Chapter 94 - A-G-22097 Part 1 (1/2)
Cynrik was the first to step out on the other side of the door from the Compound and was slightly caught off guard by what he saw. Even though Tobs had already told him about how the numerous doors in the Compound were basically just teleporters, she didn't warn him about the nauseous feeling he would succumb to.
Inhaling a breath of stale, damp air, Cynrik forced down the bile, threatening to come up from his stomach, and waited for the members of MyrkLys to make their way to him.
Brance was the first to clear the threshold, making Cynrik nearly burst out laughing when he saw his brother's face; it seemed he was also trying not to throw up.
Following Brance like a duckling, Gabby was next…
BLARG
And she instantly spewed up her lunch centimeters away from Brance, who swiftly jumped to the side. This time, Cynrik broke into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, clutching his stomach and wiping at the tears streaming from his eyes.
Brance being the kind soul he was, jumped to Gabby's side and held her pigtails out of the way, so she didn't vomit on them while patting her back in small circles. ”It's ok, Gabby, it happens; teleporting sucks.”
Urp, BLARGGG
With Brance's attention on the little girl, and Cynrik laughing his ass off, Benny silently slipped through the door and stood off in the distance. He was able to fight the urge to throw up and was waiting patiently for the others to get it together.
It took around 30 minutes for Gabby's stomach to finally settle, and she was now clutching desperately onto Brance with a pale complexion. Cynrik and Benny were sitting across the room in a pair of chairs with their eyes closed.
As it turned out, the teleporter from Valor Cities Compound led to a room around the size of a den and even had a few couches and chairs neatly arranged.
Cynrik had been actively scanning their surroundings with his [Mana Sight] since their arrival. He zeroed in on a number of similar rooms to theirs nearby, which allowed him to conclude it was some kind of centralized hub point, allowing other cities in the country to have a connection to A-G-22097.
Unlike in the fantasy novels he'd read, it was apparent the prosperity of an individual city wasn't necessarily dependent on how many Egresses it had nearby, but instead how many they were connected to. Expanding his range of vision further, he located a handful of small office-like buildings precisely like the one he was in nearby.
Cynrik's eyes lazily drifted around until he locked onto a massive, green, archaic-looking gate. He could see dozens of Mana signatures moving in and out of the gate and even counted over 20 guards whose strength averaged Tier-3 lined up in a circular pattern around this gate.
Shutting off his [Mana Sight] and standing up, Cynrik drew everyone's attention. ”Alright, let's head out; oh yeah, I nearly forgot; Gabriella, I've got some cookies here if you want them.”
”CYNRIK!” Brance and Benny both shouted angrily at him while Gabby puffed her cheeks and turned green.
”Hehe, couldn't resist. My bad.” Shrinking back at the hostility he was sensing from the two other boys, Cynrik gave up on harassing the little girl further and guided his party out of the building they were in.
The instant they stepped outside, they were assaulted by the sounds and smells of an outdoor marketplace. It didn't matter which direction they turned; people were decked out in weapons and armor, moving about. Some grouped together before diving into the Alpha Egress, and others advertised their wares.
In Cynrik's opinion, what he saw was a strange hybrid of modern and medieval, reminding him of something he would have seen in S**r Wars. Beings of different races, speaking their individual languages, selling and buying technology that didn't seem to match the scenery.
{Keep Gabby close; the last thing we need is her running off.} Cynrik started cutting his way through the crowd and walking towards the hundred-meter tall energy gate.
Gripping the little girl's hand tightly, Brance followed suit, with Benny bringing up the rear.
It took them a couple of minutes to make their way over, and after being hassled by several people manning stalls, the party eventually made it to the line formed outside the gate.
Taking a position for themselves, Cynrik clicked his tongue. At the front of the line stood two Tier-3 guards who had two jobs, accepting entry payment and scanning their IDs. Every person who fell under the scrutiny of these guards would shrink back in fear, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible.
The majority of the people in line were Tier-1, with a select few still sitting at Tier-0; none of them wanted to draw the anger of an existence that was massively stronger than them. Cynrik and Brance were an exception to this. They had witnessed someone at Tier-5, and after their Evolutions, they felt confident in their ability to at least escape from someone at Tier-3 and thus felt nothing when seeing these guards.
Gabby and Benny were different; the only people they had met who were as powerful as the guards were their parents and the Jetlensr couple. Brance could even feel Gabby trembling and rubbed her hand gently with his thumb to calm her down.
When it came time for them to get checked over by the guards, Cynrik stepped forward.
”Payment and ID…kid, you know this place is dangerous; you shouldn't be here, get the fuck out.” Like a broken record, the guard wasn't even paying attention to who he was speaking; it was only when he looked down and saw four kids who hadn't even hit puberty that his expression changed.
”Tsk, do your fucking job, old man; we are here for Phase: 2 of the Academy Exam.” Not missing a beat, Cynrik didn't hold back his words and held up his Watcet, showing off the small golden dongle attached to his wrist.