Ryan woke up from his meditation, he didn't know how long it had lasted, but he felt rejuvenated.
Although he had been listening to a lot of conversations, whatever trance-like state he was in wasn't omnipotent and didn't allow him to listen to everyone. Still, he learned a lot from the mindless chatter because there were so many people.
First, he learned what his name meant, he was an orphan, the dregs of society. Second, he learned a little more about the slave system, though he still had a lot of questions about how to go about getting slaves. Third, it seemed like this planet's men were a little bit different than earth's men...
He turned and saw Austin looking at him blankly. Ignoring their past conversation, Ryan asked, "How long was I asleep? Is the wait almost over?"
Jerking out of thought, Austin looked for the source of the voice with wide eyes full of fear. Seeing it was Ryan, he calmed his racing heart, "Sorry you startled me for a sec," He said while trying to catch his breath.
"Dude, you were totally out of it." Austin gave Ryan a questioning look, "You woke up just in time!"
Seeing Austin's look, Ryan furrowed his own brow and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have some pudding on my face?"
Snorting, Austin replied, "I doubt you eat pudding, no. What exactly were you doing earlier?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, me and Marc tried to wake you up, but we couldn't. Did she squeeze you that dry?"
Ryan was now really confused, he hadn't felt anyone try to wake him up.
If Austin was telling the truth, then he would have to be careful when and where he fell into that state again.
"I was just sleeping, and when did Marcus change his name to Marc?" Ryan said, trying to change the subject.
Austin looked like he wanted to continue the conversation, but then a voice sounded from their right.
"Oh good, you're finally up, Anthony! I thought you had been taken by the reaper, A-n-t-h-o-n-y!" Marcus interjected, making sure to stress that he was pointing out the low class name.
While Austin face-palmed beside him, Ryan replied jokingly, "No, but if death wants to be taken, I wouldn't mind her from behind."
Marcus overly guffawed at Ryan's joke, making a scene that caught the attention of several recruits by falling out of his chair and rolling on the floor. His fist slammed the innocent wooden tiles making them take the brunt of his laughter.
After his little charade was over, Marcus got up and whipped the non-existent tears out of his eyes and said, "Oh my, A-n-t-h-o-n-y, you sure know how to jest." Once again accentuating the word Anthony to make sure everyone heard it.
Ryan looked at the noble with a dark expression. It was clear that Marcus thought that he had offended him earlier and was trying to make up for it by sucking up to him.
Trying to nip this little misunderstanding in the bud, he said, "Marcus, please know that I was not offended earlier. Since I just woke up, why don't you tell me about what news I missed while I was sleeping."
Widening his eyes in realization that Ryan truly didn't care about the earlier incident, Marcus smiled and chortled, "Good, my good man, yes, yes."
Getting back into his seat, Marcus leaned over the railing of his chair and whispered into Ryan's ear, "Word on the street is that some ranker offended the faction head of the Golden Tridents and won't be chosen by a faction while staying in the undergraduate campus."
Startled that Marcus actually had news he hadn't heard, Ryan asked, "Who?"
"No clue. But whoever it is, seemed to piss her off pretty bad, as even my spies heard about it through the grapevine!"
Mulling it over for a moment, Ryan had to agree. From what he already had learned about this world, although Marcus was from a Viscount house, he was only a son. He had only just become an enhancer, which would raise his status, but that was in the future.
Daughters from noble houses were raised as cultivators, as even if they weren't born with the blessing, they could become artificial cultivators.
Sons, however, were raised to be the best noble husbands they could be. They were focused on learning etiquette, manners, and husband duties that would please their future wife.
Whoever this person was that had offended a faction head wasn't that smart. Aliza had taught him that while there was a time and place for provoking a woman's ire, and it was never a good idea if they were stronger than you.
Suddenly the wall that covered the backstage disintegrated, and the chairs under the recruit's feet suddenly shot forward and came to rest at the front of the stage.
Several recruits were standing up off their seats and were flung forward off the stage by the sudden moment of the bleacher-chair extravaganza.
Other recruits were standing off to the side, away from the chairs, and had to walk to the front of the stage pitifully but were stopped from getting in their seats by several armed army officers.
A moment after the movement started, it stopped, and the only sound was the groans of pain from a group of the new male recruits.
pAnD a(-)n0ve1.com "Pathetic!" A voice rang out above the sounds of pain, "Whoever is not in their seat will have their first month's credits confiscated."
Smiling, Mila looked at the rest of the people in the chairs and continued talking, "As for the rest of you," Then she looked toward Ryan, who unfortunately wasn't one of the ones to fall, and frowned, "Don't expect to get a compliment. You only did well enough."
Turning around, Mila signaled to the other faction leaders to come forward, "When your name is called, please step forward."
"Jake Balmer!"
The large hologram screen floated at the front of the room just to the right of the bleachers. The enhancer's names and stats began appearing on the hovering screen.
<Name: Jake Balmer>
<Speed Ranking: (F)>
<Quality Ranking: (F+)>
<Special Characteristic Ranking: (F-)>
<Class Ranking: (100)>
Stepping onto the stage a mediocre-looking shaggy hair guy shrugged his shoulders and hung his head in shame. His clothes were a bit too big for him, making Ryan think he was trying to make people believe he was built and not so thin.
"A full F rank, poor chap."
"Wasn't the exam time limit three hours?"
"Doesn't that mean he ejaculated within three hours? My servant takes six!"
"Guess F rank isn't so bad."
Mila shouted, "Quiet!" Turning toward her fellow faction leaders she said, "Does anyone wish to bid?"
The girls were shaking their heads side to side and grimacing. Not one of them wanted to look poor Jake in the face.
Seeing them all shake their heads she said, "Sorry, Mr. Balmer, it seems that none of the faction leaders are interested in you at this time. If you try and work hard enough, there is still a chance that you can get recruited later on down the line."
After Jake was escorted off stage by a female security guard, Mila continued.
"Next up Hugh. . . I'm not saying that."
<Name: Hugh Anus>
<Speed Ranking: (F-)>
<Quality Ranking: (F-)>
<Special Characteristic Ranking: (E-)>
"Good name! Hopefully, it's big enough to fit my strap-on!"
"Got anything else that's huge, big boy?"
"I said, quiet!" Mara roared, slamming the table. Turning towards the girls she asked, "Anyone want Mr. Anus?"
"Eh, E- is good enough. I'll bid one faction point," the leader for the Blue Eagles said. Seeing everyone pass on Mr. Ass, Mila looked at Hugh and said, "Congratulations, sir! Please swiftly exit the stage, a representative from Blue Eagles will meet you outside."
"Next up is Kevin Hamsin," Mila called, thankful for a normal name.
<Name: Kevin Hamsin>
<Speed Ranking: (E)>
"Quality Ranking: (F-)>
<Special Characteristic Ranking: (F-)>
"I bet he'll be a lackey for the Dawn Pavilion and rot in the BCN. He looks like a suck-up," an enhancer next to Ryan muttered.
Ryan heard the words and felt something he heard something familiar.
It was a conversation that must have been buried during his trance because he heard two girls talk of empires and magical forces.
"Yes, I know women have been the only ones able to cultivate since ancient times," a girl said.
"But from the collaboration of the Red Dragon Empire, Holy Phoenix Empire, our Human Kheaweth Empire, and The Dawn Pavilion, we have created the 'Blissful Cultivation Network' or BCN for short. This has given males a new purpose!"
"But what good are men?" a second girl asked the first.
"As I'm sure you're aware of the Dawn Pavilion, right? The one who made the Dawn Net and is currently the biggest force on Ravier?"
Seeing the girl nod, girl one continued, "Well they made an internet hookup room called the BCN, which allows the 1 in 10,000 males who are born enhancers to be useful!"
"Why aren't they ruling the world then?"
"When the Dawn family first founded the Dawn Pavilion, and the four great empires were barely considered kingdoms by the heavens, the Dawn family signed a heavenly contract with the four Queens that forbid them or their descendants from ever establishing an empire."
"In return, the Dawn family was allowed to grow undisturbed throughout every empire or kingdom in the world as no force was worried about them taking power. As none of their forces could launch a heavenly invasion."
===
Feeling a tap on his shoulder Ryan jolted out of his memory, screaming, "What!"
His glare terrified the recruit that had tapped him on the shoulder. The recruit pointed and trembled out, "I-It's your turn, Anthony."
Ryan was confused, his name wasn't Anthony. What was this kid talking about?
Following the kid's finger, his eyes located seven figures; none of them looked familiar… except, "Little angel? What are you doing here?"
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