Let's continue with Chapter 2, where we start exploring the world and setting up the first arcs for the protagonist. He will begin to form a strategy, meet potential allies or enemies, and delve deeper into his goals.
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The adrenaline from the encounter still pulsed through his veins. As he leaned against the remnants of a wall, breathing heavily, his mind began to calm. The reality of his situation was finally settling in. He wasn't dreaming. This wasn't some strange coma-induced hallucination. He had been reincarnated into the world of The World Beyond Gates, a world that was as unforgiving as it was intriguing.
He stared at his status screen, the familiar blue text hovering before his eyes.
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Status:
Name: Unknown
Race: Human
Class: None
Level: 2
Attributes:
Strength: 6
Agility: 7
Endurance: 6
Mana: 6
Skills: None
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His stats had increased slightly after absorbing the mana stone, but he still felt incredibly vulnerable. If that had been a low-level gate beast, the stronger monsters would tear him apart without a second thought. He needed power—and quickly.
Think. He had read the novel. He knew the story's timeline, the characters, the locations of valuable resources. There was one advantage he had over everyone else in this world: he knew what was coming.
But that advantage wouldn't last forever.
He straightened, feeling the slight boost in strength coursing through his body. It was time to move. Staying in one place too long would attract more beasts, and he wasn't in any shape for another fight. He needed a safe zone—somewhere to regroup and gather information. If he remembered correctly, the closest city was Varian, a fortified human settlement built near the gates to act as a frontline defense.
That would be his destination.
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The journey to Varian was dangerous but uneventful. He kept a low profile, avoiding the broken roads and moving through the dense foliage that had reclaimed the ruined outskirts of the city. Occasionally, he spotted distant shapes—more beasts—but none ventured too close. His sword remained at his side, unused but ready.
As the sun began to set, the fortified walls of Varian came into view. Massive iron gates stood tall, guarded by men and women clad in worn but sturdy armor, their weapons at the ready. He watched from a distance, observing the process as a group of hunters returned from a successful gate-clearing mission, carrying sacks filled with beast parts and glowing mana stones.
"Perfect," he muttered. Varian was exactly as he remembered—a hub for those who risked their lives in the gates, trading their spoils for survival.
He approached the gate cautiously. A guard eyed him as he walked up, taking in his appearance—his simple armor, his unremarkable build.
"Traveler?" the guard asked, his voice gruff.
"I'm a wanderer," he replied, keeping his tone neutral. "Looking for a place to rest and some information."
The guard narrowed his eyes for a moment but then waved him through. "Don't cause any trouble."
Inside, Varian buzzed with life. Market stalls lined the streets, selling everything from weapons to potions, each glowing faintly in the dying light. People haggled, shouted, laughed—it was a strange contrast to the desolation outside the walls. Here, humanity clung to a sense of normalcy, even in the face of annihilation.
He headed straight for a small inn he recognized from the novel, The Iron Fang, known for being discreet and frequented by mercenaries. The barkeep, a burly man with a scarred face, nodded as he entered, not asking questions. He paid for a room and a meal with what little he found in his pockets and sat down in a corner to observe.
Information. I need information.
His knowledge of the novel could only take him so far. The novel was a guide, not a prophecy. There were details he couldn't predict—events that hadn't been written about, people whose fates hadn't been detailed.
He looked around the inn. There were a few notable faces he recognized from the story—minor characters who had gone on to become powerful figures later on. None of them were important enough for him to approach just yet.
But there was one person missing.
In the novel, Varian had been a temporary base for a young woman named Elara, a gate explorer who would later become one of the strongest gate clearers in the world. She had the ability to manipulate mana directly, shaping it into deadly attacks or defensive shields. If he could find her, perhaps he could secure an early ally—someone powerful enough to help him survive the coming storms.
Where is she?
He scanned the room, but she was nowhere to be found. Either she hadn't arrived yet, or the timeline was shifting. Either way, he couldn't wait around for things to fall into place.
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The next morning, he left the inn and headed toward the city's gate market. Here, hunters and explorers traded their finds, selling mana stones, relics, and other strange artifacts from the gates. He wandered through the stalls, taking in the sights, but something caught his attention—something that shouldn't have been there yet.
A small, shimmering pendant sat at the corner of one stall. Its surface glowed faintly with a soft blue light, and as he stared at it, memories from the novel surged forward. This pendant… it was a Mana Conduit, a rare artifact that could enhance mana control, allowing its wearer to regenerate mana faster and increase its potency.
But in the novel, this pendant had only been discovered years later, deep within a high-level gate.
"What's this?" he asked the vendor casually.
"Found it near one of the gates outside the city," the merchant replied, eyeing him suspiciously. "You know what it is?"
He hesitated. If he showed too much interest, the price would skyrocket. But he couldn't let this slip away. This item could give him an edge in the early stages of his growth.
"I've seen similar ones. They're not worth much. How about 50 copper?" he offered, feigning disinterest.
The merchant frowned but eventually shrugged. "Fine. 50 copper. Take it or leave it."
He paid and pocketed the pendant, his mind racing. This world was already showing signs of diverging from the novel he knew. Items were appearing earlier, and that could mean any number of things—new opportunities or new dangers.
But one thing was clear: if he wanted to survive, if he wanted to ascend, he had to be ready for anything.
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End of Chapter 2
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In this chapter, we've introduced the protagonist's new environment in Varian and planted the seeds for future plot developments with the discovery of the Mana Conduit and the search for Elara. The protagonist's quick thinking and knowledge of the novel world are helping him gain early advantages, but the deviations in the timeline hint at unpredictable dangers ahead.