With a stable universe governing structure set in place and the galactic society well established, civilizations sought to raise powerhouses to guard against astral beasts.
As such, power shifted forms once again as talented higher beings beca the coveted item.
A thousand years have already elapsed since the beginning of the era.
With the lines of civilizations blurred, the chain of command was thus altered as the most powerful individuals beca the most respected rather than the strongest civilizations.
Thus, creating intense competition for the available resources as every individual sought it as a way to advance ranks faster and easier.
All species racing to the rank of paragons-this was the overall the of the current era.
Using the tactic of resource concentration, ten more paragons had been birthed since the start of the era, which is double the number of the up until now.
Yet tragically, three out the four remaining paragons of the previous era died off, eventually overco by the injuries incurred in the Astral war.
Ezra now had a better grasp on the galactic society, and the reality surpassed his wildest imaginations.
But he didn’t dwell on it too much before diving into other books.
Reading on exploration laws, Ezra was able to piece together the motive of those who attacked Orion.
Apparently, there are stipulated rewards awarded to any to manage to discover new land. For example, star zones, galaxies, new dinsions or even just a planet.
Of course, the reward for each differed according to the size and scale, but from the little Zydrax explained, the rewards were mouth-watering even for Nascents, not to ntion Transcendents.
Understanding didn’t equal forgiveness though-the attackers were still going to pay for what they had done.
Soon enough, Ezra had gone through enough books to not be totally ignorant on any major topic relating to galactic society and many more minor ones.
For one, so of the power ranks were terd differently.
With the mindset that it was unnecessary to distinguish between the weak with elaborate nas, Orion’s Adept to Mythic rank were all packaged as one, with numbers to indicate the difference.
As such...
Adept rank >> Incipient rank 1
Advanced rank >> Incipient rank 2
Expert rank >> Incipient rank 3
Master rank >> Incipient rank 4
Grandmaster rank >> Incipient rank 5
Mythic rank >> Incipient rank 6
Then, you had Transcendent rank for Transcendents, Nascence for Nascents, Ascendancy for Constellations, Reality rank for Paragons and for Sovereigns...Zydrax didn’t know what it was called.
With Transcendent rank being the minimum rank needed to survive in space, it made sense why the rest were called weaklings.
Oh, according to Zydrax, there were apparently also Ascendants in Ascendancy rank as well, these were basically half-step constellations.
In addition to this, Ezra created a backstory for himself that would explain his appearance and lack of record on his existence.
This would also be what he would tell anyone who asked, as would inevitably happen.
[Now that that’s done, search up the rcenary League on your communicator] said Zydrax.
"The rcenary league? Wasn’t it called the rcenary alliance?"
[They changed it a while ago]
"Ok"
Responding to his voice, the communicator projected a 3D screen showcasing the rcenary league’s hopage.
On it was a depiction of a team of five in all suits of different colours battle ready.
Beneath were a few lines of words automatically translated to Oranian.
’Beyond the greatest dangers lie the greatest treasures, do you dare brave the dangers?’
"It looks stylish-I’ll give them that’’ Ezra remarked.
While the galactic society was indeed shocking, returning to the past had already made it such that his mind could easily accept such things, the initial shock had already worn off in just a day.
He simply couldn’t be bothered to be surprised anymore, thus regaining his calm spirit.
Ezra pressed the ’create account’ button, filled a form, and a minute later, he was notified of its completion.
With a small picture of his face imprinted at the top left corner, his credentials were spelled out on the right.
_________
-rcenary Profile-
Codena: Silver Star
Credibility rating: 100 (starting value)
Power level: Early Transcendent
Faction: none
Missions completed: none
Remarks: Newbie rcenary with average strength.
Registration Date: 14th February 3088 UC (Universe Calendar)
----------------
[Profile creation complete. Silver star, the rcenary league welcos you]
"Hmm, the starting credibility is quite high?" Ezra noticed.
[It’s because you’re a Transcendent] Zydrax chid in. [If you were less powerful your starting credibility would be 10 or even 1]
"I see. That’s good" Ezra nodded.
Closing his profile, he saw two other columns beneath it.
[Mission list] and [rcenary Groups]
Before he could ask, the program got to explaining.
[Use the mission section to start your first assignnt, and you can use the rcenary group section to join a suitable rcenary group-it is preferable]
Lightly nodding, he tapped open the [rcenary Groups] function, and a column with different nas popped up.
Ezra was surprised to see only nine nas.
-Verdant Dragons-
-Crimson Light-
-Gold Ring-
-Fort X-
-Bounty Creed-
-Dragons Cross-
-Hamr’s Fort-
-Purple Serpents-
-Dark Specters-
He tapped on Verdant Dragons.
[Verdant Dragons rcenary Group]
Credibility rating: 11533 (Very High)
Missions completed: 305
Scale: 933
Early Transcendents: 626
Late Transcendents: 306
Nascents: 1
Active region: Black Dragon Galaxy Cluster
Exploits:
|Dragon princess rescue operation|
|Subjugating Planet Sylen’s Troll rebellion|
|Defence against Astral Beasts|
|Capture of Planet Volsan’s head of Dark mages ’Reifen Drava’|
|Battle against scavenger syndicate|
{299 more missions...Open/Close}
Creation date: 10th March 3046 UC
Creator: Razadren Ivess
Entry requirents: Must be at least Transcendent rank. Must be part Dragon.
’Why are there only nine groups?’
[Hmm...I think I know why...hmm, I hadn’t thought about this possibility]
[Its seems there are a lot of clans here]
"Oh" Ezra intoned, he understood the gist.
With civilizations of the sa race having co together as one body, clans were ford as a ans to maintain individuality.
These were essentially groups ford from civilizations in order to easily pick out the best talents and concentrate their resources upon them.
As civilizations had co together, the allocation of resources beca the source for inherent competition as each civilization, or branch race as they were now called, sought to make a mber from their circle the next paragon.
In a way, clans were simply the new form civilization had morphed into, but there were differences.
Where civilizations had governnts that could appoint new officers and officials based on loyalty alone, while ignoring the wishes of the citizens and so on, clans could not.
Clans were organizations that worked on the interchange of benefits between the clan and clansn, just like profit oriented businesses.
From Zydrax’s knowledge, there were actually sets of people that opened clans as a way to profit.
Since clans were the bodies used to filter out the best talents and churn out the best warriors, the structure put in place was naturally stricter in order to avoid wasting resources and at its helm were not necessarily elderly figures, but powerful figures who would monitor the progress of the clansn and maintain order.
Usually, even within galaxy clusters, clans were sparse in number.
Moreover, from what he knew, there were highly exclusive, and rejected nine hundred and ninety out of every thousand applicants.
Not to ntion, applications were rarely an annual thing-it was more common for it to take place every five, ten, twenty, sotis even fifty year intervals.
But in a rare case where there were either a lot of clans or an astronomical mber count, it made sense that there would not be much need for rcenaries, because it was common for clans to issue missions to their mbers.
Which ant the clans had wiped out many of the jobs that should’ve been needed, hence eliminating the need of rcenaries along with it.
This was what Zydrax’s words ant.
’Then, is joining the rcenary league still the best choice?’
[Doesn’t matter, you’ve already opened an account anyway, and it’s not like anyone is going to force you to accept a mission. Even if they do, you can simply not go, very simple]
Ezra blinked several tis before nodding with a dismayed expression. ’That’s true...I seem to have been overthinking things ever since we got into space’
[I think I know why]
’You know why?’
Ezra raised a brow-Zydrax’s tone was full of mischief.
[It’s because you’ve lost your biggest advantage-you’re now back to guesswork just like everybody else]
’Lost my biggest advantage? How? Isn’t that you?’ Ezra was confused. Wasn’t having Zydrax as a ntor his biggest advantage?
[...]
It took Zydrax a few seconds to get his bearings back.
[Cough...ahem, you’re right. I ant your second biggest advantage]
’My second biggest advantage...?’
[SIGH]
Seeing Ezra still clueless, Zydrax sighed heavily, he was extrely baffled.
If he had hands, he would’ve definitely face-pald!
[How are you smart most of the ti and then exceptionally dumb at tis like this...?]
’Are you talking about coming back to the past?’ Ezra conjectured.
[Ah yes. Of course it took you ten years to get it right...sigh]
’Will you quit sighing like an old man and talk already?!’ Ezra had also popped a vein at this point, irritated by Zydra’s antics.
[Your knowledge from the past, that’s what I’m referring to]
Zydrax’s tone was now lackluster, with all his excitent having died, he sounded like a stressed-out teenager.
But he spoke on, nevertheless.
[While you were still on Orion, your knowledge helped you glide through life with complete certainty most of the ti, and even when it didn’t, what eventually transpired were things that you predicted to so extent, therefore allowing you to easily make the best decisions]
Zydrax paused.
[But now you can’t do that anymore] he remarked. [You’re now in an unfamiliar environnt filled with unfamiliar elents-it only makes sense that you’re overthinking because you still want to or maybe because your brain has gotten used to the feeling of constantly making the best decision or at least having enough certainty before deciding]
[It’s a serious issue]
Zydrax chuckled. [Honestly. If you didn’t have here, I wonder how you would fare]
’Well then, it’s a good thing I have you’ Ezra replied smiling.
Ezra hadn’t noticed it, but he had gotten addicted to the feeling of certainty.
Now that he wasn’t readily knowledgeable about what to do, his brain was trying to compensate for that by overanalyzing.
’Hmm’ Ezra tapped his head. ’This might take a while to get rid of’
[Just be aware enough to know when you’re doing it]
’Sure’ Ezra nodded. ’So what next?’
[Next, you need to get yourself an interpreter. You can’t go about not understanding anything other people are saying]
’Okay. But I don’t have any money’
[Then, find a way to get so]
Ezra went silent. While he could ask Zydrax and get a straight answer, he’d already done that more tis than he was comfortable with, it would be better for him to think for himself.
Thinking for a bit, he opened the [Mission List] function or tab as Zydrax told him to call it.
Sure enough, there weren’t many missions. In fact, out of the twenty missions displayed, only two were still active-the rest had been greyed out.
(Cretis Hub Stargate Maintenance Guard)
Mission: You will be deployed to guard a stargate connected to Cretis Hub.
Paynt: 10 Cryst per hour
’Looks like I’ve found my first job’
Cryst was the na of the universal currency.
Ezra accepted it quickly, as if it was going to run away.
As he was about to leave the library, he realized a problem. ’How do I get to the cretin hub?’
Normally, one would just board a comrcial spaceship, but; he had no money!
Then he rembered how he arrived here in the first place and an idea ford.
With directions from the librarian, he found himself a map of the nearby areas.
Through it, he found out that the hub he was currently staying at was called Roz Hub.
’Zydrax, can you pinpoint Cretin Hub’s coordinates through this map?’
[Let try]
A minute later...
[I’ve got it]
’Good’ elated that it was possible, Ezra exited the library for the first ti in three days.
The librarian lived on the second floor, so she left him to his devices after closing tis.
As for him stealing? She simply didn’t believe there was anything valuable enough for a Transcendent to steal.
After all, all the books were fairly common or only slightly rare. At most, he’d only need to say the word to borrow it.
Finding himself a small corner out of sight, he soon disappeared, teleporting straight to Cretin Hub.
Appearing at the designated coordinates, his expectations were foiled as he found himself stranded in the middle of nowhere.
[Seems the map wasn’t drawn to the correct scale]
’Let’s not use maps to record coordinates anymore’
[Agreed]
’Where am I?’ Ezra wondered, looking around.
Turning around, he spots rows of spaceships heading towards a lone planet.
Making out multiple stargates situated around it, Ezra concluded that he was looking at Cretin Hub.
It seed the map’s scale wasn’t too inaccurate after all.
With quick strides, Ezra approached the planet where he would perform his first hire.
He looked forward to the experience, hopefully things wouldn’t go badly.
Reviews
All reviews (0)