New Life
He directed his phone to his ears as he called a shoot ride. "Hello, can you settle me a ride? Yes... I am in the area of Change Hospital. Umm, hello?"
The other receiving personnel seemed to be in a dazed shock listening to his words, because he was from the area of Change Hospital.
"Yes, I'm at their private land owned by their medical organization. If you could help, I'm in the hospital's entrance. Yes, yes, thank you. I'm grateful if you can speed up for a bit, I'm in a haste to go home. Okay, thanks for your warm services." Drake hanged up and waited for a while, looking to the skies.
Expectantly, a blue car looking like a Tesla, soared from the skies and descended to him gently. The side-windows opened and revealed a man, respectfully saying, "Good morning sir, is this Drake King?"
Drake was astonished. Everytime, a shoot rider welcomed its services to a certain customer, the treatment was different. They would instead speak in an indifferent manner, "Excuse me, is this Drake King?". Now, it was a deferential tone.
"Yes, I am." Drake nodded.
"Come here, esteemed sir." The man said and automatically, the car doors opened like wings.
"Okay." Drake entered and sat on the cushy seats. He thought, 'Esteemed sir huh?'
Afterwards, the car doors were closed then the car hovered above 10 inches away from the ground. Immediately, it accelerated to the skies.
"Excuse me, but why can't we pinpoint our location and just request for a ride on your company's app? It's easier than calling your services." Drake said baffled.
"Sorry sir, we've got problems recently from spatial distortions. There seemed to be another beast portal in making. The calls connected but the internet signals are wavering." The man replied.
"Okay, thanks." Drake said before he continued his experimentation to the game options in his thoughts.
"You're welcome, esteemed sir." The man became exuberant. After satisfying his customer's answer, he was expecting a large tip. Someone from the area of Change was supposedly rich, throwing money like vegetables.
As they moved fast in the skies, there were also other cars that passed by them. Some were shiny and affluent, some were same shoot riders, and most were ordinary cars.
After arriving to his customer's lengthy location, the driver was in deep consternation as to why they landed on a street beside a two-story house. This was indeed a rich house but not filthy rich for someone who came from the Change hospital.
Drake improved his speculation. He handed the payment which was 51 dollars, breaking the impression of him as an influential person. There was not even a tip.
The driver was inwardly disappointed and started to detest Drake. However, he maintained his facial expression as he couldn't risk to offend someone of a hidden status or related to distinguished ones.
But what broke him was Drake's nonchalant reply.
"Keep the change."
The driver's expression became twisted and tried very hard to control it. It was just pitiful cents, to hell with the change. But he forcefully smiled and replied, "Thank you for using our services."
The car swiftly left and vanished into the skies. Drake naturally caught his change of expression and treatment. There wasn't even a "sir" or "esteemed sir" at the end of his sentence.
However, he didn't put a bother and gave a quick side-way glance at where the car vanished before entering his home.
There wasn't any particular worthy of looking here and was just like any other two-story houses. But it held a great position to Drake's heart. This house was what he inherited from his dead parents.
As for his growth, he had no one beside himself since 8 years old. He worked part time jobs and barely able to lessen his expenses from the inherent money of his parents. Right now, to prepare for his university, he already had a crystal white card. But to pave his way for success, he must need a large amount of money.
The only remaining ways for him to gain more money was to work part time/full time in working buildings or to sell the beast parts he would procure in the beast portal. Now with such a tremendous cheat, he must use it to the fullest and enter through the prohibited dimension.
At his room, he lay above on his comfy bedroom, he organized his thoughts before his expression flickered as he came into a decision.
"This is unbelievable. I think I'm playing in real life." He said in a wonder.
"Replace Unit Percent to Unit Points." He imitated a command from a game he usually played in his PC.
Immediately, the 100 percent HP and MP changed to 70/70 HP and 49/49 MP respectively. The experience bar which was 0% became 0/75.
"Character Menu"
As he focused on the attribute points, it showed:
Level: 1
Strength: 8 (+)
Agility: 8 (+)
Intelligence: 7 (+)
Endurance: 7 (+)
Attribute points: 5
He added a point to intelligence.
Level: 1
Strength: 8 (+)
Agility: 8 (+)
Intelligence: 8 (-) (+)
Endurance: 7 (+)
Attribute points: 4
It implied that during point conversion, one can undo what been inputted. After he finished converting his remaining points, this appeared-
Level: 1
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 8
Endurance: 7
Attribute points: 0
This indicated that once exhausted the points and confirmed it, one could no longer redo anything.
Although Drake was not brimmed with immense power, he could feel his strength increased apparently. His reaction turned swift and his movement speed was faster. Due to his current intelligence, his perspective to the world was also slightly different as if he became more smart.
He was inwardly exhilarated but he kept his cool and continued.
"Skill"
It formed an eye-catching word "Mastery" along with three words below of it: Combat, Magic, and a locked portion which couldn't be accessed.
As he focused on Combat, several classes appeared: Warrior, Assassin, Ranger, and Protector. Each class held sets of skills.
Drake picked the assassin class, an offensive type. Scrutinizing all passive and active skills, he decided on "Shadow Cloak", "Dagger Mastery", and "Dash".
Shadow Cloak (2) - utilize the darkness and blend within to reduce presence
- last for 10 seconds
- cool down in 2 minute and 10 seconds
Short Weapon Mastery (2) - granted mastery to control short melee weapons
- plus 2 mastery
Dash (1) - ability to move certain distance instantly
- 2.5 meters
- 30 seconds
This was the result for allocating his another 5 skill points. After he experienced the value of points, he was filled with urge to level up.
He went to the basement and hastily shoved random boxes, spurring dust wildly. He lifted a particular box and emplaced down below. Removing the tapes that bind it, he finally opened it.
He caught inside a black briefcase and put it above his laps. As he swept on its cover, it dirtied his hand but it cleared the writings inscribed on it.
- Seargent Kellen King
Drake appeared doleful as this was the name of his father. In a very short while, he became determined and unlocked the case using keywords. A long black knife was exposed, gleaming with keen light. By its look, its sharpness was guaranteed.
He grasped it in hand, cherishing it awhile before he promised in resolve, "I'll avenge you father. I'll kill every beast from that dimension."
His father took part of the military expedition inside the dimension beneath the beast portal and died in there. Although he was documented as a missing person, being already gone for full 10 years in a dangerous place indicated he was truly dead.
His mother was a sickly person and listening the tragic news about her loving husband, the mental stress had escalated her condition, thus, leaving Drake alone with both parents perished.
As he left his home during the middle of the night, he trailed a wavering path beyond the area of his city, riding on the land with a motor bike. This bike was what he bought from an underground society and was untraceable with fabricated plate number.
He followed a mountain trail and ended in a forest when he discovered it was filled with copious roaming military personnel. It was protected with a barricade and lied inside was a beast portal.
The motor bike's jagging sounds alerted them as they immediately peered through his enclosed helmet. Drake parked his ordinary bike beside the lavish cars. The sheer contrast of impoverishment had triggered the soldiers' watchfulness in case if he wanted to bypass their security without legitimacy.
Anyone capable of entering the beast portal owned hefty vehicles. To own only a motor bike that couldn't sell for even 1 WC, they were naturally suspicious to him.
Drake's ring burst into particles and transformed into a phone, pretending to call someone. He walked away from the guarding soldiers, far away from their examining eyes. Only then the soldiers slowly casted their gazes away from him and Drake removed and dropped down his helmet.
Taking advantage of the situation as well as the covering trees that blocked the soldiers's sight, he used "Shadow Cloak". His entire body blended with the darkness and the visual acuity was unable to discern him.
"Whoosh"
The granted speed burst he had was comparable to an Olympic sprinter. It was the cause of his increased strength, agility and also the foundation he built from his repetitional exercises every day. He didn't waste any time and sprinted towards the soldiers. He was aware of his footsteps but he was barely able to block its producing sounds.
The soldiers positioned themselves and aimed their guns towards a shadow. That shadow was Drake himself, his own manifestation from using the skill. Drake felt his fear rose within him and his strength sapped but he willed himself effortly to gain more a distance.
"Show who you are and stop or we'll shoot you!" The captain of their ranks shouted fiercely. Every soldier's eyes were never changing and remained cold. They had tasted wars and numerous battles, hence, they were bloody experienced. The soldiers needed only an order from their captain and they would resolutely shoot him without showing a sympathy.
Their thoughts never gone astray, even seeing as bizarre as the creeping shadow. It was because, inside the dimension of the beast portal was filled with unfathomable mysteries and the unknowns. Progressors were also capable of using mystical abilities. For a person to become a shadow was naturally plausible.
10 meters... 9 meters... 8 meters...
Amidst the pale gauze from the light of the moon and the cold breeze of the wind, a shadow skittered fast across the tall blades of grasses in a forest which was packed of trees. The captain's eyes flickered ferociously as he commanded his subordinates,
"Fire!"
Drake felt his heart tightened upon hearing the order but if that's enough to shake his resolve, he would be a disappointment to his father's teachings.
Earlier, when his ring burst into particles, he silently put down a flashbang grenade. This would be the moment that it would trigger it's blinding refulgence and Drake would also be unfortunately affected.
However, he activated "Dash" and as if he teleported, he was more than two meters away from his earlier spot. As the flashbang grenade was now behind him, with his eyes closed, he would be unaffected.
"Bang" A muffled sound rang out along with piercing brightness that drilled into the soldiers' eyes. Their body's balance was utterly shaken which buzzed their hearings. Their minds became highly foggy as they lost their rational thoughts for moments.
On the other hand, along with a slight dizziness, Drake rushed into their barricade like an outburst of an exploding spear. He dashed towards the beast portal, leaving the dazed soldiers.
His shadow cloak finally ran out. It only lasted for 10 seconds but it was adequate. This was the core reason he had chosen the assassin class among other classes. No other class could provide him solution for him to slip through the tight security.
He halted at the beast portal and was now able to gauge it properly within his sight. To describe it, it was a giant crack in space with a dark-violet color. It swirled peculiarly in the inside as if a stomach of a demon.
Drake did his research. After people entered, there would be neither an identity clearance nor administrators. It was said people lived rowdy inside and unfettered by the shackles of law. Apart from the shelter's rules, outside the vast lands and oceans, only survival mattered.
As he slowly crept inside, a new chapter of his life began.