The desert sun bloomed over the yellow horizon. Its bright and blue lights shone beautifully on the scenery, yet hundreds of people were sitting in a straight line with their backs turned to its grandeur. They were looking at the colossal Gate of Liberty because the exam to qualify passage through its towering walls would begin shortly.
However, the thought of the exam had skipped Fang Fang's mind. At the large campsite designated for teenage candidates, he lay in one of the beds arranged at equal distances.
All the beds were empty and open except for one, its dome shaped cover shut. Inside, Fang Fang was buried under a mound of blankets. His eyes shut tight as if he was making an extra effort to stay asleep, but the increasing desert heat caused beads of sweat to tickle across his body.
As a reward for the long night of cultivation, despite the annoying rising temperature, he wanted to sleep more. Partly because he failed getting past the Qi Acceptance stage, he kept snoozing the possibilities that the day would offer.
Ultimately, the sensation of knocks reverberating through the bed disrupted his sleep, creating a crack between his eyelids and adding weight to his heavy heart.
He rubbed his eyes while feeling around the bed for a switch. The dome shaped canvas cover of the bed unlocked with a click.
Blinding light burst into his eyes as he swiped the canvas. After his eyes adjusted to the luminous haze, a man appeared in the view. The cap atop the head of this man, who appeared to be in late 20s, bore a single white star.
"Good morning, sir. I am here to collect the blankets," said the man named Henry. His face was marked with a few wrinkles and he spoke with a smile that didn't reveal his teeth. However, as his lips parted, it became apparent that his two front teeth stood out, larger and straighter than the uneven rows of whites.
This bed was the last, and once he collected the remaining blankets and other washable clothes, his shift would end.
"And I have to remind you that the Harmony Aptitude Evaluation for today is about to start." Henry added.
"Harmony Aptitude Evaluation?" Fang Fang questioned.
"Yes, it's the primary test for teenagers looking to enter the city Second Harmony. If you are late, then you will have to wait for another day."
"Oh." Fang Fang looked around, noticing that the beds around him were empty. The teenagers he saw last night had all vanished.
'No one told me there was a time limit.' Fang Fang felt pressure rush to his head. 'Marquis and Daniel could've gone last night, but they waited for me, I cannot let them down, I have to appear in the exam.'
In his previous life, Fang Fang had once climbed a mountain to take part in a Sect Entrance Exam. The sun, half set, was waving goodbye to the orange sky by the time he completed the arduous hike. Yet, he was right on time as the Sect elder who was the examiner had just woken up from a late night cultivation session.
"What's wrong with this new world I've just transmigrated into?" Fang Fang pondered, gazing up at the sky. The sun had just risen above the horizon, yet the exam was scheduled to begin shortly.
He tossed the blanket aside with one arm and sprang out of bed. However, in his haste, his left leg became entangled with the sheets, causing him to collide with the guard named Henry.
A small diary fell from Henry's uniform because of the collision.
Fang Fang picked up the diary. He dusted it and handed it over to Henry. Unaware of the events that would unfold on that day, he strode confidently toward the Gate of Liberty to take the exam.
Henry smiled as he watched Fang Fang move farther and farther. Then he turned around and climbed on the bed and closed its semicircular cover. In his hands, he held an open diary, its pages rough and thin. As he wrote, the pen's tip made crisp lines on the paper with every stroke - 'The suspect just overslept, he will arrive at the venue in a few minutes.'
After writing the message, Henry swiftly rolled the paper and placed the slender tube between his lips. In an instant, a vibrant green flame ignited at the tip of the paper, and a thin steam of smoke tickled out.
Then he took a quick deep breath with an upward jerk of his head. In an instant, the paper evenly burnt from its head and vanished from his lips.
As he exhaled, a stream of smoke billowed out from his mouth and nose. A funny expression appeared on his face as he smiled at the canvas wall. Usually, he carried on with his work in a quirkish attitude but today he decided to take a short nap.
.
.
In the dim corner of a large hall on the ground floor of Gate of Liberty's left tower, stood a short girl named Hellene, her expressions sharp, eyes narrow and lips straight.
Second Harmony's red livery covered her body, gripping tightly around her thin waist and petite figure. Second Harmony's red livery covered her body, gripping tightly around her thin waist and petite figure.
Her straight body posture exuded discipline but suddenly, a tingling sensation coursed through her skin and a hint of restlessness tainted her face.
"I have a message," Hellene said to a tall girl standing a few steps ahead of her.
On receiving a nod, Hellene's hand shivered slightly and moved to touch her small coat pocket, where she kept a diary.
She tore a blank page out of the diary and rolled it. Her expression returned to that of calmness as the paper pressed between her lips. A green spark ignited and the piece of paper vanished as soon as she inhaled deeply. Her eyes rolled once and on regaining focus, a string of smoky words appeared in her vision.
"The suspect just overslept, he will arrive at the venue in a few minutes," Hellene read the words out loud.
Wen Chyou, who stood nearby, looked back towards Hellene then followed the dazed girl's gaze but all she saw was the high ceiling of the hall.
The diary was an expandable communication Embernit. On use, it would send the receiver to a higher plane where they could see the message written by the sender.
"Alright, you can leave now." Wen Chyou ordered. Her eyes scanned over the heads of the people crowding the hall, fixating on the tall entrance door.
. . .
The marble floor of the grand hall reflected 94 teenagers as if they were standing on a white lake. Mixed among these immigrants were men in red, the guards.
Watch Commander, Ben Austin, was among them. His shift had ended, but upon receiving word that Wen Chyou would be supervising today's exam, he decided to stay.
He stole a quick glance at Wen Chyou without turning his head. From his position at the right corner of the hall, he could see the long legs wrapped in butterfly stockings, and Hellene's departure.
Who was this Hellene girl he had never seen before? A small part of his mind raised caution flags. Should he approach or not?
His eyes scanned Wen Chyou, moving from legs and up. She often made him wonder why there weren't such pretty girls when he was younger. Never had he successfully made eye contact with her, meaning he was never caught, but today, suddenly, Wen Chyou looked at his direction.
Their eyes met for a second before Ben's heart jumped, and he looked away.
Something seemed wrong but ignoring the minuscule anti-simp part of his mind, he lowered his head and decided to head towards her anyway.
. . .
Soon, restlessness spread in the hall like a contagious disease. It all started with one guy's comment to his friend about Fang Fang's arrival at the door, "Do you think they were waiting for him?"
A few guards also looked at each other in confusion until a loud male voice drowned any other noise in the vicinity.
"Attention everyone! The Harmony Aptitude Evaluation will now begin."
Fang Fang felt relief on hearing the announcement but continued panting as he had run all the way to here, it turned out that the Gate of Liberty was farther than it looked from his bed.
He blended among the beast-human teenagers to appear less conspicuous and was largely successful, as everyone began to pay less attention to him and grew more nervous about the upcoming exam.
Suddenly, he felt a large hand on his back and turned in fright to find Wichai Lee's broad face. The teenager he was looking for last night had reappeared.
"Hey grandpa. You succeed in breathing technique?" Wichai Lee teased.