Chapter 1: The Gateway

  ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE.

  The ancient warning was carved into a massive stone gateway that loomed before Kade Brown, its weathered surface a stark contrast to the sterile white room surrounding it. Three monstrous statues adorned the archway: a leopard with spotted fur frozen mid-prowl on the left side, a snarling lion with a great mane atop the center, and a she-wolf with ribs visible through her gaunt form on the right. The beasts seemed to watch Kade with cold stone eyes as he tried to understand the situation.

  Just minutes ago, he'd been at his desk, working on his latest romance novel, the words refusing to flow as his deadline loomed. He'd glanced up at his window, contemplating whether another cup of coffee might help, when something caught his eye—an oversized reptilian creature the size of a car running down the street below. Kade rubbed his eyes, certain the bizarre sight would disappear. His tired brain must be playing tricks after staring at the screen too long. Instead, a blinding light had engulfed him, and he'd found himself here, still clutching his pen.

  A translucent blue screen appeared in front of his eyes, floating in midair like something out of a movie.

  [Welcome, Human. Earth is under invasion by Agents of Chaos. You have been selected to undergo the Tutorial.]

  Kade blinked rapidly, half expecting the screen to disappear. It didn't. He reached out to touch it, but his fingers passed through the glowing text as if it were merely a projection.

  "What is this? Who are you? Where am I?" he called out, his voice echoing unnaturally in the empty white room. The echo continued far longer than the acoustics of the space should have allowed. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

  This had to be a dream—a surprisingly vivid one—but a dream nonetheless.

  After a moment, new text appeared on the screen:

  [I am the System. I have been deployed to assist humanity in this crisis.]

  Kade stared at the floating text. The term "System" reminded him of countless RPGs he'd played, which might explain the floating interface, but that did nothing to clarify how he'd gotten here or what was supposedly happening on Earth.

  "What exactly is this 'Tutorial' and what are these Agents of Chaos?" He decided to play along until he figured out what was happening. "And how serious is this invasion anyway?" That lizard thing could have been a hallucination, right?

  [The Tutorial consists of 9 levels. Each level must be completed to proceed to the next. Complete all 9 levels to return to Earth with enhanced capabilities. Invasion threat can result in total planetary destruction. Detailed information about Agents of Chaos is restricted.]

  Total planetary destruction? Kade felt this was an exaggeration. He had neighbors who would relish the opportunity to shoot some oversized lizards. The System refusing to provide more information about the "Agents of Chaos" only added to his confusion.

  And what did "enhanced capabilities" even mean? Super strength? Magic powers? How could a regular guy like him develop abilities strong enough to fight interdimensional monsters? He'd never been exceptionally athletic or particularly brave—just a writer who'd settled for a comfortable but uninspiring life churning out novels he didn't even enjoy reading himself.

  As if responding to his unspoken doubts, system notifications suddenly appeared:

  [New Innate Talent unlocked: Essence Absorption]

  [New Skill unlocked: Examine]

  [Access your Status to view your capabilities. The information is optimized for human comprehension.]

  "Status?" Kade asked skeptically. The moment he focused on the word, a new screen materialized before him, more detailed than the previous one:

  [Status]

  Name: Kade Brown

  Level: 1

  Strength: 7

  Dexterity: 5

  Constitution: 5

  Intelligence: 0

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  Wisdom: 0

  Talents:

  Essence Absorption

  Skills:

  Examine

  The status screen looked like it came straight out of a game. Kade's eye twitched at the sight of zeros beside Intelligence and Wisdom. How insulting. He hadn't aced college, sure, but he did have a biomedical degree—despite those late-night gaming sessions that tanked his GPA.

  At least his strength seemed above average, probably from his regular gym sessions. When he focused his thoughts on the Intelligence stat, a small explanation appeared:

  [Intelligence: Total energy capacity for casting spells and utilizing magical abilities.]

  [Wisdom: Wisdom: Energy regeneration rate and efficiency of spell casting.]

  Not about brainpower after all. That made more sense, though having zero in both still wasn't ideal for someone who might need to fight monsters. The System seemed to be telling him he had no magical potential whatsoever. Great.

  Curious about the rest, Kade focused on his other stats.

  [Strength: Strength: Physical power and force application.]

  [Dexterity: Speed, agility, reflexes, and precision.]

  [Constitution: Health, stamina, recovery rate from injuries, and resistance to damage and adverse conditions.]

  Standard definitions, just as he'd expected.

  Turning his attention to the Examine skill, Kade looked around the white room for anything to test it on. He tried the walls, floor, and ceiling, but nothing happened. The skill seemed to have limited functionality.

  He attempted to examine himself next, curious what the skill might reveal.

  [Kade Brown]

  [Human (Level 1)]

  Hardly illuminating. Frowning, Kade tried one last test, directing the examine skill at the floating blue interface itself.

  [System Interface]

  [Error: Cannot examine System processes]

  Worth trying, at least. This skill clearly had serious limitations for now. Kade shifted his focus to his apparent talent.

  [Essence Absorption]

  [A rare innate talent that draws universal essence from defeated foes. The essence appears as particles of light that flow into the user's body, strengthening their core and accelerating growth. This talent forms the foundation of your potential advancement through the Tutorial.

  Kade's eyes widened with recognition. This was like earning experience, the most fundamental mechanic in every game he'd ever played, now apparently translated into reality. This was what the System meant by getting stronger. But "defeated foes" had a much different meaning here than in a game. He'd have to actually fight—possibly kill—for power.

  As Kade finished exploring his status screen, a new notification appeared:

  [You have 5 minutes to decide. Enter the gateway to begin the Tutorial. Or remain here to be transported back to Earth and lose your status.]

  A timer appeared, counting down from five minutes.

  Kade pinched himself hard. The sharp pain confirmed this wasn't just a dream. He jumped up and down, then pounded his fist against the wall. Every physical sensation felt real. This was actually happening.

  He weighed his options carefully. If the System was telling the truth, Earth was currently being overrun by monsters. Would he be safer back there? The modern military could probably handle some oversized lizards.

  Then again, a system capable of teleporting him across dimensions had told him he needed more power. These creatures had somehow bridged worlds to reach Earth, that alone suggested technology far beyond human understanding. If they needed special powers to fight these things, humanity was in deeper trouble than he'd first thought. Perhaps destruction of Earth wasn’t an exaggeration.

  A chill ran down Kade's spine as he stared at the gateway with its ominous message. Yet beneath the fear bubbled something unexpected—excitement. As a kid, he'd spent countless hours imagining what it would be like to discover hidden powers and save the world. He'd never imagined those childish fantasies materializing in adulthood.

  The timer ticked down to two minutes remaining. Kade paced before the gateway, weighing his options. Every sensation told him this was real, despite how ridiculous it seemed. Returning to Earth meant going back to a comfortable but uninspiring life, assuming society continued functioning with monsters running through the streets.

  And staying meant what, exactly? Nine levels of a "Tutorial" to gain "enhanced capabilities"? The term suggested something manageable, designed for beginners. His level might be low and stats unimpressive, but he could become stronger quickly, maybe even learn magic. The thought sent a surge of excitement through him.

  With ninety seconds left, Kade considered what he'd be leaving behind. Nothing he physically owned tied him down. He was single. His apartment, laptop, gaming setup—none of it mattered. Only his parents gave him pause. They would worry if he suddenly disappeared. But if Earth was truly being invaded, everyone was in danger anyway, including them.

  One minute remaining.

  Kade looked down at the pen still clutched in his hand. For years, he'd written stories about characters facing impossible odds—though usually for love, not survival. Now he was living the adventure he'd secretly wished for during those long nights of gaming. The potential danger was terrifying, yet exhilarating.

  With forty-five seconds left, a new worry struck him. What if he died in there? Real danger meant real consequences. But what if he didn't go, and everyone on Earth died because he was too afraid to get stronger? That thought was worse than any risk to himself.

  At thirty seconds, Kade flexed his hand, feeling no different than he had that morning while making coffee. Yet according to his status page, he was already something more than human, with talents and abilities waiting to be developed.

  With fifteen seconds remaining, Kade took a deep breath and made his choice. He stepped toward the gateway, heart pounding in his chest.

  "I hope I don't regret this," he muttered.

  Five seconds.

  He crossed the threshold. The stone archway seemed to stretch and distort around him as he passed through. Time slowed.

  The pristine white room behind him faded away, replaced by encroaching darkness. As the last tendrils of light disappeared, Kade felt his consciousness begin to slip away.

  In that final moment before darkness claimed him, the gateway's message reverberated not as sound but as thought itself, burning into his fading mind:

  ABANDON ALL HOPE, YE WHO ENTER HERE.