CHAPTER 36: WORLDWIDE QUEST - I

The gate system, designed by Lucian in the early days of writing his novel, was a mix of intricate and conscious patterns that not only merged possibilities but also meddled with the laws of space and time.

Ranked amongst themselves, Lucian had distinguished the gates into 5 types:

Dimensional Gates that connected two stabilized worlds via interdimensional portals.

Hostile gates that connected a world to the remaining remnant of a forgotten world. Within these gates, countless creatures that once inhabited those worlds await challengers with nothing but hostility. Although sealed by the system, if such gates are not conquered within a limited time, the creatures pour out of the gate and wreak havoc within the real world.

Instance Gates that can form in any place without any prior signs. These gates were considered the highest risks, as no device could determine the gates’ rank. And to make things worse, the gate itself only allowed a single person to enter.

Resource Gates that connect a world to a long-forgotten remnant of a dimension. These gates were said to be the safest, as there wasn’t a single creature to be found within these gates. In a sense, they were a priceless treasure vault that contained all sorts of rare materials from different dimensions.

And, at last, came the Empty Gates. These gates were an exception, as they neither had a world nor any resources. The inside of such gates was completely empty and was said to hold secrets of the gods that could only be seen by those who are worthy. Of course, such gates were nothing short of a myth, as they only appeared once within his book.

***

’Though mostly similar in color, each portal was further divided into separate ranks correspondent to their difficulty and loot. Ranging from rank E to rank A—where E remained the lowest—the gates showcased a slight pattern unique only to a single kind. Metamorphosis—that’s what I called it.’ Lucian’s eyes sharpened, his brow flinching as his expressions grew grim.

’But this... I don’t remember adding Black anywhere in the list...’

The gate that glimmered in a bright cerulean hue not too long ago suddenly began turning dim. Its light started to fade away as a dark color seeped through its center and slowly spiderwebbed all across.

Before they could even react, the portal had turned black. While the small system screen that displayed the Gate’s timer stopped abruptly—its numbers flickering ominously.

*Crack!*

A sharp, cracking sound tore through the shocked gasps of the crowd. Everyone’s attention shifted towards the sound, and eyes darted towards the system screen.

Right before their eyes, the small system screen hung completely frozen, a long visible crack running through its middle. Before they could react, its edges tilted towards the ground and the crack widened.

*Ding!*

*Ding!*

*Ding!*

A sharp pain surged through everyone’s mind as a barrage of system notifications filled their view. Unlike the ones that were only visible to their respective players, the soft cerulean glow of the materializing screens slowly filling the air could be seen by everyone.

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———————————————————

[#~System Notification~#]

———————————————————

[Due to the interference and objections of (???) regarding the poor performance and potential of planet 013—Earth—a special change has been initiated by the system.]

[To prove that planet 013 still holds meaning in existence, you—the players—are hereby given the chance to redeem yourselves from your poor evaluation.]

[As such, the System has organized a new and the very first worldwide cumulative event for the Planet 013 in accordance with the first update—Forgotten Worlds.]

---

There it was. The sudden ripple in the calm sea that no one expected or wished to see. Something that was eventually witnessed by not just them, but the entire world. To some, it was a death sentence disguising itself to lure more victims, while to others, it was yet another chance to claim what they couldn’t obtain previously.

---

———————————————————

[#~System Notification~#]

———————————————————

[#-Worldwide Announcement-#]

[In accordance with the formation of a new worldwide event, all of the gates formed over the planet 013 have been edited.]

[As of this moment, all of the gates around the world have transformed into interdimensional portals that connect to countless separate, unique worlds that have been forgotten and buried beneath the lives of new worlds.]

[As such, players from all around the world are being issued a task that they must accomplish, unless you wish to see your world fall.]

---

The screens stretched below, carrying the information for the new task.

---

[#-Worldwide Urgent Task-#]

[• Objective – Save the World!]

└ [Enter the gates and complete relevant quests within the given amount of time.]

└ [Inside, you may encounter beings who are friendly, neutral, or hostile. However, your survival lies solely within your hands.]

[• Time Limit – 23:59:59 hours]

[• Difficulty – Unpredictable]

[•Rewards – ???]

└ [Rewards scale with your choices, alliances, and actions within the Gate.]

[• If no one completes their relevant quests within a gate, the gate will be marked as "failed."]

└ [The same shall apply to the gates that no one enters within the time limit.]

[• Failure – Immediate Death]

---

Looking at the system screens, the world fell into upheaval and gasped out of nothing but pressing concern.

Was the world about to witness the massacre once again?

How were they supposed to live as such?

Questions began pouring out of everyone’s mind like lethal poison—just with no target in sight. Lucian witnessed the drastic change in the faces of those who stood around him.

Smiling at first, their exhilaration quickly crumbled away and was overtaken by nervous expressions. It was expected since, in a way, the guarantee that they’ll survive thanks to their preparations for the gate was now gone. Of course, there remained a few with calm gazes like Lucian.

Each had their eyes stuck towards the system screen. They weren’t focused on the quest’s information but on their unconditional goal.

In front of their eyes was a pair of system screens, carrying different names in perfectly aligned lines and numbers.

It was a pair of ranking lists that grouped and ranked players—both within a set area and throughout the entire world.

Names that Lucian had never even heard about were mentioned within the list.

---

[#-Global Rankings-#]

1. [...]

2. [Spencer Vale]

3. [Reo Tanaka]

4. [Mei Dmitri

5. [Elara Solis]

6. [Hamin Seo]

7. [Maya Vance]

...

***

[#-Server Rankings-#]

└ [Server – Zenitharia]

1. [...]

2. [Maya Vance]

3. [Aisha Ren]

4. [Kai Mercer]

5. [Selene Farrow]

6. [Leon Hartmann]

7. [Sorin Veras]

...

---

The rankings chimed before everyone, charming them with envy and greed. Those names, however, did not matter to anyone. Although famous, they held no meaning. Even more so to the owner of those names.

Why? One may ask.

It was simply because of an entity. A single man no one had ever seen or heard from. Yet he remained at the top; no matter how hard one tried to catch up to him.

A man who made his name known throughout the world, someone who made even the world rankers feel weak.

"The number 1 in both rankings—"

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1. [Hollow]

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"Hollow."