He really sneaked into the secure area without hesitation. I could never do that. He is so cool! I could join him at my hunting expedition party. He's probably dead by now. I feel sorry for him.
Felix thought while lying in bed in a military hospital private room specially provided to him upon his father's request.
[EVOLUTION MODULE PROGRESS
Program: P-Class Advancement Protocol
User: Felix Solari
Current Level: 91
Current XP: 6,730,200 / 6,843,200
113,000 XP needed to level up]
"I will never get to P-class at this rate," Felix mumbled, checking his Evolution Module Progress.
Then two men entered his room.
"You two... Did my father send you?" Felix yelled, glaring at them as he stormed out of the room.
"Please clear the way..." a rescue team soldier came through the hospital corridor pushing a patient trolley.
Felix suddenly stopped when he saw the person on the trolley.
Is that the boy who sneaked into the military facility?
Felix suddenly changed direction. "Okay, I feel a little pain in my head. I'm staying today just to check my headache. You two do not have to stay here."
Felix walked back to his room, the bodyguards trailing behind him like silent shadows, their expressions unchanging as if his words had simply passed through them like ghosts.
The next day Theon woke up in the military hospital. The antiseptic smell burned his nostrils as his eyes adjusted to the harsh fluorescent lighting. Three other patients occupied beds in the same room, their eyes following the nurse who approached his bed.
"How are you feeling now?" she asked, checking his vital signs on the monitor.
"Better," Theon replied. Darius had explained his muscle mass would be drained and he would be weak when faced with the energy surge of the fold collapsing. But he didn't expect to be this weak. Only someone who carefully analyzed his body would know the difference.
The nurse nodded and left to inform the doctor. Minutes later, a man in a white coat entered, flipping through charts on his tablet.
"Remarkable," the doctor said, studying Theon with clinical curiosity. "The officer who brought you in said you were under heavy concrete with multiple broken bones, but my examination shows none. You appear to be merely exhausted." He tapped something on his tablet.
"We'll run some tests, but for now, just rest."
"When can I leave, doctor?" Theon asked, thinking of his family.
He needed to help his mom with her job to cover the monthly expenses. More than anything, he wanted to see his mom and two younger sisters' faces. It had been more than five months since he last saw them.
"It will take time," the doctor replied, scanning Theon's readings once more. "The hospital is full of patients from the incident."
Theon leaned back against his pillow, staring at the ceiling.
The weight of guilt pressed down on him as he thought about the explosion.
Hundreds dead. Because of me.
Because I was somewhere I shouldn't have been.
The soldier's words echoed in his mind. "The blast killed hundreds." And somehow, he survived.
By evening, visitors began filing into the hospital. Theon's mother and two sisters arrived at his bedside, their faces drawn with worry.
"Did you gain weight after one day at the hospital?" The first thing his mom noticed was his body change. She would be the only one who could tell the difference.
"You need to rest," his mother said, her voice weak from her own illness. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. She had been crying all day.
"I'll handle the finances for you and your sisters." His mother scolded him after he expressed that he needed to go home.
"I'm fine, Mom," Theon insisted, hating how frail she looked.
"I can go back to my part-time jobs tomorrow. You don't have to work—you're still sick." It looked like his mom got even more sick in just one day from worrying about Theon. His mother started to protest when the door opened again. A boy Theon's age entered. Two men in black suits followed him closely.
"Stay outside, please," the boy said to his escorts. "He's my friend. You don't need to follow me everywhere." Felix yelled at his bodyguards as always.
"You're the lucky boy from North Ridge they found yesterday, right? I was in training too, from Westlake Academy." He flashed a warm smile.
"I'm Felix Solari. Sorry for the interruption. You must be Theon's mother. It's so nice to meet you." Felix bowed his head slightly in a respectful manner.
"It's quite alright," Theon's mother said, gathering her things. "We were just leaving. Theon, please rest and get well soon." She kissed his forehead before ushering his sisters out, closing the door behind them.
Felix perched on the edge of the visitor's chair.
"You're a bit popular in the hospital," he said, lowering his voice. "I heard you were inside the fence during the explosion. Is it true? How did you end up there? How did you survive?"
Theon tensed, his tone shifting to guarded dislike. "I don't remember much." Theon's heart started pounding.
If something like that started to spread, the next thing would be an investigation on me.
"Oh, sorry again," Felix said, reading Theon's discomfort.
"I'm just curious. I've heard so many stories about what they do behind that fence." Felix lowered his tone like he was sharing a secret.
"How do you know my name, by the way?" Theon asked, changing the subject.
"The nurse told me." Felix leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Look, you seem genuine, so I'll be straight with you. I heard nothing but I saw you sneaking inside."
Theon's heart stopped.
If he saw him, someone from the military would have seen too. Someone who saw would inform the military. Would Felix do that?
Questions flooded his mind.
If that happened, he would probably end up in a military prison.
"Don't worry," Felix continued, His mouth close to Theon's ear. "I'm not going to tell anyone. Actually, I wanted to go in there too, but that stunt you pulled with that box—I had goosebumps watching you. I could never pull that off. You're cool."
Relief washed over Theon, though a thread of suspicion remained. Something about Felix seemed too convenient, too friendly. No one had been this friendly.
"I trust you," Theon said, though his mind added: Can I?
"Don't worry," Felix replied with a grin.
"Your secret's safe with me—I'll take it to my grave. By the way, school doesn't start until next month, in case you didn't hear. So rest up, man. I'll come back to talk more." He left the room after that.
Later that evening, doctors ran their tests and found nothing physically wrong with Theon. They cleared him to go home the next morning, much to his relief.
Theon's days quickly settled into a quiet rhythm. Mornings started with checking on his mother. Her breathing had grown shallow, each movement slower than the last. Even though she tried to hide it behind a smile, Theon could see the pain behind her eyes.
After that, he would leave. Part-time jobs filled his entire day—one after another, barely any time to rest. Deliveries, warehouse work, cleaning up after others. It wasn't glamorous, but it paid them barely enough to survive.
When the sun dipped below the horizon and the streets quieted, Theon trained.
Bit by bit, his strength began to return.
Slowly, but surely.
She needs better medical care
he reminded himself while going through job listings on his NIP. His overlay display was basic. Not only that, his free chip lacked a lot of features like analyzing body stats, and it only had basic AI support.
[District 7 New Hypergate to Beast Realm]
A notification caught his eye—construction had just been completed on a new Hypergate Complex in District 7. The announcement boasted about retail spaces, entertainment venues, and of course, the Gate itself secured at the far end of the facility.
The complex was advertising dozens of job openings, but for someone with Theon's qualifications— A U-Class student—the hourly rates were pitiful. Basic rate: 10 Terra Coins per hour.
The Terra Coin. The standardized global currency established after the Maelstrom War. It was stable and universally accepted across all districts and trading posts. Originally backed by essence crystals harvested from the Beast Realm.
At 10 Terra Coins per hour, Theon would barely have enough for food, let alone his mother's treatment. He needed something more.
His eyes drifted to another advertisement, a pop-up window that pulsed with animated graphics.
[**GRAND OPENING: DISTRICT 7 ARENA**
FIGHT FOR GLORY AND FORTUNE
10,000 TERRA COIN PRIZE
NO EXPERIENCE? NO PROBLEM!
OPEN REGISTRATION!]
It's still open for newcomers.
Theon stared at the figure. Ten thousand Terra Coins. That wouldn't cover all of his mother's treatment, but it would cover most of the fees. Enough to get her admitted to the hospital and started on proper care. It was a start.
The next day, he headed to the Gate Complex to register for the fighting arena. The weight of the explosion's casualties was still heavy on his conscience. Perhaps helping his mother could be the first step toward making amends for the destruction he'd inadvertently caused.
The District 7 Hypergates Complex was an architectural marvel, a gleaming structure of glass and steel that stretched across several city blocks. Crowds of shoppers and tourists milled through its spacious corridors, moving between luxury stores and restaurant pavilions.
Strategic planners had learned to build commercial complexes around each Gate, positioning the actual portal at the furthest point. This "deep anchor" approach maximized foot traffic through the shopping areas before visitors reached the Gate itself, a profit-generating zone.
The fighting arena was located on the top floor, far from the family-friendly shopping areas below. Theon went to the new fighter registration zone. It had a high screen. When someone went near it, the NIP chip picked up a signal and connected to the self-registration form.
Theon's facial expression changed to disappointment when it failed his admission.
Then suddenly someone called him from behind. "Hey Theon, are you going to join the fighting matches?" Felix asked while approaching.
Him again. Is he following me or something?
Theon felt uneasy when he met Felix. Felix was the only one who knew his secret in the military zone.
Every day, he checked the news, afraid his secret might be exposed.
"Yeah, but it seems like I can't join somehow." Theon's disappointment was still on his face. He really needed the money for his mother.
Felix took a look at the screen quickly. "Let me see... oh, it looks like you need a Gate Access License (GAL) as a hunter."
"But it said no experience needed in the advertisement."
Theon read the advertisement again to clarify.
"Yes, no experience needed as a fighter, but I think they use the Hunter license to make sure people can survive this," Felix said while thinking about something.
"Is that so?" Theon started to leave the area with broken hopes.
Felix quickly jumped in front of Theon's path. "You know what? I think I know the person who can help you with the license problem. Come with me." Felix started to walk away from the arena without waiting for an answer.
"Wait... what?" Theon started to follow. He had doubts about trusting Felix, but he had no other options. The only way to earn money suddenly was this.
Felix led him out of the complex and to a nearby residential building. They reached an apartment on a higher level of the building. When they approached, the door opened automatically.
Koda was sitting in her recliner chair as usual.
"Did you ready the thing I asked for?" Felix asked casually, approaching Koda like he hung out there all the time.
Koda turned and replied, "Yup, just need the details to update."
Felix then introduced them both to each other.
"Is it safe? Is there any chance of getting caught?" Theon asked Koda.
As Felix had explained on the way, they would create a fake license for Theon to enter the matches.
"No, it's a new fighting arena, and they just need it to confirm you can handle the fight. They do not update or keep track," Koda explained like it was a usual thing to her.
"Tell me your class and ability type. I'll enter a fake name," Koda focused on her NIP display in her vision.
"I do not have any ability, and the class given to me is U," Theon said, already expecting their judgment, his heart heavy with tension.
"Wait, what?" Felix cut in, eyes wide. "Are you serious? That's way too dangerous. Fighters have dangerous abilities—they're no joke."
He looked at Theon with growing concern. Felix wasn't just shocked—he was genuinely worried. He didn't want Theon walking into something that could harm him.
"I'm very strong. I can manage a fight," Theon said with a determined face.
Koda stretched as she stood up. "Fake license, all set. They've got shiny new healers and gear over there, so hey—looks like you might actually survive this."
"Let's go, I'm coming too," Koda announced.
They arrived at the fighting arena. Koda volunteered to do the registration process for Theon.
"You're all set," she said, handing Theon a small shining metallic pass.
"This has your registration confirmation. Just show it at the arena entrance. I've scheduled you to fight in an hour against a fighter named Raiyu."
"Raiyu?" Felix made a face at Koda.
Turning to Theon, he said, "That's a tough first match." Felix gave her a questionable look.
Koda shrugged. "It was the only open slot. Besides, if he's as strong as he says, maybe he has a chance."
"Ladies and gentlemen! Prepare for an electrifying next clash! The lightning-wielding juggernaut, Raiyu, faces the enigmatic challenger... Phantom!" the announcer boomed.
"That's you," Koda said, looking at Theon.
___________
Hyper Gates - Originally used by aliens to invade Earth, Hyper Gates were reverse-engineered by human scientists during the war. Now repurposed, they open access to distant planets filled with beasts carrying valuable Essence Crystals—though most simply call it the "Beast Realm."