Chapter 33: Rank 1 Gate

As Pierre started the next stage, Roy sat back and watched the events unfold with a resigned expression.

“My goodness, it’s been a long day,” he muttered and continued thinking.

The Performance Ratings Module was designed for fishing out the level with the hidden quest or boss. But Roy only earned 20 error points for levelling up, and the code he injected into Pierre’s system already cost 5 error points, and the level’s performance rating cost 10.

So at the moment, Roy had five error points left.

Pierre kept on going up in levels until he reached Level 10 and couldn’t save the Class Rep, Yoshida Aiko. And hence, failed again.

“But what the hell was that bullshit? So it wasn’t worth it in the end,” Pierre said with a frustrated sigh.

Right when he was told by his system that he failed to clear the stage, Roy injected another code with the remaining five error points.

Pierre’s panel glitched, and the writing broke through once again.

» Ɨ ΔΜ ŞŦƗŁŁ Ħ€Ř€. «

Pierre’s eyes and expression were a mix of shock, awe, and even anger. He yelled, “What the hell are you?!”

However, the LOVE.exe environment came crumbling down for Roy, and Pierre was ejected from his world as his sign-in session ended.

A few seconds later, Roy appeared back in the toilet stall of the APC.

“Heh… I’m messing with his mind,” he said with a chuckle. Although there was little progress, he found joy in frustrating Pierre.

’And, it’s not all negative. At least, now I know for sure that Level 7 has nothing hidden.’

Roy washed his hands and came out of the toilet, gently tapping his stomach, acting as though Mother Nature had been after his life.

“…It doesn’t let me focus.”

“Music is life. How can you—” Donny was saying something to Abraham when he heard Roy enter the front area of the vehicle.

“Roy, what were you doing in there for so long? It’s been over an hour,” Donald said.

A guilty smile appeared on Roy’s face.

“Oh, I was… uh… well…”

Donald looked down at Roy’s left hand. And seeing him holding his mobile device, Donald just turned away while saying, “Never mind.”

Roy’s eyes widened in horror. “W-Wait! That’s not it—”

“Don’t worry. I understand.”

Donny gave Roy a thumbs-up and tried to hide his laughter.

Roy just shook his head and sat in the middle chair, which was further back compared to the driver and front passenger seats. The captain of a raid party sat here.

A weird song was playing in the vehicle, so Roy questioned, “What the hell is this bullshit?”

“Ask your brother,” Master Abe said, busy watching various camera footage.

“Bullshit? What do you know about music?” Donny raised an eyebrow and held a smug expression.

Roy ignored Donald and was more curious about what Master Abraham busied himself with.

“Master, what are you watching?”

Master Abraham wore a solemn, casual look, quite focused on sifting through the moving footage.

“I sent out a few drones to scan for structural weaknesses in the buildings and roads around the gate. I am also mapping out the best areas for attack and defense, and placing explosives in specific locations.”

Roy was baffled by the sheer amount of preparation this dude was putting in. “Is this something I will have to learn too?”

Master Abe just shrugged.

“Not necessarily, but I will teach you regardless. Things like this depend strongly on your system and skills. I can only win fights when I calculate ahead, compared to an executioner with brute strength. But then picture the brute strength executioner preparing this well before a battle…”

Roy imagined it, and such an individual would be a force to reckon with on the battlefield.

“…That can be you,” Master said.

Roy was very interested in this, but he knew it would take real experience and not merely being taught how to.

He concurred with the C-Class Executioner and went outside the APC, holding a pouch filled with F-grade energy crystals.

These energy crystals were a set Donald brought along for Roy.

In the underground basement, the only light source present was the sidelights of the military vehicle, where he stood with the iridescent cube floating before him.

“Veinback Ripper,” he called out.

And right before him, the abyss soul of the female Alpha Veinback Ripper appeared.

“Dammit, my reserves are running!”

Roy could not feel it, the ethereal, cosmic energy coursing through his body, soul, and mind, rapidly depleted.

’I have to do this quickly.’ Just keeping the strange monster manifested drained him gradually.

“Sit,” he said, and the abyss soul obeyed.

Since it was considerably large, he had a thought and climbed on the creature’s back.

“W-woah…” Roy stabled himself on its high back.

Instead of vicing the command, Roy sent a thought through his system, and the Veinback Ripper began to walk with him on its back.

A frantic smile cracked open on Roy’s face. “H-Haha, this is amazing!”

He came down from the abyss soul and patted it. For some reason, he noticed something in its eyes, almost like… confusion?

Roy laughed. “Are you surprised I’m a cool guy? Don’t be. You’re my friend from now on. We’ll kill a lot of abyss creatures together.

“Imagine me charging at the enemy on your back with a giant sword pointed at the enemy. Won’t that be cool?”

The Veinback Ripper just stared at him with… disbelief?

“How will I hold a giant sword with one hand? Well, I’ll grow stronger, of course! You’re quite stupid, aren’t you? Hahaha…”

Roy patted the abxysshound’s head and rubbed his chin.

“Hmm, what should I call you? Viper?” He asked, but the hound’s expressionless gaze remained steady.

“I’ll take that as a no.”

Roy observed the strange monster, noting its grey-black skin and small mane.

“Yes, I’ll call you… Greymane!”

The female alpha remained just as expressionless as before, but Roy read a slight elation in her gaze.

“Are you talking to your abysshound?” Donald suddenly asked, standing at the edge of the vehicle.

Roy didn’t notice when he came out and was a bit startled.

“N-No. I was talking to myself.”

“You do know they’re soulless, right?”

“I know. I already told you I wasn’t talking to it!” Roy frowned. “Not that you’re right, but if they’re soulless, why then are they called abyss souls, for heaven’s sake?!”

“Beats me. And no need to get all defensive and dishonest. I heard you call ’Greymane’ here, your friend,” Donald said with a smug smile. He had caught Roy red-handed.

“That’s not your business. And why are you stalking me?”

Roy un-summoned the abyss soul and stomped away.

Donny quickly said, though, “You know, I can help make real friends—”

“I have friends!”

* * *

In the early hours of the morning, a large siren blared across the entire district.

Roy woke up with a start, and so did Donald.

“The Gate!” The latter shouted and sprang up from his bed, and Roy followed suit.

Master Abraham was already at the driver’s seat, his expression as calm as ever.

The Mclloyd brothers rushed forward to see the monitor that showed the current footage of the Rank 1 Gate. Although the video had some glitches and cracks, they could still see it…

The previously flowing-inward gate was now still and ox-blood red. The red cracks around it raged, and a slender, ash-white hand with yellow claws extended out from the Rank 1 Gate.

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