Hello everyone, Tzuf here. First of all, I hope you all enjoyed this arc, it’s a bit rough around the edges still, but I like what I’ve made of it in the end. It focused on a very narrow cast of characters, but especially towards the later part I believe that worked to my advantage in introducing the world and John’s future situation. I have a bit more to say in that regard, but first if there are any questions or queries you’d like me to address in general, please comment below. And if you would like to support me or read ahead a few chapters, please check out my Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/Tzuf

More importantly, there are a couple teasers at the end of this chapter, even if you are not interested in my rambling notes, I advise you to read those!

This story was originally created as part of the Gamer CHYOA story, and while I have tightened stuff up, that origin still shows. When I first began writing it almost three years ago now I was young, a bit naive, and definitely didn’t really know how to write. Despite my belief that has changed, I decided to keep a lot of the elements much the same, and to some degree I’m happy I did it. Whether from sentimentality or just the desire for authenticity this has remained to a large degree the same story I planned back then. Although it is better for the changes I have made. Furthermore though, I would like to thank everyone that’s helped me along the way, from my various test readers among my friends in the original CHYOA community and in my real life, and for those other authors I’ve talked to and have helped me while I helped them. To me writing is a community thing, and I’ve met a lot of good people through it, so I’m happy I’ve done it for that alone as well. I’d also especially like to thank my two earliest test readers, my friend who will remain unnamed (You know who you are, but your name has been held back due to your request) and Shikaku, who both took an early interest in my work and helped me along in my early days of writing. Both of them gave me some great ideas and helped me immensely with feedback, but so did the rest of my test readers.

Anyways, that’s enough emotionality from me for one Author’s Notes (do expect one of these every time, I’m sentimental like that). So we’ll get onto the meat of the topic, Arc 1. “The Gateway” is a sort of hodge podge of the many stages of creation this story had. First it was written by a version of myself that was barely competent and had to deal with strict rules from the CHYOA’s structure, then from an older me who knew how to write at least, and yet again by me in recent times when I rewrote this, adding yet more variables to the tone and execution. To some degree I hope that doesn’t show, because I worry it makes it feel disjointed and annoying (to those who liked the early stuff than the later parts or the other way around). But if it is then there is nothing I can do. I believe it is better for it to be this way, if only simply to show my own evolution through this writing.

Regardless, I ended up being happy with the Arc overall, as it introduced many characters that will become incredibly important in the story moving on and because it introduced the two main pillars I will be dealing with throughout the story. As some of you have probably already figured out, the exploration of the Gateway and John’s Psychic powers are both the central pillars I intend to focus on. Both of them will be addressed in the next Arc, which I have dubbed “XR2”. Perhaps that will give you some idea of what it focuses on. The Volume name, for anyone wondering, is quite simple “An Introduction”. Yeah, I know, I even used that as a chapter title! But the basic idea was pretty simple. To introduce a wide variety of concepts, ideas and characters that will be dealt with across the rest of my branch. Thus, the name. Now, I’ll leave you all with a few little previews of what’s coming, hopefully these teasers excite you for the next arc!

The Council’s mundane office was dark by now. She would need to go back to her real office soon enough. Her eyelids were almost glued shut, she was tired, but there was even less time to waste. What she had feared had already begun, the Shadow and whatever group of councilors and forces he had managed to gather were starting to make their move, all because she brought John. Ingrid could say she was ready, but while her mind assured her of it, her heart worried. Because every single life under her responsibility would now be facing the prospect of a war she never intended, on a scale so utterly impossible no one could imagine. Even the Abyss’ wars of conquest and survival could not claim to happen across universes...

‘Whatever will happen,’ Ingrid Bluespark’s eyes flew open, shining the bright blue she was known for, ’I will win this’

When the young redheaded woman was awoken by a soldier outside, she was sleeping on the military bed in her quarters. Despite it being a more comfortable bed than any of those in the main barracks of the ship, she still hated it. It lacked everything that made a bed a bed, being a simple sheet of steel hung to the wall and with a mattress on top of it. As much as she liked the prospect of getting to train with her mech, she always hated getting up in the morning, and the news of their new orders only made that more severe. The soldier knocking on the door was there to report their new course to the earthen lieutenant. Telling her they were being sent on a three weeks mission to a desert moon by the designation of “XR2”. Supposedly to collect a new explorer.

’Really? They’re giving us another waste of time like that,’ Lieutenant Ruby Hunt shrugged at the thought.

Shaking the dust from her eyes, she dressed and walked to the hanger bay. Taking the only mech they had on the ship and into the void for a training exercise. They were always on the move and always on alert, so she needed all the training she could get when they finally met something that required any shooting. And more than that, she knew that would be far more fun than anything on that desert moon.

Well, that’s about it. I hope everyone enjoyed this Arc, I’m sure you’ll enjoy what’s coming.

For now, however, goodbye.