Onyx Sector, Overseer Military Camp.
The military camp was a vast expanse of land located on a separate isle that connected to the city via a metal bridge. The island boasted towering structures that had an imposing architecture, inciting reverence and fear in the hearts of those who glimpsed it from afar.
There were large walls that had a robust breadth around the entire island, concealing the activities from the outside world. Mounted on the walls were large cannons that gleamed with a bright blue colour, ready to fire at intruders.
Within the walls, more than a hundred teenagers lined up in an orderly fashion in front of a grand building. There was a raised platform in front of them, on which a few Overseers stood in their enticing uniforms.
Soon, a figure walked out of the building that was in the shape of a large dome, quite reminiscent of a Ladybug's elytra– only appearing more mechanical.
The figure was garbed in a brown trench coat that extended past his knees. He had a dark brown hat on his head, and his entire appearance appeared out of this era.
The figure was none other than Marshall Mathew Bates. With a smile and hands tucked into the pocket of his coat, he stood before the numerous faces and remained silent for a long time.
The vast area went eerily quiet, almost as if each person was holding their breath.
After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice echoing far and wide, "You being here means you understand the pros and cons of applying for this division, so I won't emphasise the danger any further. What I will mention is the fact that only a select few of you will remain after four months, when it is time to choose those who will belong to this new division..."
Mathew paused, half-turned and pointed to the huge Emblem that stuck fast to the top of the dome. The Emblem contained a metallic etching of a Gunslinger mounted on a rearing horse, and holding a pulsing handgun.
"The Wild Hunt." Marshall Mathew Bates said with a gait of confidence. He discreetly smiled, knowing he had very much posed for that insignia.
How cool!
Then, he turned his attention back to the teenagers and cleared his throat.
"During these four months, you will go through hellish training, with the aim of getting your body and mind strong enough to assimilate the power orbs. You will be split into five squads, and these Overseer officers behind me will be the captains of each squad. They shall relay your daily routine to you once you get to your various bunkers."
He paused for a while, letting his words sink in. Afterwards, he continued, "Remember, regardless of whether you make it into The Wild Hunt or not, for these four months, you shall receive a salary which will be delivered to your families after every month."
This was precisely the reason a lot of them were present. During the recruitment invite, the Generals had included a lot of terms, one of which was the generous salary. As such, more than 70% of those present were from the Lower Ring.
Unlike the Middle and Upper Rings that accommodated the wealthy, the Lower Ring was a place for those who could only maintain a very low standard of living. It was quite similar to Old Earth's slums.
Inside the dome-like building, Adam sat in a certain room with four other youths, with one being a female. His eyes fell low, simply staring at the marble floor. His ears picked up on Marshall Mathew's voice from outside, but he didn't really care about the payment.
After all, his parents left quite a lot of wealth for him. Matter of fact, they could have maintained a life in the Upper Ring if they wanted to.
Adam's eyes appeared quite lost. After an unknown amount of time, he raised his gaze and noticed that the others present were looking at him.
One was a young lad appearing to be a little over twenty. His eyes were of a bright red colour, like the crimson burn of the sun. He had a fierce gaze and a confident demeanour.
Adam looked at him for a brief moment, then shifted his gaze to another; a teenager with curly hair. His stare was calm, compared to the other, and he had a soft-brown skin colour.
The third male appeared to be the eldest present. With Sea-blue eyes and glossy hair, he had a broad forehead and a rather thin face. His jaw was sharp, and there was this unique beauty to him.
Slowly, Adam tilted his head to look at the girl. He wasn't doing this to irk them, he was simply staring. He wasn't even sure if what he was seeing registered in his brain, as his thoughts were far gone.
"Such lifeless eyes…" The girl suddenly said, pity evident in her tone.
Hm? Me? Adam finally snapped out of his thoughts and seriously looked at her.
Her monolid eyes were of the common brown colour, her skin was milky white and she had thin, rosy-red lips.
Asian… Adam muttered inwardly. He asked, "Were you talking to me?"
The girl nodded. She rose from her chair suddenly and walked over to him. She then crouched and peered into his eyes like a kid staring at an item that amused them.
"Pale?" She muttered, wondering if she had ever seen such a colour.
Oh.. Adam suddenly realised. Probably due to the fact that he rarely left the house or interacted with people, he forgot that he had very peculiar eyes. It was a gene that had been passed on from his dad's side of the family tree.
Was that why they were all looking at him? He exhaled and was about to speak when Marshall Mathew Bates walked in. The man had finished addressing the various applicants, the rest would be up to their various squad captains.
The man had a smile on his face as he said, "I see you're getting along quite well. Anyhoo, let's get on with the introductions. As you all know, I am Mathew Bates, a Marshall of the Overseer force. While the other Overseer officers will be in charge of training the others, I will be your personal guide."
"State your names and age." He said then leaned on the wall.
The eldest of them rose and introduced, "Arthur Azrael. Age 24."
The Asian girl rose from her crouching position and said in a cheerful tone, "Arden Jhumpa. Age 19."
Next was the lad with fiery eyes. He remained seated as he said, "Aaron Blackwell. Age 21."
"Victor Bolakale. Age 20." The boy with a soft-brown skin said with a slight bow of his head.
Then, they all turned to look at Adam, including the Marshall, who had a soft smile playing on his lips.
Adam exhaled and rose. After a few seconds, he said, "Adam White. Age 19."
These were the five specially handpicked by the Generals and Marshall Mathew Bates.