1 Heaven's Gate

A twenty-four-year-old man was rapidly thrusting his spear on top of an apartment's rooftop. He dashed as he skillfully rotated his spear, then jumped and stabbed in mid-air. His black hair and clothes were wet because of his sweat.

The young man named Rhys Creed took a deep breath, sat cross-legged on the floor, and started meditating.

The sun rose from the east, then Rhys opened his eyes and stared at the huge, transparent gate. The silver gate reached the clouds. The gate that looked like a huge arch door was so magical that it be could be seen in the whole world. It was called Heaven's Gate. It appeared in the Pacific Ocean in 2024. 

"Hahahaha, kid, as usual, I will see you here," said a middle-aged man floating in the air. His name was Philipp. He was wearing a jacket, and there were two faint golden wings on his back. His hands were holding cups of noodles. He floated down, then gave the other noodles to Rhys. "Here."

Rhys smiled. "Thank you."

They sat at the edge of the rooftop of the apartment and ate the noodles as they stared at the huge gate with fascination.

"No matter how much I look at it, I still feel fascinated," said Rhys.

"Hahahaha, staring at it will not summon you. It's a matter of luck. I just go on with daily life, but damn! I was busy in the toilet when it summoned me! Imagine my stress at that time!"

Rhys laughed, then turned silent for a moment. "I've been training my spears for seven years. Every day, I also hope to become an exonn."

Philipp also turned silent as a reminiscent look appeared on his face. "Becoming an exonn is a blessing and a curse. You have power, but you will have a duty. You will be sent to the front line, and for people like me, it was not a good experience. I remained as a Tier 1 exonn for a long time. I am weak, but luckily I have wits. I learned how to survive, then luckily stay alive for several years. When more young and stronger people became exonns, I decided to retire and become a patrolman in the city."

Then he looked at Rhys with a smile. "You are a persistent young man. A strong will is necessary in the trial. I wonder how far you can go when you become an exonn."

Philipp stood up, then the two wings on his back appeared again. "See you later."

Rhys nodded his head. He stared at Philipp, who was flying away. When the gate appeared, random people started disappearing. It happened all over the world. Witnesses reported that the missing people scattered into golden lights. They disappeared in one day and returned the next day. Some of them gained a treasure and magical power. They possessed armor, could fly, and could wield magic. The world thought it was a miracle and a blessing from God, but fortune was followed by misfortune.

Rhys walked back to their apartment room. He met a dwarf along the way.

"Hahahaha Rhys, you did not miss a single day of your practice since your family moved here. I made a bet with Liliana. She bet that if you miss a day, her rent will be free for a year," said the dwarf named Hansel.

The door of an apartment room was vigorously opened, then an elf with a big bust came out. "Old man! Don't try to twist words! I bet that Rhys will not miss a day. The year is about to end, but you shamelessly threaten to fire me in your shop, so I change my bet!"

The magic beast on the elf's shoulder nodded. Its name was Winsel. It looked like a small white monkey with big eyes and ears.

"I've known Rhys for many years. How could I bet against him?!" said Hansel.

"Hmpf! Shameless! Once I succeed in my acting career, I will move away from your cheap apartment and resign from your magic weapon shop! Hmpf! I'm sure your profit will decrease a lot because your customers are buying there because of me!"

Hansel sighed as he scratched his head with his finger. "Do you think you will succeed in your acting?"

Liliana chuckled. "I have improved a lot since my last audition. Be lucky that you all are the first to witness my award-winning act."

Winsel jumped to Rhys shoulder.

Liliana started acting. A blush appeared on her face."O-Oh Romeo, w-we should not do this, b-but if you insist, then I'll give you a little kiss."

Winsel felt embarrassed for her master. She can't bear to see Liliana kissing in the air.

Rhys and Hansel were speechless.

"I-I think you have a better chance at singing," said Rhys as they walked in the hallway. 

"How could I still have a chance to rise in singing? If it was the beginning when Earth was connected to our world, then I could. There are already elves that have successful singing careers. I don't know how to dance, which is necessary for new elves that want to enter the music industry, and besides, acting is my passion."

"Hahahaha, that was the reason why she came to Earth in the first place. Electronics do not work in the world of Elron. I could have sent many entertaining things to the kids in our clan," said Hansel with a sigh.

They arrived in front of Rhys' apartment.

"See you later."

Rhys nodded.

"Old man, you must give me a bonus this year. I want to buy many things for my sisters."

"All right. All right."

"Don't be stingy. I will promote your shop for free when I become famous."

Rhys smiled as he looked at their backs. Not too long after the heaven's gate appeared, a pit suddenly appeared in former Asia, and then demons came out along with a red fog. The fog quickly spread around the pit. Missiles and anything electronic became ineffective when they reached the fog. Guns were not very effective against the shields and magic of demons. Exonns stepped up and led the war against the demons. Earthlings won, and what appeared beyond the pit was a world.

Rhys came into their room. His four-year-old niece, Lola, was watching a cartoon while his twenty-three-year-old sister, Ana, was preparing the food. His brother-in-law named Gil, was drying his hair with a towel. They were living together in an apartment with two bedrooms.

"The food is ready, brother," said Ana.

Rhys nodded his head. "I will just put the spear in my room."

Ana nodded."Lola, come here."

Gil and Rhys walked out together after breakfast.

"How's work?" asked Rhys.

Gil helplessly smiled. "I'm not sure of the future of the company. The owners probably thought that the world somehow got peaceful and safe, so business for insurance will bloom again. They are severely mistaken. Demons will appear every now and then. The fight between a demon and an exonn in the city is causing many losses. The company is bleeding. I think I need to start looking for another job."

Rhys sighed as he sat on his scooter. "Businesses related to exonns and the other worlds are thriving, and it will be like that for a long time. The competition for those jobs is tough. I still haven't succeeded in applying for those jobs, but I think you will have a better chance."

Gil nodded his head.

"Will I drive you to the station?"

"No, I already called for a taxi on the app."

Rhys nodded, then he started his scooter. The electric scooter floated, and then he drove to the highway in Mugwer city. All the vehicles were floating. There were citizens who wore digital watches. There were projections over the watches as the citizens talked with someone. There were two ten-meter-tall warriors wearing fantasy armor fighting around a building. It was a 3D screen for the promotion of a game. There was also a screen for dancing and singing elves and catgirls. The year was 2044. Twenty years had passed since Heaven's Gate appeared.

Meanwhile, a few kilometers from Mugwer City, there was a ruin. It was a thriving city but got ruined and abandoned. Huge weeds, plants, and vines were growing on buildings, cars, and roads. The presence of light and dark energy in the world caused huge changes to species.

In one of the buildings, there were growing trees that looked like oyster mushrooms. They were five to ten meters tall, had dark trunks, and their umbrella-like tops were colored purple. In one of the rooms, there were roots all over the place. A demon wearing armor was sitting on a throne made up of roots. His name was Tenel. He had brown hair, one horn, and dark skin.There were three humans kneeling in front of him. "Carry out the plans."

"Yes! My Lord!"

The humans transformed. Faint four red wings appeared on their back, and then their face and body resembled a demon. They flew out of the building and moved in different directions. One of them was moving to the city where Rhys and his family were living.

Tenel chuckled and thought,"Power is really a good bait. Many humans will line up just to get it. They will even stab their own fellow men."