The group arrived on an elevated platform situated inside a vast circular hall, its ceiling curving up into a grand do with a wide hole at its centre.
From that hole, streams of magic power cascaded down like a faint shimring waterfall, marking the spatial tunnel they had just erged from.
Ahead of them, near the large arched exit at the other end of the hall, was a curved desk manned by several demons who looked like they had been sitting there far longer than they would have liked.
Beside the desk stood a row of lockers stacked neatly, each with a set of keys already dangling from its keyhole.
None of the recruits had the ti to take in these things and people in their surroundings, however, as the instant their bodies fully materialized, an invisible force smashed into them from above.
That was the only way to describe the phenonon that caused the recruits to drop to their knees with grunts and startled gasps.
The planet’s oppressive gravity pressed down on their bodies with overwhelming strength, forcing so to slam their palms against the platform just to keep from collapsing completely, their muscles trembling as they fought to remain upright.
Xaren staggered slightly but managed to stay on his feet for a second longer before dropping to one knee. In that second, he activated his Unique Skill, coating his body in magic power that helped him counter the crushing force.
As always, the adjustnt ca easier for him than for the others. That didn’t an it was easy—sweat still beaded at his temples as the pressure bore down on him.
Both he and the recruits around him all realised one thing instinctively. It was only because of the gravitational adaptation training that they went through during the voyage to bowei that saved them now.
If it wasn’t for that, then they would have been completely flattened against the floor due to the oppressive gravity.
While they struggled to stay upright against the pressure, the tired-looking demons at the front desk looked up simultaneously.
"Oh, the last set has shown up," one of them muttered.
"Yep," another replied with a weary nod.
"Finally, I can go sleep after this." another added under his breath as they all slowly pushed themselves up from their seats.
One of the demons clapped his hands, and imdiately the pressure weighing down on them eased up. It was still heavy, but now just manageable enough for them to stay upright without collapsing onto their knees.
"Alright recruits, I’ve lowered the gravity a bit since we don’t have all day to wait for you to adapt. It should be enough for you to stand, so get up and form a single file," he ordered.
As soon as he finished, another demon, still yawning, lazily picked up the explanation.
"You’ll be leaving your belongings here," he explained, gesturing toward the lockers before continuing. "You’ll get them back after the opening ceremony and once your dorms have been assigned."
As the recruits began to force themselves to their feet, one of the demons watching them spoke with a dry chuckle.
"Welco to boarding school, kids."
The others laughed lightly at his words, and another then leaned forward on the desk with a grin as he spoke.
"We’ll be searching for contrabands, just so you know."
Almost imdiately, a third demon smacked him lightly on the back of the head.
"Idiot. Lord Xynax would beat the shit out of all of us if he found out we went through any of their bags."
At that sa mont, the atmosphere grew tense as all the other demons turned sharp glares at the one who had spoken about searching bags.
Under their combined stares, the demon flinched and raised his hands defensively.
"It’s a joke, it’s a joke," he insisted quickly.
None of them seed particularly amused, but they let it go without another word, refocusing on the recruits instead.
"The only thing you’ll need for the opening ceremony is yourselves," one of them said briskly.
"Drop your stuff in one of the lockers, lock it and take the tag that matches it, then head through the door behind us."
By the ti they were done speaking, over half of the recruits had forced themselves upright. Xaren was naturally among this half, and he quickly moved down the platform and headed towards the lockers.
As for the others who were still struggling, the demons behind the front desk watched them while occasionally glancing at their watches.
When one of them saw the ti, he clapped his hands and barked loudly.
"Hurry up, we don’t have all day! If you’re late for the opening ceremony, you’ll get minus points!"
The ntion of ’minus points’ seed to have an effect on so of the recruits, pushing them to their feet as they rushed toward the lockers.
No one was sure if the minus points were real, or even what they were used for, but the things about Area One they’d learned during the three-week journey to get to this planet made none of them eager to earn anything ’Negative’ here.
"Drop your stuff in a locker, grab a tag, and head down the hallway. Once you drop it, keep moving. Head into the door at the end."
The recruits moved as quickly as they could while still adjusting to the heavy gravity. Bags thumped into place, keys clinked as they were pulled from locks, and soon the group of fifty was streaming toward the hallway behind the desk.
They stepped through the door, entering a long-curved corridor that seed to stretch endlessly ahead of them.
It was only about 500 tres long though. Far from endless.
The walls were dull grey, with thin glowing lines pulsing faintly along the floor and ceiling. Their footsteps echoed as they walked forward, the group naturally breaking into smaller cliques.
Old friendships from their ti on Zorix, and tentative alliances ford during the trip here shaped how they clustered together.
Xaren and Ilya, who had stuck close to each other throughout the journey, remained side by side. Others ford their own groups, talking in low voices, sizing up the unfamiliar surroundings, and glancing around with restless eyes.
As they continued down the hall, Ilya, having already taken in everything there was to see, glanced at Xaren and asked,
"This ’Opening Ceremony’... what exactly is it supposed to be?"
Though Xaren understood the concept, he’d never attended any kind of formal school ceremony before. So, he wasn’t sure if the opening ceremonies he’d experienced in his village during his childhood in his past life were anything like the one they were about to face.
So, he simply shook his head in response to Ilya’s question
"No idea," he said. "We’ll find out when we get there."
They continued forward in silence, the distance closing steadily as the end of the hall ca into view. But what awaited them was not another door or another checkpoint.
It was a wall of fog.
Thick, pale, and swirling slowly as if stirred by so unseen force, the fog barrier, stretching from floor to ceiling completely blocked the hallway’s end.
The mont Xaren laid eyes on it, he froze. Ilya also stopped dead beside him.
They turned and looked at each other, and in that brief mont of eye contact, no words were needed.
They both rembered Floch’s warning to them on the day he gave them their Neuro-Machinae swords.
[The mont you go through ANY fog wall, be on guard.
You’d never know what crazy shit that guy could throw at you.]
ANY fog wall.
And now, here in the place of the door that they were supposed to use to head into the opening ceremony, a fog wall stood in their way. Without any further words or hesitation, Xaren silently roused his magic power, with Ilya beside him mirroring his actions.
This reaction of theirs drew the attention of those nearby.
So recruits who had been chattering quietly stopped mid-sentence, glancing at Xaren and Ilya with curious looks. Others, tracing their gazes to the fog wall, narrowed their eyes silently.
A few who were cautious by nature, also began to quietly gather their energy, preparing themselves for whatever lay ahead.
They drew closer to the fog, and when they were only a few steps away, Xaren spoke in a low voice, his eyes still fixed on the swirling mist.
"Alright," he muttered to Ilya, "be ready to react to anything that cos flying at us."
Ilya gave a short nod. "Got it."
Together, they stepped into it and the mont they went past the wall, Xaren found himself in an environnt filled with mist all over.
As he scanned everywhere around him, Xaren found himself muttering again, half to Ilya, half to himself. "Visibility’s bad in here. How’s your sight?"
There was no reply.
Xaren blinked, confused, and turned his head slightly, only to find empty air where Ilya had been standing just a second ago.
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