A odd smell came to my nose. It was the smell of fish guts in the air cliché. It turned out to be mid-morning with a shaky feeling. As it turns out I woke up at the back seat of a firetruck with Richard and Mr. Williams at the front seat. Next to me happened to be Tyrell and Rebecca sleeping at the side. "Nice for you to be awake, Rin." Mr. Williams greeted. My head started to ring and ache. Then my vision started to get fuzzy. I was handed a trail mix bar from Richard. "We're going to pull over soon to grab a meal." He says, "Meantime try to snack on this. You'll need it if you want to get out of this truck safely."
After a few yards we managed to find some worn out parking lot to stop by. I tried to get out of the truck but I ended up slipping on my first step. Rebecca was at the other side of the door at the nick of time to catch me. "Bout time you woke up." Rebecca said. "Careful now, Rin's been using too much magic. He's really sensitive at the moment." Richard told her. I was carried to a beach chair near a wrecked discount store. Richard had me covered in sheets and cooked a meal. I was then spoon fed by Richard with some bitter soup. But as I drank up each serving I managed to recover my vision and able to eat my soup on my own. "What's happening to me?" I asked. "You were having mind down and chi deficiency." Magna told me.
"What's that?
"Mind down happens when you cast too much magic with mana. Chi deficiency is when you used too much chi within your body."
"So what does that have to do with my condition?"
"Too much control over mana at the environment around you would take a toll on your psyche and hand to eye coordination. On the other end, using chi would cause shortness of breath, fatigue, and a strain towards the human body."
Richard then comes in front of me and stuffs my body with heat pads. He then puts one on my head and gives me another serving of the soup. "It's a good thing I got some of these herbs with me otherwise you would have been out for a week. However you still need to eat for your body to produce more chi." Richard told me.
I then start to look around and noticed where I was at. To an odd surprise, it looked as if the whole city we were in was taken over by vegetation. The roads were full of weeds and roots growing out of the streets and the sidewalk. There were even trees growing in and out of buildings to the point it broke through windows, roofs, and ceilings. Green moss was everywhere as if it was here for decades. "Where are we?" I asked. "Some part of Chicago. It maybe near the capital but the drive's gonna take us a day and a half." He told me.
I started to stand up after my second bowl to equip my gear. Everything was in place along with some other things. There was a role count out of everybody so far. The group of Mr. Williams was complete however Richard only had Mika, Luka, and Magna. "Where's everybody else?" I asked. "The Saurian took a toll on most of the party." Mr. Williams said.
"What's a Saurian?" I asked.
"They're dinosaurs that were brought to life with genetic mutation and necromancy. Were altered to be used as Bio-organic weapons at many magic wars before." Magna told us.
"Apparently we ended up getting the short stick and stumbled an anti-magic type." Richard added.
"Anti-magic?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Yeah...apparently some genius had a 'good idea' to make the ultimate deterrent in a form of a mutated dinosaur that nullifies any kind of magic. Governments around Aria had them slaughtered but apparently they just keep on popping out and became feral. Good thing there are only a few with anti-magic properties." Magna explained.
I then remembered the battle from last night. That explosion with crimson and black flames from those RPGs stung a memory. "Would some of the RPG fire last night happen to use Anti-magic as well?" I asked. "That would be possible but highly unlikely. It would be even hard to get a hold of the stuff in the first place." Richard replied.
"How come?"
"You would either be part of the military, steal some, be able conjure, or make it yourself."
"That hard? That's some rather sketchy stuff then."
"That's the gist of it. On the bright side though I managed to get everyone's guild cards before we burned the fire station down. Wouldn't want them to turn into ghouls."
It soon evolved from soup to a meal. Slowly as I ate, the more I regained my stamina. They were just MREs but they were good. It was a good way to start a day as we ate brunch while enjoying whatever view we had of the ruined Chicago. It was a scenery that came out of post-apocalyptic movie. While eating however, a house in front of us toppled down as the tree broke through the support beams. The rotting wood gave with the only part of the house standing was the chimney. I looked around as I sat with the rest of the group eating. "You think it would be possible to loot?" I asked. "Not likely, but not impossible." Richard told me.
"What makes you say that?"
"Most likely all the good stuff had already been taken. Rest is either destroyed or hidden somewhere."
That's when Rebecca comes to us out of concern. Richard notices this and sees what's up. "We're starting to run out of firewood. Should we get some?" She asked. That's when Richard stands up to stretch, Oddly enough he clears his throat. "Not if you wanna stumble to some treants." He told her. "What's that?" Rebecca asked. Richard points at a direction at one of the trees. There we see a guy with an axe and ready to chop some trees. But by the first time swing hits the trunk, the tree started to rise with some kinda stone in the middle starting to glow a light green. Soon tree started to pop out arms and legs from the soil and stand. The tree started to look like a person but without a face and the trunk opening to reveal the stone was actually larger than a wrecking ball. The full form of the tree turned out to be at least twenty feet tall and had an anthropomorphic figure. The man fell on his back in shock. The creature then raised his leg up high and squash the man into stain with a single stomp. All of us reacted in disgust and horror as we saw the man being squashed like a bug. Surprisingly the monster didn't pay any attention to us and burrowed itself back at the ground, looking like as it initially was. "That was a treant." Richard tells us, "They don't like loud noises and the smell of burning wood. Just to keep a heads up."
By that time, Rebecca had a pipe bomb at her hand. As both me and Richard came to notice it, she hid it back in her pack in an embarrassed manner. "I was gonna use it to blow up the armored truck over there." She said. Our gaze was directed at the area she pointed out. It was an armored truck but it didn't look like it belonged anywhere. The truck was pretty beaten up and hadn't been used for awhile. "Looks like it's from the Philippines, judging by the license plate." Richard pointed out.
The truck was no more than an old model. The locks themselves looked as if it was made in the 90's. As it turned out the door was slightly nudged. The only problem was that it was sort of rusty with no opening and was kinda jammed. I then went to the demonic form to pull the door open. It was tough but I was able to get through something. Inside however happened to be a dead corpse with the head completely blown off by a shotgun. It was a rather gruesome site as blood spatter was everywhere and the lower jaw and vertebrae was the only thing left of the head. Richard then finds a note in Filipino and read out loud: "My partner is dead and I may never hear back from my family. I wanna die." We pulled the body out as it laid at the floor. "We should cremate the body." She said. "Not without disturbing the treants." Richard said.
Richard then pulls out a foldable shovel out from his pack. He dragged the body and started digging. We ended up calling Tyrell to see if he can take apart a few things for salvage. Me and Rebecca on the other hand started to pick around. It was expected from an armored truck. It was hollow, bulky, and had lots of space for storage. Sad to say though is that it was hollow as it is. It was there that we settled to lockpick the compartments. To our luck we managed to find a first aid kit and a defibrillator unit. But to our surprise we managed to find a security box. I was about to pry it open but Richard pops out of nowhere to stopped me. "Open that and a paint bomb ruins the contents and your face. It's pretty loud to wake up the treants as well." He told me. I then let it go, only for Rebecca being thrilled to open the lower compartments. It was an AK-47 rifle with some rifle bullets and shotgun shells. "I never figured an AK would be so heavy." She said. "AKs have that kind of combination of not only being heavy but being durable as well." Richard added.
"Too bad I don't know how to use one. I barely know how to break apart my shotgun."
"Same...I'm only good with MK and single action."
"What's the difference? They're all guns." Tyrell asked.
"Not exactly… it doesn't really matter if you can shoot well with a gun. What matters is if you know how to use it and maintain it." Richard explains, "All parts are made differently and have different functions. An example is the different ways on how a gun is reloaded or is disassembled."
"So generally all guns are different and you have to know how it works before you use it?" Tyrell clarified.
"Yep. And you can't just put anything to fix your gun, some of these parts are really meant for specific guns." Rebecca pointed out.
"Then what if you make your own parts then?" Tyrell asked.
"Not if you want to risk blowing your hand off." Richard mentioned.
We decided to take that into mind. Instead we put it as one of the things we have to sell once we reached the capital. However we just kept the bullets and the shotgun shells. The shotgun that was used at the suicide was also to be sold. Rebecca was the only one with expertise on shotguns. Even if one of my past lives has a specialty in an array of firearms, one of them wasn't a shotgun. It was more of rifles and pistols. Besides, even if I was able to learn how to use a shotgun from Rebecca...I would have too much to carry in the first place. I already had my daisho, gun, throwing knives, hatchet, and bow. There simply was no space for me to carry the thing.
After salvaging whatever we can carry from the truck, we decided to move on. A bright red truck was bound to attract attention sometime. It was only another day later that we managed to reach the capital. My eyes were greeted with high stone walls with steel beams and gates. I guess there was a name for this. The gates looked like they were ran with electricity and steam. "Guys, welcome to Cletus." Richard announced to us. There was a long line to the checkpoint but eventually we managed to reach the entrance. The guards told us all to get out of the vehicle. We went out of the vehicles and temporarily surrendered our weapons. They then open up the truck to find all our goods and supplies. Richard then gives them a slim stone and an image of letters formed at the air that formed like a permit. Richard then gave a crystal necklace to the guards and it looked good. It shined an iron gray as it was near the guard's wand. They were given the go sign and gave us back all of our stuff. "So refugees huh? Never figured there would be still some till this day." The guard mumbled. A man different from the other guards came, he instead wore a thin metal chest plate and spaulders with a small cloaked hood. He raised a crystal ball up in the air and he read quickly through us. He then sees me. Looking through the crystal ball he looks perplexed. He places his hand over my head. "Looks like the old man, the girl, and the black guy are mortal. However the Asian looks as if he has high magic potential. Odd that I can't sense him." He told the other guards. "Rin is just a special case. Found out that he was able to use magic the first few times when he was out there." Richard told them.
They scratched their heads out of confusion. The guards looked to the hooded man to see what he can do. The hooded man raised his hand on my face. I can feel energy being sucked out of my body. But it was because of that he had a rationalization. "Funny, I don't sense any ill presence of him. The lad is above average though." Her told the guards. That answer alone was good enough to pass. "We're okay with the melee weapons and the bows but make sure to help them register their guns and help with their working visas before the day ends." One of the guards told Richard. "I'll see to it then." He replied. With that, the hooded man snapped his fingers, a seal was formed at our forearms. I guess that meant that we were able to go along. The door mechanically opens slowly with it signaling our new adventure.
As far as we went, Magna gave us a full detail of Cletus' geography. The city was divided into four circle layers. The outermost ring was composed of the farmlands called Tetra. The second outer region was composed of the middle lower class and markets called Trium. This was also where the slums were. The third happened to be composed of cities and the middle upper class. This is where both electricity is being produced and magic is being used to benefit known as 'Duo'. This is also where the middle upper class stay. Then at the very center is the judicial branch known as 'Unum'. There is where government and councils form to make rules and decide the fate of Laputa. Cletus on it's own is the capital of Laputa. Where me and my group were heading happened to be a Unum.
Once we reached the department of foreign affairs, each of us were told to put our hands on a crystal ball once we entered a room. We were told to go to separate rooms to take our test. The ball was on a statue of an angel with its eyes covered by a cloth. I laid my hand on the ball and it shined a bright white. A clear crystal necklace fell from the sky and fell inside the ball. My hand sinks inside. It has the consistency of water and a sudden voice told me to get the crystal. I reach inside it and got a grasp of it. The crystal turned to a clear cloudy white. As I took it out, my mark fades. The doors behind me opened and I waited for the rest to be done. Out came my three companions with black crystal necklaces.
Soon comes Richard with a drink at hand. He gave us some sandwiches after all was finished. "So what did you guys get?" He asked. "We got these black crystal necklaces. What does that mean?" Rebecca asked. "Those are working visas. They expire every five months so you'll need to renew them before they expire. You need them if you wish to stay here." Magna told them. Knowing that mine was different I figured that there might be something wrong. I instead hid it in my shirt. Sadly Richard notices it. "What you got there, Rin?" He asked. Richard took out my crystal without my permission. He then spits out all of his drink from his mouth out of shock. He started to cough and cleared his throat. Magna then takes a quick look at it. "By the gods, you managed to get citizenship." The orc confirmed. "Is that a problem?" I asked.
There the orc explains. Usually before an individual inquiries for a citizen of Cletus, they are to work at least a year in the capital. The capital itself after all is considered a country on its own. However it is said by law that people with the highest aptitudes in magic are instantly granted citizenship once they have been given approval. "To be honest, I thought that was just a myth." Richard said. "These are given blessing by the Powers and Principalities angels under Simon Peter. There is no way that this is a fluke." Magna confirmed.
"What are you guys talking about?" Rebecca asked.
"The test at the crystal ball is a test of goodwill and spirit. It's actually a form of spell to see if a person has proper judgement."Magna told her.
"Does that mean anybody with high aptitudes are able to go in here?" Mr. Williams asked.
"Not exactly." The orc disagreed.
The two of them showed them their own crystals. They're clear with a slight foggy gray. "The original law was those with good will and divine power are allowed to walk freely in Cletus." Magna explains, "Overtime the crystal becomes gray to allow you to live within the city but people with fresh Visas are only within Trium and Tetra. When it reaches our color then you would be allowed to go to Duo."
"So why did Rin's become this color?" Mr. Williams asked.
It made the orc scratch his head. I guess that mean he barely knew it. But then again there were eyes of doubt. "Maybe Rin is allied with a God that gave him a blessing of sort." Magna suggested. But I guess that meant Mr. Williams wander in thought as well. He looked at my crystal out of curiosity. "There isn't any identification on this. Can't this be stolen to head to the other parts as well?" He asked. "There's actually a good trick to that." Richard said. He then takes out a wand and taps it on my crystal. My crystal gives a brilliant glow that illuminates the whole hall. The brightness then fades and we were slightly blinded. "The crystals only shine at its users. When the crystal is lost, his blessing needs to be confirmed with the external affairs at the gate in order to get a new one." Magna then slaps the back of Richard's head. "By Valhalla! A little warning would be nice!" Magna exclaimed.
After that we were given a sum of money as courtesy of the Cletus government. The currency was even different from what we have. We were given a variation of coins called Shillings. According to the protocol, those with working visas will be given twenty copper pieces and ten silver. However those who are given citizenship will be given forty copper, forty silver, and a gold piece. A gold piece is equivalent of a hundred copper and a silver piece is the equivalent to ten coppers. One copper coin is equivalent to one Shilling. We also needed to take care of licenses for our guns. It was only one silver per gun but there was paperwork that came with it. Oddly enough the coins weren't made out of metal at all. They were made out of an alloy similar to plastic. The money wasn't enough but there was a currency exchange that swapped currency from Earth. A dollar was equivalent to a single copper. So in the end the wad of cash we found was at the apartment was put into good use. We had five hundred each with us so we were able to exchange it for fifty silver for each of us. It was after that we stayed at the circle of Trium to get some rest. We shared a room together to save up on fares later on. A room cost eight. For now, this was the beginning of our stay at Cletus.