𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝟐3: 𝕮𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝖌𝖆𝖕 2
The world of Outwood dorm was failing barriers and cursed ones slipping in momentarily. We thought our conditions were bad, but the insides were even worse.
In the other dorms there were things called gaps. Every now and then places ignite with cursed energy and out of it forms a portal.
The portals are gateways to a passageway, as well as a cave or environment filled with cursed creatures that would evade themselves out of the portals after a long time and kill anyone who ventured to munch on them.
As a result, they faced the potential of cursed portals forming anywhere and at any time in these dormitories.
'I can imagine waking up and meeting a portal over my heard.... It creeps me out.'
So to protect the other dorms, the Cursed slayers are alerted to kill the beasts in the gateways.
After this the portals will shut down in hours and would crumble to nothingness.
So the Cursed slayers had groups to scavenge this gateways.
Communication in the other dorms was also unusual because they used phones and laptops to convey messages around. It was almost magical, but cooler and more bizarre.
Outwood dorm was left behind to shrug and die from stone age underdevelopment syndrome.
'I am glad I left that place.'
'I became a Cursed Slayer recently and with my group have already cleared four Cursed gaps....'
That was last week.
'But this week they aren't around to help and that's why I am going to run my missions all alone now....'
'This will help me to level up fast too.'
Hex promptly sprang up and stared brightly at the laptop on the tiny table in the center of the room. He read it's content.
'G-go to avenue lubos, the lib-rary?'
Hex despised all books save Manga, so reading this was a headache. 'If only I was sent to a cake store.'
Hex scoured his room, retrieving his gear. A dark hooded jacket of fine quality, leaving it open to show his white singlet within. Not to mention his best shoes and a little bag to contain all of the useful monster cores he could discover.
'Now that I'm done packing is there anything left?'
Hex looked bewildered for a while before turning to exit through the door.
Before he could do so, he felt an unsettling vibration in his pockets.
This urged him to shove his hand into it and extract it from his pockets.
'Uhm?'
He saw the contact details and immediately picked it.
"Hey bro, how's everything, I just heard you became a Cursed Slayer, I am so proud of you!"
Hex waited a brief second to take it all in. Normally he would yell at her for talking too much and being too energetic. This time he would let it slide. "Your voice seems older."
She giggled over the line, "it's been three years, I hope you have grown taller."
Hex smirked inwardly; she had already pestered him about his sluggish growth. Why would she have grown taller than him? Hex straightened his expression.
"Sorry sis but I can't talk now, I have work to do," Hex urged wrapping a hand on the knob of his door
"Heheheh! Is it always work with you? Don't push yourself too hard, you're the only one I have, you and Aunt Becca."
'Yes, Becca and I are the only family Chloe recognizes. I wish to give her more time to speak with me but I have limited time till Cursed ones start pumping out the gate.'
"Ok, Chloe make sure to study well for your exams," with that Hex cuts the call.
'Chloe was not a fighter like I was, she took great determination to being a doctor to also help people, though we aren't fighting the same battle, she is surely fighting against her exams.'
"I hope I get a lot of points from this gap to level up."
//Stars//
Hex stood in front of the big expanding blue gateway, next to a shelf of books. It appeared normal and was undoubtedly a blue gap.
It was the weakest gap, pathetic.
Though the gaps were all the same, the terrifying monsters inside varied.
Simple question: how would you distinguish between a weak and a powerful gap?
They differed from their varying colours.
'Somewhat baby-ish if you asked me....'
The blue gap was the weakest of the Cursed gaps, higher are the red, white, ash, and black, with the rainbow being the most hazardous.
The payments for clearing these gateways likewise varied substantially.
Because Hex was still a junior or new Cursed Slayer, he was only instructed to clear blue gates, which were the weakest.
The pay was roughly 10,000 coins. This would cover a poor child's expenses.
But for Hex, this was rarely sufficient.
His father had ceased paying for his living expenses, and the hotel he resided at cost 80000 coins every month.
An expensive taste that may result in financial hardship.
This did not sit well with Hex. He would have to work long hours, not to mention his other pressing needs. Especially food.
Because of the Phantom, he had to spend 5000 coins per week to compensate for his excessive eating.
Calculating a whole month made Hex swallow his spit ruefully.
'I have to get a better way to fund my bills....'
Hex considered how many gates he would have to close in a month to support himself. Over ten gaps!
A blue gap wasn't that substantial in nature or either frequent.
Sometimes four blue gaps would pop up a week around an area. Other times, none would.
He would end up living on the streets in a month if he shuttered only four.
Relocating to a smaller flat was out of the question. The apartment was where his mother usually stayed in whenever she was in that area.
He did not feel compelled to pay for it in order to live there, but he would do anything to maintain it as a memento of her presence.
Not to mention that the toilet is flushable. Cheaper apartment would have nonetheless pits.
Hex's sigh was plain and distressing. He had better stop wasting time and go back to work.
'Man, I hate working hard....'
If being a man required Hex to fend for himself so much, he would gladly regress to a child again.
In his previous life, he was pathetic and relied on his father to cover all expenses; now, being strong comes with a cost. Securing a future for himself.
Himph? Gahh!
The mumblings and annoying gasps of the library's two owners erupted from behind.
They had been hugging out and whimpering like a horror movie was playing out before their eyes.
'Men I hate the locals.'
As Hex approached the bizarre gateway, he became nervous by the sight of it. Perhaps it was because this was his first time entering a blue gap portal alone.
The monsters there were most likely below his level, but traveling alone meant he would not have someone to back him up. Being alone was scary too.
Well he couldn't do anything about that, the gate was right before him and he was pressed for cash.
'Maximum effort....'
Hex walked reluctantly into the portal, the sound of the outside world instantly fading out.
As he took the final step into the blue portal he appeared into a dark creepy cave passway.
It appeared to be like the insides of an anthill, only just man sized and much creepy.
It was also oozing Cursed ones' energy, which Hex could easily perceive like a sack of excrement passing through his nostrils.
The tunnel was slightly clearer, making it easier to detect the cave's interior. But with his sharp senses, he could already detect numerous Cursed ones approaching him.
{Bloodlust detected}
'So soon, I haven't even walked ten foot from the portal...'
𝕻𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖔𝖒 𝟐𝟑