“The cheering?”
“No not the –” I stopped myself, turning to stare at the gate. “…yes, the cheering.”
“Fort not for nightmares! One-hundred and fifty-six nightmares in fort! Fort curses you! Fort curses you! You defile Fort! You defile Fort! Fort not for nightmares!”
“Janus?”
“Sorry, it’s nothing. Let’s keep moving.”
Marching forward through the wide-open gates of Fort Zyvar, almost brought me to my knees with an inexplicable sensation of exhilaration. I felt like electric sparks were flying through every single inch of my body like I’d consumed several dozen energy drinks and overdosed on heroin simultaneously.
[You have walked through a gate]
[HP and MP Fully Restored]
[All Negative Status Effects have been Cured]
[You have attained the temporary effect [Bastion Against the Night] from Fort Zyvar’s Gate]
“Janus?”
Calling my name, a second time made me realize my idiocy. Janus. Yes, Janus was the two-faced god in the Roman mythos. Yes, he was the god of duality. However, there was another thing Janus was associated with. The reason the word “janitor” was created.
Janus was the God of Doors and Gates.
You have discovered a meaning of your name!
Compiling…
Compiling…
Compiling…
Compilation Complete.
Associations Found.
Trigger Found.
[You unlocked an Epithet Skill!]
Activating Epithet Skill – [Gatekeeper].
Standing still, I shook off the euphoria. My body was still overcharged with energy. My broken left arm cracked and snapped back into place, healing without so much as an effort. My entire body felt light. I felt as if gravity’s effects on me had completely vanished. My body was crackling with so much energy that I almost vibrated in place. All of these gave me very good clues as to what [Gatekeeper] did.
“Did you just orgasm from walking into the fort?”
The question came from Arol. The poltergeist was warily giving me some distance now.
“I don’t have a cock, so, unfortunately, no,” I said raising my right hand into the air and flexing it to confirm that I still retained my full range of movements. Wunder did not miss out on the subtle action.
“Your arm. It’s… healed.”
I thought about how I would explain it, my hand suddenly healing as I walked through the gates. “It’s a… special skill.”
“Ah, so you’ve just discovered your Epithet Skill?” Wunder crossed his arms. “Explains why you were acting so odd.”
“Wait, that’s his Epithet Skill?” Arol spun locking her gaze on me. “You heal all injuries when you walk through a gate? That’s so… lame. Like, what’ll you do when you can’t find a gate anywhere?”
“You… know about Epithet Skills?”
The two monsters stared at me as if I was stupid. For once, I did indeed feel as such.
“Every named one has an Epithet Skill. That’s why they’re called named ones. The more powerful and rarer names can have more than one Epithet Skill, but that’s just a rumor. You would have to be named by an extremely powerful Night-One to develop more than one.”
Of course. “Well…” I said. “…what’s your Epithet Skill?”
Wunder laughed. “That’s private information. No one’s just going to tell you what their most powerful ability is.”
“You’ll have to figure it out for yourself, that’s if you can,” Arol added, cheekily.
I put up a front of indignation. “That’s not fair. You both know mine.”
“Nothing’s fair Janus, things just are.” He patted me on the back, again, with enough force to stagger me. “Now come on Mr. Heal-Via-Gate-Entry, let’s keep going.”
Taking a step further into the fort, while trying to keep up my act of disgruntlement, a sharp sensation slammed upon my shoulders like an elephant launched from a trebuchet.
[You have found the Ancient Fort Zyvar!]
[Ancient Fort Zyvar is a claimed Domain!]
[You have entered the Domain of Erzili the Slithercreep!]
[You have taken damage equivalent to 90% of your Mana upon entering this domain without its Owner’s permission.]
[Your HP Regen is cut by 75% while in this Domain.]
[Your MP Regen is cut by 75% while in this Domain.]
[Your Attack and Defense have been reduced by 50% while in this Domain.]
[The MP Cost for all Skills are increased by 100% while in this Domain.]
[Your Intelligence and Defense will reduce by (1) for every day spent in this Domain until you are accepted by the Domain’s Owner.]
[Epithet Skill [Gatekeeper] has mitigated harmful effects from entering the Domain without the Owner’s permission]
“What in the…?” I swore, snapping my neck to Arol and Wunder. “I could have died just from entering here?”
“Could have,” Wunder said. “But you didn’t. I’m impressed Janus. You’re sturdier than you look.”
“And you didn’t think it was something to mention before I entered?”
Arol smiled. “Sniffles did tell you.”
Clenching my teeth and nearly crushing my iron gauntlets, my mind ran through a hundred ways to comprehend the bizarre nature of the nightmares. They were fine, perfectly fine, with letting me walk into what was essentially a death trap without a hint of a warning. They appeared to be friendly and genial, but there was an overlying overt lack of actual care for my wellbeing they possessed. They did tell me that they lacked empathy…
I sighed, shaking my head. I was beginning to understand the Sphinx’s words now about searching for death. Killing or fighting a monster in his Domain was a ridiculously challenging task, assuming you could enter said domain. They had the home advantage and the odds were so blatantly one-sided it was not even funny. Cutting my attack, defense, HP and MP, and then delivering damage just for entering?
“So that’s why there’s no one guarding the gate,” I said. “Not much of a need for gatekeepers if entry means instant death...”
“Oh, look who’s slowly catching up?” Wunder nudged my sides. “Keep up with the smarts and you just might impress the right people.”
“What if I’d died upon entering?”
“Then you’d be dead.” Wunder shrugged. “That’s that.”
“But you’re not!” Arol said. “And that’s great!”
“Hooray for me.”
