Opening the Gate and Meeting a Marquess.

As we stood in front of a ginormous gate the size of a four-storey building, I was in shock and in wonder on the question on how we were supposed to pass through the gate. Judging by its size alone, I could say that it would probably take giants to even open this gate by themselves…and if not giants, at least fifty men would be needed in opening one side of its door swing.

"...So, what do the people usually do to open this thing?" I asked as I tried looking around for a way to get in.

"Hmm, not sure. I've only ever heard of stories about this gate ever being opened once a year by some wild and adventurous people who want more on life…we call those people idiots if anything." said Serena as she was just as clueless as I was.

"...Could we just try pushing it by ourselves? I'm mean…isn't its size to big to even be consider manageable? Maybe there's some sort of gear mechanism to allow the gate to open and close simply by a lever or something?"

"Hmm…I think I heard that from the legends told in the stories, the Great Eden Wall could only ever be opened by the ten strong mages found all over the world. Using their great magic, they would push open the gate like it was nothing more than a simple gate for a simple man." said Serena.

"Hmm…but does it look like we have ten mages on hand?" I asked sarcastically.

"N-no…geez, we have to do something to open the gate, otherwise we'll be stuck here for days on end. If we don't do something now, who knows what's going to happen to the princess…" her tone was a bit sad at the end as it was a clear show of worry for the princess. She was captured by the demon…and the only chance of rescuing her is if Serena was able to get to the kingdom on time.

"..." hearing her act so impatient and worried, I had to do something. And to do something, I had to ask the All-Known book for an answer.

"...So, is there a way to open the gate?" I asked in a whisper to the screen in front of me.

[ANALYZING…ANALYSIS COMPLETE. WITH THE ARMS ON HAND…THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN THE GATE IS BY PUSHING THE GATE OPEN.]

'Eh? Are you serious!? do you have any idea how big this gate is!?' I thought to myself as I was doubting the answer given by the All-Known book.

[WITH YOUR CURRENT STRENGTH AND ABILITY, YOU HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO PUSH OPEN THE GATE JUST ENOUGH FOR YOUR ENTIRE GROUP TO PASS THROUGH. USING MANA BODY REINFORCEMENT, YOU MUST GATHER ALL OF YOUR MANA INTO YOUR CORE STRENGTH AND PUSH ON THE GATES. IT MIGHT EVEN HELP IF YOU CALL FOR AN ASSISTANCE FOR THE KNIGHT BY YOUR SIDE.]

".…Are you serious?" I asked.I simply asked for assurance.

[YES]

And as usual, it gave its most straightforward answer that it could give.

"...*Sigh* we won't know until we try…I guess." I said as I had this look of doubt still plastered on my face.

"Profile." with a whisper to sheck my status on my body, the screen on the book changed and showed me the current condition of my body.

[Character Profile:]

Name: Shay Winston

Job: Farmer

Mana: 100/100

Health:100/100

Strength:28 [E+]

Speed:25 [E+]

Dexterity:30 [D]

Intelligence:12 [F+]

Endurance:22 [E-]

Skill:

l Craftsmanship [Level 1]

-Blessing of the Craft [Grade A]

l In-Training Shadow Warrior [Level 15]

-Sneak [Grade A]

-Lock-picking [Grade B]

-Stab [Grade B]

l Cultivating Farmer [Level 1]

-Blessing of the Soil [Grade A]

Looking at it, seems as though I have grown since then. Especially in the factor about my strength and endurance. With all the Stellpine trees I cut down and pushed away, I was able to create a bit of progress with my strength.

Now…If I used mana body reinforcement on all over my body, a temporary increase of strength is applied. And knowing so, it'll only last for a couple of minutes before it would disappear. But the book said that I should apply it on the places on my body that actually use strength by detail.

I plan on pushing the gate…and when it comes to pushing, the muscles needed are the triceps, pectoral muscles, and shoulders.

If I apply mana body reinforcement on these three muscles the most, it would probably create a good progress on me pushing…but I also have to consider my legs. A strong string of leg muscles are needed when pushing the gate while maintaining momentum.

"...Okay, lets try it out." I said to myself as I got off the wagon and on to the front of the gate.

Looking it upfront, it is by no joke that this gate was really big.

*Gulp*

I couldn't help but swallow my spit in the pressure of how the gate showed itself. It was very intimidating.

"...Okay…breath…concentrate…focus…let the mana flow…let them produce power…let me gain strength…" as I chanted these words to imagine and feel the mana all over me, I began to gather strength all over…and soon, I placed these strengths on the needed muscles of the body…

"!!" Not soon after, by body gained an unimaginable gain of power all of a sudden…and it made me want to push all of this power out to something…to anything…

This is what power is…and it is amazing.

"...Shay?" although Serena wondered why I was standing by the front of the gate with my back turned to her, she could not tell that I was overflowing with power.

"..." but Shirley on the other hand was quiet and her glare was ever so sharp as it pierced to the back of my head. She could sense a change in me…she could sense the flow of a different presence from all over me…the mana in me… because of her great sense as a trained knight.

Without question, she did her job by standing in front of Serena to protect her from any danger…especially from me who was overflowing with power.

Compared to when I was simply lifting trees by trees using mana body reinforcement, right now, I could do about ten trees with one lift without even breaking a sweat.

But for now, I have to focus that strength on the gate in front of me.

"...*Sigh*…1…2…3"

*BOOM*

With a count to three, I pushed my hands down to the gate. And as my palm collided with the wooden frame, an explosive force of power came rushing out like water from a waterfall.

"!!" I gritted my teeth as hard as I could while pushing on the gate. With a second that came from that push, I began to feel the gate slightly budging and opening.

"!!" Serena was shocked.

"!!" Shirley was overwhelmed.

And to both of them, they were surprised by this sudden show of power.

But it wasn't enough…

Although the gate was looking like it was going to open, it did not move from its place at all…

So I had to put in more power.

More mana…

"Come onnnnnn!!!"

With that, I braced myself again and conjured more mana than ever before down right at my body.

I didn't have enough focus to place the mana in specific parts of my body because of the stress, so I had to simply let the mana flow down and produce strength like a running water straight to a bucket as shallow as me.

And as quick as it was…I began to produce results…

Little by little, the gate was opening…and little by little, my body was shaking.

"Khk!!"

But my body was beginning to strain even faster.

The mana was taking effect at my unconditioned body. And without warning, a struck of pain suddenly fell on me like a lightning bolt.

"Ahk!!"

I suddenly lost all of my power and because of it, I fell to the floor. Although I didn't lost consciousness, it was very much terrible how bad my body was feeling right now. I tried to look up, but all I see was the wood frame of the gate and the view of the other side of the wall…

"...A foot?"

The first thing I saw was but a simple view of a foot from a manly looking leg.

When I tilted my head up, I could see the sight og a bear like man in front of me.

"...Help." I could only ever call for help to the man as I laid by the floor.

"..." but the man did not reply.

"Shay!" Suddenly, the voice of Serena could be heard as she was looking to me with a worried expression.

As the man leaned over to reach out to me with his hand, all of a sudden, Shirley jumped out in front of me and dropkicks the man away.

"!?"I was shocked by her agile move…but before I could say anything else, I felt a familiar sense of gaze, making its way to me.

"..." the gaze of a very criminal person.

A gaze filled with killing intent.

"!!" when I tried to stand up, I could only ever push myself away from the floor and sit right up to face the front of the open gate.

And there…I saw the gaze of another man who had this buzzing intent to kill.

I know this look all to well from my past life. The look to want to take a life was in front of me.

As a thief, I experienced that look far too many times from the people who I meet along the way. Although I was a thief, I didn't have enough guts to take a life for the fun of it, I simply did it because I had to, but the people I worked with…some were different…some were like animals who were always ready to hunt the next prey.

I can't believe that I had to see this all over again in my second chance at life.

I just can't take no break at all…

"Who are you people..." I said this in my own self cold tone. The same tone I would bring out in a state of danger.

"..." There were only two people there. One was a man with a bear-like facefighting Shirley, While the other stood near the gate to look at me with the intent to kill was a man who was bald a marble but had the same beefy physique as the bear man.

"...Calm down boy, I'm simply here to check the situation at the gate." the man with the intent to kill, said this with such a gentlemanly voice. It did not pair well with his gaze at all.

As he spoke, Serena came running to me to help me stand up. As she assisted me, Serena spoke with out with a hateful tone.

"What are you doing here, Marquess Toral!"

'A Marquess!?' having heard of his title, it was the second one to come after the Duke…which was given to Serena's father. Duke Darnell Modelva.

"Like I said Ms. Serena, I only came here to look over the situation at the gates. I came to visit one of the territories of the Empire near these parts…a town called Desvey is situated down the road. And as luck would have it, a terrible call for danger was suddenly sent all over the town as it was reported that the gates of the Great Eden wall were being opened. As by my title, it is but my right to check the condition and reason behind this folly." as Marquess Toral explained himself, Serena's expression lightened a bit but was still as tense as ever.

"It looks like the reason for the gate ever opening was because of him…am I correct?" asked Marquess Toral as he looked down on me with his cold eyes.

"..." but I stayed quiet and alert for any form of danger. His eyes still had that look that was ready to kill.

"...Call of your knight." but Serena didn't answer the question as well, and instead she looked to the fight that was happening between Shirley and the Bear Man who was known now to be a knight that was under Marquess Toral.

"Enough Tofan…let the girl go." said Marquess Toral as he remained ever cold while looking to us.

And with his command, the bear-like man Tofan, throws Shirley right to our way, but luckily Shirley was able to safely land from the fight.

"...Now then, we wont move forward if you wont answer me. So boy, are you the one responsible of opening the gate?" asked Marquess Toral.

"...I am." I answered.

I answered because looking at our situation, we wont go forward with the gate problem if I cant help answer Marquess Toral's questions.

"...Amazing." but all Marquess Toral gave in return was praise.

"..." Serena gave a hard stern look after Marquess Toral gave his praise and her grip on me hardened as well.

"Now then, we can move forward with the situation by closing the gate once again." as he said that, he looked to my tired physique and smiled.

"...When is it possible for you boy to close the gate?" he was wondering when I will get my strength back up again, but looking at my profile…

[Character Profile:]

Name: Shay Winston

Job: Farmer

Mana: 8/100

Health:100/100

Strength:28 [E+]

Speed:25 [E+]

Dexterity:30 [D]

Intelligence:12 [F+]

Endurance:22 [E-]

Skill:

l Craftsmanship [Level 1]

-Blessing of the Craft [Grade A]

l In-Training Shadow Warrior [Level 15]

-Sneak [Grade A]

-Lock-picking [Grade B]

-Stab [Grade B]

l Cultivating Farmer [Level 1]

-Blessing of the Soil [Grade A]

I had to recharge.

"It'll take a while, so I have to rest first." I said.

"Will you make it in time before the night would arrive?"

"I think so." I said.

" I see. For now, we will go back to the Desvey to rest and ask questions. Especially to you, Lady Serena. Tofan, you will remain to guard the gate with your life until we come back." as Marquess Toral gave his orders, Tofan seems to be quiet but had understood them.

With that, I had to bring my horse and wagon from the other side of the wall…

And as I rode my horse through, Marquess Toral was set with a shocked expression.

"T-that horse!!"

"..." Serena was a bit curious as to why Marquess Toral was surprised, but after looking to me with a questionable look, I still could not understand.

"I-is that an Iron Lung Stead!?" Marquess Toral was very excited with his tone.

"...yes." but all I gave back was a lackluster answer.

"Amazing!" he was very surprised.