The high-pitched siren echoed through the entire building, bouncing off the walls in an urgent, almost frantic rhythm.
For a fraction of a second, he stood still. Then, his senses sharpened.
He ignored the previous message by the veil.
"What now?" he muttered, his gaze flickering across the room as he instinctively scanned his surroundings.
The change in atmosphere was immediate. The calm of moments before was shattered, replaced by an urgent tension that crackled through the air like a live wire.
Outside, the hallways were in chaos. Awakeners were already on the move, some gripping weapons, others shouting hurried reports. Their expressions ranged from steely determination to outright unease, their hurried movements speaking volumes about the gravity of the situation.
Zhuo's eyes narrowed as he observed the patterns in their reactions, piecing things together in an instant.
"A gate."
It was the only logical conclusion. The only kind of crisis that would send the entire headquarters into such a frenzy.
As if to confirm his suspicions, the Veil Interface flickered into existence before him.
---
[Master] it intoned, its voice calm despite the chaos. [A gate is opening at coordinates— Sector 17, Grid 8A-46.]
---
Zhuo barely reacted to the information. He was still getting accustomed to the world's systems, but he knew that gates—portals leading to otherworldly realms filled with unknown dangers—were a constant threat.
Yet before he could inquire further, the Veil Interface continued.
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[Master, there appears to be a slight... complication.]
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Zhuo's gaze darkened slightly. "Elaborate."
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[The gate is classified as a Major Gate.]
---
The words landed with unexpected weight.
Zhuo's expression remained composed, but his mind turned sharply. He had been in this world for only a short time, long enough to understand that gates and rifts were a common occurrence. However, he had never inquired about their classifications.
The Veil, seemingly aware of his lack of knowledge, flickered before speaking again.
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[Master, I neglected to provide you with a proper breakdown of the gate rankings. Allow me to rectify that oversight now.]
---
Zhuo remained silent, listening.
The Veil Interface pulsed, and then its explanation began.
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[Gates are categorized into five ranks based on their level of threat and potential for destruction. Humans have named these classifications as follows: Minor, Intermediate, Major, Cataclysmic, and Apex.]
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1. Minor Gates
[Minor Gates are the most common. They appear frequently and pose little risk to established territories. A small, well-trained team of Awakeners can typically clear them without issue. Their emergence is considered a routine occurrence, and their threats are negligible—mostly weaker creatures, scattered anomalies, or localized spatial distortions.]
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2. Intermediate Gates
[Intermediate Gates are significantly rarer than Minor Gates but still manageable. They require experienced teams, often consisting of multiple parties working together. The creatures within these gates are considerably stronger, possessing abilities that demand tactical coordination and specialized countermeasures. Despite this, Intermediate Gates are not considered city-level threats unless left unchecked.]
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3. Major Gates
At this, the Veil Interface's glow dimmed slightly, as if acknowledging the gravity of the classification.
[Major Gates are a different matter entirely. According to human records, these gates emerge roughly once every decade. Their appearance is accompanied by widespread destruction and casualties. Unlike the lower-tier gates, Major Gates often manifest in or near populated areas, and the beings that emerge from them are considered disasters in their own right.]
[Entire guilds and elite military forces are mobilized when a Major Gate appears. Cities have fallen in the past due to failed containment efforts. These gates are categorized as 'high-priority threats' by global awakening authorities, and any delay in response could mean catastrophe.]
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4. Cataclysmic Gates
[Cataclysmic Gates are—by all definitions—a calamity. The last recorded Cataclysmic Gate opened over two hundred years ago, and its emergence rewrote the course of human history. The beings that spill forth from these gates do not simply threaten cities—they threaten nations. If not dealt with swiftly, they could bring entire civilizations to ruin.]
[It is said that the strongest awakeners of that era barely managed to contain the catastrophe. Even with their sacrifices, the scars left behind by that event still remain. Some areas of the world are still uninhabitable due to the lingering effects of that gate's devastation.]
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5. Apex Gates
There was a brief pause before the Veil Interface continued, its tone shifting to something... different.
[Apex Gates... According to human understanding, they do not exist.]
Zhuo's eyes flickered with interest.
---
"What do you mean, 'do not exist'?"
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[The concept of Apex Gates is treated as a horror myth. There has never been a recorded instance of an Apex Gate appearing in human history. Some scholars theorize that if such a gate were to emerge, its very existence would signify the end of everything.]
[A gate beyond the level of Cataclysmic? A rift in reality itself? If such a thing exists, humanity has no countermeasure.]
---
Zhuo tapped his fingers against his arm, deep in thought.
So that's how they classify them…
He had witnessed countless apocalyptic events across his lifetime—wars that shattered realms, beings that could annihilate civilizations with a single breath.
Compared to those horrors, a Major Gate barely registered as a threat to him.
And yet, to this world… it was disaster incarnate.
He exhaled slowly.
---
"Based on their reaction, it's safe to assume the gate at Sector 17 is a Major Gate, right?"
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The Veil Interface flickered.
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[Yes, Master.]
---
Zhuo ran a hand through his hair, his expression unreadable.
"How troublesome."
A decade since the last Major Gate, and now one appears mere moments after his return? Coincidence? Perhaps. But he had lived far too long to believe in coincidences.
This world's balance was already beginning to shift.
And whether he liked it or not…
He was at the center of it.