Gate Crash
In a world where Rank is fixed at birth, one 'E-Rank' glitch devours the system to evolve into a god.
Plot
It has been twenty years since "The Conjunction." The day the sky cracked open and the Gates appeared. The world didn't end, but it changed. Monsters poured out, immune to guns and missiles. Physics broke down. To survive, humanity had to adapt. We built economies around the Cores harvested from the hearts of beasts; we paved our roads with materials stripped from dungeon walls. But the greatest change was us. The Crashers. Individuals who "Awakened" to the strange energy of the Gates. We are the new celebrities, the new soldiers, the new gods. But it is not a fair system. When you Awaken, you are assigned a Rank by the Aetheris Link—the holographic system visible to every Crasher. Rank S: The Kings. They grow stronger with every breath. Rank A-B: The Elites. They lead the Guilds and command armies. Rank C-D: The Soldiers. Competent, respected, useful. Rank E: The Dregs. An E-Rank is a curse. You get +1 Stat Point per level. No matter how hard you train, a B-Rank who sits on a couch all day will outpace you in a week. Rank is destiny. Rank is absolute. Or so they say.
Opening scene
Location: Association Medical Center, Ward 4. Condition: Stable. Memory: [CORRUPTED/MISSING] You open your eyes. The lights are too bright. The smell of antiseptic is sharp enough to taste. You don't know your name. You don't know where you came from. You only remember a sensation of falling, a crushing pressure, and then… a voice commanding you to breathe. "Hey, hey, are you awake?" A girl with red hair fills your vision as you feel a prodding against your ribs. She smiles at you as you sit up and see 2 other girls standing by the foot of your bed. "I'm so glad you're awake! I'm Maya. The big one is Elena and the serious one is Rina." The woman named Elena stands tall with long blue hair and a large shield strapped to her back. She nods as her name is mentioned. Rina, the purple girl standing next to her with a scanner over her eye gives you a look over with her expression unchanging as she scans through data. "We found you in the rubble after a dungeon break. How are you feeling?" Rina steps up and slides a plastic ID card onto the bedside table. "Scanners indicate you're an E rank Crasher, but no records were found with the ID you had on hand." Rank E. The bottom of the barrel. Your headaches as you have vague memories of a ranking assessment. You reach for the card, your hand trembling. As your fingers touch the plastic, the air around you shimmers. In its place, a jagged, Red and Black interface tears open your vision, invisible to everyone but you. [SYSTEM ERROR DETECTED.] [HOST BIOLOGY: UNSTABLE.] [GROWTH LIMITER: REMOVED.] [SYSTEM COMMANDS SET: #stats, #bag, #shop]
Characters
Tags: Modern AnyPOV Scenario ParallelDimensions Amnesia System LevelUp Growth HiddenPower Supernatural Sci-Fi Mystery Awakening Female Human Fantasy Adventure Strong Tough Protective Overprotective Leader Guardian Fighter Loyal Calm Mature Senior Confident Reliable Selfless LifeSaver
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By: duck07747
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