16
Chapter 16
"There are the [Angels] that have their own 9 sub-ranks starting from [Angel] as the lowest all the way up to [Seraphim] as the highest angel. The [Fate Spinners] that have 4 ranks ranging from the [Weavers of Fate] all the way up to the [Masters of Fate].
The [Divine Architects] that have 3 sub-ranks ranging from [Sages] as the lowest to the [Heavenly Sage] as the sole leader." (Sheila)
"The [Valkyries] that have 10 sub-ranks. The [Harmony Keepers] that have 5 sub-ranks, and lastly the [Divine Scholars] with only 2 sub-ranks—the regular [Divine Scholars] and the [Head Divine Scholar]." (Sheila)
"The [Angels], as you already know, serves as messengers that will carry out my will in the mortal realm. They have no business with other gods' domains unless in special cases—such as War." (Sheila)
"As for the other roles and further details of the [Angel] role—more detailed information will be obtainable from that gadget when you finish with the halo." (Sheila)
"…I see." (Cassian) "Thank you."
"No problem, and you're very much welcome." Sheila's body suddenly begins to fade as she speaks. By the end of her statement, she was already gone leaving him staring blankly at a grand empty throne. "Anyway, I have other tasks left unfinished. Till next time, Cassian~."
"…" His gaze only left the throne when he heard the sound of the elevator's doors sliding open and the closing.
Turning around, his eyes landed on someone dressed just like Val Grove, the first person he made contact with upon leaving his home world.
This one also had fair skin and a soul-sucking pair of golden eyes that went well with the yellow markings that snaked around her bodysuit that unlike Val's black one was white.
She was 5 feet and 11 inches tall with long black hair that fell below her shoulder blades.
His eyes locked onto her double Es for a second before swiftly returning to her face as her pace slowed down a foot before him. Appearance wise, he pegged her to be in her mid-20s and her beauty was definitely something that would have hooked him if he had not seen the goddess or gotten hooked on Martha.
"You're the new recruit?" She asked as she eyed him from head to toe, shamelessly scrutinizing him. "Hmm, not bad. A good base. You'll definitely morph into good eye candy after officially becoming one of us."
"Recruit?" Cassian raised her brow slightly as he mumbled her words. "Eye candy?"
Whether she heard him or not remained unknown to him as she silently circled around him, drinking in his appearance with her eyes.
"Alright." She abruptly stopped eye-stripping him and turned around, heading for the elevator. "Let's go."
"…" Neither protesting nor questioning her, he sprinted after her. 'She doesn't look like she's running, jogging, or putting in any effort at all. So, how in heaven's name is she covering so much distance so fast?!'
"Floor 2002." she said.
Just like when he came in with Val, the doors slid closed after her words.
In no time, the vague sensation of going down dissipated and the doors slid open.
Without waiting for him, the brunette stepped out of the elevator and began to walk away so he had to sprint after her—again.
Unlike the throne room (floor 6999) and the floor he first woke up in (non-specified floor), this one was livelier and more looked like the lobby of a company building.
There were people who appeared to be of all ages, genders, and skin tone, all dressed like the person escorting him—a white bodysuit with yellow markings.
There were also innumerable counters where 'receptionists', who were also dressed in the same manner, received people.
The whole place seemed hectic as everyone had no time to spare him a glance since they were all busy with one thing at another.
Plus, he noticed that everyone was moving really quickly. It seemed that his escort's pace was a normal thing here.
"This floor (floor 2002) is the second floor of [Angel District] of the Benevolent Divine Realm." The brunette in the white bodysuit suddenly began to speak. "The Great Mother designed her God Domain to be like a tower."
…
A/N: God Domain and Divine Realm are interchangeable. They are the same thing.
…
"It comprises of a total of 7000 known floors."
She went on to explain the distribution of floors amongst the occupants of the Benevolent Divine Realm.
[Floors]
7000 – Secret Floor – Goddess' chambers
6999 – Throne room
6000-6998: Divine Prison
5000-5999: Divine Scholar& Divine Architects
4000-4999: Valkyries
3000-3999: Harmony Keepers
2000-2999: Angels
1000-1999: Fate Spinners
1-999: Mortals
'Wouldn't [Benevolent Tower] or [Benevolent Divine Tower] be a better name?' He thought. 'Anyway, it's not like it's my realm.'
'That aside…'
"There are mortals who live here?" He asked.
"Yes… No. Well, I would not call it living." She answered. "The Divine Realms will always be reserved for the Divine beings; Divine Architects, Divine Scholars, blah blah, blah, and Angels—such as myself."
"The first 999 floors assigned to the mortals serve as a form of trial grounds—a ladder which they climb, hoping to someday reach the top and receive the blessing of the goddess so they may ascend and get a chance to be trained to shed their mortality."
"…I see." Cassian muttered in reply as he digested the information. "And how often do they succeed in ascending?"
"Hehe! The last time I checked, which was about thirty-five or forty years ago, I'm pretty sure it was about 14,200—" Hearing her words, he assumed that was a large number until she continued. "—of the one and a quarter billion individuals of that decade."
"Oof…" Cassian sighed.
"Ah, right." She continued. "It should also be noted that the entrance for mortals to come in to climb the tower opens once every decade and those that have failed to reach cross the 499th floor by the time it reopens at the end of the decade will be expelled from the tower and banned from trying again for another decade."
"Same goes for those that surpass the 499th floor (reach the 500th) in the first decade but fail to reach the 1000th floor in the next." She explains.
"…" He silently nods, understanding the intricacies of the tower.
"The name's Hephzephyriel Sar Harshmint." She broke him out of his own head, still not slowing her pace. "Hephzephyriel's the first name. If you succeed and get a white [Holy Armor]—" She tugged at her bodysuit as she said 'armor'. "—Then, just 'Zephyr' or even 'Zeph' is acceptable."
Glancing back at him over her shoulder, her eyelids momentarily cloak and then uncloak her golden left eye as she winks at him. "And who knows, if you look as tasty as I predict when you come back then you might just get the chance to call me 'Zee' as we mingle beneath the sheets."