After signing the school opt-out form, Raiden wasted no time leaving the place. It was still noon, so he quickly caught the nearest public transport and departed for his next location.
Looking outside the window, he still felt disoriented. This world was very different from the Earth he remembered, yet it felt so familiar. This world felt more like what Earth would be in the future, with added fantasy elements.
Everywhere he looked, he saw people walking along with beasts of various kinds. Some people were holding cute little kittens, while others had bird-like creatures perched on their shoulders.
One person was even more outrageous—he was sitting on the back of a giant gorilla that looked like 3 meters tall. The tall beast was standing in the middle of the road, blocking all vehicles. The man on top of it was wearing sunglasses and looked really smug, ignoring the growing protests of people complaining to him.
"Hey, you with the Armoured Kong, get down for me! Don't you know you are not allowed to carry Terrans bigger than 2 meters in public?!" A shout disrupted the market as two policemen arrived on the scene.
Looking at them, the man standing on top of the gorilla panicked.
"Oh shit!! Run away, Blackie!!"
The big gorilla also started panicking before roaring, and it started to transform. A black layer of scales started appearing on its whole body, giving it an armoured-like feel.
Just when it felt like the beast was about to attack the police, it took a big leap and ran away!
"You dare to resist arrest?! Go, boy, catch him for me!" The police officer roared in anger as his body started to glow in a golden hue.
A second later, a majestic lion appeared in front of him. Raiden recognised it from his memories immediately.
Standing taller than even the Armoured Kong, it had a flowing red-coloured mane, with a yellow body that had red and black-coloured stripes flowing through it.
The Terra Beast, which Raiden recognised as the Golden Nemean Blood Lion, opened its mouth and started gathering energy. The surroundings quickly started to boil up as it charged a big fire blast before firing it through a roar.
The blast charged at the fleeing beast faster than the eye could see, and a loud impact was heard.
Boom!!
The tall beast immediately fell down unconscious, its body looking burnt.
Before he could look at what happened next, his automated taxi already drove him away from the scene as soon as the road cleared, leaving him in suspense.
The sudden scene reminded Raiden he was not in the same world as before, as this one was much more dangerous, with random people on the road possessing Terrans that could kill him in a second.
Now all he wished was that this automated taxi could drive even faster so he could reach his destination sooner.
Fifteen minutes later, he finally arrived at his destination and got out of the cab slowly.
Looking at the majestic building in front of him, he fell silent for a moment.
The building looked like it was made in the 16th century, giving it an old look. Made up of black rocks and built like a castle, the entire structure stood 30 stories tall, evoking a sense of suppression in anyone looking at it from the outside. It had large arched windows that stretched all the way from the top, glittering like crystal under the sunlight, giving it a mystical feel.
A big sign made up entirely of Gold hung on the building, reading:
CONTINENTAL ALLIANCE OF BATTLE MASTERS!!
Taking the final deep breath, Raiden advanced boldly towards the building as if he were marching towards his death.
Ignoring the weird looks the guards and people were giving him, he entered the building only to find the inside completely different from what he was expecting.
Unlike the imposing exterior, the inside of the castle looked like a modern high-tech hub, with a constant stream of people shuffling in and out of the building and various massive open-platform elevators carrying people upwards.
"What the—? Who designed this building?? Is he alright in the head?" Raiden muttered to himself.
"While our President's taste in aesthetics is a bit... peculiar, you can't talk like that about him, you know. He is the President after all, the strongest in the city." A silky smooth voice sounded from behind him, making Raiden jump in fear.
He turned around and saw a mature beauty standing there, with an amused smile on her face. She wore a one-piece dress and had wavy red hair and a really mature figure.
One thing that stood out about her, though, was her height. Standing over 6'4" in height and wearing high heels, she looked every bit like a dommy mommy.
Raiden was stunned by her beauty, forgetting to react for several seconds, earning another chuckle from her.
"Ara Ara~ See something you like, boy?" The woman spoke in a teasing voice.
This snapped him out of his stupor. He knew he had to act fast to save his dignity.
"Of course, it's just you, beautiful big sister. I was just so mesmerised that I forgot myself. I have never seen someone so beautiful, so forgive me. To make up for it, how about I treat you to dinner instead?" He asked shamelessly. As for dignity, what is that? Can you eat it?
Another silver bell-like laugh echoed from the woman's mouth after hearing his words.
"How interesting~ You are too young for me, boy. Try again once you grow up a little, maybe I'll give you a chance then. We'll meet again if fate wills it~" Without waiting for a reply, the woman walked away, the sound of her heels echoing in the room.
After a while, Raiden shook his head and slapped his face with both hands to regain focus, ignoring the lingering scent that was left in her wake.
"Focus, Raiden, Focus. Women will only slow down your speed of drawing your sword. You are here to register as a Battle Master and buy your first Terra Beast. Stay focused on that."
He confidently walked towards a desk that was manned by a cute girl wearing round glasses.
"Excuse me, miss, I just turned 16 today, and I want to register officially as a Battle Master!"
"Certainly, that will be 5,000 Credits."
"...What?!"