Arriving back from the training, Thomas could feel the smell of fried rice coming from the kitchen. Thomas had forgotten today's was his mom's day off as he had left to the Institute early in the morning.
"Son, the food is almost ready. Go wash yourself and then come down here."
"Okay!" Thomas went into his room and grab a set of clean clothes before heading to the bathroom. Feeling the water falling on his head, Thomas was in deep thought. In the last few weeks he searched the web a lot , and while there were indeed cases when somebody suddenly got powerful overnight, none of them were quite like him.
He even read some stories or watched movies using similar theme hoping it would help. Now the greatest mystery to him was the mind behind such thing. With the memories and powers he experienced in first hand, the Deity Index System is certainly not made by human hands, otherwise the entire universe would be conquered if they had that powerful of a capability and they won't have lost billions of lives over the past 40 years.
"System, who is your creator?"
[This Information Is classified. User must reach System Access of ? Rank or higher before having the permission to access this information.]
"I thought so." Thomas grumbles before continuing to wash himself.
When he finished changing clothes, Thomas opened the door and entered the living room.
In the living room, his mom turned heir head. Despite having been informed by Katherine herself of Thomas' her training her her, his mom was really concerned as she wasn't given much information. Even now she didn't understand how her child who was about to be kicked out of the institute would receive private lessons of a Adept for five weeks.
Jade Ries even stood up and walked towards the kitchen: "Tom, wait here I will bring the plates."
In dinner table, Thomas and his mom chatted while enjoying the food.
"Mom." Thomas smiled a little. "Tomorrow is the Adept Association's selection. I will be participating since I have long since obtained Anima Energy. Still even if I don't pass, I should tell you your son has become an Adept."
"What? Are you serious?" His mom who was know to be a respectful and serious woman nearly fell off her chair when she heard it from him.
What does an Adept represent? It represents the most powerful group of humanity and one of the most lucrative line of work. it represents special privileges and rights!
It's a profession unlike any other!
Nowadays, Adepts are those at the top of the social hierarchy. Even for a police officer like her, a profession that has become nearly extinct due to the criminal activity of certain Adepts.
Just by having an Adept in the family could bring along many benefits. It is much better than becoming following the standard path of education.
"Of course, didn't I promised before. I will certainly become an adept and find out where dad and my older sibling are." When he said that, tears formed under his mom's eyes. Seeing these emotions, Thomas felt his blood boiling he rose his hand and blue strings of light extended from his fingertips forming a dozen lines in the air.
....
The day after that, 7:00 AM, the sky was bright and flying cars could be seen everywhere.
Thomas has just left home and took the bus headed towards the Association.
"There's barely anyone here this time" When Thomas entered the building and found that the entire there were just 80 people waiting by the reception, most were men and women in their early twenties, among them Thomas felt eight familiar figures standing on the far left.
The eight wore the uniform of some prestigious Adept Academy, but Thomas could still recognize their eyes. Those eight were the same ones that attacked him one month and a half away, and right now all of them seemed to follow a young man in fancy clothes. It was his old "friend" Luccas Kyle. Who else could it be? Thomas wasn't surprised and just stood in the line, all the procedures to register in the selection has been done by Katherine, so there little need to register himself.
The first two stages were done separately, the name of the participant would be called and he shall head to one of the three rooms on the left. If they passed, a bald man with a orange mustache would bring them to the higher floors while the losers would be bringed by the security while screaming for another chance.
[VROOOOM] A low sound carried over as Thomas saw a huge shadow landing in center of the building where there was no ceiling.
"Hm?"
Thomas and all participants in the exam unknowingly turned their heads and saw an elegant, white car with a pair of retractable wings.
Thomas didn't know much about cars, yet he looked carefully and couldn't help but to take in a breath. "The Firebrand latest flying car? And it's even the newest and most expensive one with the kinetic shield, and the ability to perform short-distances interstellar travel?"
While he didn't know much, he heard from his mother how much his older brother loved cars and he would look at the news once in a time. Thus, he heard this new type of car.
"Wow, look at that car!"
"I know that one. It is the one equipped for interstellar travel." Within the association, all the young men and women were all lured by the scene of such car landing in the middle of the association building
The door opened and a middle-aged man wearing a red custom suit walked out. His eyes his randomly scanned the surroundings. He looked right past the other participants in the selection, but paused slightly on Thomas for a few minutes longer. However, without saying anything, he went to elevator and left.
As they waited for their time, Thomas was staring at the quest window that pooped up in the air without any warnings. His eyes which were confused, later lit up with the flames of determination.
[Path To The Top (Obrigatory Quest) Difficulty: High
Quest Giver: Ares, the Wargod.
Description: As the sole user of the Deity Index System, the system demands the user to prove himself as the inheritor chosen by the System. One of the gods didn't find the user worthy of the system's true power and demands a proof of your worth which the other gods agreed. Thus creating this special quest for the user.
Objective: Achieve first position in the Association Selection.
Optional Objective: Kill the foolish mortals that dare threaten you.
Reward: 20 of affinity, 200.000 store credits, the Spear of Ares (Sealed Soul Weapon) the Divine Spartan Armor and System Access upgrade to rank E.
In case of failure the User shall be stripped of the status of System User]