Taking advantage of the opportunity, Azrael asked all kinds of questions that came to mind most of them about how the technologies around him worked.
Seyra didn't seem to mind. In fact, she appeared to enjoy answering his questions. There was something oddly endearing about her explaining how people posted videos of their pets on the internet.
They exchanged contact info, in case she needed him for something or he had some kind of emergency, he would be able to call her if the need arose.
"Just don't go abusing that privilege," she warned. "I'm very busy dealing with all the Rift incidents happening lately, so don't expect fast replies."
He nodded slowly, still unraveling the mysteries of the device strapped to his wrist.
"So… is my so-called insanity the only reason you took me as your pupil?" he dared to ask.
"Part of it… but there is something else," her crimson eyes drifted from the window to his figure. "If one were to combine all your qualities, you seem like a person that would go very far in the future… and the most important thing is that you are not connected or indebted to any clan."
Azrael raised an eyebrow. "Am I to take that as a warning? That I might meet resistance from the so-called clans?"
Seyra chuckled. "It's not might—it's certain. But don't be deceived. Everyone faces opposition on their rise to power."
She turned her gaze back to the window. "But don't worry about that right now. Your priority should be increasing your Ascension Level and Purity Rank," she advised. "For now, you're still too weak to attract the kind of trouble you're worried about."
"I see," he nodded.
Eventually, his eyelids grew heavy, forcing him to close them for a few moments. The rest of the ride passed in silence.
"Wake up," a gentle voice stirred him, fingers softly ruffling his hair.
"Huh?" His eyes darted around the sleek limousine. "Did I fall asleep?" he mumbled.
"You lasted longer than I expected. Honestly, I thought you'd pass out the moment you sat down. Even if the injuries from the endurance test have been healed, the exhaustion hasn't."
'Still, it was an oversight,' her reassurance didn't really help his mood. Following after her, he exited the vehicle.
As he stepped outside, his eyes widened, as if splashed with ice-cold water.
Feeling the utterly clean air, his lungs expanded, breathing it all in greedily, as if it might escape his grasp any moment. This was complete, one eighty, from the sour stench of the air in the rundown area; the air felt divine.
The sun was still overhead, illuminating the scene clearly, and what he saw made him even more shocked.
Massive, sleek walls towering at least thirty meters high. On their tops were equally impressive cannons, each over a hundred millimeters in diameter, equipped with the most advanced auto-aiming systems available—capable of functioning in both day and night. Turret-mounted miniguns, each many times larger than a person, had also been installed. A wide trench had been dug into the ground, with a single narrow bridge serving as the only path forward—leading to a heavily guarded gate.
Several guards, tense and alert, watched every angle for potential threats. These were no ordinary police or low-ranking soldiers—they were, without a doubt, System Users, and at least one level above him.
Just now did Azrael truly realize where he was stepping into, just like Seyra had said—this was a military school that rivaled the one meant for the great clans, so it was going to be equipped with the most top-notch security and faculty.
Without a doubt, in the modern world plagued by dangerous monsters and Rifts that could open anywhere at random, this was the safest place in the entire world.
'This is more like a fortress. No, a whole city in itself!' he thought, amazed by the sight before him.
'I knew that almost stabbing my eye off was going to pay off in the end!'
"We can't continue with the vehicle," Seyra's voice broke him out of his haze, "It's a security measurement—we continue on foot."
She stepped forward, high heels clicking faintly against the hard ground. He followed closely behind until they arrived at the gate.
A guard with a thick beard approached. His eyes briefly locked onto Seyra.
"Lady Seyra Vaelthorn," he greeted with a respectful bow. Then he turned to Azrael, studying him.
"To think that Lady Seyra Vaelthorn herself chose you… You must be something special," the man said, offering a handshake.
"But procedures are procedures. ID?"
Seyra activated hers, making it appear in hologram form and showed it to the guard. Azrael followed suit.
After confirming their identities, the guard stepped aside, and the gates opened to let them through.
"You're on your own now," Seyra said, her tone calm. A faint déjà vu pricked at Azrael's mind.
"Stick to what we discussed. Don't cause trouble. Grow stronger…" Her fingers brushed through his hair, eyes observing. "And don't embarrass me at the ceremony."
With those final words, she turned her back and walked away.
Azrael watched her for a few moments. Even now, surrounded by heavily armed guards, he didn't feel the same danger he had felt just talking to her. She was a menace—that was certain. But he wasn't surprised.
The first time he saw the people who had taken the Evaluation Test and their reaction upon seeing her spoke alone of her potential danger she could represent… and the potential benefits she could bring should she be his ally in the future.
He exhaled deeply and followed the bearded guard inside.
The inside was just as impressive as the outside—parks and training fields stretched outward, with modern buildings placed in a clear pattern that made it easy to navigate. The contrast between the greenery and the advanced structures was striking but well-designed, ensuring the Chosen maintained the most optimal state of mind.
The two men walked along the well-maintained paths, the guard guiding Azrael while trying to keep the atmosphere calm. However, he was slightly concerned that the young Chosen wasn't speaking with the enthusiasm as the others before him had. Hoping to lift the mood, he parted his lips to speak.
"You're in luck, kid," the guard said. "The system stops choosing people shortly after they turn fifteen. Military schools start a bit later than that—and you made it just in time for the introduction ceremony."
The man laughed. "Maybe try your luck at the lottery, eh? You might walk out a millionaire."
Azrael suppressed the desire to scoff, 'Luck, you say?' he thought bitterly.
'It wasn't luck. Everything was planned down to the tiniest detail. The timing to kill a Chosen and steal his system was perfect, just enough to get familiar with it, inform the authorities that I have been Chosen, and be accepted into one of the countless military schools.'
His eyes darkened, fists clenching, 'But… the old man was supposed to come with me. Not leave me with the truth, that I was raised by a monster.'
Afraid the guard might sense his sore mood, he shook his head and forced a laugh. "I just might be that lucky… who knows?"
'Don't think about others,' he reminded himself, calming his frustration.
'In the end… you've only got yourself to count on for what's coming next.'
It seemed that he had managed to satisfy the thick-bearded man with his answer. He wasn't bothered anymore.
Soon, Azrael found himself standing before the pristine white doors of the building he was supposed to enter.
"Well, it's time I go and see the other Chosen."