"Name?" The person behind the metallic table asked, his eyes fixed on the holographic screen hovering in front of him. He wore a black-and-blue uniform with a nameplate that read Fissure Inspector.
"I'm Luban…"
A long line of people wearing exoskeleton suits stretched in front of the table. Dozens of them stood there, each outfitted in a suit tailored to their style and purpose. Some suits were bulky, designed for brute force and firepower. Others prioritized speed and stability, while a few focused solely on survival or carrying specialized weapons.
Every Prime could be customized to the wearer's needs, as long as they had the materials and access to skilled Exo-Engineers. Alternatively, those with the expertise could build their own.
As the line shuffled forward, each person stated their name and rank before stepping aside. Slowly but surely, Kael's turn came.
When the person ahead of him moved away, Kael stepped forward.
"Name?" The Inspector asked without glancing up. His hands moved fluidly in the air, swiping and typing on an invisible interface that controlled the translucent screen of the Fissure Registrar.
"Kael Draven," Kael replied.
"Kael Draven…" The man repeated, then let out a chuckle. "You've got the same name as the legendary White Aegis."
"Yeah, that's because it's me," Kael said confidently, his chest puffed out with pride.
"You?" The Inspector finally looked up, giving him a disbelieving once-over before shaking his head in disdain. "Unranked, and you only registered this morning. You might share his name, but you're definitely not him!"
An invisible dagger pierced Kael's pride. But instead of letting it show, he shrugged. "Believe what you want." His tone was calm, almost dismissive. He wasn't about to waste energy convincing anyone of the truth. Whether they believed him or not didn't matter. He didn't need their recognition.
Kael wasn't concerned about enemies discovering his presence either. If they came for him, so be it. He wasn't afraid.
"Only a fool would believe you," the Inspector said, glaring at him. "You're just a regular human. No suit, no rank, and yet you're planning to enter this Fissure? Even though the Quantum Flux here is only rated Gray, you'll regret it if you go in unprepared."
As the designated Inspector for this Fissure, it was his duty to ensure that anyone entering understood the dangers involved. Though Gray-rated Fissures were on the lower end of the spectrum, every other person in line was at least Rank One and equipped with a suit. For someone like Kael, the danger would be far greater—bordering on suicidal.
"With or without a suit, I can handle this one," Kael said firmly. His voice carried an unshakable confidence, as though his words were an undeniable truth.
"You talk big," the Inspector muttered, shaking his head in frustration. "Just because you have a Status Band doesn't make you special. But if you insist…"
The Inspector "typed" in the air before waving his hand dismissively. "Just go to the side and wait for entry."
Kael nodded with a smile and walked over to where the other Primers-in-training were standing.
"Name?"
"Trey Vonn."
"You again? Looks like we've got two lunatics today."
"Hey, I'm on my way to reaching Rank One!"
"Sure, sure. Congrats, kid."
"*sshole," Trey muttered under his breath as he walked away from the Fissure Registrar.
"He seems caring," Kael said sarcastically.
"Caring? Nah. He's just doing his job," Trey replied, glancing back at the Inspector. "It's standard protocol to be an *sshole."
Kael chuckled and shook his head. His eyes wandered to the activity around them. White-coated personnel were busy using equipment to detect anomalies in the air. Once satisfied that everything was normal, they moved to a nearby station with larger equipment, likely meant for monitoring the Fissure's status from inside one of the entrances.
Technically, this wasn't Kael's first time entering a Fissure, but as an ordinary human trying to gain strength, it was.
"Once I get my own Prime, I'll show them my true might!" Trey declared, clenching his fist with determination.
"It seems like you're pretty well-known," Kael said, glancing at the teenager who looked no older than sixteen or seventeen.
"Well…" Trey scratched his nose in embarrassment. "There's a saying around here: If there's Gray, there's Trey. That's me. But what can I do? I've only got these gloves to rely on, and I'm barely hitting Rank One. Gray is the only type of Fissure I can enter without meeting God."
"Gray?" Kael repeated, his brow furrowed. This was the second time he'd heard that word since arriving.
"It's the lowest rank of Fissures," Trey explained, tilting his head in confusion. "Wait—you don't know that?"
"Should I?" Kael shrugged nonchalantly. He had never paid attention to this kind of information before. Back when he was an Aegis Primeval, Fissures were like playgrounds—places he and the others could enter freely, without needing to queue. The Quantum Flux didn't matter; they could obliterate any Fissure with a single punch.
"Of course, you should! How are you planning to become a successful Primer if you don't know the basics?" Trey said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Gray is the lowest rank, followed by Blue, Yellow, Red, and then Black. The ranking system can vary by planet, though some are standardized."
"Gray, I see," Kael said with a nod of understanding.
"For people like us—without proper equipment—Gray is the only type we can enter and still have a chance of making it out alive," Trey continued. "It's also the only place where we stand a shot at becoming first-ranked Primers."
"Nah, I'm Kael Draven. I can get out of any situation," Kael replied with a confident smile. "You don't have to worry about me."
"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that," Trey sighed, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm not gonna judge if you wanted to be like my idol. I do it sometimes."
Kael couldn't help but looked at glove user strangely.
As they talked, someone suddenly shouted.
"They're here!"
The shout drew everyone's attention just in time to see five men land on the ground from above.
Dust clouds erupted, shrouding their figures and adding an air of mystery to their arrival. Moments later, the smoke churned as they stepped forward in unison, their deliberate movements commanding attention.
As if time itself had slowed, explosions erupted behind them.
"Power ran****?" Kael raised an eyebrow at the overly theatrical entrance. This was the first time he had seen people this shameless. Even back when he was on missions with his team, they wouldn't have dared set off explosions behind them every time they landed. "Is there really any need for this kind of entrance?"
"You should talk to their production team," Trey said with a grin. "But isn't it cool? They're even walking in slow motion!"
"They're being ridiculous," Kael frowned. "On a real battlefield, they'd have been killed by enemy fire before finishing their show."
"They're just in training—they're not even qualified to step onto a battlefield yet," Trey retorted, rolling his eyes before turning his attention back to the newcomers. He couldn't help but admire the Exoskeleton suits they were wearing. "Those guys are a new team in training under New One Company. The suits they're wearing are called Half-Aegis."
"Half-Aegis?" Kael repeated, narrowing his eyes at the newcomers' suits. They were the same ones he'd seen earlier stepping out of the airborne carrier. He had to admit, their suits were leagues above the low-quality mechanical ones scattered around him.
"Yup, that's what they call them," Trey nodded as the five show-offs strutted past. "What? Did you expect them to have real Aegis suits? Only their main team wears those beasts. No way they'd let trainees touch them—it'd be a waste of resources."
Kael shook his head but didn't comment further. There were countless variations in the world of mechanical suits, but a knockoff was still a knockoff. He was the original, the real deal. The White Prime. Or maybe he just doesn't want to admit that he is wrong because he's still adjusting to everything.
Once he saved Mr. Ponce, Kael would make it his mission to return to the site where the old man had found him. He had to retrieve his suit as soon as possible. Only then could he finish what he had started. He wouldn't allow the war to end with the enemy winning—and he definitely wouldn't let that b*tch enjoy her victory.
Soon, it was time to enter the Fissure.
"Hey, stay close to me if you want to live," Trey said, glancing at his new companion.
"I'll think about it," Kael replied with a smirk as they began walking toward the entrance.
The first ones to step through, of course, were the show-offs. Although some people muttered complaints about why they always got special privileges, no one dared voice their frustration aloud.