The countdown on my System screen was glowing a menacing crimson: 47:30:15... 47:30:14... Two days. I had exactly two days before the 'First Gate' would open. I didn't know what a Gate was, but the way the System flashed the warning suggested it wasn't a minor event. My new pendant, the 'Heart of the Abyss', throbbed against my chest, its cold energy keeping me awake and alert.
"I need to test my new skills," I muttered, looking at my hands.
With 'Eagle Eye' active, the world looked different. I could see the microscopic cracks in the walls, the fluttering of a moth's wings outside my window, and even the faint flow of mana in the air. It was as if a veil had been lifted from my eyes.
I decided to head to the rooftop of my apartment building. I needed space to move. The city below was oblivious, people going about their lives, unaware that the world they knew was about to change.
[System Notification: Training Mode Activated.]
[Objective: Master the 'Gravity Grip' skill.]
I reached out my hand toward a heavy metal water tank on the roof. I focused all my intent on it. "Gravity Grip!"
Suddenly, the air around the tank distorted. A massive, invisible pressure slammed into the metal. The tank groaned, the heavy steel bending as if an invisible giant had stepped on it. My mana bar dropped instantly by 20%.
"It's powerful," I gasped, wiping sweat from my forehead. "But it's expensive. I can only use this a few times before I'm completely drained."
[Skill Proficiency Increased: 5%]
I spent the next few hours practicing, pushing my body to its limits. Each time I ran out of mana, the 'Heart of the Abyss' pendant would pulse, speeding up my recovery. By the time the sun started to rise, I felt stronger, faster, and more prepared.
But as I looked toward the horizon, I saw something that made my blood run cold. A crack was forming in the sky—a swirling vortex of purple and black energy.
The First Gate wasn't just coming. It was already here.