A few hours later.
Julius stood in a bright dinner hall within the House of Kang, which reminded him of the venue long ago. It felt long, but not really. Massive noise from the crowd as the hall prepared a heavy feast. Julius drank a glass of soda, which he hadn’t had for more than a year. One sip tasted like a bottle of Coca-Cola. He was a fan of it back in the day. During his time in the Marines, he usually took one bottle for dinner. Until he got discharged from active duty, he would go in moderation and rarely had one except for large dinners or meetings.
--
Yin Qishui (银汽水) recorded.
Translate → Silver Soft Drink.
--
It tastes like Coca-Cola, but clear as Sprite. Julius nodded at the taste of it, staring at the glass’s remaining contents. He handed the glass to one of the waitresses and walked through the dinner hall. Dinner hadn't started yet, as it was only preparation time. The feast won’t start for another hour. Hence, Julius went through the dinner hall’s entrance and headed through the wide hallway to the House of Kang’s double grand door entrance.
7 PM at best. Outside, it was already past sunset. The blue dimmed sky filled with sparkling stars like diamonds reflected off in the distance. All white and blue. He went to the large water fountain, which now has benches encircled around the circumference. While maintaining eyes on the developing night sky, he sat down on a bench and eased off the potential stress that lingered inside of him.
< This is soothing with this fresh air. > Julius
<< Better than the garden? >>
< No, definitely not. The garden is best for spiritual greenery. While this is more for natural health relaxation. >
<< It feels all the same to me. >>
< You’re a sword. So, I don’t know what you’ll expect. >
<< Lucky you. >>
< You’re being too generous. > Julius said.
<< I’ve wondered what’s like being a human. >>
< Do you really want to have that future? > Julius asked in a nuanced tone.
<< Do you not want me to? >>
< It’s not that I won’t support your idea…More responsibilities and trauma. Are you sure this is what you wanted? >
<< Yes. >> Licht said, not even a moment of thought. He already had an answer. Julius didn’t know why he wanted to become human because the thought was sudden.
“You seem sentimental.”
What the!? Julius heard a sudden voice, prompting him to look down from the night sky. Feng stood ahead with Father Kang. “When did you learn telepathy?”
“The day of the tournament after you and Qiang decided to blow each other up, unintentionally killing thousands.”
Julius’ eyes widened with a realization, connecting the bloody red qi from Licht. “That explains. Well, I’ll be damned.” He lifted his head up as he nudged his back straight. Father Kang held a thin case box. “Is that it?’
“Yes, Julius. This is it,” Father Kang said. The two then sat next to Julius in the spare space to his right. Julius watched him opening the box, revealing a pen-sized cylindrical metal pipe. It looked different compared to the one Father Kang had used a couple of hours ago. The thin vinyl was engraved on the surface. He grabbed one out of the box and twirled it around to find three bolts carved on the metal.
Father Kang pulled out a lighter, about to flick open a flame. Julius immediately put it a bit in his mouth for his teeth to grip on. An exhale emitted a fire breath from his mouth, activating it. The former disappointedly put the lighter away.
Julius’ one breath was more potent than the lighter Father Kang had. The engraved lightning bolts illuminated beyond the flash of light that came from Father Kang’s metal pipe. Smoke flowed out of the end, and Julius took it out, exhaling the accumulated blue smoke. Traces of black hugged it, revealing a tiny cluster.
--
Ash Resistance Discovered. → 5% Ash Damage Reduction (1/20)
Carbon Resistance Discovered. → 3% Carbon Damage Reduction (1/20)
Breathing Strength Discovered. → Level 1/20
--
“Is this your first time?” Father Kang asked.
Julius turned. “Yeah? Why?”
“First time I had a cough.”
“Maybe I’m the outlier. Probably after experiencing so much heat and blasting mouth beams…It’s the same feeling, but I can control it freely.”
His lungs felt soothing after one rotation. Hence, he gave it one more inhale and exhaled before stopping. “Can I take that box, then?”
Father Kang handed the box. “Uh, sure. Do you have any questions?”
“I have two questions,” Julius said, grabbing the closed box. “Does your Skoltor get any benefits from this on record?”
“I got ash resistance and breathing strength at the start, since I’ve already done this for years now.”
“Okay, second and final question. How long is this going to last for these three cylindrical pipes you gave me?”
“It’s dependent on each person. It took me three weeks to use one, so more than 2 months to use all three.”
Ok, that doesn’t sound bad. Julius thought and put away the box through his virtual inventory. He forced water out of his fingers, showering over the end of the smoking pipe. Once it dried, the pipe, turning out to be called Yin Yanwu Gangguan (银烟雾钢管), was placed in his overcoat’s inner pockets. “I’ll call it YYG.”
The three stood up from the bench as more incoming visitors entered the manor. Julius walked inside with Father Kang and Feng in front of him. With a height of seven feet and three inches, he viewed everyone in an instant. There were a couple of fresh faces entering. Although dinner doesn’t start until 8 PM, the cold dishes (冷菜) are ready to be served in a few minutes.
Where Julius drank the soft drink in the new banquet hall that was built since the new House of Kang was established at this site. Today was the inauguration of the House of Kang’s Manor expansion. Therefore, there will be a tour after dinner which many, including Julius, were excited to witness. He recalled the private venue in Colemond. Coincidentally, a similar scenario. Both times, he presented at the inaugural opening of such an event. Quickly, the afterthought cut off not to distract him.
President Yang arrived from the opposite exits, directing Julius to his seat. As he followed her, the latter headcounted the tables. When he sat in his assigned seat, the total was only twenty tables. Lesser in comparison to the Colemond Venue. However, the food was served at the multiple tables stationed around the proximity of the dinner hall. Each has two chefs, a portable stove with wheels, and a serving table. A few stations had bulky shelves disguised as refrigerators that also had wheels. Hence, every station had its own kitchen. As he prepared his spot at the table, the other six chairs were filled in a minute. Empress Cai took his left, and Daiyu took the right. Solomon came in with President Yang, Feng, and Qiang. Their table was at the center of the banquet hall.
Julius looked around and didn’t see Celeste anywhere. He turned to Empress Cai, asking her despite the heavy noise. “Any update on Celeste?”
“She is still held in the room…Her discharge in two days has been revoked, and it will be extended for three more days.”
“Oh, I hope she’s getting better—”
“Me too, but she is still in a coma.”
“Thanks for the update.”
Once the entire banquet hall tables filled up, the waiters and waitresses began serving cold dishes. A few came in pairs, and one of each pushed a cart carrying bottles of various drinks. Of course, Baijiu is on every single one. Julius glanced at Empress Cai, knowing she wanted one bottle. He would’ve too, but after tasting the soft drink, opinions switched. And they came quickly with the carts as the entire table abruptly raised their hands.
Baijiu, Yin Qishui, green tea, soy milk, Mijiu, and water. Diverse selections. In fact, Julius never tried Mijiu, so he might request one later. Woah. His mind was baffled when the waitress came up to him with a wine-like bottle that served Yin Qishui. She held the bottle as she handed it to him. Hence, Julius gripped it and nodded. “Thank you.”
“Of course, sir,” she responded and handed him a metallic cup. Also, a bucket of throttling ice because soft drinks always have ice in hand. A serious unspoken rule.
The cart of cold dishes came to his table, bringing the first few plates of cold sliced beef. Afterward, a plate of green vegetables was set alongside the turntable, which was in the center. Everyone leaped from the seats while carefully taking their portions. Julius waited until they finished and took his last. They sat and savored their first meal. Skoltor System monitored their calorie intake. Most have been set to match Julius’ minimum daily intake of seven thousand calories. I can’t wait for the salmon.
After reclaiming the South Cai Fishing Village, fish consumption rapidly increased. The battle had affected the swimming patterns of many aquatic species. One of them being the Moon Salmon. Julius remembered how big it was. It will be served as a main dish, and there will be two variants. One from the head kitchen, which was located separate from the banquet hall. The other being at two nearby stations. All attendees relaxed in their seats in ecstasy from the food.
----------------------------------------
Two Hours Later.
The cold sliced beef and green vegetables were well received. However, the rice made the dish top-notch. All within the banquet hall can’t live without rice. The calorie and nutritional intakes were different compared to Earth’s. It was more consumed and had fewer carbohydrates. Therefore, the portions have to be higher. Julius ate at least ten bowls. For a small bowl, that was pretty average for a big party. He thought he wouldn’t be able to eat a full-size Moon Salmon but proved wrong. He consumed two big oval plates; the right size for only one fish.
“Gosh, I’m full,” Julius said, blurting to the rest of the table. “I could take a walk right now.”
“You dove into that cake…I might get a food coma from that cake,” Empress Cai said. “It’s so creamy, sweet.”
Sounds of chairs creaked. Feng, Solomon, and Father Kang stood up.
“I’m going for a run,” Solomon said, twirling his fingers in a circle. “…Probably at the roundabout and a little outside of the manor.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” Feng stated, appearing enthusiastic. “I’ll follow.”
Father Kang pulled out a paper and handed it to Julius before joining the two for an evening workout.
President Yang gulped the remaining Mijiu bottle. “I already went through the private library yesterday.”
“Why? Are you busy?”
“Yeah. I have multiple papers in my inventory. It needs to be done before midnight,” President Yang said, nodding off and leaving the table.
“Wait!”
“Julius?”
“How’s the library?” Julius asked, figuring out an expectation.
“I’m not telling you because that’s a spoiler, but you’ll like it.”
Damn, nice one. Julius chuckled, accepting her answer. There’s still some time left before the tour of the private library. Hence, he looked around the crowd and turned back to Empress Cai. “I haven’t talked to her in a long time. I’ll have a chat with her to catch things up, if you don’t mind.”
“Go ahead. I’m sure they want to talk to you for a long time,” Empress Cai said, insisting he make her comfortable. “Do they even speak our language? We speak Yue, and they were from Kriegshan’s army, assisting the Renos navy.”
“Except Xavier, the rest don’t even speak any of the languages in this world except the closest being Englisc. Maybe the exception for Mother Elaine, but I forgot if she could speak Yue…They haven’t trained yet in the Merit Universe. No Skoltor System…no translation assistance.” Julius noted Mother Elaine, Xavier, Helda, and Alyssa are together excluded. All sat at the same table and appeared to keep communicating with each other. The body language was blunt and obvious, as Julius stared momentarily.
Empress Cai got a fuller picture of who they were. She gave the former a look to go ahead while she prepared to leave the table and take a walk with Daiyu and Qiang.
It’s been ten days since. Wow! Julius couldn’t imagine time had passed that fast. The workload took his focus on time away from notice. Their heights definitely have not changed. He walked up to them from behind, switching language.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“So, how’s the food?”
Mother Elaine was startled before turning around, not expecting Julius to come up. “Holy Jesus…Daniel don’t scare me like that.”
“Stop calling me that name,” Julius said as his mouthplate opened. “I hate getting called by it.”
“It’s still you. That’s your past.”
Julius grimaced. “Which is why I move on. Julius sounds better. Don’t tell me you forgot why I changed my name.”
“No, I still remember. It took a moment.”
Xavier intervened. “How have you been?”
“I’ve been better. I don’t know what kind of lies the rest of the world has heard. ‘The West Cai Dynasty’ being evil has never been so inaccurate. Living here for more than a month got me to the truth.” Julius’s mouthplate reforms, covering his mouth once again.
“The people here are so nice,” Alyssa Scarlett said, observing around the banquet hall. “We were shamefully deceived by it.”
“Where’s your truck?” Helda asked.
A change of pace. Julius realized the conversation ain’t going about the food. “I wrecked it…Engine’s gone. Not runnable. It’s parked on an empty lawn in the palace. Many visitors come to the palace to see it.”
“Ah, you reminded me. We haven’t seen the palace yet ever since we were transported to Longyue,” Xavier reminded.
“Accept my invitation, and you’ll get the tour.”
The four looked at each other before nodding, accepting the invitation. Hence, the matter was settled.
“Ok, great…Are you guys full?”
“Thanks for the sliced beef,” Alyssa Scarlett said, wiping her mouth. “I can still taste it in my mouth.”
“How’s the cake?” Xavier asked her.
“Sweet as it could be that I almost choked it.”
“Ok, be serious,” Xavier said.
Julius turned to Mother Elaine. “Damn, the first time we talked. It’s been a while. I hope you didn’t mind the interrogation that you and they went through. New protocol I approved.”
Mother Elaine shook her head. “It’s fine. I can understand the Yue language, so it was quick for me.”
“That’s good. I forgot that you did learn and speak Chinese.”
Her face expressed her puzzlement. “Not forgetting the day when I gave you the scroll.”
Julius shrugged. “I did forget that a moment ago…You translated the written Hanzi to me. I don’t know what the point of that scroll was for. It didn’t result in anything that much.”
“I thought it kept you stable for some time.”
“Maybe, I forgot. Don’t forget, I was trapped in an underground tournament for a one-year time warp. The tortures in the first 6 months made me lose a portion of my memories,” Julius said before being tapped by a waitress, who offered him a glass of ice water. He grasped the cold glass, and his mouthplate opened. “Thanks.”
“So, you are telling me it’s even worse than what you told us back at the hotel?”
“I can say it is,” Julius agreed, while gulping the ice and water. He saw the four cringes in horror when his metallic teeth crunched the ice cubes like a grinder, not knowing his biological changes. “Before we walk out, why are y’all looking at me like that?”
Alyssa and Mother Elaine immediately held his face, forcing his mouth open. They viewed the interior of his mouth as if they were dentists. Suddenly, he felt the heat coming from down deep in his esophagus.
“Let go!” He telepathically said, gently pushing the two away. In a blink, he blew out blue flames through his mouth, quieting the banquet hall. Julius’ palm was on his mouth like he was holding his cough. Darn, it's fucking strong.
The blue fire pushed his hand away, and Julius thrust his greatsword right directly above the fumes. He could hear the vacuum noise sucking the plumes.
Splash!
“Whoever did that, thanks.”
A load of puddles around his feet evaporated as his body heat was on the brink of burning the floors. The one that deployed the water saved the banquet hall.
Bang!
Julius saw the bucket crash to the floor nearby, figuring that was all the water it needed to calm his body down. I thought it would be more.
He turned around and found out to be a waiter. His qi was apparent upon eye contact. Ah, it was him. Julius understood the scenario, no need for verbal exchanges other than simple gratitude.
The banquet hall quickly returned to normalcy.
“I think we can leave now. There’s still plenty of time.”
The four followed Julius out of the hall, turning left into the main hallway leading back to the entrance. They exited the space where the cool breeze swarmed past everyone’s eyes. A moment of serenity couldn’t have come soon enough.
Solomon was running at the roundabout, already sweating from the head down. He waved at Julius and the four. “Are you joining us?”
“No, I’ll do a workout tomorrow.”
Feng and Father Kang followed along before leaping up into the air and going on a flying sprint around the lot.
Julius went to an empty bench. Mother Elaine and Alyssa sat alongside him. While Xavier and Helda carelessly sat on the floor, forming a closed group circle. Each of the four had plenty of questions that wanted to be answered. Julius knew it and wanted to be deciphered right away before moving forward because the break would end tomorrow.
“I know you have questions, so speak away.”
“How the hell did you become emperor?” Xavier asked. “Notably, the West Cai Dynasty.”
“I got stuck again…trapped in there for five hours turned out to be two weeks. The capital was wrecked, and Empress Cai suffered hypoqi fatigue, forcing her to give me the ascendency by paper.”
“You didn’t give it back?” Alyssa wondered.
Julius shook his head. “No, handing the paper is a permanent action. She wanted me to handle the dirty work, so I pretty much took all the burdens and responsibilities she wasn’t able to do in her decade-long reign.”
“Like what?”
“Killing the oligarch old men. I ended the burden she had then because of those elders, and I’m free to do whatever I want.”
Mother Elaine sighed with a smile. “Being Colemond’s Chief of Operations, paid off, didn’t it?”
“Indeed, it has. More than 3 years of being behind the scenes doing all the dirty work. That hasn’t changed here either,” Julius said, subsequently looking at Helda. He could see that her mouth twitched. The area near the neck and jaw tense up after his attention turned towards her.
“Do you hate Mayor Burman?” She blurted.
“Yes!”
“Why?”
“I’m like the ghostwriter. I don’t get the name…He gets the name. My credit is his. We ain’t friends. It’s only the benefit of the doubt and playing along. Fuck that guy.”
As his wife, Helda should’ve taken a defensive stance on this. Only to go on a tangent.
“It was hella boring.”
“Really?” Mother Elaine and Julius simultaneously said. The former was more visually surprised, because the latter revealed his hatred for Mayor Burman. Helda’s reaction added fuel.
“You thought they were my kids?”
“I didn’t pay attention to them as much. I would assume so, but I stand corrected…Basically, you’re a stepmother to them…Darn. Mayor Burman has past relationships. To be honest, that sounds like hell. You three don’t get along?” Julius asked.
Helda shook her head. “Barely a backbone.”
“And I thought socialites were having events frequently.”
“He fabricated it to make it believe that I am.”
Julius leaned his back away from his legs, placing himself on the bench’s backrest. His eyes stared directly at Helda. “I think I got an idea how this is going to go…That leaves me with one question. Do you want to go back to earth one day? Or would you rather stay here and build yourself up from nothing with us?”
Helda’s back slumped, looking down to process this.
“Take your time,” Julius said, then turning to Mother Elaine. “How about you? Same question. Would you?”
“Are you going to go back?” Alyssa asked.
“I don’t think I will,” Julius said. “There’s no progress on who is responsible for getting me into this world to begin with. However, when that time comes.” He raised his index finger. “Only one reason can get me back, and if that happens, I’ll find out then.”
“Excuse me?” A lady’s voice called.
Julius and Mother Elaine turned right to the entrance, where a young lady in a cultivation outfit constructed by black coloring and a decent number of altercations. She wasn’t the only one with the suit, as multiple others had worn a similar fit that they presented themselves today for dinner.
“Ah, the winery bartender,” Julius said, waving his hand.
She walked up to the group, having something to say. “I have one more bottle to spare, and if you want the last, I can give it to you right now.”
“Is this another wine tasting of yours again?”
“Indeed, it is. Are you willing to?”
Julius shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, why not? I can’t get drunk, anyway.” He extended his hand out, prompting the winery bartender to summon a closed metallic bottle. She twisted the cap open, and a cold mist escaped through the opening, letting it out before handing it to him.
“Here you go.” She handed five metallic cups, already filled with ice.
“Thank you, Yaen,” Mother Elaine said. “You go get some rest after all the serving done today.”
Yaen smiled. “I appreciate it. Once I hear the taste results, I’ll certainly do it.”
She poured the wine into each of the cups. Julius watched the wine flow into the cup. The darker shade of purple entered into the metallic space, spreading over the ice and lifting it to the metallic rim. Without the ice, it would look like the violet deep sea.
Everyone took their first sip. Their eyes flashed up; eyelids taped back. When they lowered their cups. Julius looked at Yaen, wondering what ingredient she used. “When did you make this? He asked while exhaling frost breath. It’s freaking cold.
“A couple of hours before the House of Kang’s banquet hall opened.”
“In a short time? Wow,” Julius said, praising the liquid. “I might have to order these instead of Baijiu…And one more thing. Was this icy feeling because of the ice or was it from an ingredient and the ice was supplementing it?”
“Have you heard about the mountainous ice grapes?”
“Oh, yes! The ones from the north of here, right? Shi mountains, where on the map is shaped like the character shi (是).”
“Yes, sir.”
“How much was this?” Xavier asked.
“Eighty Thalers.”
Julius spat his drink. “What the hell?” He chugged the rest of the wine before continuing. “That’s the market value price?”
Yaen kneeled to the ground. “It’s the lowest I can go before it gets sold to the public. Before a second opinion was a hundred and fifty.”
“How much delivery of the purple shi grapes do you get each time?” Julius asked, trying to figure out the economic stance of the fruit.
“Since this was my first time sharing it, I’ll say in that bottle alone, it takes two kilos (4.41 lbs.). Because you all enjoyed it, I have 3000 bottles ready to be made for the next three months.”
“That’s six metric tons of grapes for three months, meaning twenty-four annually,” Julius said while wondering about the state that oversees that territory. “Four trips of trade. How much is one?”
“About fifty thousand Thalers.”
It could be any party that paid for the cargo of Mountainous Shi Grapes. Fifty thousand thalers are expensive, or a literal yearly paycheck for an average citizen in the Moon Empire. Julius placed his cup down next to him and brought out a spare paper from his virtual inventory. He wrote all the expenses and proposed revenue generated from the 3000 bottles Yaen said.
Julius handed the paper to Yaen, anticipating her thoughts.
“Are you insisting on more?”
It could be any party that paid for the cargo of Mountainous Shi Grapes. Fifty thousand thalers are expensive, or a literal yearly paycheck for an average citizen in the Moon Empire. Julius placed his cup down next to him and brought out a spare paper from his virtual inventory. He wrote all the expenses and proposed revenue generated from the 3000 bottles Yaen said.
Julius handed the paper to Yaen, anticipating her thoughts.
“Are you insisting on more?”
“Mhm…This shit tastes good, and 3000 bottles will sell quickly. Twelve thousand won’t cut it for the first year. How about this? I will put this on federal trade, and the government will provide funds while seeking a higher and better deal. Focus on making this wine. While the government and I handle the imports. Fair?”
“Slow down…How much are you doing?” Xavier blurted.
“Of course, this city at least loves Baijiu, but it won’t hurt to have a second option as a staple. I’m aiming for one million sales a month.”
“You are so confident in this,” Alyssa said, turning to Yaen. “How big is your brewing company?”
Yaen handed the paper back to Julius. “I don’t even know if I can achieve that goal. Our Winery only has twenty people at peak working hours.”
“Aren’t all your staff cultivators?”
“No, only me.”
Julius’ eyebrows raised. As I thought. Her production would be low to keep up with in this demanding world. “Have you considered a marketing campaign? Open hire from any qualified individuals in Tang State?”
Yaen shook her head, addressing concerns about the budgeting. “I can’t afford it beyond twenty. After salaries and expenses, we are only a thousand thalers in profit at most.”
“Did you get paid extra today?”
“Father Kang gave me two hundred thalers when I arrived.”
“Ok, here’s eighty,” Julius said, noticing Father Kang finished his flight sprint. “That’s for the bottle.”
“Sir, I don’t—”
Julius stood up. “Please, it’s my offering for the bottle.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He dismissed her, and the rest watched her entering back into the House of Kang Manor. Mother Elaine glanced at the wine bottle’s handmade label. Julius asked for it, and she continued eyeing the descriptions before handing them over. The glass was still cold, which was impressive, as there was no ice. An interest in Mountainous Shi Grapes soared. He never tried it before, but the wine gave him an idea to picture how it would be. I’m looking forward to the grapes.
Julius gave it a nine, thanks to the kick from the first sip. The cold and ice resistance did some play into this. After drinking it more, it adapted to him and cooled his body, mellowing his rapid mind. For a drink and maintaining sobriety throughout, it was something he desired to have in his cabinet.
Others shared a similar rating. However, their cold tolerance wasn’t high, adding they didn’t have the Merit Universe training experience to get an ice element resistance yet. Hence, they gave it around a seven.
“How was it?” Father Kang asked, catching on.
“I liked it. How did you find this lady? All this time, and I’ve only noticed her talent today.”
“Oh, she lived and worked near here, outside of the roundabout in District 1.” He pointed to the exit. “Not that far from here. A decent walk back and you’ll get there. Every day until sunset, there was a trail of smoke coming off from two chimneys…Follow that, and there’s the place.”
Smoking chimneys? Why do they need that in a winery? But wait, a winery in a dense district. Ain’t there supposed to be a decent lot for vineyards? Julius thought for a moment, realizing the times walking down and rebuilding. He had seen it a couple of times. It was only after Father Kang said it that it made literal sense. “I mean there was no marketing or signs about it, so I didn’t know…A moment ago, I offered to expand the workforce with a suggestion.”
Father Kang scratched his head, appearing ambivalent. “She can’t afford—”
“I know…She told me earlier. I want more of this product, so I offered to put this under a government’s decision,” Julius said.
“Are you sure?”
Julius nodded. “This will go under the second budget law and maybe get a few more small businesses that needed some help on the list to make it fairer.”
“Are you going to bring this to the Senate?” Father Kang asked.
“Not this time,” Julius muttered. “I’m probably putting this through an executive order. I’ll have a talk with President Yang as soon as possible. That’s all I can say for now because we have so many funds from the debt Tang State’s reserves paid us to be considered.”
Feng looked at her father and the rest. “Is it time for the library?”
Father Kang nodded in response. “Yes, perfect timing…Shall we?” He gestured to Julius and the four.
All went back inside the House of Kang Manor, walking straight further in and revealing glorious architecture on display. The hallway lights flashed from the walls as it sensed movement entered deep in. It almost felt like a welcoming ceremony based on the speed, light coloring, and the vibe coming from the hallway's matte design.