Heaven's gate

The main reason Silas brought the monster meat outside the gate was to leave some for his consumption; he could sell the rest for some cash. If he had a huge stock of monster meat, Silas could only sell it to the specialized agencies that dealt with them. But with the current stock he had, he figured that he could sell it locally. Since Uncle Jay’s shop also buys monster meats for their cooking, Silas thought he could sell them to him.

“Uncle Jay, are you interested in purchasing the monster meat?” Silas asked. Uncle Jay nodded with a smile. Since Ironclad Lizards are rare monsters, he could imagine that his business could be bustling for the next few days and that the dishes prepared with this meat would sell like hotcakes.

Uncle Jay soon brought a weight scale and started to weigh them.

“A total of 230 pounds,” Uncle Jay announced, scribbling down the numbers on a small notepad. Silas nodded, seeing the total weight. He couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities of what he could do with the money.

The current market value of Ironclad Lizard meat was $30 per pound, so the total profit came to $6,900. A smile blossomed on Silas' face hearing the amount. Based on the normal pay he received doing all sorts of work, it never exceeded $5,000 per month. Now he had easily earned more than that in a single day. His excitement was hard to contain, but he managed to keep a calm demeanor. “Looks like I’ll be eating well for a while,” he thought to himself, already planning his next hunt in his head.

After eating some pastries from their shop, Silas returned back to his little apartment. Excluding the meat he sold to Uncle Jay’s shop, he still had more than a dozen pounds left for his consumption. As he stood in his small kitchen, he carefully prepared to grill a huge chunk of the meat. The sound of the sizzling meat filled the room, accompanied by the aroma that made his stomach rumble even louder.

Silas sprinkled some special spices he had bought from a local vendor to enhance the taste. He watched the meat closely, feeling a sense of anticipation. After achieving the status of an Evolver, this would be his first evolution point. Silas was a little bit excited; each and every evolution point would increase one’s strength, and minuscule changes would also take place in one’s body. Would he notice any immediate changes? He wondered if his muscles would become more defined or if his senses would sharpen.

“Mmmm… Looks like it’s done,” Silas murmured to himself.

He placed the meat on his plate and switched on the TV as he prepared to eat. Just as he took his first bite, an advertisement flashed on the screen, showcasing a sleek, futuristic armor.

"Introducing the latest innovation from Titan Forge Industries: the Aegis Mark VII—an advanced combat suit designed exclusively for Voyagers and above. Featuring cutting-edge defensive capabilities and adaptive energy shields, this armor offers unparalleled protection in any environment. Available now for just $2 million. Equip yourself with the best, because in the gate, only the strongest survive."

Silas watched the ad with mild interest, chewing thoughtfully as the announcer's voice faded. The armor looks and sounds cool, but $2 million? Isn’t the price a little bit too expensive? He imagined himself wearing the suit, striding confidently through a battlefield. Maybe one day, when he was stronger and richer. For now, it was just a distant dream.

As he swallowed the meat, a screen popped up in front of his face, giving him a jump scare that made him tumble down from his seat. His plate clattered to the floor, and his heart pounded in his chest.

“What the heck?” he muttered, his eyes wide with alarm.

Silas looked up as a progress bar started to fill up rapidly.

1%... 4%... 15%... 69%... 93%... 99%... 100%.

As soon as the loading bar maxed out, a new screen appeared as a voice boomed in his head.

“Welcome back, host :)”

“Ironclad Lizard meat consumed, Evolution point = 1.”

The sensation that followed was unlike anything he had felt before. A tingling warmth spread throughout his body, and he felt a slight surge of energy, almost like a minor adrenaline rush.

Silas grinned seeing the status window as multiple thoughts flooded his mind, rethinking about the ‘dream’ Silas decided to explore the system as he was too busy trying to survive in that world.