As the van traversed the roads leading to the C-rank gate, Arlo kept his gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the window. The further they ventured from the centre of London, the clearer the deterioration became.
Collapsed buildings and crumbling roads littered the landscape, the people who inhabited these areas were those struck by poverty. Their faces, pale and gaunt, bore the weight of their daily struggle for survival. The hollow look in their eyes spoke volumes about the hardships they endured.
'It's been a while since I've been out of the habitation zone...' Arlo mused, his thoughts drifting as he absorbed the bleak surroundings.
This was the harsh reality that awaited those who couldn't afford the relative safety and comfort of living near the center of London.
Businesses were scarce in these areas, and the air was thick with pollution. It was as if the government had turned a blind eye and forsaken it. The lack of attention and resources was hardly surprising, given the high risk of gates manifesting in these areas.
And when gates did appear in these areas, they were often at the bottom of the priority list for hunters. Both the association and guilds focused their efforts on dealing with portals that emerged closer to the centre of London where the habitation zones were.
This pattern repeated itself in other major cities across England. The further one ventured from the centers, the more prevalent the slums became. These non-habitable areas were afflicted by very high mortality rates, and it wasn't uncommon to encounter monsters roaming freely, the result of gates left unattended for far too long.
"You seem focused on what's outside. Does it bother you?" Alexander asked, his voice cutting through Arlo's thoughts as he sat comfortably in the front of the van.
"Yeah... but I'm already used to seeing it," Arlo replied, his gaze still fixed on the world beyond the window. "I was just thinking about how fortunate I am that my family hasn't ended up like them."
Argus chimed in, his tone tinged with a hint of surprise. "Your family is alive? That's pretty fortunate. A lot of people lost their families after the gates first emerged."
"Not exactly," Arlo clarified. "My actual family died when the gates first emerged too. I'm talking about my adopted family."
At the start of the gates' appearance a decade ago, countless people had lost their loved ones. Orphans being taken in by adoptive families had become a common occurrence.
"Hmm, so you got adopted after you lost your family. You're just like Arlene," Argus remarked.
At the mention of her name, Arlene tore her gaze away from the window and fixed Argus with a piercing glare.
"I don't recall allowing you to disclose my personal information like that." she snapped.
"Right, right. Sorry about that~" Argus apologized, his tone nonchalant.
His half-hearted apology only seemed to fuel Arlene's annoyance, but instead of engaging further, she crossed her arms and returned her attention to the passing scenery outside the window. Argus's ability to navigate her temper was impressive.
'So her circumstances are similar to mine... How did her attitude end up being so shitty?' Arlo pondered, his gaze lingering on Arlene's profile.
As if sensing his stare, Arlene whipped her head around, her eyes locking with Arlo's. "What?" she demanded, her voice sharp.
"...Nothing." Arlo responded, averting his gaze back to the window.
Moments later, the car came to a halt, signaling their arrival at their destination. They had parked in front of a cordoned-off area, the words "off limits" prominently displayed on the tape that surrounded the site.
Two armed men stood at attention, guarding the perimeter. Dressed in black uniforms, their faces obscured by masks, they bore badges that proudly displayed their affiliation with the hunters' organization. Specialized rifles rested in their hands, a silent warning to any who dared to trespass.
Behind them, a large, circular portal pulsed with an eerie red glow. It hovered in the air, its size similar to that of two massive doors.
'So that's a C-rank gate...' Arlo mused, gazing at it.
As previously mentioned, gates were graded by ranks, and to determine a gate's rank, the quality and quantity of energy it emitted had to be calculated using specialized sensors. The higher the energy level measured, the higher the rank attributed to the gate.
However, a simpler method of discerning a gate's rank was by observing its size. The higher the rank, the larger the gate's dimensions.
Arlo's gaze shifted from the imposing portal to the small energy sensor placed on the ground just in front of it. The device consisted of a compact, wide box with antennas and sensors aimed directly at the gate. On the screen affixed to its front, a digital letter 'C' glowed, confirming the gate's classification.
'Yeah, there's no mistaking it. It's a C-rank gate,' Arlo concluded, his eyes lingering on the display.
While Arlo had been focused on the gate, Argus had already presented his hunter's ID and access permission on his phone screen, granting the group clearance to proceed. Before heading to the site, however, the team gathered their gear from the back of the van.
Alexander's weapon had remained securely fastened to his hip throughout the entire car ride. He stood patiently, waiting for the others to retrieve their equipment.
Liam's weapon of choice was a massive, reinforced steel shield. Its shape resembled a standard pentagon, but its size was far from ordinary, standing at approximately a meter tall.
Lastly, Arlene armed herself with a sleek, black high-tech bow, its specialized arrows nestled within a closed quiver. Arlo found himself surprised by the fact that she was both an archer and a healer, but an even greater concern nagged at his mind.
'Why use a bow instead of an energy rifle? Archers are a rare sight nowadays, as the power generated by a bow pales in comparison to that of a gun...' Arlo pondered, his brow furrowed in contemplation.
As he stood there, lost in thought, Argus tapped him on the shoulder, jolting him back to the present. Arlo turned to face his leader, only to find him holding out a large pickaxe in one hand and an even larger carrier bag in the other.