[Military Zone 5, Military Sector 25]
Sikhail GodFiend was catching up with his bunkmates. He asked them about their progress. They asked about his. He changed the flow without them noticing.
They got creative. Tried to catch him off guard. It was clever. They made some inferences based on that.
He seemed like a true and blue Private! Compared to them, at least. Superior in many aspects. Keen senses, extremely deep ears, the strength of a semi, the speed of a hummingbird flapping its wings, the endurance and patience of a bear hibernating through the winter.
They got the shivers when thinking about teasing him. He didn't seem like the type to hold a grudge, but what if he did it secretly? What if he did it under the guise of discipline? No one would be able to vent for them.
He stayed shirtless.
That didn't change.
He didn't change completely.
Just in a lot of places.
That didn't stop them from chatting about random things, having lunch, or observing their seniors.
It didn't stop them from remembering that they were still teens, kids only a few months ago. They all planned to attend a prestigious University if they were still alive by the end. The only thing that shocked them was Sikhail casually mentioning the Golden Age Academies.
"You… you do know what those are, right?"
"Even the top students in high school don't automatically qualify for those."
"Even if you're in the top 10 in a prestigious University, you still have less than a .10% chance of getting into them."
"That's not right. Even the top student in a prestigious University isn't guaranteed admission."
"Where are you getting that information? Mines comes straight from the website."
"My father's friend is an alumnus."
"….."
There was a collective *F**K*.
"What are the admissions requirement anyways?"
"My father's friend said they look for specific unspoken characteristics. No one knows what they are. All of this is on top of having good academic scores."
"Good? Not excellent?"
"They can teach you some things, not others. Others would be ingrained in you when you were a child."
(Silence)
"There's not just one set of characteristics. There are boxers, book nerds, scientists, athletes, and video gamers in their student rosters."
???
"All of them are exceptional, without any doubt."
"Bro. Are you even talking about Golden Age Academies?"
"Do you know Marcus Trefente?"
"You're telling me that genius e-sports god went to a Golden Age Academy?"
"F**k me. I just looked it up. His name is buried all the way in there."
F**K
"His deciding factor for admissions, with 10% weight, included a 250 major, minor, and side tournament win streak. He dropped a round to some well-known heavyweights but cruised to Grand Finals on the winner's side in all of them. The part that made him stand out was that despite being downloaded by so many top-tier players, every carefully crafted counter-play was crushed within seconds."
"So his fundamentals were untouchable despite being so well-studied?"
The others turned to the person who just spoke. It was Sikhail.
"It sounds like he outplayed everyone," Sikhail said out loud.
"It does seem like that."
"When your weakness and your habits have all been seen and studied, but all counter-plays still get crushed, that speaks volumes about his mental strength," Sikhail commented.
"What's the connection, though?"
"Perhaps, they're not looking for the best, but the highest consistency in the face of adverse odds," Sikhail shared some of his thoughts.
"You mean. Formidable rather than strong?"
"If those stats were right," Sikhail commented.
"Sigh… I don't have any hopes for that. Just going to University is enough for me."
"What do you plan on studying?"
"Aerospace engineering!"
"Outer space?"
"Yeah. What about you?"
"Theoretical physics"
"I want to pursue music, actually. Become an e-musician."
"You mean to let the crowd determine your success?"
"I suppose."
"What about you, Sikhail? IF you somehow get into a Golden Age Academy, plans?"
Sikhail only smiled, not answering.
"This guy."
"Forget it. If he's undecided, then he's undecided. If he doesn't want to tell, we shouldn't insist."
"You're so reasonable."
*Ring Ring Ring*
*Ring Ring Ring*
"One second"
\\Hey, what's up. I'm here with my friends\\
\\Of course you're my friend too\\
\\ We're talking about University and Golden Age Academies\\
\\ Don't get me started. My bunk mate is a freak\\
\\What???\\
\\ I'll let them know\\
\\You better take care of me in the future\\
\\Alright. Bye\\
*Beeeeeep*
"What happened?"
"My friend is in high consideration for negotiations with a Golden Age Academy Representative. The military reached out last month and got a response back a few days ago."
"What's so special about him?"
"He's extraordinarily gifted with numbers. He's basically a supercomputer. He's also a highly talented card magician. Invents a new trick every other month and innovates on his existing tricks every week."
"Why the hell is someone like that in the military?"
"When did I say he was in the military?"
"Oh… hehe"
"He's a senior in a city-state."
"Damn. Introduce us to him."
"Did he use his card tricks to develop a shorthand calculation system? It seems like he found a clever trick and is always innovating," Sikhail asked with a pause.
"I'm not even going to ask how you did that. I can see why you're thinking about Golden Age Academies."
"You misunderstood. I don't think I'm so good that I'm only settling my eyes on that," Sikhail shook his head.
"Then why?"
"I'm interested in knowing more about the Golden Era, the events that gave rise to Warriors, Magicians, and Rogues," Sikhail replied.
"I didn't think of it like that.'
"Don't we know that already? A hidden world. The battle-suit links us to that"
"Where does all of this originate from, inside that world? Is the entire world the source? Don't people live in there?" Sikhail pondered.
"That's… that's a very interesting question. I'm happy living here, though. If you do find it, tell us about your experience."
"When do you think a representative will contact you?"
(Beep)
(Beep)
"Oh, Major Tommy Hsuzel is calling for me. I'll see you all later," Sikhail bid goodbye.
The bunkers were located in a tiny corner of the base. His specific bunker was somewhere near the front. The moment he stepped out, he stretched his neck and rubbed it. Then he looked at his interface.
He just realized there was an extra prefix *private* in front of the conference room he was told to go to, and he also knew instructions were vague. He pulled out the map. No direction of any kind.
He had to find a room he didn't know about without any reference. Was this part of the test? He stopped in front of a mirror just outside the entrance. He was wearing something a little more formal. A black, iron-pressed tie with a shirt neatly tucked into a pair of dress slacks. He adjusted the tie a little and then proceeded after he was satisfied.
He rounded the corner and headed towards the public meeting areas. There was a slight gust but nothing that would wrinkle his shirt. People were making deliveries, signing off on goods, and organizing supplies.
Their eyes probed him, but that was normal because he had the same habit. He detoured, going off on a tangent toward the private meeting rooms. He looked around. A smaller, inconspicuous set of outdoor rooms was between the designated public and private buildings. Some signs said *one-way window*, presumably from the inside out.
Thick one-way glass. Normally, these were used for double packing. Another building inside a building. It was just a pointless waste of glass, essentially. It stood out and made it hard to miss if that was the intent. There was also insulation that he recognized as part of sound-proofed structures. It was sticking out, just barely.
He walked forward and saw that there was a security panel. Similar to private conference rooms. An outdoor building with security. Almost like it was meant to be used for tests. He circled the building. The side and back were consistent. He scanned his hand, opened the door, and went through it.
A strong wooden aftershave hit him straight on. The building was definitely new. Polished recently. No receptionist. Every major building had a receptionist, no matter how trivial the services were. There was only a desk with papers on it.
His name and basic stats. His time at the *Calming Serenity* dojo. A woman, mid 20's, detailed information. Her name was Brenda. The Forefather, the Founder of Rhombu, had set up multiple Golden Age Academies. The 'Golden 3 Paths' was the one he personally oversaw. The rest were delegated to his subordinates.
Brenda was a top instructor in reconnaissance, counter-surveillance, infiltration, and sabotage, not just a recruiter.
There were other 'negotiation' offers. The info on them was sparse. The worst one barely had anything.
"Major Hsuzel told us some extra things that we otherwise wouldn't be able to know on our own. The Founder wants to extend an olive branch to an Omega Alpha," Brenda revealed.
"That's not the limit," Major Hsuzel had stepped in at an unknown time.
"Hmm. You don't seem to be surprised?" Brenda asked after a quick pause, not seeing what she was looking for.
"The step you took just now. It was less than half the weight of your initial step when you first walked in. Someone stepped in behind you," Sikhail explained.
"I'm surprised you paid attention to such a detail," Brenda exclaimed, impressed.
"This entire test was designed to stimulate the mind. You were most likely trying to figure out at what point I'd notice that fact," Sikhail commented.
"How well do you think you did?" Brenda asked.
"How many people do you think are within this vicinity?" Sikhail asked.
"Plenty? A weird question," Brenda cocked her eyebrow, writing down some notes.
"Related to us," Sikhail clarified.
"Us? You mean Hsuzel, me, and you?" Brenda asked.
"Lean on the door, close your eyes, and open your senses. If you want to know," Sikhail explained but did not clarify.
Drive by intense curiosity, Brenda did exactly that. Then Hsuzel. His eyes widened, immediately realizing what he meant.
"Unbelievable. I recognize that presence. It was hugging us at a hundred feet exactly the entire time. I didn't think much of it. Too coincidental. Hsuzel, do you know anything about this?"
"I had a friend do a special favor for me. His methods are mysterious. I didn't expect Cadet Sikhail GodFiend to be able to sense him. I didn't even know when he'd do his thing. I only told him the general location. He's not shy, but he doesn't like meeting strangers face to face," Major Hsuzel responded awkwardly.
"You actually pay so much attention to everything? That's not necessarily good," Brenda warned.
"I don't really notice many things unless it's too coincidental. Having some spatial awareness is helpful. I wouldn't have noticed him if my range was any lesser," Sikhail explained. "Also, what's an Omega Alpha?"
"I'm glad you asked. If you were just an Omega Alpha, we have at least 15 of them. I won't say more than that. They're legendary but not impossible to find. It's your potential for nobility that moved the Founder's heart. The Founder and I analyzed the footage Hsuzel sent personally and came to that conclusion," Brenda nodded before explaining.
"You haven't explained what an Omega Alpha is," Sikhail reminded.
"And we won't, not that directly, at least. Name any conditions you have, no matter how outrageous they seem to you. We'll satisfy them to the extent of our abilities as long as we have those capabilities. Just so you know, typically, there are many variables, discussions, and restrictions for entry. They're also Academy branches, rather than the original one. They don't need students because they weren't established for profit. In fact, they're expected to be an investment with huge loss," Brenda explained.
(A long pause)
"The Founder is essentially giving you a blank slate," Brenda took a deep breath before dropping the final bomb. "The other 15 founders have requested that I tell you that they are similarly reaching out with an Olive Branch."
(A much longer pause)
"You actually don't have to decide between them. I just like the suspense. You can freely go between them as you wish. That's the incredible privilege afforded to nobility, a joint decision made by the Founders," Brenda reached out a hand as she finished explaining.
"How many requests can I make? And what's your relationship to the Founder of New Hope Continent?" Sikhail revealed his first request.