Over the next two days, I did exactly as I said I would and relaxed. Of course, that didn’t mean nothing was happening around me.

For one, those posters I saw on the streets earlier had spread like a virus. They were everywhere, on almost every building, and scattered across the streets. At some point I felt more concerned than confused. I didn’t believe this was happening for no reason.

I just didn’t know why, and since I wasn’t searching, I couldn’t find out who. I could only hope this didn’t devolve in a way that would land me in more trouble.

Part of me thought that it was the precursor to some kind of protest or revolution, but I didn’t believe that my winning the tournament was enough to spark something like that. If not for the slap to Carrion’s face my victory would be, I wouldn’t have even bothered with it.

It really didn’t matter much, so I let it be and let my days pass.

Umara and I devoted those two days to scientific discussion. This time, it was a deep dive, unlike the more surface level concepts we previously covered. In the process, I filled out another 30 pages for her, all of them loaded with definitions and principles.

The core of our discussions revolved around some chemistry, biology, and ballistics. I taught her about different chemicals and how they could affect the human body, including the ways to synthesize them and about chemical synthesis in general. I also taught her most of what there was to know about ballistic weapons, including grenades and bombs.

In particular, I talked about the most explosive weapon I utilized during the tournament, particularly the one against the earth warlock.

Satchel charges.

They were simple weapons utilized during WW2 and were nothing more than explosives packed into a handbag. The type of explosive could vary and came in various quantities.

For the annoying fellow who walled me in and insisted on being difficult to lock down, I decided to bring out the good stuff. I used the satchel charges alongside grenades in order to either demolish his walls or corner him with his own structures. In the end, it worked out.

The only downside was that it took a lot of energy, but that was beside the point. I taught Umara about what they were, how they worked, why, and all the other little details.

Of course, conceptually it was all simple. It was easy to know that a bullet inside a rifle had its primer ignited by a firing pin, combusting the gunpowder within the casing and propelling the bullet through the barrel while twisting it with rifling.

The problem was in the weeds. It wasn’t easy to know that primers could be composed of a variety of different chemicals, that gunpowder, or more specifically smokeless powder, could be shaped in several ways like pellets or cordite and have their own special effects, or why the rifling enhanced a bullet’s ballistic coefficient. And the systems within a gun instantly grew more complicated with the advent of automatic feeding, adding on a whole other level of mechanical complexity.

Then there were explosives that could be ignited through electricity, shock, or combustion. Each one had different properties and effects that determined how you could potentially defend against it. After all, just because you blocked something didn’t mean you blocked all the energy. As soon as tanks became widespread in WW2, armor piercing became a big deal. And sometimes, you didn’t even need to break the armor. Shockwaves and spalling would kill just as easily as penetration.

Everything was rather easy to understand individually, but the way it all came together and painted one massive and convoluted picture had Umara stumped.

Weapons were more than just their components and chemistries. A weapon was an icon of its creator’s intent.

Regardless, it was difficult to explain to her how these things could be defended against. That’s what she wanted to know the most; in her words, if she could defend against my weapons, she could defend against anything.

I agreed with her, but the issue was that these weapons were built precisely to punch through defenses. It was why warlock barriers couldn't handle bullets even if the overall force was less than an attack from a knight.

This led to one important lesson that I told her.

It wasn’t about the total amount of energy, but rather how that energy was used.

Of course, like with the earth warlock, sometimes more boom was the key to your problems. When one bomb wasn’t enough, I threw more.

But weapons were not just about destructive power, but efficiency. I wanted Umara to learn that, because she only had a finite amount of energy.

That was essentially the conclusion of our two day discussion.

The day came for us to leave for our last excursion.

Umara and I packed our things and went to the terminal instead of the Magisterium, meeting with the rest of our class as well as our squad and the Puppet Master.

It’s also when we finally got to see Vetsmon.

He didn’t look too good, to say the least. Hollow cheekbones and saggy eyes most prominently told of his ordeals, and the templar standing sentinel behind him certainly didn’t help his image.

It didn’t seem like he was going to talk to us much. Either he wasn’t allowed to, or simply wasn’t in the mood. I didn’t blame him either way, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be awkward.

“Listen up!”

The Puppet Master’s voice echoed through the terminal. There were several hundred soldiers around us, probably reinforcements for the base we were headed to.

“Our destination is the forward bastion Purple Sky! This will be the most dangerous base you’ve ever been to. The only people there who are below Authority 5 are logistics officers. There are approximately 100 thousand troops at this installation alone, and you will be nothing more than a small drop in that enormous bucket. For the duration of your stay, all of you will be given a temporary Infantry rank of Sergeant, equivalent to an Authority 4. You must follow the chain of command accordingly. There will be no excuses for neglecting your duties, disobeying orders, or falling out of rank. Do so, and disciplinary action will be taken. And believe me, that’s the last thing you want right before graduation. Now board the Rail! You only have two cars, so you’d better get comfortable!”

The last of his words prompted us to file into the Rail, piling into one of two cars.

They were big, but not entirely enough to comfortably accommodate 150 students.

75 students per car meant that we were squeezing a little. Of course, the Elites immediately carved out a section for themselves, so we at least got more space.

My squad claimed three small rows. Umara and I took one while Feiden and Tana took another. As for Vetsmon, he was stuck with his babysitter.

Like that, we were off. However, as soon as the Rail started moving, I frowned in annoyance.

I could hardly call it a premonition, but I immediately knew that something annoying would be happening not long from now.

……

…

After a day, we made a stop at a military depot, picking up more troops and supplies before streaking back off to the base.

It was another day before we finally arrived at Purple Sky. Its namesake was immediately obvious.

The terminal itself was even larger than the Capitol’s, about twice as deep and thrice as long. It accommodated truckloads of supplies and troops that constantly boarded and disembarked. That wasn’t even considering the fact that there were two other Rails that came into this place.

Once we arrived, we were immediately taken command of by another officer, an Authority 8. We were assigned to one of the weaker battalions primarily responsible for support, not any kind of direct combat utility, which was completely fine with me.

A streaked expanse hung over us as we walked to our quarters. I couldn’t imagine what was turning it purple, but whatever it was, it was working.

We were rushed off with our luggage to a huge living area. It was essentially a hangar filled with nothing but bunks, crap, and people.

I was separated from Umara in the process as the girls were taken elsewhere. Feiden and I paired up and dumped our stuff on our beds.

After that, we were taken to a command area for a debrief.

The Magisterium students were already divided into squads, but to better integrate us into the command structure, each squad would be assigned their own commander.

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The chain of command was an integral part of making sure that we could get told what to do in the most efficient manner. As the strongest squad, we were assigned Squad 1 and given a captain who was in charge of mine and Ponteck’s squad, the second strongest.

We were also given assignments. Everyone had something to do, even if it was bullshit, sometimes quite literally. We were set on a rotating schedule for tasks, particularly cleaning duties.

We couldn’t do much even in a support role, given our low authorities. They would probably find something for us to do later, but until then, we were stuck getting bottom of the barrel duties.

And there was no delay. Our duties started on the spot, and conveniently, my squad was on dusting duty.

What was dusting duty?

“This is fucking bullshit.”

I muttered while swiping a broom across an entry ramp. This ramp led into a bay for countless vehicles. Of course, these vehicles tracked in dirt, purple grass, and whatever else was out there. So our job was to sweep it up.

The only issue was that the trucks constantly came and went, without rest or respite. We had to sprint out of the way whenever they came or left, before running back to get to sweeping again. If we slacked, we got yelled at.

I heard Umara chuckle from behind me.

“I would say it's relaxing compared to the other things we could be doing.”

“You’re right. We could be on toilet duty.”

“I think I’d kill myself.”

Feiden muttered from the side, making me laugh.

“Hummer!”

“Hummer!”

A few people shouted as a car came speeding up the ramp. We ran out of the way as it flew past and into the hangar.

I scoffed.

“I’m pretty sure they’re trying to hit us.”

“I’ve heard they do exactly that. It’s like a game.”

“Assholes.”

I shook my head before running back and finding a streak of muddy crap inside a crevice. Left behind by the Hummer, of course.

Well, we were the newbies. We weren’t really allowed to complain.

I did anyway though. Dusting duty wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t last 6 hours. And apparently it wasn’t usually difficult, but because it was spring and rainy, a lot more mud got caked on the tires and more was tracked in. Normally it was just dirt or dust.

But again, it wasn’t as bad as what the bathroom cleanup fellows had to deal with. I said a silent prayer for them. And then prayed we would never be assigned to that.

And that was our entire first day.

The tour of the base only came the second day, and it seemed like we wouldn’t be rotated on our duties. Since we were elites, we got the good stuff. I had the Puppet Master to thank for that.

After the second day’s tour we were back to menial labor. A quick question to the Puppet Master told me that we wouldn’t be getting missions anytime soon. Apparently, there was a lull in attacks recently. Any missions that came up were mainly for scouting, and that wouldn't go to us.

The only issue I had with that information was that it gave me a bad feeling, stronger than the annoying feeling I had gotten when the Rail left the station.

By now, I trusted my intuition, and felt like something was wrong. The only thing that dampened that feeling was the fact that this was one of the largest military bases humanity had, stationed at the front of the frontlines. There were literally armies of scourge beasts, bigger than any siege we had been a part of, sitting at our doorstep.

And because of that, this place was manned by an Authority 12.

I was told that, but I couldn't sense whoever it was. I could sense a few Authority 11’s though, as well as plenty of Authority 10’s. It made them seem common.

Regardless, this base was one of the safest places to be in despite the danger just outside. Since we wouldn’t be fighting, it was safe for us. It hadn’t fallen since it was created, and there was no way it would be falling now.

So I could only disregard the feeling. Anything that threatened this place’s security wasn’t something I could do anything about anyway. So what I was feeling was probably just a siege on the horizon.

Once our duties for the second day were over, I grabbed Umara and started wandering the base.

“Let’s go see the wall.”

“The wall? I don’t think we can go up there.”

“Hey, with enough confidence, you can go anywhere. Just don’t act nervous and follow me.”

Saying that, I started walking through the base, passing row after row of residences.

The Purple Sky Base really was massive. A lot of space was needed for 100 thousand people, including all the resources and logistics necessary to keep them fed and operational.

It was a city unto itself. There were even vendors who sold higher quality food than the stuff from the cafeteria, including an entire sector of blacksmiths and enchanters. There was naturally plenty of demand for their services.

We bypassed that commercial sector and approached the wall. Umara followed a step behind me while I kept my Aura reigned in.

As I had learned, anybody who could use Aura to a degree had a certain sixth sense that told them the power level of the people around them. I could sense Authority 11’s even from a distance, at least the ones who couldn’t — or wouldn’t — reign in their Aura.

If you were capable of either completely concealing your Aura or masking it with false information, then the people around you would only be able to sense what you wanted them to sense.

Although there were powerful people here, the vast majority sat around Authority 6 and 7. That also seemed to be the average, considering the logarithmic decrease in higher authorities present.

And I was pretty confident in my Aura, as well as the recent illusive techniques I had developed during the tournament. So long as I projected a certain image, that would be all the soldiers around me could see. They’d have to be significantly better in order to see through me.

So with Umara in tow, I walked straight up to one of the side gates that led to a staircase.

There was a guard beside it, but I didn’t even look at him, simply walking up to the gate.

And I stood there for a second, the guard giving me a glance before reaching over and opening the gate.

I walked through, Umara slipping in behind me as we ascended a staircase.

After a few twists and turns, we ascended up to the highest level, the top of the wall affording us an overview of the landscape beyond. The sight was extraordinary.

For one, there was none of the plant life that I knew elsewhere. There were no trees, no shrubbery, and purple grass could only grow in the areas where the ground wasn’t cratered and split open.

In every other area, there were sharp vines growing across the ground, their thorns blood red. I recognized these vines from my bestiary class.

These vines were called Blood Thorn, and the thorns fed on the blood of all those who fell before the wall. They were some freakish carnivorous scavenger, and by no means passive.

When a corpse fell, the vines would reach out and plunge into their new prey. The thorns were hard as metal, and they couldn't differentiate between a live and dead body… or simply didn’t care. If you weren’t careful, they’d plunge into your legs and bleed you dry. Apparently the thorns were laced with something that made you bleed excessively, probably an anti-coagulant.

These things were basically living barbed wire and even attempting to walk across a field of them would kill someone like me.

And they were everywhere. I could see entire fields of them in all directions, some of them squirming around with life, spreading out in search of more prey. It sent a shiver up my spine.

This was the true face of the frontlines, and there were many more bases like this one. The war against the Scourge spread across the entire front of the Kingdom’s territory. Someday, I’d love to see a map of it all.

I pulled out a cigar and started smoking, letting out a long wisp. I could see everything in front of me with painfully clear detail.

Umara broke the silence.

“What do you think?”

“About?”

“All this. We’re going to be soldiers pretty soon. This will be our reality for years to come.”

“...Well, I certainly can’t run away from it.”

My thoughts spun as I recalled my time here on this new world.

At this point, I was becoming more and more certain that my purpose here was to fight. I was backed by the full might of Earth’s war machine. To deny that weapon its purpose would frankly be suicidal.

It would be extremely dangerous, but that didn’t change what I needed to do. At every turn, I was forced to fight. I was forced to get stronger, constantly improving to beat new and stronger threats.

The recent tournament was the culmination of my growth at the Magisterium. I had triumphed over the best. And that was after training myself up from the bottom over the course of a mere year.

I wasn’t stupid. It was clear that my talent was great, even more so than someone like Ponteck Gulliard. I was Authority 5 after only a year. Where would I be in another year? Who’s to say that in 5 years, I wouldn’t be pushing Authority 10? And what kind of power would I be wielding then?

Everything pointed toward fighting. I needed to use my power as it had been given. I would be a soldier. I would be fighting on these front lines, against the worst the Scourge had to offer.

And I was already prepared to do so, having planned every action since coming to this realization. If I wanted to shirk away from the fight, then I wouldn’t have taken up every battle I had been faced with for the past year. I would have played it safe at the last minute, like Maxwell had tried to convince me to do. I wouldn’t have taken the risk.

He couldn’t understand why I insisted, and I hadn’t explained myself since even I couldn’t put it into words then.

It was more than just slapping Carrion in the face.

It was about confronting my enemies and destroying them.

I wasn’t sure if I was doing so just out of principle, but regardless, since it was my path, I would be treading it.

I let out a long smoky sigh, slipping my arm around Umara and letting her lean against my chest.

“I’ve changed a lot since I got to the Capitol. I never used to be particularly keen on joining the military, but here and now, the decision seems almost easy.”

“Any particular reason why?”

“Well, I’ve been fighting so much that I've gotten used to it. That, and our enemy makes itself too easy to hate. Back where I came from, our enemies were our fellow man. There were too many moral gray areas, not to mention the corruption of the Elite. I wouldn’t allow myself to fight for those that didn’t deserve my life.”

“...It’s hard to imagine. I’ve only ever heard a few stories about wars within humanity.”

Umara muttered, earning a nod of understanding.

I had learned all about the World Wars and the wars following it into modernity, including the intricacies of the devastation that ruined so many countries and nations. I wouldn’t call myself a history buff, but I knew more than enough to accurately recall the details of each one. It was interesting, after all.

But perhaps that made me a bit more insensitive to the whole concept. Here, war was common, but it was against a beastly inhuman army. There was no moral gray area, and no reason to doubt joining the military. Even the corruption of the noble class didn’t change what needed to be done.

Besides, even beyond all that, I could admit that my goals weren’t totally virtuous.

It was fun kicking people’s asses, especially when they were dicks. Even more so when I got to stick it to a bunch of noble pricks.

I could only continue doing that if I got stronger.