TF Chapter 54 Planet Forge
***Nathaniel***
I appeared in a white world where there were no edges, only an infinite expanse. There were many others near me, spread out in groups and discussing things, or quietly observing this world and the people near them.
The ship had already tunneled through the wormhole and now we were on the other side, but we still hadn't been shown any images of the star system we had appeared in. Only a summons for us to enter the virtual world had been issued, and after syncing with my nano suit, I had found myself here with the others.
The virtual world had developed to the point where some experiments could be carried out within, like particle explosions and chemical reactions. The outcomes were almost 99% similar to what would happen in reality.
As I was simply admiring the expanse of the white world, two figures materialised beside me, Danny and Bora.
An awkward silence settled between the three of us the moment we made eye contact. I didn't know how to break this awkward spell, opting to take in my surroundings instead.
"It looks like we have finally arrived at our destination." Bora was the first to speak.
"We have probably been summoned to be briefed. I hope that they can finally reveal what our next training activity is going to be." Danny added.
"Sorry about earlier." After a small window of silence, he spoke once again, this time his words directed towards Bora.
"...are you really sorry?" She frowned, crossing her hands over her chest. It looks like she had picked up something subtle within his tone.
(Welcome to the next phase of your training, apprentices!)
The voice interrupted whatever words Danny was about to say. It had travelled to everyone's ears, causing us all to divert our attention above us, where it had come from.
(But first, we must introduce the grounds where your next phase is going to be conducted. It will also be the last phase of your training...)
The last? It looks like if we manage to pass this then we will become genuine forgers!
(This phase will last four years and we believe that the death rate will be at 90% or even 99%. But since all here have already chosen this path, there is no going back now that you have arrived in this star system.)
So far, the speaker hadn't appeared, though it appeared that she was female judging by the tone. I wondered whether it was an AI or a forger. The odds were 50/50.
(Humanity has so far only managed to unearth two forger relics with one being Musana continent and the other, being a planet... A very special planet!)
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Murmurs arose from the crowd with even I myself shocked to my core. I could see that even those people who appeared to have had a background almost comparable to that of the dead Everett were also shocked, signifying that this secret had only been kept with a small elite circle.
(You would have been assigned to this planet as your graduation test at the end of the fifth year...yet now, here we are!)
Something huge appeared in the previously empty space above us, a sphere that was rotating on its axis anti-clockwise.
I surmised that it was the second relic, the planet that we were going to be headed towards, though, the moment I caught sight of its fluffy white atmosphere, I developed a bit of unhappiness towards it. There was nothing I could see of its surface after all, as the fluffy clouds were covering every inch of it. Could it be that it was always under harsh weather?
(Its diameter is roughly twice that of Earth. Those clouds are actually just a defensive mechanism employed by whoever created the planet because the light from the star isn't hindered in any way from reaching the ground.)
(This planet is going to be the place where your last training is carried out, the place where you are going to go through a trial by fire...so I suggest that you memorise all the knowledge that I am about to bombard you with because technology doesn't work there, even your nano suits...which you are going to have to leave behind in your rooms.)
Once again murmurs broke put within the crowd, this time with raised voices, most protesting to the arrangement.
(...if you don't believe me, you should try to descend with it. Trust me on this if you don't want to be the first to die a gruesome death! Technology shouldn't be taken to the planet! Second! The gravity is two times that of Earth and you will have to get used to that by yourselves.)
All the pieces of information she had thrown out this far were making me wonder whether I could even survive on this planet before even touching its surface.
(...don't worry about the atmosphere and whatnot as its conducive for human life. Some might ask why such a planet hasn't been revealed to the general public...the reason is simple! Only those who have managed to awaken their spirit can safely step foot on the planet.)
The woman had made the visual to appear gigantic probably to awe us, which had worked. And by her words, we were starting to find it mysterious.
(Now, for the true dangers of the planet...)
Here I sensed the change of tone, to one laden with seriousness.
(...there are three! Nature, aborigines and beasts! Remember this though! It is better to be spotted by the beasts instead of the native tribes. I could have told you more, but we are going to send you so that you discover things for yourself.)
(You shouldn't forget one thing though, every living thing down there has some form of spiritual powers and can contribute to the growth of yours.)
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The virtual gathering had gone well, mostly. There had been many surprises, many of which were related to the planet, the second forger relic that humanity had discovered.
I was currently perusing some material directly extracted from the memory of the forgers who had stepped foot on the planet and survived. The planet was a lush ecosystem that teamed with life. The plants and beasts were bizarre to say the least. We were going to have to cover our entire bodies in spirit and kill whatever organism trying to infiltrate it as we had been notified that if we caught any sort of disease, it would be the end.
Evolution was a marvelous and terrifying thing. Apparently, the aborigines and the beasts had developed in such a way that they didn't have any other senses apart from the spiritual ones. Their heads were simply bare, only housing their powerful brains whose capability far surpassed ours.
I also gauged that there is no way I or any of the other apprentices would be able to take one of their moves since they had a very dense bone structure owing to the gravity of the planet. Even if we managed to adapt, matching those monstrous beings was out of the question. Even in these video memories I was perusing, the forgers only dared to clash with them in their armors, or attacked from range.
The name of the planet was simply, 'Forge'. A good designation. Of course there were ways to survive, we wouldn't be heading straight to our deaths.