34 Departure

6:00 AM, Sector 12, Ring 10; the area was bustling with chaos, suppressed into order by restrictive power and authority, creating a harmonious atmosphere between oppressiveness and dissonance. The arch stood at the end, becoming the entry point on the wall that separated the settlements of humanity and the frenzy beasts.

Spanning 100 metres tall and 200 metres wide, the gates of the arch were opened, allowing the traffic to pass through. A huge truck, spanning 20 metres wide and 9 metres tall moved on the 200 metre wide road, looking like a hulking fortress of steel marching along its path, unhindered by none.

The tyres, seemingly made from monster leather of Tier 4 Frenzy Beasts created small indentations on the road, its tracks forming minute impressions that recovered in a couple of seconds. Spanning 3 metres in height, the tyres numbered 18 on one side of the truck, each placed at a distance of 10 metres to each on the otherwise 80 metre long chassis.

The front of the truck was shaped like a cone, aerodynamically flattened at the bottom while forming a small curve towards the top, grooves spanning along its sides, accentuated by fins that raised aerial stability. It marched in silence, the only sounds produced being from the friction between the tyres and the road. The exterior had a silver hue, painted with white and blue, dotted with patches of green and rusty brown.

There was the number '1' printed at its top, front, and the sides, as an indication of its position. Marching behind it were similar trucks, each moving forward in silence, raising a sonorous chill that shook the ground. Behind truck number 1 followed four trucks, numbered from 2 to 5. Trucks 2 and 3 moved in the left while trucks 4 and 5 moved in the right, splitting into two streams as they approached the arch, making use of the two paths in the 'U' shaped wall structure situated beyond the arch.

Trucks numbered in the three digits, silently exiting the city walls one after the other. After truck 85 passed through the arch, a behemoth of steel, a mixture between metal and bones emerged, making the other trucks look like ants in comparison. Spanning 80 metres wide, 30 metres high, and having a long body that was a striking 100 metres long, it hulked among the rest.

Approaching the arch, it paused, the tyres that anchored it to the ground parting away, retracting into the chassis. The behemoth of steel floated, an overbearing fluctuation of psychic energy wrapped around it, moving it forwards, suspended 2 feet high in the air. The number '0' printed above it, in huge font, as a showcase to its size. It was also printed to its sides, in smaller fonts.

After the behemoth passed through the arch, another stream of trucks appeared, numbered from 85 to 121; passing through the arch, splitting into two as they exited the walls through the two exits, and rejoining into one in the Wilds, the trucks headed northeast, to their destination. Waging war against the indigenous species 1700 kilometres away and looting a special mineral formed there, it was the prime objective of the Raid, the Flying Signature Raid.

Beyond the walls stood two men, looking aged but filled with power and wisdom formed under the vicissitudes of life. One of the two let out a sigh, muttering, "So, we are finally declaring war against the Frenzy Beasts. I just hope that they wouldn't run into Rhachis Ancestor Needle on the way."

"Isn't that why that brat Angrushen Light is accompanying them incognito? As a pillar of humanity, he could give trouble to Rhachis Ancestor Needle." The other man nodded, looking into the distance, watching the departing trucks in silence.

"He has yet to finish nurturing his Tier 6 Skill." The former shook his head, "It would be for the best if he doesn't run into any Ancestor level opponents out there."

"What are we expecting," The two spoke in unison, laughter leaking out, "It is, after all, naught but a Signature level Raid. The most they would face will amount to Tier 5 Frenzy Beasts; it is overkill to send him with them."

1st June, the year 327 of the Dawn Era, the Flying Signature Raid had officially commenced. The two figures disappeared from view, leaving the desolate plains. The Frenzy beasts ranging between Tier 2 and 4 in the surrounding areas dropped dead from mysterious reasons, creating a cause for puzzlement to the soldiers that appeared to wipe them out.

…

8:10 AM, Lanprita accompanied the three teary-eyed children, seating them in the metro train. Laila occupied the window seat on the left, making her mother sit on her right. To her front sat George and Jyorta, occasionally sniffing while shedding out tears.

"Alright, children, look at me. See what your aunty has bought, especially for you?" Saying so, Lanprita fished out a CD cover from her purse, displaying the poster affixed on it. "The latest series of Dungeon Rush, allowing PvP mode between players from all across the city; it was a limited edition launched just an hour ago."

Successfully gaining their attention, Lanprita smiled, masking her worry, "Aunty has learned some techniques from one of my friends. Do you have the confidence to defeat me? Beware, I was a Ranked played in one of its previous versions."

"Mom, we are fine." Laila rubbed her eyes, showcasing a smile, "We understand the reason why Dad and the others had to leave for work. We can understand it was for the good of our city. We understand…"

"Oh, Laila," Her heart ached as she gazed at her daughter, trying to put up a brave front to decrease her worries. Lanprita pulled her into a hug, using her other hand to pull the two boys into her embrace, their muffled cries echoing across the compartment. Strangely, no passengers complained about it; they themselves watched the children in silence, their eyes red while their hearts felt heavy.

At the rear end of the compartment, 5 seats away from the crying children sat an old man, holding a magazine in front of his face. His hand was poised to the front, hiding his face from the travellers seated nearby, his gaze focused on the three children through the magazine, concentrated on Jyorta.

'He hasn't shown anything strange for the past two weeks, looking no different from a regular child at his age. Moreover, even his friends, George and Laila show no signs of abnormalities. If not for my conversation with him 3 weeks ago, I wouldn't have put any heed to Henrietta's words. How troublesome,' Old man Bone thought, his brows scrunched up into a frown. He had been tailing Jyorta for the past two weeks, monitoring his actions 24x7 for any signs of abnormalities, trying to narrow down the root cause of the issue.

'I guess I should continue observing him in the Academy. That Principal girl is kind of annoying, but for the sake of my grandson, I shouldn't bother with these trivialities. Maybe, if he does as well as Heima, it would make my Bone family rise to new heights.' A small vibration occurred in his pocket, making old man Bone fish out a tablet from within.

'The official declaration is here!' Seeing the message from Wunris Marble, old man Bone turned a notch happy. He couldn't help but hum, startling the passengers seated near him, making them wonder why the old man acted in such a manner in these troubling times.

'He has requested for a meeting at 8:30 AM. I shouldn't make him wait, lest he takes his anger on my family. He's a Sky Controller after all; no one from my Bone family other than myself can afford to face him. I guess I will return to monitor Jyorta after that. A couple of hours wouldn't affect much, I guess. After all, he hasn't shown any symptoms for the past two weeks.' Old man Bone thought, alighting at the next station, ensuring to hide his face from Jyorta, lest he recognised him.

He boarded a return train, heading towards the Bone family mansion, his mind filled with the thoughts about the Aristocratic Title, his lifelong dream. He hadn't placed as much importance on Jyorta as he showed on the outside, only intending to keep up appearances to be on the good side of Henrietta, for the sake of Heima who had the potential to become a Transformer like him in the future.

8:45 AM, after the prayer session concluded, the classes began. The language teacher looked disinterested, teaching about some pronouns. Since it was the first hour of the day, the students looked energetic, the only downside being their tear-filled eyes, the sounds of sobbing occasionally rang out.

Jyorta looked at the whiteboard, the words written in Modern Rodawri slipping past his mind. 'Mom, when will you return? I miss you already.'

Feeling a bout of thirst, Jyorta unfastened the lid on his water bottle, downing the water in big gulps. He had drunk about half the water bottle with a capacity of 1 litre when he felt satiated, placing it down. Fifteen minutes later, he once again felt thirsty, drinking the rest of the water bottle. Even though his stomach felt bloated, his throat felt dry, increasing his thirst for water.

Loaning a water bottle from George, he drank until his stomach could no longer hold another droplet of water, increasing his sense of discomfort. After he felt some strain in his stomach, his feeling of thirst disappeared. Jyorta felt relaxed, despite his heart thumping at speeds higher than normal.

Time passed as he concentrated on the class, the language teacher continued with her lecture, her baggy eyes drooping with tiredness. When there were 10 minutes left for the end of the class, Jyorta felt pain in his bladder, making him unable to control it. He raised his hands, beckoning for the teacher's attention.

"Ma'am, may I go to the toilet?" His voice boomed, making the other students snap out of their dreams. Some laughed while others remained silent, lacking the drive to make fun of him. The language teacher paused, looking at Jyorta with annoyance, irritated by his appearance.

Ever since Jyorta talked about her personal problems in public, rumours started to spread throughout the academy about how she wasn't fertile enough to be impregnated with a baby. As days passed, the rumours became twisted, degrading her, calling her a loose woman.

The rumours accounted for how she slept with many men in her younger days, stationed in the wilds as she took pills daily. This led to her ovary getting damaged, making it lacking enough to form life in it anymore. That was how the rumours went; she had no idea who spread it, creating a rift between her and her husband, straining the already strained relationship.

"You can," She nodded; despite hating Jyorta, as a teacher of the academy, she couldn't vent her hatred on him. He was, after all, someone who heard the rumours, and not the one who was the cause for them in the first place.

After getting her permission, Jyorta stood up, brushing past his classmates as he walked forward, nearing the language teacher who stood next to the path that led to the exit. As he passed near her, his body turned stiff for an instant, his limbs taking exaggerated steps, coming within the proximity of a metre from her.

The moment he did, the blue soul in him immediately formed a connection with the subsoul, i.e. the Wisdom Parasite lodged in her body.

'Hahaha, finally; let us begin, shall we?' Jyorta felt a shock pass through his mind, forming into words that made sense to him, but their meaning felt incomprehensible.