[Blue gates have started descending worldwide. Challenge them and protect your world.]
Reading the message, Ellis couldn't help but stop his previous thoughts and stay still for a moment.
Gates... it was not a term Ellis was hearing for the first time.
And for someone like him, who had read some novels, he had an idea of what it could mean.
That's why he couldn't help but feel that the situation was really becoming even more dangerous at this moment.
It was already chaotic enough just with the mana awakening, and all the zombies that had appeared, after all.
But now, with the possibility of what these gates represented, it was definitely going to make everything more grim.
The line "protect your world" alone hinted at what one might have to face, after all.
So, while Ellis thought that he could probably find ways to use the gates to his advantage later on, at this moment, he still made up his mind.
He needed to hurry toward his mother and older sister.
One could never know what would happen, after all.
As even if he didn't care about the world, his sister and mother were a different story, after all.
Clearing these gates?
That naturally was in his thoughts.
… Just, not now.
It was never too late, after he found out what dangers were out there, and after he had already reunited with them, after all.
… But as soon as he stood up, intent on preparing what he could before making his way to their side—
Suddenly, right in front of him, out of nowhere, a gray light appeared.
It started as a tiny point, then expanded slowly, growing larger until it formed a glowing ring.
The light shone so brightly that Ellis was forced to shut his eyes, shielding them with his arms as he turned his head away… and tried to make sense of what was happening.
But then again, was he allowed that?
Unfortunately, he wasn't.
Because as the light intensified, he suddenly felt himself being pulled toward it.
Ellis naturally tried to resist, but against this mysterious force, akin to gravity but countless times stronger, he was helpless.
He was unable to hold his position, especially without anything to clutch onto.
And so, with his body being carried by this mysterious force, and his eyes still closed, Ellis suddenly felt himself overwhelmed by unbearable pressure—
A pressure that came and went just as quickly, leaving him gasping for air.
Cough, cough.
Now, with his body no longer under any kind of pressure or force pulling him somewhere, Ellis knelt on the ground, his chest heaving up and down.
Even with his eyes still shut from the lingering afterimage of the light, he was already aware that he was in another place.
He coughed his lungs out, struggling to shake off the discomfort that had assaulted him.
And it took more than a few moments before he could finally catch his breath.
Then, raising his head, he slowly opened his eyes.
But his vision was still blurry, as though a thick fog clung to his sight.
It took even more time before his vision finally seemed to return to normal.
Ellis felt his back drenched in sweat as he realized he had been in more danger from the light than from the gravitational force itself.
Maybe, had he not reacted quickly enough to shield his eyes, he might have actually gone blind.
But knowing he couldn't be relieved just yet… after all, he had been teleported to who knows where, Ellis cautiously stood up and looked around his surroundings.
Luckily, there were no zombies or monsters nearby, just barren land.
Even then, the situation was equally worrying, because as far as the eye could see, in all directions, there was nothing at all… just endless, plain ground stretching toward the horizon.
And most strikingly, the world around him seemed to have lost its color entirely, appearing only in shades of gray.
Shaking his head, Ellis, with a heavy mood, tried not to dwell on that and started going back over the incident in his mind.
And after just a moment, he felt like he could deduce what had happened.
Gates, sudden light, and then teleportation.
What did this mean?
It meant that a gate had just, coincidentally… fucking coincidentally, appeared right before him.
And due to his close distance, he had been dragged into it.
Until this part, that was fine… but why gray light?
Not blue?
Ellis was sure he hadn't mistaken the color of the light that nearly blinded him earlier.
It was gray, not blue, unlike what the system message had told him, about blue gates descending.
So why the difference?
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[You have entered an area not supervised by the Twilight Codex.]
[Being outside the reach of the Twilight Codex for a long period of time is dangerous. After a certain duration, you risk losing access to your system window.]
[You are recommended to return immediately.]
Was the Twilight system kindly waiting for him to adjust himself before showing these messages?
Ellis didn't know, but his mood turned gloomier than ever.
First the mana awakening, then the Twilight system, then the gates… and now this.
Everything had seemed fine… at least fine enough, when things appeared to be going to his advantage.
At least, it looked like he would finally have the power to stand firmly against his father, without his sister and mother being used against him anymore.
But now, being dragged into this mess, where he didn't even know where he was, and with even the possibility of losing his newly gained system…
Ellis's mood was anything but pleasant.
He stayed still, staring at the floating messages, his hand clenching tightly.
Strangely, he felt as if nothing had changed, even after the awakening and the appearance of the Twilight Codex.
He was still being swept away by all kinds of ridiculous circumstances.
Why was he dragged into this special gate?
… Why him?