"Are you kidding me? You're gonna skip lunch too? You haven't eaten anything since last evening!"

"I had lunch in College. Do I have a reason to willingly starve myself? Do I seem starved?"

Mir did his best not to let the argument escalate. But he was pretty bad at that. His mother had a temper better left unchallenged. And she had a fair reason to fire up this time.

Mir really hadn't eaten anything in the last 22 hours. Inexplicably enough, he didn't even feel very hungry. Other than occasional bouts of strong thirst, he felt nothing. Yet he could see that his stomach had caved in a bit, entirely empty.

Approximately 22 hours ago, he had written his 'wish' in the red diary.

Inwardly, Mir was panicking. But Murray had yet to return. He could do nothing but wait, maintaining a calm facade.

Buzzz...Buzzz...

The doorbell made him jump up from the sofa. Before his mother could tell him to check the door, Mir was already opening it, eager to tell Murray about this scary development.

But the face that greeted him on the other side did not belong to Murray.

"Hello, is this Mr. Mir's home? A package has been sent to this Holding from the Central Church."

The young man in Deacon's robe looked him up and down and said, "You're Mir, right?"

He had a mini terminal in his hand which he turned on to check something, probably a photo to identify him accurately. Mir tiptoed to get a look at the screen.

Yep, his College ID was on display there.

"Please, come in," Mir said hesitantly. The man began to speak mechanically as they made their way into the living room.

"I'll need to install a temporary software on your communicator device. Please take the device with you when you visit the Sacred Ground. It'll ensure your safety and signal your location to the nearest data towers the entire time you're in there. And here is your physical proof of permit."

He handed Mir a small packet after taking a seat on the couch.

"I'm assuming you haven't been inside a Sacred Ground before," he said with a look of appraisal around the room. That was easy to guess, of course. Most of the ordinary people living in these areas earned just enough money to survive with basic necessities. Mir's family was comparatively well off in this locale.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"I'm sure you know many of the rules and regulations via the web. I'll go over the important ones.

Rule number one- do not venture deeper than your map limit. The limit will be placed according to the current atmosphere in the Sacred Ground and your capabilities. Overestimating yourself or underestimating the danger of a Sacred Ground... Both of these are the last mistake people make in there.

"Rule number two- unless you want to harm your own potential, do not go out of your way to hunt down any creature with a low level of mutation, a low level of potential, or a low position in the Evolution Hierarchy. And if you don't want to die, definitely do not try to bond with a creature whose Soulslot Consumption is bigger than your reserve.

"Rule number three- you can sell any contracted companion creatures from the Sacred Ground. But keep in mind that doing so is harmful enough in the Transcendent tier, and flat-out deadly for a student who hasn't even reached the Human Evolution Standard.

Rule number four- if you meet any creature that makes the software on your communicator display a red signal, run as hard as possible to the nearest tower on the map. Someone capable of handling it will be present there. If it seems impossible to escape by running, hide temporarily and send out a rescue signal through the software. Security will try to reach your location as fast as possible.

"Rule number five- do not initiate an attack on any beasts. If they provoke you or try to attack you, run away unless you can handle the attack without injuring them. 95% of the beasts in the Green-coded Sacred Grounds are protected by law. Your permit only allows you to enter into a willingly formed contract.

"Rule number six- recheck the information about the taboo zones before entering any of them. Each taboo zone operates on unique sets of laws and regulations that may not make sense. These unique rules are set in the myths that have given birth to these taboo zones, as well as one of the possible factors behind the mutation of the creatures in that zone. Knowing the rules and myths will help you journey through these zones unscathed...theoretically.

"And finally, rule number seven- never, ever, turn off your communicator or disable the 25/5 active software. Your permit will expire in a month. So, regardless of when you enter, frequently charge the communicator in the data towers placed throughout the Sacred Ground. You can also purchase rations from these towers for long ventures. The software will uninstall itself one day after the expiration date of your permit. The rangers will still be able to track you through other means, but please do try to return before that has to happen."

In one breath, the man went through the basic guideline and snatched up the bottle on the table to gulp down a mouthful of water.

"By the way, here's some personal advice. Buy one of the full-body jackets they sell outside the Sacred Ground. There are no shielded areas there. The umbrellas or the helmets people usually use to protect themselves from sunlight will only be a hindrance when a grade-2 mutated rhino chases you through the woods."

Mir nodded in appreciation and handed him his communicator. The Deacon looked a bit solemn as he examined its state.

"A very old model. The software might not work properly in this-"

"My parents are technicians. The hardware is outdated, but the operating system supports anything below rank-3," Mir interrupted him, his reply ready. This happened a lot whenever he handed someone his communicator. He could see the doubtful comment coming by the look on their face.

"That's good to know. I have three versions of the software and the oldest one is at rank 2.5. It'll run just fine on this."

The Deacon appeared to be fairly experienced in the tech field. His fingers danced fluidly on the screen, adjusting a bunch of settings at a speed so fast that Mir couldn't even read the options. Mir had to wonder if this guy was using some sort of alien companion creature to master the ins and outs of his outdated communicator. He didn't know of any endemic mutated creatures offering this sort of ability.

"...Aaand we're done here. The rest of the rules and procedures aren't important right now. They'll tell you more when you make your appearance at the gateway to the Sacred Ground. Be attentive at that time. Personally speaking, I'd choose to go at least two weeks before the expiration of the permit, with a ten-day plan of venture in mind."

Mir saw him out. Just as he was about to close the door, the man shouted from the street.

"And take the diary with you, just in case."

Mir whipped around and slammed the door open.

But the man had already boarded a three-wheeler. Giving him a standard Church salute, the man moved out of sight along with his ride.

"What the fuck are you planning, Murray?" Mir muttered, frozen on the doorstep.