short-range teleporter
+ "As long as you promise that we'll talk about it..."
Asharaa gave a faint mental smile.
++ "I promise..."
After a few moments of silence, basking in the warmth of the sun, Damon asked,
+ "Do you think this whole implant thing is just some new technology, that only rich people like this guy Raphael have access to? Or are we, the people of the Fringe, even more isolated from society than we realized?"
++ "Honestly, both seem highly possible. But I feel like there's so much we don't know. Like those techniques and skills Raphael had, are they something everyone can access? Are they valuable? And if they are, how exactly is their worth determined? Damon, we don't even know how much all that money in his wallet is actually worth... I didn't find anything beyond standard credits in your memories."
Damon let out a sigh and replied,
+ "Everything just keeps getting stranger and more complicated. I always thought that once my compatibility was confirmed, I'd join the army, learn How to use 'Ka' energy and train as a knight in sword combat. I never imagined things would be this intricate. But hey, these techniques and skills we got? They're just like the ones in those novels. Guess we'll have to find a quiet place, sit in a lotus position, and begin our cultivation..."
Asharaa's voice carried a hint of concern.
++ "...Does that mean what I told you isn't important to you at all? Why aren't you taking this more seriously?"
+ "Of course, it matters to me… but what else can we do besides facing it head-on? I just don't want to make things any harder than they already are."
Damon's holo-watch suddenly vibrated, flashing a blinking red light.
[Dear Damon Gray, congratulations on joining the proud and esteemed society of the Helios Empire. Upon receiving this message, please report to the Gate of Peace (New Thebes' exit to the Fringe) at your earliest convenience to complete the legal procedures for your membership in the Helios Empire. We appreciate your cooperation.]
+ "Hahaha... I'm finally getting my wish, all thanks to you, Asharaa... Damon Grey, knight of the Empire... hahaha!"
Damon's joy and excitement were so infectious that Asharaa, too, found herself smiling, her earlier sadness fading away.
++ "Of course, it's all thanks to me. Now, how do you plan to repay me?"
Damon, still grinning widely, replied nonchalantly,
+ "If I could, I'd give you a big hug right now. But since I can't, how about this? When we get to New Thebes, we'll have ice cream. They say it's a hundred times better than the ones in the Fringe."
++ "Oh? So, you plan to take advantage of me and then bribe me with ice cream?"
At Asharaa's words, Damon's happiness instantly vanished. He started coughing violently, and without meaning to, he recalled the first time Asharaa had appeared before him in his mind's space.
+ "I… cough cough... That's not what I…! And besides, you…. I mean, how would I even…"
Asharaa burst into laughter, as if she had just witnessed the most amusing scene in the world.
++ "Hehehehehehe, such an innocent little girl… I think it's best we start heading toward the Gate of Peace, or whatever it's called."
Trying to shake off Asharaa's teasing, Damon muttered,
+ "Good idea. The sooner we get this over with, the better. After that, we need to figure out what to do with those techniques and skills we acquired. Also, we still have 15 GP we haven't used yet. If we want to increase our chances of getting into the Academy, we need to take advantage of every resource we can. My dad was right… The entrance test isn't just an exam, it's a battlefield, Asharaa."
Asharaa gave a silent mental nod of agreement. After double-checking Raphael's implant, they set off toward the Gate of Peace.
The Gate of Peace had been constructed across all imperial cities two centuries before Damon's birth, a year after the end of the Fringe uprisings, as a symbol of unity between citizens and the worker class.
In New Thebes, the Gate of Peace stood a hundred meters from the Fernandez Bridge. It was guarded by twenty
To the right of the gate stood a statue of a knight holding a sword, while to the left was a statue of a worker with a pickaxe resting on his shoulder. Above the gate, a crossed sword and pickaxe had been sculpted, representing the unity between warriors and workers.
After roughly forty minutes of walking, Damon finally arrived at the gate, where two Karas led him into a two-story building beside it.
Inside, a young woman in a navy-and-gold military uniform, perhaps only a few years older than Damon, greeted him with a warm smile. She had black hair, an average height, and striking features.
"So, you're this month's lucky recruit, Damon Gray. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Second
Trying his best to maintain his composure and not embarrass himself out of sheer excitement, Damon returned her smile and responded,
"Likewise, Deca…nus Cromwell. It's a pleasure to meet you as well."
+ "Decanus… So, she's only recently become an officer. I guess her final score wasn't high enough to become a knight."
++ "Perhaps. But remember, not everyone wants to become a knight, even if they have the qualifications… Look at her wrist, doesn't that device resemble the one Raphael was wearing?"
+ "So, does that mean she's just another rich kid, or…?"
As Damon and Decanus Cromwell made their way toward the building's other exit, she turned to him and asked,
"Well? Any questions?"
Damon nodded.
+ "Oh, right… How long will this take? I haven't informed my family yet, and with how things are in the Fringe, if I don't return before dark, they'll start worrying."
Decanus Cromwell stopped in front of the glass exit door and, for a few seconds, simply smiled at Damon before responding,
"It's good to see someone who cares about their family. Most people, once their compatibility is confirmed, don't even want to return to the Fringe… But don't worry, as I said, it won't take more than a few hours. Afterward, we'll hold a briefing to go over some important details regarding the Fringe. Then, you'll be free to return, settle into your apartment, or explore the city."
She then turned toward the glass door. A faintly glowing blue ring appeared around the wrist device she wore, followed by a matching blue ring forming around her iris. The two rings shone for about two seconds and then….
The edges of the glass door began to shift into a shade of green. As the color spread toward the center, it darkened more and more until it turned pitch black, emitting a deep emerald glow.
"This is a short-range teleporter. You'll be seeing them quite often from now on. Just walk through it naturally, don't worry, you won't bump into the glass."
Damon swallowed hard as his pulse quickened with excitement and anticipation. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and stepped forward.
The moment he came within inches of the teleporter's shimmering field, a strong force pulled him inside the glowing green portal. Suddenly, he felt his entire body spinning at an incredible speed, as if he had been liquefied and dropped into a swirling vortex. Yet, before he could even register the sensation, everything returned to normal.
He now found himself inside another building. The architecture was grand and regal, almost a perfect replica of the Symbiote Hall, though with more partitions, additional furnishings, and a significantly larger crowd scattered throughout the area.
++ "Damon, did you notice? When that woman activated the portal, both her wrist device and the ring around her eyes lit up in blue."
+ "Yeah… I think all citizens have these implants…"
Decanus Cromwell stepped out of the teleporter and stood beside Damon.
"This is CCA, or the Central Citizen Affairs Bureau, of New Thebes. To complete your registration, we'll need to handle the rest of the process here. But before anything else, if you're planning to enter the university or enlist in the military, tell me now. It'll save you trouble in the future, so you won't have to come back. If you haven't decided yet, which is understandable, we can proceed with the standard procedure."
++ "There's nothing to think about..."
+ "Okay."
Damon had already made up his mind. Now that the world had given him a second chance, he would dedicate everything he had to achieving his dreams and becoming stronger. He never wanted to feel that same helplessness and weakness he had experienced the day before when his compatibility results were revealed.
Determination shone in his eyes as he looked straight at Decanus Cromwell and said,
+ "Decanus, I've already made my decision. I'm joining the military."
Cromwell's eyes widened in surprise. Nearly 95% of compatibles, never chose the military as their future. The reason? The ongoing territorial and resource wars between the three empires were brutal, and the entrance exam alone had a 60% mortality rate.
Because of this, the military was largely made up of people from long-standing service families, it was more of a generational career than an individual choice. Even Cromwell herself had a deep military lineage: her father, brothers, two other sisters, grandfather, and uncles had all served as personnel or knights in the army. Yet, she had avoided the Military Academy, opting instead to graduate from New Thebes University and using her father's influence to secure a position, albeit the lowest-ranked one, just to uphold the family tradition.
So, it was difficult for her to accept Damon's choice. He had just escaped the hell of the Fringe, and now, he was willingly stepping into another one.
"Are you absolutely sure about this? The entrance exam has a 60% mortality rate! Why not go to New Thebes Academy instead? You could study military and combat arts there, and become a Vanguard. Vanguards are just like knights, but they work for mega-corporations. They're just as famous as knights among the people… Hm?"
Damon shook his head.
+ "I appreciate your concern, Decanus, but I've had this goal since I was a child, and I will see it through no matter what. I don't care how high the mortality rate is, what I do care about is never having to regret not chasing my dream. I'll either succeed… or I'll die trying."