Chapter 02: The SeaGate
Ewin’s gaze was fixed on the luminous blue screen inside the chamber, his brown eyes brimming with anticipation as a synthesized voice greeted him:
[Welcome to SeaGate: Treasures, Trials, and Gatekeepers.]
SeaGate: Treasures, Trials, and Gatekeepers had been launched half a century ago as a VRMMORPG by its creator, GamersGuilt.
Back then, the game had been heralded as a portal to another world—a realm of boundless adventure and liberation, where ships were the chariots of destiny and the horizon, the sole frontier.
Yet its initial splash was far from the tidal wave the developers had imagined.
After all, VR games were a novelty at the time, and the price was steep—half a million for not just the game but a basic immersion chamber, lacking even the sophistication of today’s models.
When it debuted, only a scant few thousand souls—mostly influencers, celebrities, and sponsored streamers—purchased it.
But then, a few months later, the game upended the world—and not for any good reason.
Every player who immersed themselves never truly awoke. Some perished within the chamber; others sank into unresponsive comas.
A torrent of prayers and pleas were offered for the lost, while furious blame was hurled at the developers—portraying them as the architects of a hidden, sinister regime.
In the ensuing chaos, hackers targeted the company, riots erupted, and disorder spread unchecked, fanned by the grief and rage of fans mourning their beloved celebrities.
Yet, even amid the pandemonium, the developers remained as baffled as anyone by the unfolding catastrophe.
Then, miraculously—a few months later—the trapped players stirred back to life.
But they were no longer the same.
They emerged imbued with inexplicable powers, wielding relic weapons and artifacts capable of razing cities with a mere gesture.
The world began to revere these ‘Returners’ as demigods, convinced they had transcended mortal limits by surviving unimaginable trials of the heavens.
However, the Returners recounted a far darker tale.
They spoke of excruciating pain, unspeakable torment, and horrific acts committed in the desperate bid to reclaim their lives. They described it as a descent into hell, pleading with others to steer clear.
Within a year of their return, colossal portals tore open across the seas. From these gaping rifts emerged monstrous beings—creatures that hunted humankind with relentless ferocity.
No weapon forged by mortal hands could stem the tide.
Only the Returners, armed with their newfound abilities and ancient relics, stood a chance against the onslaught.
Yet even their numbers paled in comparison to the burgeoning horde.
Faced with utter desperation, humanity was forced to take the one perilous step it had long dreaded:
Enter the game world.
The sole challenge? No one really knew how to.
Then, in a startling revelation, the government disclosed a hidden truth: every immersion chamber ever built by GamersGuilt that contained SeaGate…had the ability to send users into the game world.
Reluctantly, driven by desperation—some seeking power, others fighting to safeguard their loved ones—millions plunged into SeaGate.
Only a few thousand ever returned.
But those survivors emerged mighty enough to hold the line: to seal off portals and push back the relentless tide.
Since that fateful day, those who ventured into SeaGate and emerged as saviors have been honored as Gatekeepers.
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For Ewin, these Gatekeepers were nothing less than heroes—beacons of hope for a boy adrift in a sea of uncertainty.
Their luminous legends had captivated him from the very beginning.
They were moth-light, and he was drawn.
Lost in his reverie, Ewin continued to study the screen. Then the mechanical female voice resonated again:
[Avatar Created]
[Avatar Name Registered: Ewin Ralphye]
[Do you confirm?]
At the sight of his full name, his anticipation fizzled into irritation.
“Just register Ewin,” he grumbled.
[New Name Updated]
He paused, the black screen blank for a heartbeat before flickering once more with a new command:
*[Choose your Class]*
[Melee Class]
[Ranged Class]
[Spell Class]
[Stealth Class]
[Support Class]
Without missing a beat, Ewin intoned coolly, “Ignore.”
It was the most prudent choice. In SeaGate, selecting a primary class was irrevocable.
In the game’s original days, players had only these five classes. Yet as SeaGate metamorphosed from a mere game into a living reality, many discovered hidden classes—abilities so formidable they rivaled those of deities.
Some Gatekeepers, learning the bitter truth too late, had locked themselves into classes that ultimately proved their undoing.
Ewin was determined not to repeat their error. He had spent countless hours poring over every scrap of lore, every leaked secret, and every Gatekeeper legend spanning the past fifty years.
With a measured exhale, he dismissed the subsequent prompts in rapid succession:
[Choose your starting weapons]
“Ignore.”
[Choose your starting items]
“Ignore!”
[Choose your starting Spell Alignment]
“Ignore.”
Finally, he arrived at the single, fateful choice that would shape his destiny inside SeaGate:
[Choose your Affiliation]
[To the Pirate]
[To the Crown]
For a heartbeat, his hands hesitated within the chamber’s grip.
One option beckoned with the promise of lawless freedom—of rebellion, plunder, and the raw allure of the open sea.
The other spoke of structured power—a pledge to uphold order, to rise among the ranks of a regal order, to rule rather than loot.
After a moment of weighted contemplation, Ewin declared with quiet resolve:
“My affiliation is to the Crown.”
Had he embraced the Pirate, he might have repaid his debt through marauding raids and village pillaging.
Instead, he opted for the path of legitimate labor—jobs that could feed both his belly and his purse.
If he worked hard enough, he might even carve a route that could one day earn him a seat among the royals.
But more than that, he chose the Crown because it embodied his lifelong dream:
To stand against those who perpetrated injustice.
Once his decision was cemented, a new UI emerged on the screen:
+++
*[System Interface]*
Status: Active | Mode (Locked)
User (Locked) | Soul Compatibility (Locked)
---
*[Avatar Screen]*
Name: Ewin
Title: None
Race: Human
Level: 1
Class: None
Affiliation: To the Crown (*Affiliation may change based on avatar’s actions.)
Alignment: None
---
*[Stats Screen]*
Strength: 10
Endurance: 11
Agility: 11
Intelligence: 12
Willpower: 21
Affinity: 0
*Stats increase with each level based on the chosen class.
+++
[Is everything okay to proceed?]
Drawing a deep breath, Ewin whispered his mantra:
‘Just keep rowing. Just keep rowing.’
Then, with determination lacing his voice, he spoke aloud:
“Proceed.”
The moment the word left his lips, his consciousness began to dissolve. His eyes grew heavy, his breathing slowed, and his heartbeat faded into a distant echo.
It felt like the finality of death—a sensation of having one’s very soul erased.
Just as darkness threatened to claim him, Ewin forced his eyes open for one last glimpse. A final message blazed on the screen:
[Welcome home, Abyss One]
A cocktail of confusion and terror surged within him, but soon he slipped into oblivion.
***
A harsh grunt shattered the darkness. Ewin awoke with a jolt, his body drenched in weariness.
With great effort, he hoisted himself into a sitting position.
Though his vision remained blurred, a sinking feeling told him something was amiss—when he reached up, he discovered that his arms were shackled.
‘Am I in a prison?’
He wondered, dread seeping into his thoughts.
As clarity returned, he scanned his surroundings. His wrists and ankles were bound by heavy chains affixed to three soot-stained walls.
Across the room, he noticed other teens, their gaunt frames accentuated by skin stretched tightly over protruding bones.
Then he saw them—the Mermen.
These beings, with human torsos and legs armored in shimmering green scales, had gills pulsing rhythmically behind their legs.
‘Mermen…? You’ve got to be kidding me,’
Ewin blurted, a mix of disbelief and trepidation in his voice.
‘Damn it… not a great start.’
The grim truth was undeniable as he leaned his back against a curved wooden plank, trying to steady himself.
In that instant, the creaky floor abruptly rattled, and everyone swayed to one side under a sudden force—yet another sign confirming his worst suspicions.
Determined to glean more, Ewin attempted to engage the teenager next to him.
Before any words could escape, a deep, guttural growl resonated through the cell, halting his efforts.
Ewin flinched and tried to stand—but the chain yanked him back down.
Though panic clawed at him, Ewin noted that his fellow captives maintained a disturbingly calm demeanor—perhaps a sign that he wasn’t alone in his peril.
Yet the relentless growling swelled in intensity, impossible to ignore.
Turning toward its source, Ewin’s eyes fell upon a vast cage draped in black cloth. Whatever lay inside was unmistakably monstrous.
‘Calm the fuck down!’
He hissed at himself, struggling to regulate his pounding heart.
For now, he was momentarily safe. But in that safety lay the confirmation of his deepest fears.
He was aboard a pirate ship.
He was enslaved.
And he was being prepared as food for that caged creature.
