CHAPTER 11: FUTURE PLANS

It had been a couple of days since he had reaffirmed his resolve. With Angelica's constant care, he was able to recover almost completely and was allowed to be discharged.

In fact, he could have healed even faster if they had supplied him with their advanced nano-bionic pills. However, those are usually reserved for the Guardian Regiments and only the most severely injured.

After all, Hermes was a stranger to them whom they had found only a week before. There was no way they would allow him to use their most expensive equipment for non-lethal injuries.

This was Mars' Sanctuary City, a small-scale bastion situated inside a ravine. Food was scarce, and poverty ran rampant. The constant threat of attacks from nearby Mutant nests meant that they couldn't rest easy at all. It wasn't uncommon for many young men and women to register for the Guardian Regiments, since it was the only sustainable job there.

Hermes was promised the opportunity to join, but that didn't mean he could skip the line. He would have to compete with the other registered individuals for the chance to be enlisted.

According to Arthur, the main tests they will conduct revolve around their physical capabilities and health as well as their affinity with Cosmic Force.

Although Hermes was anxious, he was not completely worried. According to Arthur, he had already become a Stage 1 Celestial. His abilities might not translate to physical strength, but he could still compete against the other potential enlistees in other ways.

After being discharged, he was given a temporary apartment that he could live in for three weeks before needing to pay to continue being a tenant. In Sanctuary City, their currency is composed of coins made of iron that they call Sanctum. On the front side, a symbol of a four-pointed star shone across the entire diameter.

According to Angelica, this was a symbol of their heritage, that they once belonged to the stars. When Hermes asked further, she shrugged it off and told him to wait until he became a Guardian Cadet.

The backside included the side profile of a man. He was holding a scepter in his hand and a crown was situated on top of his head. This was apparently a portrait of the first Martian king from about 17,500 years ago, King Rudwell Von Marcia the Great.

Hermes was extremely curious about the history of humanity after the apocalypse he assumed occurred in the year 2030, but the more he learned, the more confused he became. How did humanity survive that cataclysmic event and eventually build cities on Mars?

How did Earth get split in half and become completely decimated? And why did even these Martian civilizations end, leaving the last of humanity stranded?

He couldn't grasp why or how the events transpired, which made him even hungrier for knowledge. He couldn't help but want to ask Angelica or Arthur about humanity's history over the past 18,000 years, but they could never find the time to completely sit him down and give him a lecture on the subject.

Furthermore, he couldn't consult the local library since the majority of the people outside recognized him as the stranger who stumbled into the city a week ago and would give him mean looks or become completely afraid of him. He had underestimated their xenophobia.

He decided it was best to leave it at the back of his mind and focus on becoming a cadet. He would have sufficient time to research the scientific topics he desires once he has gained the trust of the townspeople.

To do that, he would need to have a complete grasp of the city and the citizens. He would forever be a stranger if he couldn't adapt to their culture. Of course, he would never fully accept some of their customs. In Sanctuary City, there were no age limits to working. Children as young as five would go into the iron mines miles away from the city.

The average life expectancy was about 40% shorter than what he was used to on Earth. Even with the effects Cosmic Force provided towards improving health and some of the advanced biomedical technology that was left over to them from the previous era, the amount of malnourishment, as well as the constant threat of attacks, made it hard for many young people to survive past forty.

The consequence of this was that women were more prone to getting married during their teen years, with an average birth rate of six children. They did this knowing full well that only two or three of them would survive past the age of four.

Surviving in Sanctuary City was very hard. Excluding the low amounts of treated mutant meat that only some at the top could have the privilege of consuming, the majority of the population relied on growing their own food.

According to his observations, it seemed likely that some form of terraforming occurred in the past 17,000 years, allowing the normally toxic and poisonous Martian regolith to become fertile and safe to walk on. These were usually potatoes or small-scale tomato farms, which can be used in a variety of dishes.

The only problem with this, however, was that it was not an entirely easy process. Even though the soil had the ability to grow plant life, it required vast amounts of fertilizer. To the citizens, their only reliable choice was the constant influx of mutant carcasses that were hunted in the vicinity of the city.

Some of this mutant meat, however, contains poisons and even genetic mutations that can seep into the plants they provide sustenance. Although treatment processes are possible to make sure the produce isn't contaminated, it is extremely expensive for the average citizen.

In most cases, they would rather risk it and just eat the produce untreated, leading them to gain long-term sicknesses and mutations that would ultimately lead to their inevitable death. This was also one of the main reasons for the low life expectancy.

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Even if Hermes became a powerful Celestial, he was unsure how to solve this dilemma. No amount of resources could possibly fix the environment that leads to these people's suffering. There was only one answer he could come up with: leaving the planet entirely.

This presented a number of challenges on its own, but he was completely sure that it was possible. After all, his own experiences proved it to be true. However, to achieve this, he would need to research more in-depth on how the Astral Currents worked.

After all, just him being transported from the Moon to Mars took up all of Elgacia's cosmic force to do so. He would need to find a better solution than using the obelisk to transfer the people one by one. The second problem he needed to figure out was what planet they should move to.

In essence, Hermes' Astronomy knowledge was based on the equipment he used back then, like the James Webb or Hubble space telescopes or the research material of others in his field.

His knowledge about exoplanets revolved mainly around their atmospheric composition as well as the surrounding environment of the star system. He had no clue whether a certain exoplanet could really have the ability to sustain human life; there were too many factors unaccounted for.

Take Kepler-186f for example. An Earth-sized exoplanet that orbited around its host star's habitable zone. It had a thick atmosphere, allowing for water to exist on its surface. The problem, however, stems from what that atmosphere was made of. Was it oxygen? Nitrogen? A mix of both? Or something else entirely? Hermes had no way to answer such a question.

Another thing to consider was the possibility of other alien races already occupying the planet or star system that he was unaware of. His experience of viewing the mural in the underground mausoleum as well as how Angelica described the Xulu gave him extreme trauma and made him fear the possibility of other hostile races existing in the vastness of space.

He couldn't know whether the planet he would choose could have alien races that would accept humanity's presence at all. Solving these obstacles would take a lot of time.

Hermes knew that if he wanted to completely change how Sanctuary City conducted itself, he would have to do many things along the way.

On top of improving his stage as a Celestial as well as his physical strength, he would need to absorb as much knowledge about history and mysticism as possible while also juggling his relationships with the city officials at the same time. He was in for a truly long journey.

Hermes sat in his rocking chair facing the bright city view, peering in from his balcony as his lips curled up into a smile.

"What the hell have I brought myself into..."

...

Two days had passed since Hermes' discharge, and the time for the Guardian Regiments' enlistment period had officially begun. Hermes was not entirely procrastinating during this time. He would occasionally try to peer outside his apartment to see if he could engage in any form of a conversation with the locals.

To his dismay, they would either turn away and run or give him stern looks that kept him from saying anything further. It was truly hopeless.

Knock, knock!

Hermes got up from the rocking chair that he had fallen in love with and walked to the door. Looking through the eyehole, a beautiful woman who looked to be in her 30s met his gaze. She had long black hair and brown eyes that could captivate the soul of any man. Next to her rosy lips was a small mole that added another layer of beauty to her expression. It was Angelica Rimone in her usual white lab coat.

He quickly opened the door, and her smile greeted his eyes.

"Have you gotten used to living in your new apartment?"

Hermes replied with a smile, "Of course, the balcony's view is amazing, and the bed feels a thousand times more comfortable than what you had at your clinic."

"Why, of course, who do you think recommended this besides me~!" she exclaimed proudly.

Hermes quickly went back to the main topic at hand. "What brings you here, Ms. Rimone?"

"The Guardian Regiments are finally beginning their enlistment period. It's finally time for you to show off in front of the other potential cadets! I am here to be your guide."

Hermes quickly parted the door and invited her in. He then signaled for her to wait as he went to change in the other room. In the bedroom, he changed his clothing to that of a normal desert daraas robe that was entirely white in color. He wore a turban of the same complexion on his head to shield himself from the sun.

When his preparations were complete, both he and Angelica walked out of the apartment and onto the street, heading towards the Spire. Along the way, the feeling of cold stares was present all around them. This did not bother Hermes, however, since a more pressing problem was encompassing his mind.

He didn't know how much his physical abilities would hamper him in the upcoming tests. After all, he was only a scholar, and his only ability was to think quickly on his feet. Although he was a Stage 1 Celestial, none of his current abilities reflected that of a fighter.

'This reminds me of my time during college when I would worry constantly about my midterms... Sigh, no matter what phase in life you are in, you can never escape tests.'

Going around the Spire, their conversations eventually ended as the view of the Guardian Regiment Barracks met their eyes. Waves of people of all genders were seen outside, waiting patiently for their chance to go in.

The faces showed signs of despair, anxiety, determination, and hope. From Hermes' perspective, they looked like starving wolves waiting to hunt the last prey they could find. It was clear how much they desired to pass the examination.

According to Angelica, the majority of these people would never make it to the core of the Guardian Regiment Corps, which was mainly composed of Celestials. Many individuals would likely pass the civilian staff exam and secure positions as secretaries or in other regular occupations. Some would make it as auxiliary troops that can only be used as a backup for the main forces. Those who possess medical knowledge would seek to become medics, following in Angelica's footsteps. Only about 10% of the people would become Celestials.

There were two reasons for this; one was that they could only afford to charge the Elysian Monoliths for a few candidates each time. Second, without a good amount of affinity and talent at Cosmic Force manipulation, the risk of mutating when taking the Dreamscape challenge becomes very high. To ensure a high success rate, they would rather cull away those who aren't worthy than have them die trying.

To Hermes, however, this was not something he needed to worry about; he was already a Celestial after all, and a Celestial is not able to choose multiple domains to specialize in.

Slowly reaching the entrance to the barracks, the crowd slowly turned to look at the newest challenger. Their eyes immediately shifted into disdain. After all, not only were they untrustful of this stranger, but they now had to view him as a competitor.

Angelica turned her beautiful face towards him and smiled playfully. In a sarcastic tone, she voiced soothingly,

"Are you ready to show off your amazing skills, Mr. Mutant Killer?"

Hermes nodded and firmly said, "I'm always ready."

He was, in fact, not ready. Staring at the crowd, his anxiety was close to exploding outwardly. However, he knew that moping around would do him no good. In any challenge, he was adept at tricking himself into believing he was in a better situation than he actually was. This was a coping mechanism he had established long ago when dealing with difficult obstacles.

With a fake smile on his face, he took a step forward toward the crowd, exuding no fear to anyone except for Angelica, who had secretly called his bluff but decided to play along. She chuckled quietly to herself and smiled teasingly.

"He is quite the character, isn't he, Father? I reckon he'll stir things up once he takes on the mantle of a Guardian."

End of Chapter