Babylon (Part 1)

Asher had never felt as constrained as he did now.

Seated in his assigned spot, he kept his head bowed, his eyes sweeping back and forth between his feet. A man's soft, delicate voice incessantly filled his ears.

"Has anyone seen my nail polish? Oh, heavens, if they don't show up soon, my poor nails will lose their shine."

"Oh, God. Didn't I tell you that clothes must be ironed? That's called quality of life. Quality, understand? You crude bunch."

A man prattled on and on until a finger suddenly pointed under Asher's chin, lifting his head. Then, a face painted with eyeliner, eyeshadow, false lashes, and lipstick invaded Asher's sight. The sight was so jarring that Asher felt an urge to gouge out his own eyes.

"Yo, darling. Why the long face? Toto tells you, we're about to reach Babylon. Come on, cheer up a bit." The man batted his eyes, his lipstick-coated mouth coming dangerously close to Asher's face.

Asher clenched his teeth so hard they made a 'clicking' sound. He already had his hand on Rampage beside him, a voice in his head screaming: Let me cleave this freak in half!

Of course, he couldn't do that.

Ignoring the fact that this detestable person was a federal government official tasked with escorting him to Babylon, just the man's strength, equal to Ronan's as a lieutenant, was not something Asher could overcome at the moment. The youth only entertained the thought in his mind, but the damned face was getting too close for comfort, and Asher couldn't guarantee he wouldn't lose his sanity the next moment.

Lieutenant Totonis, who had some rather "special" hobbies, was the man before him. His most severe quirk was dressing as a woman. He wore golden Rococo-style curls, an elaborate fur-collared women's long coat, and, most infuriatingly, purple high heels studded with rhinestones!

At first sight, Asher thought everyone in Babylon must be sick, and severely so.

Of course, the only sick one was Totonis. Oh, he preferred to be called "Toto."

Asher was currently aboard a medium-sized transport ship, designed for either cargo or passengers. Their vessel, intended for passengers, had a cabin much more spacious than the patrol craft used for the assessment, capable of seating fifty people. However, the space had been converted into private booth seating akin to a bar. An arched bar with hanging wine glasses greeted them at the entrance, and the cabinet behind was stocked with whiskey and brandy.

The floor, made of frosted tempered glass, lit up from below, creating a hazy glow that lent the cabin an ambiguous atmosphere.

A lavish crystal chandelier adorned the ceiling, unshaken even in high-altitude flight. Opposite the entrance, a portrait of Totonis hung on the wall. The vibrant, brightly lit oil painting depicted Totonis with a seductive smile—a smile that made one want to tear the painting to shreds.

"Alright, darling. Let's go over the itinerary..." Totonis extended his hand, and someone handed him a square device.

Totonis tapped it, and it lit up with an interface. Asher had just learned yesterday that this device was called a "smart brain," which Toto the lieutenant told him could assist in handling all sorts of daily tasks. Asher had never seen such a thing, and ever since meeting Totonis, he had been bombarded with a barrage of novelties.

Totonis's fingers danced on the smart brain's screen as he spoke, "We'll be docking at Liberty Goddess Port, hm, and other administrative district escort ships will also be applying to dock there. You and the other contestants will receive a grand welcoming ceremony. From the Goddess Port to the training base, tens of thousands of Babylon residents will welcome you and keep an eye on you!"

"Hm, we have an hour until we reach the port. What, only an hour left?" Totonis discarded the smart brain and shrieked, clutching his face like a neurotic woman. He jumped up, shouting, "Quick, get our darling into new clothes."

Asher frowned, looking down at the leather jacket Ronan had given him, "I have clothes."

"That's called clothes? Oh my, they're just a bunch of cheap leather crudely stitched together, it doesn't even fit properly! Wearing such things on stage, you'll make me lose face. People will say, look, the beautiful and noble Toto has brought back a wild child from the 13th District! No, absolutely not!" Totonis erupted with an overwhelming aura, his eyeshadowed eyes almost shooting flames, "You must appear perfect, with dignified and noble attire, that's the quality I need, not this ragged military jacket!"

"Quality!" Emphasizing again, Totonis left the cabin, calling down the corridor, "Ethan! You bastard, hurry up with the clothes I prepared for my darling. You have ten seconds!"

Moments later, a handsome young assistant rushed into the cabin, carrying a silver-gray suitcase. Totonis snatched the case, placed it on a seat, and opened it. An automated rack rose up, holding a black suit, complete with a jacket, trousers, and other accessories. From the inner shirt to the matching leather shoes, down to the lace cravat and genuine leather belt, everything was included.

Facing Asher, Totonis commanded, "Put it on!"

"Here?"

"Yes!"

As Asher stripped down to his underwear, Totonis's eyes lit up, "Look at those symmetrical muscles, that perfect proportion. Darling, you're breathtakingly beautiful..."

Totonis even pinched Asher's buttocks, and the youth's pupils dilated, almost losing his sanity and ready to slash the pervert! In the end, he chose to put on the suit, and when he stood before the mirror, Asher barely recognized himself.

The white standing-collar shirt paired with the black suit created a collision of simple colors that brought out the most concise beauty. The tailored waistline, narrow sleeves, and cravat transformed Asher from a wild child into a figure of noble elegance. Combined with his increasingly refined features, crimson eyes, and proud silver hair, Totonis couldn't help but admire him even more.

"My little beauty, come over here. You're so stunning, I bet everyone will go crazy for you. You're simply..." Totonis twirled his finger in the air before emphatically gesturing, "A star! Yes, you'll become their star!"

"Lieutenant, his hair..." Ethan, the assistant, reminded.

Totonis slapped his forehead, "Damn, almost forgot that crucial detail."

The lieutenant took a pair of silver scissors from the assistant and began the final touch-up on Asher's look. During the six months at the training camp, Asher hadn't had a chance to tend to his hair, and what used to be a jagged cut had grown longer. Now, strands of silver hair floated down as Totonis shaped a new hairstyle while speaking, "Listen, darling. You and the other children from the administrative districts will be guided by a mentor for a month. After that, the Death Arena begins. I've checked, and your mentor is Hudson. That old man used to be a major general and a master of weaponry. My advice to you is to do whatever Hudson tells you, down to the letter."

Asher thought, at least this guy finally said something useful.

"Done."

When Totonis set down the scissors, Asher's jagged hair was gone. The lieutenant had given him a simple yet masculine hairstyle, and even Asher had to admit he looked much better than before.

Suddenly, the cabin's intercom announced they had ten minutes until docking.

Everyone returned to their seats and fastened their seatbelts. After securing himself, Asher saw the window panel in front open up, revealing a rectangular window that allowed him to clearly see outside.

At first, he saw only blue skies and clouds, but then a tilted expanse of land crashed into his view. On it, countless buildings nearly drowned out the horizon, and the steel city was situated nearly a kilometer above the ground!

This was Babylon, the floating island, humanity's greatest creation since the Dawn Battle.

The magic-powered ship began to glide across the sky above Babylon, allowing the passengers to gaze down at the countless majestic structures below. There were towering buildings, complex road systems, vast green spaces, and square plazas. And all of this was just the tip of the iceberg on the floating island, which was almost the size of Texas, with nearly 700,000 square kilometers featuring forests, canyons, rivers, and mountain ranges!

As the ship descended to a horizontal angle with the ground, Asher saw a tower on the horizon. It rose from the horizon, its pointed spire piercing the sky. Even as a vague silhouette, it exuded a solemn and majestic aura.

"That's the Cubic Spire, the heart of Babylon. The most advanced energy application techniques convert cosmic Source Energy into the lifeblood that powers the floating island. Without it, there's no Babylon, no present or future for humanity!" Totonis spoke with rare seriousness, his gaze toward the horizon filled with something special.

That something was called awe!