The gate felt different than the simulation.
Not visually. Not even physically at first.
It was the weight of it.
Like walking through a membrane made of gelatin and static electricity. My skin prickled. My teeth ached. The spear in my hand suddenly felt heavier, more real, like the difference between holding a prop sword and actual steel.
"Holy shit," I breathed.
"First time?" Jordan materialized beside me, his sword already drawn.
"Is it always like this?"
"Yeah. The simulation gets the look right. Can't replicate the feeling." He adjusted his grip. "Welcome to the real thing, lottery boy."
The forest around us stretched in every direction. Massive trees with trunks thick as cars. Canopy so dense it blocked most of the sunlight, leaving everything in permanent twilight. Moss covered everything. The air tasted wrong. Sweet and rotten simultaneously.
My system interface flickered at the edge of my vision.
◆ LIVE GATE DETECTED ◆
Rank: E (Confirmed)
