I stepped out of the gate, the cool mountain air brushing against my face. The glow from the Metallic Gate was fading, its once-brilliant carvings dimming to a dull shimmer. I turned around to look at it—my chance, my miracle, and, honestly, my greatest fear all wrapped into one.
The gate loomed behind me, tall and silent now, like it was watching me. It had taken me in, pushed me to my limits, and spat me back out. I survived. No one dies in the gates, sure, but that didn't make the experience any less harrowing.
Ahead of me, Antipolo City stretched across the mountain slopes, its skyscrapers and monorails glittering like stars. From here, you couldn't see the struggles or the compromises that kept this place running, but they were there.
I adjusted my bag and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Gale's probably losing it by now," I muttered, thinking of her. She always worried too much. I couldn't blame her—not when I hadn't even worked up the courage to propose yet. Not when money was always tight.
---
As I walked down the trail from the gate, I found myself thinking back to the experience inside.
The gates weren't just challenges—they were tutorial dungeons, places designed to awaken a person's latent potential. No one dies inside. That was one of the few comforting truths about them. But the experience of survival? That was a different story.
Inside the dungeon, you were alone. Each challenge felt tailored to you, like the gate itself was alive and watching your every move.
There were four trials in total:
1. The Physical Trial tested your strength and endurance.
2. The Mental Trial pushed your logic and problem-solving skills.
3. The Spiritual Trial forced you to confront your fears and doubts.
4. The Final Trial was all about survival—how long you could last against an unrelenting wave of pressure.
The dungeon didn't just test you—it evaluated you. It judged your potential, your skills, your limits. And when it was done, it assigned you a rank, from F to S.
Even though no one died inside, the experience left a mark. It forced you to look at yourself, to face who you were and what you could become. And for me? The gate decided I was Rank S.
---
I wasn't old enough to remember the world before the gates. I was only seven when they appeared. But I'd heard the stories, the panic that gripped humanity when the gates and the calamity arrived together.
It wasn't just the gates—it was the energy, the Mana and Qi, that flooded the world. People changed. Animals mutated. Entire landscapes transformed into Malice Zones.
"Not all gates are created equal," he thought.
The first time the gates appeared, all of them activated simultaneously:
Wood Gates stayed open for three days. This is the most common gate that are scattered across rural areas. Their challenges were simple, and their rewards modest—a starting point for those desperate to awaken.
Stone Gates remained for six days. Fewer in numbers than the Wood Gates, offered greater rewards. Some can be found in cities and some can be found in open areas, they required sharper wits and stronger bodies to survive.
Metallic Gates like this one stayed open for nine days. They were the rarest and most hardest but if you have luck or the ability to conquer the trials that it provides, your life will turn 180 degrees.
When they first appeared, no one understood them. Thousands of people entered out of desperation. What they found inside wasn't just a challenge—it was hope. The gates awakened humanity's latent abilities, turning ordinary people into awakeners capable of fighting back against the chaos.
Even now, decades later, no one knew exactly where the gates came from. Theories ranged from alien technology to celestial relics. For me, it didn't matter. What mattered was what they gave me—a chance to change everything.
---
Antipolo City wasn't just a place—it was now a fortress. Built along the slopes of the Sierra Madre, it was one of the few cities that thrived after the calamity. Its position high on the mountain gave it natural protection against Malice Zones.
The Metallic Gate at the peak turned it into a hub of power and influence. Skyscrapers climbed the slopes like vines, their steel and glass reflecting the light of digital billboards. Monorails wove between them, connecting districts with mechanical precision.
I glanced at the residential zones further down, where neon lights flickered above crowded streets. Life here wasn't cheap. I'd spent years scraping by, doing whatever it took to stay close to the gate. Rent was sky-high, food even more so, but it didn't matter. If the gate hadn't activated before I turned thirty,
"My life would have only been wasted," I muttered, shaking my head.
---
I stopped for a moment, looking out over the city. Beyond its edges, where the light faded, the distant Malice Zones stretched like scars across the landscape.
The Philippines wasn't what it used to be. Before the calamity, we had 18 regions. Now, we were down to 12. The rest were lost, swallowed by Malice Zones where no one dared to tread.
Each of the surviving regions was now heavily influenced by one of the 12 Saints. They called it "guidance." I called it something else.
"Typical," I muttered to myself, bitterness creeping into my tone. "This country's always been good at being someone else's playground. First colonizers, then invaders, and now foreign Saints."
Not that the Philippines Hunter Association (PHA) was much better. They technically governed the country, but their power was tenuous at best. The Saints hovered like vultures, hungry for resources and influence.
"It's a game of chess," I thought, my lips curling into a bitter smile. "The Saints are the kings and queens. Philippines is the board. The PHA are only the Knights, Rooks and Bishops. And the rest of us? Pawns, if we're lucky."
---
A sharp voice pulled me from my thoughts.
"Excuse me."
I turned to see a man in a sleek uniform, the insignia of the Hunter Association gleaming on his chest. He had the professional look of someone who'd been doing this job for years.
"Congratulations on surviving the gate," he said, nodding toward the dormant structure behind me. "You're now one of the awakened. Come with me to register your results."
For a moment, I didn't respond. My gaze lingered on the city below, its lights flickering like fireflies in the dark. Gale's face flashed in my mind. She'd be waiting for me.
Finally, I nodded and stepped forward, following the officer.
One step at a time, I thought. First, I play their game. Then, I change the rules.
---