Chapter 5: Gate spotting

Chapter 5: Gate spotting

It was still early and Hans found himself torn about what to do next, so after some contemplation, he came up with a schedule to follow.

First on his agenda was to visit the hospital and settle a couple of months' worth of bills.

And that's what Hans did, he took a bus from his hometown and then used a train before arriving in the heart of the city, Chicago.

Once arrived, he proceeded on foot for a brief moment before stopping in front of a three-story building with a grey facade.

Written on top of the entrance was: "Cityview Medical Center"

As he entered through the automatic door, the receptionist greeted him in acknowledgment before turning her attention back to her colleague and continued chatting.

Ignoring the exchange, Hans made his way towards the elevator.

"SIGH, poor guy, he's so young, yet his life is already doomed," the receptionist who had previously greeted Hans let out a sigh while shaking her head as she looked at Hans's back.

"Why do you say so?" asked the colleague in confusion.

"Oh right, I forgot that you were new here. His family met a tragic accident and since then he has been all by himself. He has no relatives, be it grandparents or uncles, and has to work to pay for his family's medical expenses."

The nurse then continued, a look of pity evident on her face, "It hurts me saying this but... he should just let them pull the plug and live on for himself, it has already been so long since his family has been in coma, and... it's possible that they won't ever wake up."

"And why would that be?" the colleague asked.

"The incident that forced them into a coma... do you remember it? It happened four years ago."

Hearing the nurse, the colleague gasped in shock as she repeated, "Four years ago, do you mean-"

"Mh," the receptionist responded with a nod.

Meanwhile, Hans, who was already inside the elevator, had heard everything, probably because of his high wisdom stat which also heightened his senses.

"Pull the plug huh... there's no way I'll ever do that," he shrugged.

Once on his desired floor, Hans walked out of the elevator while slowly making his way to a room located in the farther corner of the floor.

Not long after, he arrived at a room numbered 317, which had an almost-faded grey tag.

Standing before the door, his body shook for a moment before he grabbed the handle and opened the door only to stare at the scene inside the room with a saddened expression for a few moments.

Three beds were lined in the room coupled with sacks and tubes between them. On the other side of the room, opposite the door was a big window with a view of the city's towering skyscrapers.

While opposite to the beds was a TV that played the news.

Walking in with light steps, Hans took a chair from the corner of the room and sat before the three beds.

First, he looked at the bed closest to the window, upon which rested a young girl with black hair and pale skin along with sunken cheeks that showed her sickness.

On the middle bed lay a middle-aged man with slightly dark skin and hair, he looked nothing less than a mummy.

Meanwhile, on the bed located closest to the door rested a middle-aged woman, deprived of her beauty due to the numerous wrinkles that ran all over her face because of her starving body.

Realizing that there was no one around, Hans extended his hand and conjured a small flame to illuminate his surroundings.

{ Fireball} (Tier-0)

[ You have entered the E-rank gate: Moles' burrow]

"E...E-rank?! Wasn't this supposed to be an F-rank?"

'Damn it! Just yesterday, I promised myself to be more cautious, yet here I am, risking my life at a gate that is an entire rank above mine. Should I just flee?' He pondered earnestly.

But after a moment, too reluctant to forgo such a valuable opportunity, Hans resolved to remain inside.

His decision wasn't purely based on the hope that he would get lucky and survive, rather, it was because of the type of dungeon he was in.

Moles were the creatures of the underground, making it easy for him to detect them with the help of his heightened senses through the help of sound of their digging.

Furthermore, their prominent weakness was their sensitivity to light, making them the perfect adversaries for the only spell Hans knew: Fireball.

With that in mind, he delved deeper into the labyrinthine tunnels, mentally mapping the path of return to avoid getting lost.

While walking down a circular tunnel roughly four meters in diameter, Hans suddenly paused for a few seconds before resuming his stride as if nothing had happened.

Just as he walked five more steps, a tremor shook the ground and a black creature emerged from one of the tunnel walls, its knife-sharp claw closing onto Hans's face.

But that was when a blinding light sparked from his hands as he cast {Fireball}.

The lump of fiery projectile struck the mole right in the face and blinded it, causing it to collapse to the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, Hans analyzed it with his {Piercing Gaze}.

[ Race: Earth Mole

Name: None

Lvl: 32

Strength: 31

Dexterity: 19

Endurance: 34

Wisdom: 11

Skills:

{ Blessing of the night (CURRENTLY INACTIVE): Doubles all stats while fighting in the dark}

Description: A mole larger and heavier by almost twice than its peers, with sharp claws and heightened strength and endurance allows it a swift travel inside not only dirt but also through rocks and minerals.

Monster Evaluation: F-rank, closer to E-rank when fighting in dark environments.]