Golden Aegis was founded by a Silver-Realm Summoned and his friends as a place for like-minded people to train and ascend together. Unfortunately, the founder lost his buddies in the Apocalypse Arena or quests and then gave up on the Silver Gauntlet before he could ascend to the next realm or qualify for the Gold Gauntlet. Now, he ran it for hopefuls like his dead friends, providing guidance so they didn’t meet the same unfortunate fate.
It didn’t compare to the Wilson Luduses shown in high-budget advertisements. In fact, it was humble compared to the government ludus where Katherine and Susan lived. Golden Aegis had bought out an old four-storeyed primary school and its adjoining grounds.
The main building contained a cafeteria, medical facilities, a high-end gym, and a small space for lounging and games. The top two floors served as housing for ludus members. The third floor contained individual rooms for Mortal and Iron Realm summoned. It featured shared bathrooms and communal kitchens for anyone unwilling to indulge in the cafeteria’s fare. The top floor was for Bronze and Silver Realm individuals with decent performance in Apocalypse Arena. The guide showing him around the building claimed the ludus only currently housed Mortals, Iron Realms, and a few Bronze Summoned. Several high-performing Irons got access to the top floor and paid increased rates.
The owner had turned the playground into a giant looping running track, and the middle space served as an agility and obstacle course. Even though Nil got his tour late on Saturday evening, it was full of people training. Apparently, Iron Gauntlet qualifying events were just around the corner, and several members were desperate to use it as their chance to join Apocalypse Arena. They were struggling with the fees, and Mortal Realm events and quests didn’t pay enough.
The gym was Golden Aegis's most impressive asset. Without it, Nil would’ve sacrificed the comforts of living near his family and Andrew and opted for a ludus further from home. Much like the Symbiotech office, it contained no Arthurtech equipment. Nil spotted a few items, especially stress-test machines, carrying the Symbiotech logo. Now that he thought about it, almost all the equipment in the medical facility was the same. He guessed his sponsors did a good deal of money producing medical, scanning, and testing equipment for Summoned.
The facilities also included a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, and a jacuzzi with high-power water cannons. He couldn’t tell whether they were meant to assist with training or for relaxation. A tall, muscled man stood under a stream with the power of firehose like it was no big deal. The man’s smile and serene expression suggested he found the experience pleasurable.
Nil signed the necessary paperwork before departing. He received a keycard, a ludus rulebook, a list of upcoming events, and a list of the support staff. Nil was surprised to find a handful of high-Bronze and Silver Realm Summoned in trainer roles. He hadn’t expected such a service included, but given the astronomical cost of ludus membership, it made sense. Nil also received information and documentation from his family. Submitting them to the local council would win them several privileges and discounts. He imagined the tax breaks would make his father’s life significantly easier. The guide appeared pleased, and it seemed he was relieved by the signing. Nil guessed the earnings from Symbiotech were vital to the small ludus.
Andrew, Katherine, and Susan helped Nil move into the ludus on the Sunday. He didn’t have enough belongings to need four people. In fact, he had enough strength and stamina to finish the task without any assistance. However, it was an excuse for the four of them to hang out and look around Golden Aegis.
Nil had informed his family regarding the move earlier in the day. The suddenness of it caught them off guard. Udit questioned him about the registration fees and other necessary funds. The man was surprised to hear the news of the sponsorship and, just like Katherine, went about asking how he got noticed. None of Nil's lies convinced him, and Udit announced plans to look them up and dig around for dirt. However, the discounts and other related privileges gave him pause. It would reduce the financial burden and help improve Emily and Sam's quality of life.
The group got a good laugh when Nil told them about the exchange. Andrew made jokes regarding his senility. Nil tried to put a stop to it, but once the taller man got his hooks in something, making him let go usually proved challenging. His new beau, Susan, also failed to stop his wisecracking on the matter. Then, the four walked into Nil's new quarters. The size and furnishings became the focus of Andrew’s new jokes. They mostly danced around the fact that Nil was pint-sized and that it was a perfect fit for him.
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A ten-by-ten-foot bedroom awaited Nil. One side featured a three-foot-wide, wall-to-wall bed. Given the size of some Summoned, the length made sense, but it occupied almost a third of the room. A tiny desk and chair separated it from a wardrobe and chest of drawers, the latter of which had a mirror hanging over it.
“Believe it or not, this is larger than the room I had in my London apartment,” Nil told them while Andrew set up a refurbished aetherscreen on the desk. It wasn't the most powerful machine, but it was enough for Nil to browse the forums, chat, watch Apocalypse Arena videos, and stay up to date with the news. It connected to the ludus’ internal network, too, letting him book training sessions and rooms in the fortified basement, check the cafeteria menu, and communicate with the staff. “This is pretty decent open floor space.”
“Yeah,” Katherine said, hanging up a glow-in-the-dark Apocalypse Arena poster she had purchased as a moving-in present. It gave the space a dorm-room feel. “Eight by five is an amazing amount of open space. I don't know what you'd do with it, but the space doesn't feel cramped.”
“And the bed is just about wide enough if you have any overnight guests,” Susan added, winking at Nil. Andrew chuckled, and Katherine glared.
They hung out together until just after eleven. Then Nil took them out for a meal to thank them for the ‘help’ and company. The local brunch spot had an option for bottomless drinks, but none of them opted for it. Even though the women weren’t athletes and didn’t participate in Apocalypse Arena, their jobs were physically demanding. Neither of their abilities was Might or Finesse-focused, and both dedicated ample time to working out to stay in shape for emergency calls and quests. Andrew not opting for endless alcohol was new, and Nil thought Susan’s presence had something to do with the decision.
Only Nil’s ability significantly affected his calorie needs. Everybody went for reasonably-sized meals. Katherine and Susan ordered avocado on toast with poached eggs. Andrew ordered an English breakfast. Meanwhile, Nil feasted on a stack of buttermilk pancakes and Eggs Florentine—Eggs Benedict but with spinach instead of ham. He disliked pork unless it was ribs or belly.
The previous day had been especially draining, and his body still ached from it. So, he wanted protein and sugar. After Nil read and signed the contract, Shina sent him back to the laboratory for more poking and prodding. Besides urine and blood, the lab technicians also took a sample of spinal fluid. It hurt more than Nil expected. If that wasn’t bad enough, they had him run more stress tests afterward while using Absorb or Expend. They didn’t provide healing afterward. His back and hips still hurt from experience.
After brunch, Susan and Andrew disappeared to spend the Sunday together. Katherine and Nil spent some time together, talking about nothing and everything. She hinted at wanting to spend the day with him and perhaps go back to his room. However, Nil played the fool and expressed his excitement at using the ludus’ facilities to grow Finesse and his ability’s realm. He needed to prove himself, get Mortal realm fights, and get into the Iron Gauntlet qualifiers, after all.
If Katherine was disheartened, she didn’t let it show. They kissed before parting ways, and the embrace lasted several minutes. It was nice, and Nil felt a fluttering in his chest but moved on swiftly afterward. The visage’s presence had nothing to do with it. A new chapter in his life was about to begin, and he didn’t want any complications or distractions at the start of it. He’d be displeased if things didn’t go anywhere with Katherine, but Nil was sure he’d move on and find a way to cope. His new life as a Summoned would give him the opportunity to meet new partners, too.
Take your time, and don’t rush into anything. No half measures. Whatever you do, give it your all, and don’t spread yourself too thin.
It was one of the last things his mother said to him. Neither of his parents was happy when he pursued cheffing instead of trying harder for something related to his degree. Eventually, they learned to live with it. Over time, his mother had become his biggest supporter, especially after he took over cooking Christmas dinner. He wished she were still around as he returned to the ludus. She wouldn’t be happy about his life as a Summoned or his ambitions in Apocalypse Arena. However, Nil knew she’d act as his biggest cheerleader while occasionally poking at his buttons the same way as Emily.
Nil bumped into his neighbors on his way back to the room. They welcomed him to the ludus, and he lost several minutes to introductions and general chatter. They seemed like decent folk, and he got valuable information regarding the upcoming Mortal Realm fights and Iron Gauntlet qualifiers. They came across as a dedicated bunch and inspired Nil to push even harder.
The Pits scraped the bottom of the barrel for people who had no other options. His opponents were criminals, the unregistered, and desperate. Meanwhile, legitimate fights would involve talented, hardworking individuals who dedicated their entire existence to excelling at quests and gaining ranks in Apocalypse Arena. Nil needed to be the same as them.
First, he needed to get a whole lot better in as little time as possible, which meant pushing Brutal Battery’s ranks. Fortunately, the emergency quest didn’t reset his minimum wait between quests. So, it wouldn’t be long before he got the chance to earn more Schema Tokens and perhaps another Iron Ascension Token.