Cough! Cough!
Savitar groaned. He slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurred. Savitar winced softly, he felt intense pain.
His ankles were sprained.
Seconds later. He broadened his eyes, shocked beyond doubts. Savitar found himself standing in a ruined world.
"Where am I?" Savitar questioned.
His gaze tilted. Watching the eerie waves brushed passed his face, his curly hair became disheveled.
Savitar lifted his head, staring into the sky. He could see the deep, foreboding crimson hue spread across the sky. Like a warning sign of impending doom.
The sky was a dull, crimsoned haze, casting a toxic glow over the ruined landscape.
Savitar brought down his gaze to see himself standing at the outskirt of a ruined city.
The city's once-magestic skyscrapers now stood as skeletal sentinels, their windows shattered, and steel beams twisted and tangled.
Crumbling buildings, overgrown with vines and moss, seemed to lean in, as if sharing a secret in a hushed desperate tone.
The streets were empty, littered with debris, and silence hung heavy over the city like a shroud.
Abadoned cars, rusting and still, lined the streets, a testament to the city's former life.
"Where the hell am I?" Savitar asked himself.
Unlike his own world. There were no such things like skyscrapers. Compared to his world, this is a more advanced civilization.
But now it's nothing but desolate.
Savitar took a step forward, he could be seen walking through the void streets.
Vines crawled up buildings, as if trying to claim the city back for nature. Trees sprouted through the cracked sidewalks, their branches tangled in a mess of wires and debris.
Savitar coughed.
The air was thick with an eerie silence, punctuated only by the distant rumble of thunder or the creaking of twisted metal.
Shadows seemed to move of their own accord, casting an air of unease over the desolate landscape.
A thick, grey haze hung over the city, casting a toxic pallor over everything.
Savitar exhaled, breathing in the poisonous air.
He felt his stomach ache, and each passing second did he feel nauseous.
He walked out of a street, entering into another street. The crunch of broken glass and gravel beneath his feet echoed through the deserted streets.
The air was thick with the acid smell of smoke and decay, making his eyes water.
Savitar coughed.
He navigated through the rubble-strewn streets, dodging fallen power lines and shattered streetlights.
The buildings seemed to loom over him, their shattered windows like empty eyes staring back.
The streets were a maze of debris, with abandoned cars and twisted wreckage blocking his path.
Savitar stumbled upon a piece of paper, his curiousity got the best of him and he bent his back down.
He grabbed the paper, revealing it to be a newspaper.
Since he knows how to read and write. He could understand everything.
"Just now, I was about to get my ass eating by the Hermagodon. I guess I gave up early and died"
"But what exactly is this world I found myself in" Savitar asked himself.
He read the content on the newspaper.
' A tragedy has befallen humanity. With the last of us still remnant in this world, we pray that our gods grants us rest'
'The third great cataclysm swept clean our cities and plunged humanity into near extinction'
'Report. The east and the west has been conquered by Nightmares. Our people are being served as meats to this grotesque monsters of hell'
'We pray the north strive until the end'
'As we fight to the end. We pray salvation and hope befalls our next generation'
'At last we're reaching our very end'
Savitar paid keen attention to the details on the newspaper he read. He sensed movements behind him.
He opened down to the last page, reading the last content written with closing remark.
'The end has come. The god of death has won!'
"What the hell happened in this world and what is the third great cataclysm?" Savitar asked.
"A hundred years ago. The great cataclysm erupted, nearly driving humanity into extinction"
"We were massacred and devoured so insanely that we needed to awaken, a gift that gave us the power to slaughter this Nightmares"
"Are you telling me this is a world where the great cataclysm won?"
"Is this the future or an alternate reality?" Savitar thought.
He coughed again.
He clenched his katana, not letting it out of his hand.
"Wait. Isn't that a date?" Savitar asked. He saw a date written on the edge of the newspaper "
His eyes widened in shock.
"I don't know how time works here but this is year 6000 BSE. This is ten thousand years into the future" Savitar exclaimed.
[Congrats. You have passed the first trial, you have solved the first mystery. You will be rewarded ]
A newly structured window system appeared before him.
Grey in color. This puzzled Savitar.
"Explorer 2.0?" Savitar asked.
[Negative. The Explorer 2.0 is an outdated version of Cariburn Chip. I'm Sentry 201, your new artificial intelligence ]
"Sentry 201?" Savitar asked.
[That's correct. Since the Explorer 2.0 comes from an outdated time, created by the Empire ten thousand years ago]
[Since it could not withstand the capacity of this timeline. It had to be deleted, and I'm a nano advanced Cariburn Chip]
Sentry 201 explained.
"Argghhh"
"I have zero idea what's going on here and it's killing me. Am I really ten thousand years into the future? I read it in the newspaper "
"This is year 6000 BSE, exactly ten thousand years into the future. Am I in the future?"
Savitar asked.
[Yes. That's correct, although I'm currently limited as to how many informations and the sensitive level of informations I can share with you]
[I can only tell you the things I'm permitted to tell you]
Sentry 201 explained.
"I have a question. How did I get here?" Savitar asked. That's the very essential quest he needs answers to.
There's no way he could just spawn into the future without even having any quality skill or powers.
[You appeared here the second your skill was activated]
Sentry 201 explicated.
"What? My skill? Isn't it useless?" Savitar asked.
[Negative. The Skill: Dimensional Gatekeeper is an SSS rank Skill]
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck"
"I know it's an SSS rank skill but it has no offensive abilities neither does it have defensive abilities "
"In the sense. It basically useless" Savitar said.
[Negative. You're the gatekeeper who guards the gate, although it has no offensive properties nor defensive properties ]
[It grants you the ability to travel through space and time]
[The laws of time and reality are far sinuous for ordinary humans to comprehend]
Sentry 201 elucidated.
"Huh? So it's a spatial type skill huh? Then why is it class sentry not spatial class?" Savitar asked.
[That is because it's not a spatial class skill. Your skill grants you the ability to open the gates]
[You are the sentry who guards the gate]
Sentry 201 explained.
Savitar's eyes twitched for a second.
"Huh? What the fuck are you even talking about? Your explanations are so vague. I don't understand a single shit"
"Care to clarify?" Savitar asked.
[Negative. You're unqualified to receive further informations, only when you level up will a little portion of unrestricted access of knowledge be given to you]
"Tch"
"This really sucks mehn. But can I return back to my original timeline?" Savitar asked.
[Certainly. You're the gatekeeper, you can return when you want]
Sentry 201 explained.
"Good, get me out of this shithole" Savitar commanded.
[Negative. The second the gates were locked, you're not permitted to leave without completing a single task]
[This is essential for the growth of the gatekeeper ]
[Once you return to your original world. That which you left behind awaits your return]
Sentry 201 explained.
"What? So you're telling me is that I'm trapped in this land?" Savitar asked.
[Until you complete your task. Yes]
"Tsk"
"This is really troublesome but from the explanation of this Cariburn Chip. The Hermagodon awaits me"
"If I return in this state. I'll surely die, it's too early for me to die"
"I haven't destroyed the Empire yet" Savitar muttered.
He stayed silent for a few seconds.
"Sentry 201" Savitar called out.
[Yes?]
"Can I really level up?" Savitar asked.
[That's correct. You're the Dimensional Gatekeeper, your dimensional influence is unrivaled]
[With each completed task. You will level up and not only that, You're authorized to hoard the spoils of your kills]
[the world has become corrupted and Humanity has been driven into extinction]
[You're the only living mortal in this world. Everything belongs to the gatekeeper ]
[You just need to claim it and cleanse this world of its filth]
Sentry 201 explained.
[Would you like to begin a mission?]
Sentry 201 questioned.
"Huh? Now? Isn't it too early?" Savitar asked.
[No. the gatekeeper can begin his daily mission at any time he pleases ]
"Oh? But is it ok to start now?" Savitar asked.
[Definitely. The earlier the better]
"Very well then. I'll be starting my very first mission or task now" Savitar stated.
[Permission received]
[Registering gatekeeper's data]
[Name: Savitar Stormhound]
[Current age: 19]
[Skill Name: Dimensional Gatekeeper]
[Skill Class: Sentry]
[Skill Rank: SSS]
[Starlight Output: 5%]
~
[Updated Physical Stat]
[Strength: 5sxp]
[Speed: 5sxp]
[Intelligence: 5sxp]
[Trait: Unregistered]
[Vitality: 5sxp]
[Starlight Ordinance: 0sxp]
[Cursed Weapon: Amano Kitshugi]
[Registration Completed]
Savitar could see all informations displayed on the enlarged grey colored window screen which appeared before his eyes.
Savitar noticed his name.
"Savitar Stormhound? What the hell is Stormhound?" Savitar asked.
[Report. I'm unauthorized to answer]
"Tch"
"Then what about sxp? What the hell is that?" Savitar asked.
[Sxp is the abbreviation of Soul Experience Points. This is what you will obtain each time you slay a certain Nightmare, complete the task or level up]
[With soul experience point. You can increase your stat effortlessly]
Sentry 201 revealed.
"Ah I see…..but to think you were able to even identify my cursed weapon. Do you know what is it?" Savitar asked.
[I'm a future generation artificial intelligence. Comparing me with the outdated technology of ten thousand years ago is an insult]
Sentry 201 bragged.
[And I'm not authorized to answer that question]
Sentry 201 added.
"Tsk. Too many restrictions, it looks like I need to level up if I must gain access to unrestricted informations" Savitar thought.
Savitar was left in a state of shock when a cerulean colored holographic dome covered the entirety of the city he exist in.
[Overdrive complete. You will be transported into the Index Virus]
"Eh? The what now?"
Savitar questioned. Seconds later, his signature was erased from this world.
Savitar found himself descending down from the sky. He felt the intense pressure seeping into his skin.
Savitar screamed. Overwhelmed with fear.
He tumbled down from the sky with heavy thud, his limbs contorted as a result of the tenacious crash.
Savitar groaned, he slowly got up from the ground he crashed on.
He was left stunned when he saw himself climed enclosed by endless horde of eyeless Nightmares.
Their snarls erupted. Screeches filled the air.
Eyeless monsters of different horrendous forms and shapes fenced him. Making sure they were no escape routes for him.
"What the hell?" Savitar exclaimed. Clenching unto the saya of the katana he held. He needed to lock in.
His eyes flickered when a grey illuminating system appeared before his eyes.
[You have received your mission]
[Deep within the domain of the fallen Siztech City exist a treasure. Defeat and destroy the Nightmares in your way]
[The map of the City has been added into your inventory]
[Faith is the substance of things not seen but things hoped for ]
[Hunt down that treasure and make it yours]
[It will be your guide into the realms of the first chronicle]