Eric felt like a beached fish, gasping on foreign land. The silver-haired Sealer's eyes, which he now realized were as deep an ocean blue, pierced him like icy daggers. He stood tall, clutching his useless knife, trying not to visibly tremble.
"I... I'm Eric," he stammered, his voice hoarse. "A Tier F Sealer. I... I took a mission from a dark forum to purify this Gate. I saw you in danger and..." Eric stopped. Explaining throwing a rock sounded ridiculous and embarrassing.
The woman crossed her arms over her chest, her blue spear vanishing in a flash of light, likely returning to her Gift dimension. She scanned Eric from head to toe, her eyebrow rising slightly at the sight of his dirty high school uniform and worn backpack. The expression on her face remained unchanged, cold and emotionless.
"Dark forum," she repeated, her voice flat yet piercing. "And you came alone to a Gate with a Tier E Dominus inside? With just a knife?" There was a faint mocking tone in her question, which made Eric feel even smaller.
"I... I just wanted to try," Eric replied, his face flushing. "I'm Tier F. I didn't have any other choice."
Silence once again enveloped them, broken only by the soft rustle of wind among the strange trees in the Gate dimension. Eric braced himself for a burst of anger or scorn, perhaps even a threat of arrest for violating protocol. He was just a foolish Tier F.
To Eric's surprise, however, the woman wasn't angry. Instead, she let out a small laugh, a low, almost inaudible sound that nonetheless echoed in Eric's ears. It wasn't a laugh of mockery, but more like a dry, amused chuckle.
"A Tier F. Taking missions from dark forums," she said again, this time with a slightly different, intrigued tone. "And you threw a rock at a Tier E Dominus to warn me?"
Eric looked down, ashamed. "I didn't know what else to do. That's all I could think of."
The woman stepped closer, circling Eric slowly, like a predator observing its prey. Eric could feel her powerful aura, as if the entire world around her submitted to her. "Your Gift's name?"
"Adaptive Catalyst," Eric answered.
The woman's eyebrow rose again, this time a little higher. "Adaptive Catalyst. I've never heard of such a Gift. Your stats must be hidden, as usual." She stopped in front of Eric, and for the first time, Eric could see her face clearly. Her skin was pale and flawless, her features sharp yet perfect, and her blue eyes truly sparkled like polished gems, radiating undeniable intelligence and power. A small mole beneath her left eye added a touch of elegance to her perfect face.
"My name is Seraphina," she said, her voice now slightly softer, though still authoritative. "Tier A Sealer, Gift 'Wind Cleaver'."
Seraphina. The name resonated in Eric's mind. He had heard it before. She was one of the most promising young Sealers in the Western Division, known for her brutal efficiency in clearing Tier A Gates. A minor legend among young Sealers.
"Thank you for your warning," Seraphina continued, her tone now completely neutral, even a hint of curiosity. "Though foolish, it was effective. I should not have let my guard down."
Eric felt a slight relief, yet was still confused by the woman's reaction. "What... what will you do now? I can leave."
Seraphina did not answer directly. She walked toward the small Gate that had been the Dominus's source, extending her hand. Blue energy flowed from her, enveloping the Gate, and in a few seconds, the Gate shrank, shimmered, and then disappeared completely, leaving only empty air.
"The Gate is purified," Seraphina said, turning to face Eric again. "Of course, you can leave. However..." She paused, her eyes staring at Eric intently. "A Tier F who enters a Tier E Gate alone, manages to kill Aberrations, then throws a rock to save a careless Tier A... You are... an intriguing anomaly."
Eric's heart pounded again, this time not from fear, but from a faint flicker of hope. What did she mean?
"I cannot pay you for this mission, as I am not the sender," Seraphina continued, her tone reverting to cold and professional. "But I will report you to the Awakening Center. For your foolish bravery, and the fact that you managed to return alive from a Gate you should not have entered alone."
Eric immediately felt deflated. Reported to the Awakening Center? That could mean a permanent ban from being a Sealer, or even detention.
However, Seraphina smiled faintly, the first smile Eric had seen on her lips. It wasn't a warm smile, more like a predatory smirk, yet on her cold face, it felt like a burst of light.
"Of course, my report will state that you provided unexpected assistance in the Gate's purification," she added. "Perhaps they will give you a 'bravery bonus' enough to at least cover your fare home. And perhaps, just perhaps, they will give you one more chance for a supervised official mission."
Eric's eyes widened. Another chance? That was something he thought he would never get. He would get one more official mission, a supervised one, which meant he could get back on the right track.
"But you should know this," Seraphina continued, her voice serious again, her smile gone. "If you keep hunting Gates illegally and carelessly like this, you will die. And I hate to see unusual talent die in vain, no matter how small or strange it is."
"I understand," Eric said, nodding quickly. Relief flooded him.
"Good then," Seraphina said, stepping past him. "Follow me. We will return through the Shattered Gate to the nearest exit point. And don't you dare be a burden."
Eric, though somewhat stunned, immediately followed Seraphina's brisk pace. The woman walked with absolute certainty, as if the Aberration dimension was her own backyard. Eric realized he had just survived his first Gate, not only that, he had also gained a second chance, and a "reprimand" from one of the strongest Tier A Sealers.
And he couldn't help the strange thought that flashed through his mind: She... she's terrifying, but also... somehow... intriguing.
The journey back through the Shattered Gate felt faster than Eric's entry. Perhaps it was because he was now walking beside Seraphina, a Tier A Sealer who radiated an undeniable aura of authority and power. The woman walked calmly, her spear reappearing in her hand occasionally to cut down the few remaining Aberrations in their path—Aberrations Eric himself would barely have been able to defeat. Eric simply followed, feeling like an obedient puppy, wary of every movement and expression on Seraphina's cold face.
When they finally stepped out of the pulsating green light, back into the dilapidated factory complex in Sector 7 District, the Altair City night air felt colder, but also, somehow, cleaner. The Gate behind them shrank and vanished, like the Dominus Seraphina had purified earlier.
"Come," Seraphina said curtly, without turning her head. She began walking towards the main road, leaving the debris and the foul smell of another dimension behind. Eric hurried to catch up, his body aching and tired after his brief battle.
The journey back was silent. Seraphina didn't utter a single word. Eric himself was too nervous to start a conversation. He stole glances at Seraphina. Even in the dim light of the broken streetlights, the Sealer's beauty was evident. Her long silver hair moved lightly with every step, and her silhouette was so graceful. Eric laughed to himself inwardly. On one hand, he had just escaped mortal danger and faced one of the strongest Sealers in their division. On the other, his brain was still that of an 18-year-old mesmerized by a beautiful girl.
They arrived at the edge of a busier road. Several drone taxis hovered in the distance. Seraphina stopped beneath a flickering streetlight.
"Your Sealer device," she said, extending her hand. "I need to send a report."
Eric fumbled in his pocket, pulling out the digital bracelet every Sealer wore. Seraphina took it, activated its screen, and quickly typed a few lines of code and text. Eric caught a glimpse of his name appearing on the screen, next to the words "Tier F." It felt so humiliating.
"The report has been sent. You will receive a notification from the Awakening Center tomorrow morning," Seraphina said, handing the device back to him. "They will take care of the bonus and the supervised mission opportunity I mentioned."
"Th-thank you, Seraphina-san," Eric said, feeling awkward. He didn't know how to react to this unexpected kindness.
Seraphina merely gave a small nod. "Don't thank me before you see the results. But you're lucky. Next time, don't act so foolishly. You almost died."
"I know," Eric looked down.
"Good then," Seraphina turned. An empty drone taxi hovered closer, as if summoned by her. "I must go. Remember my words, Eric Jenson. Tier F can mean death if you're not careful."
She stepped into the drone taxi. Before the door closed, she turned her head slightly towards Eric, her blue eyes shining on him for a moment with an expression that was hard to decipher—a mix of warning, curiosity, and something almost like... faint hope. Then the taxi door closed, and the drone sped away, disappearing into the night.
Eric was left alone on the roadside, the scent of waste and the shadows of the vanished Gate still lingering in his senses. He felt his scratched arm, the real pain of it. But beneath that pain, there was a wave of pride and relief. He had made it. He had survived his first Gate, defeated Aberrations, and even inadvertently helped a Tier A Sealer.
He pulled out his phone again. The mission notification from the dark forum now showed "Completed" status and "Confirmed" payment. His bank account balance surged. A total of 1,500,000 Gilt! That was a huge amount of money for him. He had defeated three Tier F Aberrations. Three.
Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind. He had killed three. His Gift needed ten Aberrations to ascend to Tier E.
Eric looked around. The night was still young. And he had enough money to buy some basic equipment. No high-tier Sealers cared about remote Tier F Gates. He could search for another Gate on the dark forums.
A new drive possessed him. A hunger for power. A hunger to prove himself. Not just to others, but to the [Adaptive Catalyst] within him.
He began to walk, his steps feeling lighter than before. He wasn't heading home. He was walking towards a 24-hour Sealer supply store he knew of. Maybe he could buy better protective gear, or even a spare knife.
As he walked, Eric decided to try something. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation of the [Adaptive Catalyst] within him. The faint hum now felt slightly clearer, a little stronger, like small ripples in a calm pond. He couldn't see his stats, but he could feel it. There was a change. Small, barely perceptible, but present.
He smiled faintly. This was just the beginning. The journey to break the Tier F curse. The journey to prove that his [Adaptive Catalyst] was an anomaly that would change everything. And who knew, maybe he would meet Seraphina again. Or other goddesses who would somehow be drawn into the chaos of his life.