Chapter 8: Sunstone Capital

KANTOR

Kantor sat in his office, watching the screen displaying the class 6 telepath, the girl was a walking disaster, by the time she reached tier 25, all the secrets of the empire's powerful would well no longer be secrets.

"It's odd that such a talent shows up in a sector like that" Bealid says

I nod as I consider his words, that sector hasn't produced anything stronger than a tier 4 for hundreds of years and even then, only rarely "How did she handle the recruiters?" I ask

Bealid taps the tablet on his hands, in seconds, a video is projected to the large screen in the room.

I stand up from my chair and walk towards the screen, I watch as the girl walks out of the test room, she's instantly surrounded by twenty or more recruiters, she smiles at them and my eyes widen in shock as all the recruiters all drop to the ground staring at her mindlessly "What are the classes of the recruiters?" I ask Bealid, that's one ability she's revealed to us

"They are all between the range of class 2 and 3" I sigh in relief, controlling the minds of 30 people at barely tier 1 was impressive enough, if anyone of those recruiters was a class 4, then this would be alarming.

I watch as she walks out of the building leaving the recruiters disoriented but unharmed, I watch as she gets in a flying transport, turning to Bealid, I say "Assign a class 5 agents to watch her and I want Nateo on this one.

Bealid shifts nervously, "Nateo just finished his mission in RAGNAROK, do you want to use him for something so mundane" I nod to answer his question, I'd rather be safe rather than sorry with this one. Bealid nods and leaves the office to carry out my orders

MONICA

A week has passed since the test, the past week has been filled with one problem or the other, the recruiters have been a constant menace every time I went outside.

I close my eyes and just breath, since my tier up, the thoughts of others have become a constant companion in my mind.

I reach out to a particular mind, just at the edge of my senses, but once again I don't hear any of their thoughts, no matter how hard I try, I frown in anger and disappointment.

​"Still that same mind?" Lutor asks from behind me and I nod, that particular mind has remained just at the edge of my senses for days now, a constant itch that I couldn't scratch.

​Lutor chuckles at my expression, we think I've been assigned a watcher from the empire.

"I do not need bodyguards" I reiterate loudly just in case this guard could hear me.

I'd gotten my mind sense much more under control and the thoughts of the people around me were a constant presence in my mind but at least they remained in the background, like a distant buzz.

​I would be leaving for the empire's capital today, I'm nervous at going to the empire alone, Lutor senses my fear, and he wraps his arms around me, the boys had been surprisingly accepting of my class after they got over their initial shock.

​Gerial walks into the living room, carrying a duffel bag filled with a few essentials that I got for my trip, and I wrap my hands around him, I would miss them greatly, I wonder what would have happened to me without them, Asrai stretches his arms to me and I fall into them also, the tears fall from my eyes, and he wipes them gently

​"You'll be fine, the empire is the perfect place for you" I nod their thoughts come to me even though I don't call for them and it becomes harder for me to leave, "Thank you for...everything" I point to the house, clothes and everything, Lutor is a little misty eyed at the whole scene.

​I pack my bags and walk out of the house, instantly the thoughts I've pushed to the back of my mind come rushing forward as I'm immediately assaulted by stubborn recruiters and reporters for the local station, I want to defend myself but I refrain from using my talents.

​I only have to wait for a moment before a man in suddenly in front of me, he smiles at my expression, and I notice the thoughts of the reporters were suddenly out of range even though they were only a few meters away.

​I raise an eyebrow at him in question.

"Nateo, class 5 spatial talent" he replies to my unasked question. He smiles at my silence and points at his head "I feel you trying to get in here, it's futile"

​My eyes narrow at him "I don't need a body guard" he looks behind him at the dozen reporters that had finally realize that something was afoot.

"I could have handled them if I wanted to" I defended myself and Nateo nods

​"I'm well aware of your abilities" he replies, smiling at me like I was a cute puppy, "Also, I'm not your bodyguard kid, I'm just your ride" he stretches his hands towards me, and I clasp it.

​A second later, I stumble at the disorientation but Nateo holds me steady, I steady myself a few seconds later, opening my eyes, I find myself staring at an absolute wonder.

​My mind fails to comprehend the view that lay before me, an empire of burning gold and silver, so bright it's almost blinding, I see entire buildings floating in the sky, millions of people floating around us, the thoughts of a hundred people slam into my mind and I struggle to maintain clarity.

​I see mountains in the distance, bright silver and gold, so tall they looked immutable, unmovable, I stare in awe at the view all around me, silently Nateo turns me around and I see a castle of gold and silver with spires so tall they seemed to hold up the heavens.

​It takes a while for me to take this view in, but Nateo doesn't rush me and like a man dying of thirst, my eyes drink in this view, the beauty of the land before me overwhelming and overpowering.

​I see the statue of Roal, standing tall in a robe of burnished gold, and my heart seizes at the sight "Lutor would have loved to see this" I whisper.

Somehow Nateo hears me and the next moment find myself in front of the statue, it's aura so much more powerful and this time I don't fight the urge to kneel, I kneel for Lutor, Asrai and Gerial, I knee for myself, whispering softly to be saved from this deathtrap of an empire, beside me Nateo lets out a chuckle, I turn to look at him and in the light of the empire, he doesn't seem so annoying anymore.

​"So, what now?" I ask after moving the rest of my bags into the apartment we rented for my stay.

The apartment was small in that it was so much bigger than my apartment back on earth.

​"Well, you could definitely explore the empire, the sights definitely do not disappoint" Nateo replies.

I frown at him, although the empire was beautiful, I came to the empire to get stronger, and learn how to properly utilize my talents.

​Plus, I'm pretty eager to discover what I could do with my talents, exploring them was pretty high on my list, and speaking of learning, I ask about the schools in the empire, and when I could apply for one.

​"Well admissions won't begin till next week so if you don't want to explore…" he looks towards the training room that came with the apartment "you could use those, since you're so eager to get stronger"

​I nod in acknowledgement, I should definitely explore the training room, he leaves after a few more exchanges and I'm finally left alone to my own devices. I take my time to explore the apartment again, now that I'm alone, the kitchen would have been an absolute marvel to mary, my last foster mum but I wasn't the best of cooks so I doubt it'll be seeing a lot of action.

​I find a study, fitted with a small shelf, I find books on telepathy and I'm excited at the prospect of exploring my telepathic talent, there's a small garden growing flowers and some common herbs and spice, but what interest me the most is the training room.

​I push open the door, to find a massive area, containing racks of swords, axes, knives, daggers, shields and some light armor, and I shudder at the cost of these equipment's. there's a massive screen on the opposite wall and a circular stand in front of it, I walk towards a stand containing a white training suit and put it on, the suit molds itself around me and it almost feels like a second skin. I walk towards the circular stand and step on it, a few seconds later, the screen lights up with a 3D view of my entire body, showing bars for my strength, flexibility, toughness and overall health.

​A part of the screen shows a couple of training options I could use, and I pick a simulation chamber that helps to teach and improve fighting styles and techniques, providing suitable opponents with increasing strengths

​I'm absolutely excited, as this helps me split my focus on using my telekinesis in a fight as well as melee techniques, I turn on the simulation and it provides a series of opponents from mundane to calamity talents, each from tier 1 to 50.

​I decide to start with a tier 15 destroyer talent, pulling 3 practice swords from the opposite wall, I ready myself for combat. I ready all three swords at the simulant, two of them floating above me, it's decent practice for my telekinesis.

​The simulant readies his swords at me and I try to imitate his stance, but it's so much harder than I thought, I give the command for the simulation to begin, and the simulant flies at me at such speed that I'm not able to raise my hands in defense. I hit the opposite wall seconds later, the floating swords clattering to the floor, I rub my chest at the simulated pain.

​If that was a real battle, it would be over already and against a class 3 no less, because he had skills I could only dream of. I bring down the tier of my opponent to tier 5 and although I manage to defend myself in time, I'm still beaten in a couple minutes.

​Trying to fight with my telekinesis at the same time, was like pushing and pulling at the same time, I get up every time I fall, taking pride in the fact that I'm lasting longer with every fight. My telekinetic coordination gets only a little easier but I'm optimistic that with a lot more training, it would become seamless.

​I run towards the simulant again, readying my floating swords in front of me, I slash at the simulation legs, and it lets out a simulated cry of pain, I'm so excited at finally hitting the simulant that I don't see the swords that's rushing towards me.

​By the time I realize, it's too late to block, and the simulated pain hits me, I scream at the feeling of pierced skin, I mentally command the simulant to stop as I've finally reached the limit of what I can take for a day.

​I check the screen and I realize I've been in here for quite a while, I pull off the suit and return the flying swords, my arms feel like lead and I decide it's time I take a shower, and maybe explore the empire a little.

​I walk out of my apartment into the cool evening air, I stare in awe at the beauty of the world around me, there are people everywhere, the sky is filled with flying people and yet there's just enough space that even my mental sense doesn't feel crowded, I suspect some spatial talent might be at work.

​I stop to buy food from a bar just a few streets from my apartment, where I tell the woman that I was new to the empire, before long we are both laughing as she tells stories about her son who's only 2 years old, but is an absolute menace.

​The thoughts of people around are a constant buzz just at the back of my mind, so I let myself enjoy this moment, I order a couple drinks and before long I'm just a little tipsy. evening stretches into night, and cool breeze swirl around me, I'm happy, happier than I've ever been in a while so I dance and people cheer me on, I'm having an absolutely good time and maybe I should have realized it wouldn't last, that good things are only given just so they can be snatched away.