Earth was originally a single land mass called Pangaea. It split into 7 over time. That changed when a mysterious pre-cursor event settled on the planet, assimilating its core. 7 split into 22 as the original 7 rose into the sky. Two were visible in the sky, while the other 5 were hidden above the clouds.
Rhombu was one of two land masses that split from Pangaea-Alpha before it rose from the ocean. It had hundreds of countries. Sikhail GodFiend was born in the Super-Capital New Hope, located in the country of New Hope.
The New Hope Super-Capital was a city comprised of 8 different districts. Each district had a distinct cultural flair encouraging the best in the industry to flock to it. The 8th and final district was a turbulent hot spot for political and business-minded folk. It was where the major trades and decisions were made.
The foundation of any city was the working-class families. They produced the goods that everyone else relied on. If they stopped working for even a day, the city would collapse the same night. The middle class provided all the services needed for quality of life, otherwise known as logistics and optimization. The upper class was responsible for allocating funds down the line, political interactions, and planning and execution of important decisions.
The upper class had its own tier of seniority based on status. The *Nouveau Rich* were at the bottom of that ladder. After them was the *Upper.Class*. The *Mega-Elite* were above them, trailing only behind the infamous *SuperGroups*.
The 8th district had miles of security procedures, checkpoints, and heavily monitored restrictions. The journey itself was spectacular. Wildlife habitation and oceanic waters dotted the landscape between every checkpoint. Deers, cats, dogs, raccoons, chipmunks, salmon, trout, whales, dolphins, and more could be seen no matter where you looked. It was a vibrant and self-sustaining ecosystem full of wonder and marvel.
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[Upper-Class Neighborhood, 5th District, New Hope Super Capital, New Hope Country, Rhombu]
Many young men were voicing complaints. They were displeased about April Sigfrey joining the military.
"Mister… I have to protest! Although the military protects us, it's not a suitable place for a glass sculpture."
"Brat… did you just refer to my daughter as a thing?" a man stared at the one who just spoke, killing intent in his eyes.
"My dear Aaron, it's not good to scare the young ones like that! Boy, quickly apologize," another man laughed.
"Father… I don't disagree with his sentiments."
"So you're saying women can't make their own choices?"
The young man did want to say something but realized how it would sound. However, not all of them were as reserved.
"Would you be willing to tell a Nouveau Rich that it's his responsibility to hand his daughter over to you, simply because you have some capabilities and lust towards her? Wouldn't you immediately lose your head?" the father of the reserved young man quickly got to the crux of the issue.
"It's just as you said, mister. If the world worked differently, we would certainly propose such questions. The strong devour the weak. What's wrong with being protective of your prospect?"
"Smooth words, boy… so your father is stronger than me now? You're saying she should obediently do what you say? Should I tell you your fate?"
The young man didn't respond, merely smiling.
"Alright enough, it's a personal family affair decided by those relevant to the matter. If you treat me as your father, I may listen to your complaints."
Many young men laughed, trying to air out the awkward tension. It was a tempting proposal but also a dumb one.
As the group dispersed into smaller social circles, a dejected young man approached the dining room. As his foot stepped across the threshold, he bumped into a sinister-looking young man. Upon seeing who it was, he tried to distance himself, but the sinister young man was like a slippery snake he could not shake off.
"Michael… aren't you unwilling? Your precious April is going to get ogled by big strong men. Isn't that a threat to you? Especially with how open she is about going to the military for experience? Glass sculpture… hahaha… just a bunch of idiots who haven't stepped out of the greenhouse," the sinister young man said.
"Thomas… you better stay away from me. I won't get riled up by you," Michael replied angrily.
"Telling the truth is being vile? Hahahah… amusing," Thomas said with a smirk.
"How would you understand what love is?" Michael retorted.
Thomas suddenly recalled a bitter memory. He grimaced but returned to his usual self.
"If you weren't so insincere about the superficiality, maybe I would be more convinced," Thomas said with a big smile.
"You!!" Michael said, flustered.
"Can you even name a thing about her that you like beyond her appearance?" Thomas asked teasingly.
Michael's face flushed redder and redder, but he didn't open his mouth.
"I didn't know appearance determined compatibility or chemistry. You must be one helluva magician," Thomas said while smiling.
Footsteps from the living room forced Thomas to retreat while Michael snorted.
"Oh, it's Thomas? Are you trying to sow seeds of carnage? Who cares if we only like April for her genes. Aren't the Nouveau Rich like that? What's wrong with practicing?"
"Gene…" Thomas said with trepidation.
"Oh, what do you want?" Gene said with a smile.
"Why the obsession with a single girl. You have a sea's worth of fish chasing after you," Thomas said, unsure of what else to say.
Gene gave him chills. He always said one thing but actually meant something viler.
"It's not satisfying if you don't work for it. If Melvin had a better name and was more defiant, maybe I'd chase after her instead," Gene said, cocking as head as though he was looking at an idiot.
Even his friends were dumbfounded by his words.
"So you're going to force her back to the University?" Thomas asked.
"Force? The military is comparable to several SuperGroups, and their leaders are equivalent to the World Government. Do I have a death wish? I never knew that," Gene replied tacitly. "Besides, I'm more curious about why she accepted the proposal. Does she find the Cadet attractive?"
"Don't use that word…." Michael said, upset.
Gene rapped on Michael's head with his knuckles.
"Are you that weak and threatened that someone could be more appealing than you? No wonder there's no one chasing you," Gene said in a ridiculing tone.
"Do I need anyone else?" Michael refuted.
"What if a Superclass eyes her?" Gene roared with laughter before leaving.
Michael had an incredibly one-dimensional track of mind. It wasn't his fault that he was lacking, but there was blame for lacking the intent to improve himself. He had no plans if April didn't feel the same way. That was Gene's opinion of him. He despised him, but their families had no choice but to maintain a facade.
"Eclaire, what are your thoughts?" Thomas asked another young man.
"The heart… the heart often wants to protect what it's attracted to. We can only wait and see," Eclaire said.
"Then what was with that performance?" Thomas asked.
"Isn't it obvious? We can't look weak in front of our old man," Eclaire answered.
"If nothing else, I'll respect you for that," Thomas replied.
The duo left, leaving Michael alone, his heart in turmoil.
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[Military Zone 5, Military Sector 25]
Many Cadets could be seen wavering. It had only been 30 minutes, but Cadet Sikhail GodFiend had already finished. There was even a porcelain doll that had appeared out of nowhere.
Not paying any attention to them, he approached the lead instructor.
"Sir, where should I stand?" Sikhail asked.
"Formation is fine," the lead instructor said with twitching eyebrows.
Sikhail nodded as he stood at rest. The Cadets were further deflated by his carefree expression. It didn't even seem like he had run at all.
The lead instructor looked questioningly at the porcelain doll.
"You are?"
"I'm April! I was requested to become his personal trainer," April said with a smile.
"Personal trainer? For who? Do you even have capabilities?"
"If you don't believe me, we can always spar!" April said with a smile.
"Oh? What are you good at?"
"I'm a 5* black belt-free stylist!" April said quite proudly.
"Free stylist? Is that even a style? Hold on, what's 5 s-"
"Hehe," April chuckled as an arm suddenly snaked toward the lead instructor.
The soldier narrowed his eyes as he jumped back, avoiding it. April broke into a sprint, arriving next to him instantly. She threw another snake. He dodged it again, only to see a flash and another snake from behind. He smiled, dodging into her dead angle as he punched her. Suddenly, he had a bad premonition.
Since he was being carried by momentum, he couldn't easily dodge. Despite the vast space in front of his opponent, he didn't want to commit to anything without more information. He performed a complicated maneuver, putting pressure on his legs and waist as he avoided a side chop.
"Oh. Not bad, not bad," April said with a smile. "Compared to Cadet Sikhail, you're way worse!" April said with a smirk.
Was he worse than a Cadet? Did he hear wrong?
The lead instructor stared at Sikhail strangely, wanting him to refute her. Sikhail only shrugged like it was not really that big of an issue.
"Did you see that? That's just the basics of what I'm going to teach you, and even though your instructor didn't fall for the trick, it was amateurish. A real expert would've taken any opportunity and dealt with the shenanigans. I complimented him, but a real expert makes you nervous. A master makes you shake with fear. Do you see how much you'll gain by training with me?" April pointed out various character flaws of her opponent, much to his frustration. "What's the next test by the way?"
"Obstacle course to test reaction and awareness," the lead instructor took a deep breath before saying.