Chapter 2: Passive Skill
Ace woke up sprawled on his bed, his hand reaching toward the ceiling.
For a moment he felt lost. Then memories from a different future flooded in as if a dam had burst.
He remembered being thrown into the first Gate, the trials that changed him, and the last step into Heaven’s Gate where he learned the Chessboard Apocalypse was only a tutorial.
He sat up and took in his tiny one‑room apartment. From the bed he could see the kitchenette and the door to the bathroom.
The place offered only a roof, but it was free. The government had given it to him a few months ago when he turned eighteen, because he was an orphan.
His rent was cheap—so cheap that it was covered for a full year. He also received a small allowance to start adult life. The downside was thin walls and neighbors from different orphanages who often stole from one another.
The thought still made Ace grin. He walked to the lone window, opened it, and drew in the morning air.
Below, orphans his age dodged work and spent their allowance on alcohol and cigarettes. Passers‑by glared at them and hurried away. Farther off, traffic flowed and life looked normal.
Ace chuckled and returned to the bed. Instead of lying down he reached under it for the laptop he had bought with his allowance.
He hid it so no foolish neighbor could steal it. After powering it on he browsed social media.