CHAPTER 145: First Day of School

Adam sat on the smooth, stone stairs. He breathed deeply of the sweet air. It had a pleasant scent, a flavor, almost like walking into a candy store, yet more pure. You just couldn’t find air this enjoyable on Earth. There was no stagnation with it, no pollution or unwanted perfumes. It entered him with every breath and made the common action more than just a necessity, infusing him with life and energy.

A smile spread across his face. This moment, these feelings, they made him happier and more satisfied than anything had since the [System] arrived. Maybe even ever. He just couldn’t deny that things were finally looking up.

His mind flashed to his parents, to his sister and friends. He wished he could spend this time with them. To share in the excitement and joy. Yet this was an opportunity that he dare not pass up.

Looking around, it was obvious that this wasn’t Earth. Everything was foreign…magical. Every building, road, and even the sky defied physics. The clouds hovered over the world in fluffy layers, colored yellow, oranges, and pinks instead of white or gray.

The wide roads weren’t limited to just the ground as they would split and then angle into the air. There was no support holding them up. Though the roads started on the ground, they could curve upwards, above or around other structures, as if gravity was an inconsequential part of them.

The roads then led to some of the buildings, most of which looked like they were floating. A thin line looked like it anchored the floating buildings to the ground, keeping them from drifting away. At the same time another line would stretch from the tops of the buildings up into the sky, beyond sight.

The buildings themselves looked like inverted wasp hives, but much more elegant. The clean white color of the buildings contrasted against the colored clouds and brown roads. They were thinner on the bottom, where the entrances were, then would increase in size as they climbed upwards. There were plenty of windows and balconies on the buildings though they were impossible to see through from the outside. Everything had a curved and round shape that added to the purity of the place, lacking edges or points.

Most of the people moving around used creatures instead of vehicles, though many walked with their speed indicative of their levels. The highest buildings, probably the most wealthy or prestigious, had people riding floating creatures that were a combination of a jellyfish and manta ray with a more rodent like head. The edges of them fluttered and rippled as people stood on them to reach the upper buildings.

For the lower buildings, people arrived using the curved and floating roads. A few on the ground were pulled in fancy carts behind an eight-legged equine like creature, though he would hardly call it a horse.

The levels of building and effort to reach them did emphasize a class hierarchy, though it didn’t feel like there was an intention to bring other people down to elevate oneself. Everyone seemed polite to each other, even if some could rise above others. He wondered if this was due to knowing anyone might become stronger with levels, so it was better not to make enemies, or if the society and etiquette were so ingrained in their racial pride that there was no need to focus on their differences.

Adam knew that the beauty of this world was rarely seen by other races. The Red Clan was an isolated species. Bringing his own people here would have been impossible. Still, he knew the fantastical feel of it, coming from Earth, and how amazed his family would be to see it all in person.

With another deep breath and a continued smile, Adam looked at the most prominent building in the distance. It was massive and the real power behind the Red Clan. It was cylindrical instead of using the inverted hive style. It had no edges since it reached from the ground to the sky. He had heard that it even reached through the center of the planet to come out the other side, like the rod on a globe for the planet to spin around.

This building had a fancy name, but everyone just referred to it as the Tower. It was where all the elders and grand elders lived. Apprentices were taken and trained in that tower. Those identified as able to become strong and handle the classes that manipulated the soul, the real power of this race, went there to grow and learn.

Minutes before, one of the lesser elders had spoken to Adam. He had arrived in a lavish enclosed seat riding on a smaller version of the flying creatures. The man had been only slightly larger than the mind witch he had dealt with back on Earth, but the power he radiated was monumentally greater. A tag of “Soul Controller [108]” sat above him.

The man had offered Adam a chance. An opportunity. The results of a test showed that Adam had an affinity for the soul and they would use their restricted knowledge to help him develop a class based on it.

How to achieve those powerful classes was kept secret by those in the tower. No one else in the universe knew how to gain those classes. Adam could only imagine the extreme lengths the clan was willing to go through to keep that information secret.

The man had been pleased with Adam’s abilities and potential, though made it clear that it was up to him how far he could progress. The man spoke eloquently about the education he would undergo, the benefits he would enjoy, and the commitment he must have to be accepted as one of the man’s apprentices. The only hitch came when the man spoke Adam’s name. There was a weird disconnect to it, but Adam chalked it up to being from a different language, since all of the words sounded weird.

The important part was that the man said they could get Adam a class. A powerful class. A class that could grow and dominate opponents, as the Red Clan did against forces considered superior. A soul class couldn’t be underestimated.

Finally, Adam had a chance. A path to move forward. To gain the power and ability to grow he needed to keep up with the rest of the invaders on Earth. It was concerning thinking of leaving the rest of his friends on their own, but to truly protect them and claim the Earth, Adam would need to become a power that caused others to tremble.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

***

The chair Adam found himself in for his first day of school was teardrop shaped, with one side opened and hollowed for a person to sit in. Like the buildings, a thin line came from the bottom and top to anchor it in position, leaving it to float without moving, even as Adam moved around inside of it.

Adam squirmed a bit from excitement. Few people were brought to the tower or taken as apprentices. This was the chance of a lifetime. He would make the most of this and learn everything he could.

This was so different than when the [System] had arrived, and he had been in school. Both were educational institutions, yet even back then the human teachings felt so empty and pointless while this…THIS felt like what mattered. The apathy and disinterest that Adam had felt his whole life was gone. Power and understanding at a universal level were being offered to him and he wouldn’t miss it. Way more important than old, irrelevant books like Fisherman and the Sea or Shakespeare.

Adam had trouble not bouncing in his chair as he waited for the other apprentices to arrive. As time went by, sixteen more people entered the room and chose seats. No one spoke or chatted. There were no whispers. Everyone just sat there looking at the front of the room, where the door that the teacher would enter from was positioned. There seemed to be no interest in friendships or rivalries by the other students, just a focus on moving forward.

After a short time, a door turned translucent to allow a man to walk through. He was a Tier 3, with a tag of “Soul Monitor [34].” He didn’t carry any materials with him, and he waited until he was in a circle marked on the floor that could be seen by every chair in the room before looking at them.

A display appeared before him, like a Rift Menu window. He reviewed it, nodded a few times and looked at the students gathered. When he smiled, the layers of jagged teeth contained both a viciousness and gentleness.

“Welcome, young ones. I am Tithixal'gx'Gintraz, a basic trainer. You have all been brought in as potential apprentices. To become full apprentices of the masters who selected you, you must go through the basic education, more detailed affinity checks to see which aspect of soul work will fit you, and then conditioning to make sure you can withstand the path forward.”

Adam’s ears struggled to make out all the words he spoke. The sounds felt more like waves radiating from him, reverberating off the open spaces in the room, instead of speech projected to the people listening. Adam sat in rapt attention, taking it in with fervor, even as his body quivered with the sounds.

“But before we can even get to those, there is one issue even more important,” said Tithixal.

He waved a hand, and the air shifted. A pedestal came into existence, with a single screen balanced on it.

“This is a contract. The most important contract that the Red Clan has. All who come to the tower are required to sign it. This contract is not a [System] contract. The matters managed in this contract are too important to leave to an outside entity to arbitrate. What you will be signing is a soul contract. It is impossible to break. Should you violate it, your soul will be broken, and you will be reduced to a creature incapable of speaking or thinking.”

Adam glanced around the room, but no one seemed surprised or concerned by this. Everyone seemed to take it in stride or expect it. No one questioned it or tried to negotiate.

“This soul contract requires you to keep silent about everything you learn in the tower for the length of your life. Unless you are a trainer, you are not allowed to reveal anything, even to your fellow apprentices since each elder and master had their own secrets for their path. This contract also binds your soul to be loyal to the Red Clan as a whole, and the elders. You will be given work and missions as you grow, and those will all be for the benefit of the tower and our clan.”

The instructor then chuckled, as if in on a prank. “Should you be ambitious enough to want more control over your fate, don’t worry. This contract was created by a Tier 5. All you need to do is be one of the few to reach that tier and then the contract will be weakened upon you. Though it will still require the right set of skills to break completely. Let that be something you should aim for.”

With another pause the instructor looked at each face in the room.

“Now, who shall be the first to sign the contract with the tower and take a step to power?”

There was no hesitation or question as Adam stood and hurried to the contract. For the power being promised, this was barely a compromise.

***

Joseph cursed as he tried to wipe off the flames that wouldn’t stop burning on his armor. Gel? Gas? Napalm? He wasn’t sure what had splattered on his armor, but it just kept going. The heat was enough that he was concerned his skin would begin burning soon, so he cut the straps holding the metal to his arm, dropping it on the ground.

The cuts drew some blood as he wasn’t the most careful person, but Ed was standing next to him. Simply holding his arm out got him healing. He also backed away from the burning arm protector which was warping and melting.

Assunax “Avatar of Flames [29]” slain. 27,817 shared XP gained.

Joseph breathed in relief, both from the heal and the kill message. The damned regular fire guys had taken so much to kill. The boss had been ridiculous. Water hadn’t even affected the flames. The fire also burned through their spells and weapons that hadn’t come from the lizard guys’ armory.

Oh well. It was done now. This was their third defeated base since picking up Adam’s bratty sister. Joseph found her too bosses and obstinate considering she was the weakest and most inexperienced person here. Everyone was tired of trying to get her to do as she was told, though Lucas kept reassuring them that she needed to come.

For now, Lucas would take control of the base, then they would grab the best loot and haul it back to Thompson’s Station. It was the closest in Adam’s network, to portal to Jackson. A meal, nap, then back to the grind.

Joseph much preferred how Adam always threw a party at his place with well cooked food and video games. That was after every raid, not this exhausting chain raiding. He grumbled under his breath about the dry, overcooked meat that he would eat back at base without Adam there.

Maybe he should hire a personal cook. A hot girl…in a maid costume…one of those novelty ones in the magazines he brought from the shed…

Joseph stumbled as he walked back to the group. His breath felt heavy while his muscles had suddenly weakened. Standing up he looked around. The rest of his main group were looking around similarly, some with shocked expressions on their faces while others looked like they were checking their status screens. Those not from Adam’s main group looked normal.

“What just happened?” Joseph asked when he made it to the group.

“Didn’t you see the [System] message?” asked Brittney.

“This is bad! So bad!” whispered Carlos frantically.

“We’ve got to get back to Jackson, asap,” said Lucas, getting nods from others.

Joseph willed his messages to come up. Thinking of a maid costume without the…well, he must have been distracted and missed it.

Your sovereign has pledged his loyalty to another. This has removed his qualifications under the [System]. Any officials or retinue that have titles and benefits assigned by the former sovereign will have them removed.

Bringing up his status sheet, Joseph noticed that his strength and vitality, the two stats increased by his appointment title of Executioner, had dropped. The sudden decrease in stats must have been why he stumbled. But even if Adam was captive why would he pledge loyalty to someone else? That didn’t make sense. That wasn’t something Adam would do, unless maybe the other person or group could protect Jackson?

Even Joseph had to concede that this was a more serious problem than finding a sexy maid.