August jogged out of the southern expansion district and headed east towards the military bases.
In the new world, most cities had their own small military forces, mainly to repel invading beasts. Though sometimes these military teams would act as a police force, enforcing the laws of whatever territory they were placed in.
The law was a tricky thing in the new world, where people had abilities that were capable of rivaling military forces all on their own. A military unit would have to be comprised of above average and specially selected members that would be capable of restraining these people in the event of a disaster.
Of course, the level of strength they possessed would fluctuate wildly depending on where you were. When the average population was more powerful, then the people employed to keep them in check would have to be as well.
There was also the issues that arose with the change of the new world, murder was considered morally wrong, but unavoidable in most conflicts. Thankfully for everyone, the threat of other people possessing powerful skills tended to dwarf any malice that one would possess, so while violent altercations typically ended in death, such conflicts were rare occurrences.
'Now that I think about it, does the city even have a courthouse?" August wondered.
There was no need for trial, as most crimes could easily be solved using a variety of skill types. This meant that getting away with a crime had become near impossible, well, if there was no corruption at play.
According to Sasha, people took less than kindly to more than a few political figures that had survived the crossing. This disdain had erupted in a massive murder spree, where many politicians and hated figures lost their lives. The massacre had even spread to the families and friends of those influential figures.
August couldn't help but pity them, not all of them had surely been bad people, and regardless of if they were, their families weren't. August did not have to imagine losing a family or having it torn apart, so he empathized with the struggles of those who remained.
As a vast hill came into view, August pushed his thoughts aside and sped up from a casual jog into a full on sprint.
His body had grown considerably stronger and more enduring since he first woke up in the new world, but he still was not capable of running at superhuman speeds. This problem was not one that most others shared, which made August more than a bit jealous at times.
On the bright side, his stamina could easily match the peak of human athletes back on earth, and his skill was quite useful.
August had learned quite early on that finding work in the city of Adamas was almost too easy. There was always a new initiative, project, or business attempting to take off in some way.
Wages were also required to be capable of sustaining one's long term lifestyle in the new world, it was one of the first laws implemented by the newly reconstructed governments, This of course did not sit well with many people, who simply believed inequality was the fault of a lack of hard work.
Though for the first time in history, every human being was on an equal playing field, and nobody had pockets deep enough to drown out the majority. The voice of the people was the one that prevailed.
The effects of many new laws were seen almost immediately. Though progress was still in its infancy, August had yet to see a homeless man, woman or child, and most people seemed to be content with their current way of life.
Humanity was changing for the better, and the effects showed. Houses were constructed in such a way that roads could easily be constructed or moved, governing bodies refused the search for most precious but useless gems, which served to make them much more valuable than they already were.
Oil and fossil fuels were still used, but people also used more solar and hydropower. There were also already many research initiatives underway to find alternative clean energy sources in the new world. The leading product being stones or gems that could be charged with aura.
August walked over the slightly steeper slope, a towering structure began to come into view as he arrived at the top.
The plains of asphodel– the place where Adamas was located, were odd in both structure and nature. The ground was generally level for miles, but dramatically changed in altitude occasionally, resembling something of an evaporated seabed.
'I can just hear the geologists wailing and whining about not being able to study this place yet.' August chuckled to himself.
It was on the highest altitude of the city of Adamas where the most important buildings and structures were located, chief among them being the house of Parliament and the military base of operations.
Of course these were not the only buildings that resided here, but they did take up a large amount of the available space in the small plateau.
Most of the buildings here were tall, whitewashed limestone brick, adorned with various splashes of colors and different architectural designs. Some of these designs ranged from traditional European buildings to sprawling Asian structures that painted the visible world with mixes of culture from around the old earth.
The structure August came to visit however, was much more cold and uninviting.
A circular wall of grey brick that extended for nearly two miles along the far edge of the plateau, divided into even quadrants by a road that led straight down to the heart of the city and four enormous square gates that always seemed to be wide open.
Though remiscent of an old European castle, the building possed many touches of modern ingenuity, even looking on from the outside. The gates themselves were held open by a series of tightly secured automatic pulleys, which would swing them violently closed if ever released.
The top of the wall extended into ramparts that from what he could see, August assumed four fully grown adults could stand shoulder to shoulder and still walk comfortably. Sleek cannons were strategically placed along it, though they were canons, each functioned more as an electromagnetic railgun, capable of firing multiple different shell types that could cause widespread devastation.
'Dear God, just what has power allowed us to do?' August thought as he envisioned what would happen in one of those were to fire at him.
Guards stood at select positions around the ramparts and entrances to the fortress, always in pairs. Though there was so little need for them that August only counted twelve or so on active duty.
The truth was simple, people were not fighting each other. Humanity was currently battling against expansion and integration into a totally new environment, and while not everyone shared the same sentiment, most found no reason to indulge in senseless conflict.
August wondered how long that would last, he personally thought that humans would always indulge in conflict with one another. At the very least, he was sure that world peace was not possible as long as two human beings existed on a planet at the same time.
There was no reason to think of that however, nor did he have the will to continue that train of thought.
As he passed through the gargantuan stone gates, August entered the inner fortress without a hitch, throwing passing waves to the guards. He had come here many times, for multiple reasons, and all of those were quite enjoyable for both parties.
He had taken up a supply delivery job at a contractor's association, using his skill [The Great Collector] to transport large amounts of construction materials at once.
The work was easy, and paid him quite the pretty penny.
August knew he was capable of storing anything he was in contact with, but he had not known if there was a size limit. Luckily for him, there had not seemed to be when he eventually attempted it.
Larger items required significantly more aura to store and summon of course, so much so that even August was only able to do two or three large deliveries in one day. Though, he was paid quite handsomely for doing the work of three teams in three time of less than one.
Needless to say, his boss loved him very much, well… one of them at least.
And thankfully for him, he had not needed to do such deliveries often.
The city of Adamas recieved very little imports, around three large shipments per month or two. Each of these shipments arrived in massive electric trucks that were designed by the king of progress herself.
Strolling through the inner courtyard, August walked beneath a small tunnel, carved out of solid granite, and emerged into an open training ground.
Dozens of damaged, burnt, cut or even shot dummies appeared in his line of sight, left on the ground. A cacophony of clanging, booming, and shouting coming from the training military guard.
The smell of sweat and smoke permeated the air, making August want to throw up, but he held on to his breakfast with an iron will.
Sitting on the outside of the fence, under the shade of a large blueish green deciduous tree, sat a red haired European girl.