After a student finished their second year of military training, they were free to do as they wished. For both Lawson[Nat]e and Joseph[Sam] it was their last year when summer came, so they had to make the tough choice of what to do next.
They could stay in the military, living quite a cushioned life. However, it would be one of discipline and routine. Having to follow orders for the sake of the world's future.
They could become a normal civilian, this route was often chosen by those that didn't achieve good grades, or didn't have a strong Skill[ability]. There were still a few academic jobs that would require skills that didn't need the use of abilities, and these were paid quite well.
However, due to technology taking most of these tasks away, the jobs that were left were highly competitive. Only the very best in the fields would be able to get them. This left most with a low paying job which would make them struggle day by day.
If someone was strong and had a good fighting Skill[ability], then the easiest way to make a good living for yourself was to become a Traveler. One could either do this solo, which carried a higher risk of death and troubles but a higher reward, or with a faction, where one could hunt in groups. Still, it was a dangerous job that many died doing just to put food on the table.
Being a Traveler was by no means easy and there were even some who would go back to the military after realising how difficult it was.
Before the Civil war had started, both Lawson[Nat]e and Joseph[Sam] were going through this ordeal and they had decided to become travellers. They were best friends but their skills were wide apart and so were their family backgrounds.
Joseph[Sam] came from a wealthy background, his parents managed to grab one of these few academic jobs that were available. They both weren't strong Skill[ability] users so when Joseph[Sam] was born, they had put their hopes on him.
They had bought him an elemental Skill[ability], a wind one which was quite expensive and put their hopes on him to achieve great results. However, that hope soon came crashing down as Joseph[Sam] had hit his limit. His body couldn't learn anything past a level four Skill[ability] book, he just wasn't able to create any more MC cells.
Due to him being pushed so much in a certain direction, his academic results weren't the best either. Still, it wasn't over and Joseph[Sam] was determined to prove them wrong. He could still get stronger as a traveler.
For Lawson[Nat]e it was a bit different. His family were strong users, but not too strong. They made up for this with their practice in many martial arts and Lawson[Nat]e grew up learning these martial arts. He was a genius in his field, managing to learn his Skill[ability] and his family skills well.
He had done far better than anyone could have ever dreamed of and was strong. When he left school, he had many offers from top factions. However Lawson[Nat]e was a person who wished to do things on his own. He didn't want the help of his family, and he didn't want the backing of a big faction.
He wanted to make his own name for himself and a legacy. In his search he had found a medium sized faction that seemed perfect. They would be able to give him some support where he could grow and get a name, while also not being overshadowed by the many other talents in a faction.
Of course, he had chosen to invite his best friend Joseph[Sam] along as well. Then, the big event happened. The world had split into different powerhouses and people needed to make a choice. Joseph[Sam] wished to go with Lawson[Nat]e but he couldn't forget about his family.
When asking them the question whether or not it was okay for him to leave, they seemed uninterested and didn't care what he did. He knew the reason for this. For he had a younger brother. A brother who wasn't limited by his MC cells and was achieving great strides.
His brother had learnt the earth Skill[ability] from the military. His parents had already spent all their money on him so they had no choice. But the military saw talent in him, and continued to let him progress giving him better skills and Skill[ability] books.
Because of his brother, his family had already chosen to stay with the military. But what future did Joseph[Sam] have if he was to stay there? He would just always be overshadowed by his brother, never progressing and doing nothing.
So in the end, he had chosen to leave with Lawson[Nat]e and the two of them ended up at the Crow's faction under the Graylash family.
It seemed like the perfect decision for them both. In the initial assessment, Lawson[Nat]e had gotten the highest rank possible of rank D, while Joseph[Sam] was given an E Rank. The two of them completed tasks by hunting beasts and their talents were beginning to shine though.
It wasn't long before they both got noticed and were requested to hunt the higher tier beasts. The two of them climbed through the ranks quickly. However, once again Joseph[Sam] started to fall behind, he remained stuck and rank C, while Lawson[Nat]e was able to achieve a Traveler Rank of B.
In the Crow's base, there were only a few Rank B's with their leader being the only Rank A in the base. For a faction of their size, it was quite good. Only the ones directly under the big families would have AA and AAA ranks.
With the higher Rank it meant they were given more responsibilities around the base and shelter, it also meant they got a bigger say in the decisions that were being made.
One of these responsibilities for Lawson[Nat]e, was watching the new recruits and assessing them. This would be done along with the base leader Blip, and another Rank B. Joseph[Sam] would often come along with Lawson[Nat]e. He wasn't part of the grading process, but was free to watch.
Lawson[Nat]e had been summoned to one of the trial rooms, and he had brought Joseph[Sam] along with him. The two of them entered what looked like a large warehouse which was filled with storage containers stacked in strange ways.
There were also cameras placed all over the room. At one side of the room, a table for them to sit at, and a projector that would show them everything that was going to happen in the training room. There were already many of the members training away.
Some were practicing their climbing skills, others were testing new weapons and a couple were sparing away.
"What was the call for, do we have some new recruits?" Lawson[Nat]e asked as he could see Blip sprucing him with a smile on his face. It was good news at the moment for any faction if they were to receive new members, competition was tough these days.
"Yep, although I'm not sure what to make of them." Blip said as he handed over the tablet.
Every new recruit was required to fill in a pre evolution form on the tablet. It would give them an idea of what to expect. Also not everything could be determined by a few tests, and hopefully this information would help them.
The first thing noted was the abilities. Nothing really stood out to him apart from one of them who had an original string Skill[ability]. But what could you even do with string? He couldn't imagine it would be that great. Also he was surprised one had no Skill[ability], but then reading they were from Pure, Lawson[Nat]e decided to let that go.
"What's so wrong?" Lawson[Nat]e asked.
"Just keep going." Blip replied.
Scrolling his eyes through, the next set of information was their equipment and age. Seeing this, Lawson[Nat]e knew most of them had to have been first year students. However, one of them had managed to have a pair of advanced tier gauntlets. If he had really killed an advanced tier beast, that was quite the accomplishment.
However, it was highly unlikely and the most likely scenario was he had rich parents who had bought the crystals for him.
The last question on the pre assessment was about beasts. It asked…
What was the highest tier beast you have ever defeated?
The oldest gentlemen had put down intermediate, the next two students had put down advanced tiers. This seemed amazing for people of their age, if it was true they had struck a gold mine. Then the last one, had put a king tier beast.
While at the Crow's, Lawson[Nat]e had faced a king tier beast once before and he was not alone. He knew how hard one was to beat.
"Well, it's too good to be true, right? How could a bunch of students defeat an advanced tier and a king tier beast? It seems like the adult with them was the only one that had told the truth."
For a second, excitement had filled Lawson[Nat]e's heart as he wanted to see what student would have been able to defeat a king tier beast. They had to have at least been on the same level as himself in terms of skill.
But after hearing Blip's words, he knew what he said was true.
The next B rank Traveler came in which was a female. She wore a black short jacket that came down to her belly button, and had her hair cut just below her ears. Her name was Rachael[Linda] and she was one of the founders of Crow along with Blip.
She always had this fierce look in her eyes and had chosen to sit right next to Lawson[Nat]e. As she sat down, the scent of roses had entered his nose.
"You smell gr….great..today." Lawson[Nat]e said.
Joseph[Sam] was shaking his head as he stood behind him. Lawson[Nat]e was never good with girls. And he seemed to fall for any beauty he laid his eyes on.
"Let's just get on with this. I can't wait to see these liars fall flat on their feet." Rachael[Linda] was quite a straightforward and fierce person, she had also read the report beforehand and came to the same conclusion as everyone else.
The room was then asked to be cleared and for the contenders to step in. Through the doors on the other side, the four of them came in fully equipped with their beast gear on, still wearing the special military suit that was on board the spaceship.
In front of them all leading the way, was Archer[Quinn].
"Do I know that guy from somewhere?" Lawson[Nat]e thought. He recognised the face, but something about the person in front of him looked different. Like he had seen his younger brother before or something.
"Lawson[Nat]e, that's…that's…the Blood Changer[Changer[Evolver]]." Joseph[Sam] blurted out.
"Who?" Both Blip and Rachael[Linda] asked, looking at Archer[Quinn].
To be continued....
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