Chapter 20: Swift Gate
After finishing his class, Draco made his way to his next destination.
Inside a small but cozy house, Draco settled down with a soft sigh of relief. The space wasn’t luxurious, but it was entirely his.
He had already paid a month’s rent for this modest dwelling, choosing it after spending the week carefully searching the market. The location was perfect for his needs: situated in a respectable middle-class neighborhood, neither poor nor wealthy, and only about thirty minutes’ walk from the academy.
150 gold coins for the month’s rent, translating to 5 gold coins daily, Draco calculated mentally. Not cheap, but not unreasonable either. It’s much better than the servants’ quarters.
[Master, this place smells much better than the old room! And there’s so much space to fly around!] Zephyr chirped excitedly, doing experimental loops around the small living area.
"It’s ours, Zephyr. No more dealing with servants looking down on us or the Ashblades mental illnesses."
On his way to secure the house, Draco had stopped by the academy’s research center, hoping against hope that they might have Four-Petal Swiftleaf in their collection. Unfortunately, his search had yielded nothing but disappointment.
He had also checked several popular merchant branches outside the academy, visiting every shop and rare materials dealer he could find.
The results were consistently frustrating, plenty of three-petal variants, but no sign of the four-petal evolution material he needed.
Draco glanced at his mission timer again, the countdown a constant reminder of his dwindling time:
Mission Deadline: 3 days remaining
I don’t want to rush into a dangerous situation, Draco decided, settling into the house’s single chair. I’ll give myself two more days of searching before resorting to the Swift Gate.
[Master, what’s a gate like? Is it scary? Will there be lots of monsters to fight? (・・?)]
"I don’t know, Zephyr. I’ve never been in one before. But if we have to go, we’ll face it together."
...
Two days passed in a blur of fruitless searching.
Despite visiting every possible source in the city, checking with multiple merchant contacts, and even placing inquiries with travelling traders, the Four-Petal Swiftleaf remained impossibly elusive.
With only one day remaining before his mission deadline, Draco faced the inevitable reality: he would have to enter the Swift Gate.
I can’t risk waiting until the last minute. The penalty for failure is too severe, and the rewards are too valuable to lose.
Before heading to the gate, Draco decided thorough preparation was essential. He made his way to the academy’s equipment district, where students could purchase gear suitable for dungeon exploration at a cheaper price.
Stepping out of the final shop, Draco reviewed his purchases with a mixture of satisfaction and concern over the expense:
-----
[Healing Potion] x3
[Grade] Common
[Effect] Regenerates 1% Health points every second for ten seconds.
[Mana Potion] x1
[Grade] Common
[Effect] Regenerates 1% Mana Points every second for ten seconds.
[Gale’s Boots]
[Grade] Common
[Effect] +2 Agility, +1 Strength
[Slender Sword]
[Grade] Common
[Effect] +2 Strength, +1 Agility
300 gold coins total. The equipment cost 100 each, and all four potions together were another 100.
With his new gear equipped, Draco’s status looked significantly more promising:
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Draco Von Ashblade [Awakened] EXP: 33/100
Title: None
Talent: Dragon Lord (SSS-Rank)
Strength: 13(+3) / Agility: 20 (+3) / Constitution: 12 / Mana: 50
Beastmaster Manual: Common-Rank
Skills: None
Stat points: 0
The stat boosts should make a real difference. Twenty-one agility means our Super-Sonic ability will be even more effective. Once active, my agility will reach 31.5!
The single mana potion was insurance against unexpected magical exhaustion, while the three healing potions would hopefully keep him alive if things went wrong.
The equipment provided crucial stat bonuses that could mean the difference between success and failure in combat.
[Master, you look much more impressive with that sword! Very heroic! But also a little scary...] Zephyr observed, tilting his tiny head as he studied the changes to his partner’s appearance.
"Hopefully I won’t need to use it much. Our plan is to get in, find the beast with the Four-Petal Swiftleaf, kill it, and get out as quickly as possible."
...
Standing outside the gate, Draco took a deep breath as he surveyed the scene before him.
Low-rank gates didn’t simply exist alone in the middle of public spaces. Whenever a gate appeared, it would remain permanently anchored to that location. Therefore, the Awakeners Association always built a camp around each gate, creating a controlled access point for dungeon exploration.
The camp could only be entered by verified awakeners. Draco approached the guard station, where a bored-looking official sat behind a wooden desk. He pulled out his bronze awakener badge and presented it for inspection.
"First time?" the guard asked, barely glancing up as he verified the badge’s authenticity through a small magical device.
"Yes, sir."
"The entrance fee for this government gate is ten gold coins. Unlike those, private guild gates that charge percentage cuts, this one’s straightforward." The guard stamped a piece of parchment and handed it to Draco. "Gate access expires in twenty-four hours. Don’t get yourself killed, kid."
Beyond the checkpoint, the gate itself was an impressive sight. Circular in shape and roughly three meters in diameter, it emitted a steady blue glow that pulsed gently like a slow heartbeat.
The azure light was a characteristic of Common-rank gates – dangerous enough to require awakener intervention, but manageable for properly prepared teams.
Draco took a quick glance around at the other hunters preparing for their own expeditions. Several groups of experienced-looking awakeners were checking equipment, discussing strategy, and organising their formations.
This was their job after all; their livelihood depended on the success of the expedition.
Their attention had been drawn to him for some time now, and he could understand why.
His academy uniform immediately marked him as a student, and students rarely entered the gates early in their academic careers. Most waited until their second or third semester when they had more training and experience under their belts, and some delayed it till their second year.
Before he could approach the gate entrance, a large hunter walked over to him. The man was imposing in size, with a prominent scar running down his right cheek and a massive warhammer resting casually on his shoulder. Despite his intimidating appearance, his expression was concerned rather than hostile.
"What brings you here, boy? I can tell you’re a first-year student from the Sina Academy," the hunter said.
"This gate isn’t meant for fresh recruits. You’ve got time, plenty of it. Come back next semester, when your sword arm’s steadier and your wits sharper. No shame in waiting until you’re ready to face what waits beyond."
Draco looked at the man carefully, noting that despite his scary appearance, his tone was gentle and genuinely caring.
"Thank you for the advice, sir," Draco replied respectfully, though his tone hinted that his intention to enter the gate hadn’t changed.
The hunter sighed, recognising the determination in the young student’s voice. "Why don’t you join us? We’re currently waiting for our fifth member, then we’ll clear the gate. The name’s Tom." He extended a calloused hand for a handshake.
Draco shook the man’s hand, appreciating the genuine offer. "Thanks for the invite, I’m Draco. But I’ll be okay on my own."
Had it been a higher-ranked gate, Draco might have seriously considered accepting the invitation. But blue gates allowed hunters to enter and leave without necessarily fighting the boss monster. The danger was minimal, considering that Draco only wanted to hunt a single monster for its Four-Petal Swiftleaf before making his exit.
Tom sighed, clearly not satisfied with the response but recognising that he couldn’t force the issue. "At least tell me you’ve got proper gear and some experience with that sword."
"I’m prepared," Draco assured him, adjusting the Slender Sword at his side and patting the potion vials secured in his belt pouch.
[Master, that big man seems worried about us. Should we be worried too?] Zephyr whispered from his concealed position inside Draco’s jacket.
"Just... be careful in there, kid. Blue gates might seem manageable, but they’ve claimed plenty of overconfident awakeners. Stay near the entrance, grab what you need, and get out fast."
"I will. Thank you."
With that final exchange, Draco approached the swirling blue portal.
Taking a final deep breath, Draco stepped through the gate’s shimmering surface and vanished into the unknown realm beyond.