peaceful, but it is a never-ending silent battle between the people in power. A paradise indeed, for those who like to dip their hands in muddied waters.
...
Gran was currently feeding Sanya some steak he had personally cooked, without any ulterior motives this time. He had found out that the diet of the little girl was more inclined to meat and less toward vegetables. Abit unhealthy for his taste but well she is not an ordinary child.
Sanya opened her mouth and showed two cute, but sharp canines before biting into the meat, smearing the sauce all over her face. She had a blissful look on her face as she chewed the steak with vigor.
While this was happening, May was at the side using a handkerchief to wipe away the sauce on her face with a gentle look on her face. It felt like she had matured a bit and was focusing more on raising Sanya than seeking attention from Gran.
After getting her class, May had a slight shift in aura too. She was more reserved and calm, with the occasional flares of intense emotions.
Gran was not used to this new flavor but it was not like he did not like it. His attitude towards May had also softened as the pressure of finding ways to break through had lightened drastically.
"After eating, we should find somewhere to stay, you can bring Sanya out for some fun. I think I am ready to proceed with the next step." Gran said while wiping his mouth with a towel. They had just finished a meal that was fit for 6 people. This really was a family of monsters!
...
In another part of the city, on the first layer.
Dacol had the same idea as Gran as he tried dodging the cards that appeared from the gacha. But as expected, he was not as successful.
*Swish*
A silver card passed by and sunk into his chest just as he managed to dodge a bronze one.
'Ahh, shit. Didn't get the gold one again.' Dacol sighed in his heart as he peeked at the beautiful but cold woman sitting by the side. Ever since she had unlocked that flashy skill, he realized that she had changed a bit. She had talked less and was sometimes cold with her words. Moreover, as they hunted more monsters like those zombies and annoying rat types, she had become more beautiful too.
'Maybe my mind has been playing tricks on me.' He rubbed his tired face as he thought.
Unbeknownst to him, the cold beauty was currently stealing glances in his direction. Although she had indeed changed her character to adapt to the current world, part of the reason why she was so cold towards Dacol was just this.
'Oh, oh my, that was really cool. How can he be so handsome all of a sudden? Did he change along with the world?' Angelia had a slight blush which she immediately hid as she thought about how much her childhood friend had changed.
He had become more muscular due to the hunting, and also more handsome, for whatever reason.
She suddenly thought about the day they had embraced each other for a moment after the water donut monsters fought. It was from that moment that she had started really paying attention to his changes.
...
"I got a wristwatch that can detect monsters in a radius of 10 meters around me. Quite useful." Dacol was trying to raise the worth of his new reward in order to hide the fact that he had only gotten a silver card while she had managed to get a gold one.
"Yea, it is really helpful for a silver card, especially when we are resting at night." Angelia nodded earnestly, causing Dacol to blush in shame.
She then took out a golden ball, which she got from the golden card.
*
[Artifact]
[Rare]
[Ball of Fortune]
This ball had accumulated strands of fortune for years under the feet of the God of Fortune. It may sometimes help users detect a fortuitous encounter. It does not tell users about the risk involved, however.
*
'This, how do you use this?' Angelia sighed, feeling quite helpless. She did not know when it will work, or how it will work if it needs a trigger.
Putting the ball in her pocket, she stood up and got ready to leave. She and Dacol had decided to travel southwards they had relatives living near the central region.
The reason why they did not want to leave the city and head out to find their family is because the vegetation had overgrown to an insane degree, and as time passed in the apocalypse they were becoming worst, the roads were also no longer accessible.
The world had been taken over by dense jungles and the creatures that lurks within.
The cities was essentially isolated. They didn't feel like they could survive the journey.
...
Gran stood at the edge of the second city's ring. It was a beach made for the residents living on the second layer where there was a few kilometers of water spreading outwards. Beyond the body of water was the border defense responsible for safegaurding the airspcae of the city. They were the first line of defense for invading parties and the cage trapping anyone trying to escape the city from the second layer.
Lookng at the 'sea' that was in front of him, Gran sighed as he saw the faint outlines of destroyed military crafts that was on patrol when the apocalypse struck. In order to make the 'sea' feel real, and to make a giant moat in the air, the government had added some dangerous sea creatures that lives near the border.
What happened next was self explanatory.
Gran walked back to the beach house that they were currently occupying, only to see May and Sanya having an afternoon nap. A warm feeling spread through his body, something he was not familiar with.
He placed a hand on his heart, 'Interesting.'
Some habits never die it seems.
...
Gran placed a hand on Sanya's small body, which includes the onsie. They had tried taking it off when trying to give her a bath but found out that it was really part of her body. How strange. Water would not seep inside the onsie. It was also confirmed that she had no tail, and it wasn't just hiding away.
Gran used his mana sense to sense the internals of her body and found something interesting.
Her onsie was basically a soft 'carapace' that protects her body and normally mana do not flow through it. Sensing deeper , he felt a similar system of mana circuits May had, however, her circuits were glowing golden instead of the usual blue.
The energy in her body was also different from mana. It felt more powerful. He instantly knew that that was what he wanted to achieve.
'To think you would acquire it before me.' Gran smile gently as he caressed her head, elciitng a small smile from her sleeping face.
He left the mother daughter duo and sat on the porch, facing the sea.
Time to cultivate for real! Forward!
...
Docal and Angelia was stopped in their tracks, staring a the huge gate that lead towards the central area.
"Was it like this before? Why is it glowing?" Dacol asked Angelia, who gave him an equally confused face.
If Gran and family was here, they would definitely say a resounding: NO!
When the apocalypse descended, the city's defense system was triggered and high walls that separated the districts rose. The only way in and out was by going through a huge gate. Luckily it wasdetermined by the city's AI that it was not an outsider threat, and the city have not been breached, thus the gates were not closed.
Now, Dacol and Angelia had encountered a glowing gate. The gate was not closed but they could not see what was happening on the other side as it was pitch black.
"What do we do now Angelia?" Dacol turned to her and asked. She was becoming someone he had relied on.
"This could be a dungeon. Only thing is, whether we can clear it." She made an educated guess. She had some ideas on how mana worked now, and upon further discussing those ideas with Dacol, they had concluded that mana had something to do with transforming things in reality into their 'mana version', they called it.
'A door, leading to a new world. Yep it fits the theme.' Dacol agreed with Angelia's thoughts.
"I think we can try it, we have grown quite strong. Now our stats have gone all the way up to around 90ish to 100ish. We are definitely quite powerful now." Dacol said with anticipation in his voice.
Angelia silently agreed with his words. Besides, if they want to enter the central district, they had to clear this dungeon either way, or take the long route.
"Alright, I also think we can clear it. Let's buy some things from the shop first before we enter." Angelia nodded her head and gave a ore clear-headed response.
"Ahem, yea let's do that first." Docal said, clearly embarrassed by his brash display.
By the time they were done, they stood in front of the pitch black glowing gate again.
"Let's go." They both stepped towards the unknown. Forward!
Little do they know that survivors are not the only one that was able to enter this gate.