Nobody in our group dares to enroll for another visit to Trok'Gayian, temporarily closing this possibility, because Farllette is not interested in spending more time with «Weaklings» like us.
{She's really got an inflated ego. Or maybe it's the Stats affecting her. If this is what Spirituality does to a person. I'm perfectly fine with never obtaining a single Point of it}.
Murmurs reach my ears, complaining about the horrible frozen lands in which they survive only by drinking water.
{I would say their fear is understandable, but not confronting it, is counterproductive in the long term. If they are always running away, their survival will be short lived}.
Ines and Seinnissia show me the Lyceum's layout without losing our way towards the Administrative Building, where a Professor explains the importance and danger of receiving the Score Counter, along how this parameter is accounted.
"To acquire this feature. You must tolerate the reveal of your potential. Which will allow you to see the Maximum Level of the Enclosed Amalgams. This is helpful to obtain Score, because tha amount is measured by the quality of the opponents you defeat. What is tied to the amount of Zeniths and Metas in said Zeniths. This values are multiplied by the Individual Zenith of each Stat, with an additional per three multiplier, if it is a Full Blazing Zenith, and yes, this is accounted per Zenith".
A young man raises his hand. "Isn't that unfair?. Sophomores and Seniors can face beasts with Gifts, because they themselves possess Gifts too".
"You're mistaken, «Rookie». Those like you, Freshmen, Initiated, Sophomores, Seniors and Graduated. None is competing against a higher grade per se. Professors also have to earn the opportunity to use the Relativistic Portal. The exception to this trend, are the Personal Teams, you can integrate one with Five members, each person representing a Stat, the overall Score you obtain as a group, will be divided in Six and put against the Grade of the Team…".
{If there are only Rookies. They'll go against other Rookies in the leaderboard. But if they have a few Freshmen, their designation will be considered higher…}.
{What an interesting concept, it doesn't give a direct advantage to anyone, but forces competitiveness, and the built of trust to work in Teams}.
"But you should be more worried about how it will affect you the reveal of your potential. If you dare to face your real self below the social mask, not needing to undergo the «Stats Disorientation» ever again".
Many are discouraged, enforcing what i believed. Some people employ the Stats to purposely change their personalities, unable to cope up with the world's reality on their own.
{And here i am, trying to be myself since the moment i realized my behavior wasn't matching my usual demeanor…}.
Holding back my laugh, I doubtlessly head to the booth at the end of an unnecessarily long corridor, around 75 meters, and there are various stacked across what should be a wall.
Weirdly, this hallways are filled with fog, smoke, and other gaseous substances that emanate light representing the Stat's colours.
I glide through the mist, reaching the attendant in the booth, handing me a small transparent gem with an Icosahedron shape, hinting me to put it on my chest and go back to the previous room.
{Is this the big test?}.
Confused, i go back on my track, which should be inconsequential, even with a slow gait, 160 short steps are enough to cross the distance, but i still need to advance another 70 meters to leave the corridor.
{What?!. Space manipulation?. Well, there is Time Discrepancy, and every Enclosed Amalgam is creating Space within an already occupied area, violating the principle that two objects cannot be in the same place at the same moment}.
Speeding up my strides doesn't cause much change. I feel like standing on a treadmill, reversing instead of advancing. So i start jogging, then running. Yet, it's still insufficient to see the slightest progress, accelerating to a full sprint.
The incomprehension of the situation compels me to use everything i'm aware of, lowering my posture, lunging with beastly intent, galloping like a quadruped would do, marginally reducing the distance to the exit.
Which augments my fury in severe leaps, but instead of getting stalled by said worthless emotion. I exchange it for conviction.
This regained focus invigorates me to achieve the desired goal, letting a feral growl out, making the scales of the burgundy bodysuit to mutate into a more defined and dense version, amplifying noticeably my performance.
{Is insufficient. I can do much more!}.
Savageness arises with a primitive roar from the very epicenter of my core, igniting a fulgent candor i believed extinct, flourishing again with a wave of Wine Emts coating my silhouette in plasma.
Displacing myself like the unstable pulse of an indomitable quasar, dispersing the fog around me, clearing the path as i reach the room in less than a second, crashing against the opposite wall of the chamber, cracking it's sturdy structure, remaining unscathed.
Protected by the dense layer of energy provided by the «Bodsh», reducing the damage received by working in tandem with my bodysuit.
"Vuir?. Didn't you notice walking backwards could get you out?".
"I did, Nissi. But there's a trend i realize within the Lyceum. Everything has a purpose, and they are testing us since we arrive. First having the Emts, is equivalent to being a Rookie. The Embryon, makes you a Freshman, the Subclasses put us in the Initiated Bracket, and the Zenith rises us to be Sophomores…".
I do a pause. "Nissi. We are not going to receive a single «Lesson», Are we?".
My Fiancée analyzes my words, smiling lovingly. "I think you meant «Lectures», not «Lessons», Vuir. Which is as you suspect, we are not going to seat in a classroom, not even Rookies want to read about anything they can Do. You can visit a scholar if…".
"It won't be necessary, Nissi. The Library will suffice to elevate my knowledge. Will we continue the Tutoring this evening?".
"No Vuir. My mothers want me to stay in the Mansion for a few days. I don't know how they found out about my Embryon, but is the second time they seem pleased with my actions…".
Seinnissia closes the distance, murmuring sensually in my ear. "Discussing for potential Concubines and other candidates as Wives for the Harem, was the First"…