The fire burned softly, crackling and sending the embers from it into the crisp blue air, ignorant of the depression that was lingering over the area. Since Cain and his trainee group had managed to reach the site of the original Gate, they had been joined by multiple other people. Someone of them had completed their jobs and analysis they had been assigned, others had become tired and wished to go home and take a bath and see their families.

Cain looked around the area, multiple fires burning, and sighed. Everyone was so depressed, confused, and scared that they were staying huddled up and not moving, not even talking. It had been this way for at least two hours by now, and the only movement was coming from the hastily set up command tent.

Standing up, Cain headed over towards the area. There was nothing else to do, and he figured that he could at least get some form of information. Besides, if his sister saw him moping, she would have straight up dragged him outside and tortured him while calling it training.

“Stop right there. You aren’t allowed to enter. Association officials only,” the guard at the tent flap said, causing Cain to sigh.

“I just wanted to get some information for the masses,” Cain said, pointing at the conglomerate of misery that was behind him.

The guard’s face softened slightly, before shaking his head. “Unfortunately, my duties are clear cut this time around. Unless you have some way that you can help us, and no offense, I remember seeing you in the training group. So, you’ll have to leave.”

Cain’s face scrunched up in thought, trying to figure out a way around this. He really did want information, but every command center had a map and everyone had sent their information earlier why the officials arrived. If he could at least see it, then he would feel better knowing the general layout of the area. That was something his sister had beat into him repeatedly during their training sessions last week.

‘Know the area, know the area, know the area. Jeez, it’s like I have her possessing my mind right now,’ Cain thought, shifting around while the guard stared at him. There were two cards that he could play right now, his rating or his sister. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure about his sister’s standing with everyone in the Association, and he would prefer to not drag her into anything that might happen when they managed to get out of the Gate, so he would have to rely on his rating.

Pulling off his glove, Cain held his hand up to the guard, showing off the rating mark. “I’m a four-star rating. I might be able to help. I was only in the training group because I received it between Academy registrations, so my guardian didn’t think it was necessary I joined an early group.”

The guard put his hand to his chin, pondering for a minute. Looking over to his companion, who was doing his absolute best to remain disinterested to the entire scenario, he waved him over.

“Luke, I’m going to go report this. Keep an eye on him for a second.”

Luke sighed and nodded, obviously bored of this post. The other guard disappeared in the tent; muffled talking heard throughout. It hadn’t been more than thirty seconds before he was back, saluting at Cain.

“The name is Brian, and I am to cordially inform you that you may enter the Association’s base camp.”

Cain nodded and walked forward, ducking under the tent flap. “Thanks Brian,” he said, disappearing inside.

The air was definitely different inside the command area, heavier, and stifling. There weren’t a lot of people inside, but there was a sense of power and authority that permeated the place. Looking around, Cain saw a hand wave him over to a table in the middle of the room. Placed on it was a blank map, only parts of it filled in with lines and squiggles.

Cain had expected the area to not be explored by much, but not to this extent. If he had to make a comparison to it, it would be like trying to sift through a river bed for gold. There were some rivers and hills marked on the map, as well as a couple of mountains bases, but that was it really. Dread set in slightly and Cain sighed. This was going to take some time, especially with how many civilians that actually were in the Gate right now.

“Name, boy?”

“Cain Darkgleam,” Cain responded, turning his attention to the person sitting in front of the map. He was old, but it seemed to be more of forced aging than actual old age. Judging from his stature, it looked like he had been in the military before the Gates descended, which would account for the stress lines across his face.

“Lieutenant Bronn. You say you’re a four-star?” An eye raised slightly in disbelief at the statement.

Cain nodded and lifted his hand, showing the symbol the System had gave him.

“Huh, I’ll be damned. How long ago?”

“About two weeks now sir.”

“Two weeks, huh? Must be Everdale’s kid brother. Only one I’ve heard of recently. She teach you anything useful?”

Cain glowered slightly at the comment. So, Bronn knew his sister huh? He shouldn’t be surprised, in order to be the one in charge of this expedition, he had to have some relation to her.

“She kept with the basics mostly; moving on water, dodging, sensory and strength training. She taught me a single axe skill though. Oh, and I have a mental communication skill that I received from the System, so that was worked on as well.”

Bronn raised his eyebrows again, slightly confused. “You have a mental communication skill? At a four-star? That normally is saved for low ratings so that they can at least be somewhat useful from what I’ve seen. Interesting...” he trailed off for a second, before coming back to his sense.

“Boulder also told me when he reported in earlier that you know Observe as well, which is why you aren’t dead. Care to tell me about that situation?”

Cain sighed slightly. He should have known it wouldn’t be that simple to just get in and out of here. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

“I felt paranoid, so I used the skill to see if I could find anything behind us. Lo and behold, we were set upon by a swarm of blood bats that ran away. After that, Boulder had me use another round of it just to practice and we saw... that.”

Cain shuddered, pushing that memory far from his current train out thought. This action did not end up unnoticed by Bronn, who opened his mouth to ask for more details and then closed it, deciding against bringing up that trauma.

“Well, I won’t ask you for more details about that tonight. It’s too fresh a memory. But that thing is most likely the area’s boss, which means I need as many details about it as possible if we are going to get out of here fast. We can hunt and make shelter, but there are too many unrated people here. We don’t need liabilities.”

Waving his hand, Bronn dismissed Cain and turned his attention back to the map, looking at the reports next to him and drawing out small details. “Come back here at seven am sharp, we are going to have a briefing, and like it or not, you’re now part of the military group.”

Cain nodded and walked back outside, breathing a sigh of relief as the crisp air infiltrated his lungs. Nodding to Luke and Brian as he walked away, Cain headed back towards his section of the camp, before stopping and taking an abrupt turn into the forest.

“Observe.”

Observe Active

Nothing in view. Would you like to inspect the trees? Y/N

Cain swept the window away and move further into the foliage. There was something he needed to test out, and he couldn’t be around others in order to do so.

“Skills.”

Skill Window Opened.

-Earthquake

-Creation

-Observe

-Axe Slash

-Mental Blade

“View Creation.”

Name: Creation

Description: Allows the creation of Gates. Level 1 Gates allowed to be created. Consumes 75% total energy.

Cain stood there, staring at the screen for what felt like forever. It could work, or it could fail miserably. The skill’s description specifically said level one Gates could be created, but where did that fall in the human's classification of the rankings? Was a level one Gate a white Gate, or was it higher? Cain swiped the windows closed and headed back to camp. There were too many unknowns right now. He would have to sleep on it.