’Now THAT’s funny, no basic training, no officer school, hell I didn’t even go to college yet, nor am I a medical doctor of any sort, yet I’ve leapfrogged my way through the ranks and got myself an Oak Leaf *Symbol of a Major*.’ I thought while allowing Xilia to join the conversation.
’Huh, I never pegged you for the kind of person who follows orders; I assume that you won’t be doing much "Military" work, if any, in the future.’
’In another life, I actually served in the Air Force; mind you, I never made it past the third enlisted rank, but you are correct; taking orders is not my thing. GIVING them, however, is another story entirely.’ Falling in alongside the General as he drew closer to the gate, I began explaining the Tower in the most vague terms possible.
I wasn’t about to run the risk of slipping up and accidentally saying something that would get me terminated by Arkadia; even so, I was able to give an extremely rough explanation of the Tower, its purpose, and how it works.
Unfortunately, we hadn’t reached the point in the timeline where certain novels or comics had been produced, basically giving a play-by-play on how Battle Towers or something similar would work, so I was left to fill in some gaps with basic knowledge, IE, likening the Tower to a massive video game.
Luckily for me, the General turned out to be an Avid Dungeons and Dragons player, so for the most part, I was able to bring him up to speed, all the while skirting the rules established by Arkadia in reference to Returner, Normie’s interactions.
This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.
"So magic’s real, superpowers are budding up in society, and the world isn’t as black and white as we once believed." The General stated as he stood mere inches from the swirling energy at the center of the Tower Gate.
"That pretty much sums things up. I wish I could tell you more, but when it comes to the finer details of this construct, I am still in the dark about a lot of things."
"So why not just enter and explore for yourself then?" Turning to look at me, the General Asked the question I had been dreading, mainly because I was still working on how to explain why Returners couldn’t simply enter, unlike normal people who would be teleported in as soon as they touched the gate.
"I can’t. Actually, not just me, but basically anyone who has enhanced strength or a superpower is unable to access the Tower by way of the front door." To add a little proof into the mix, I walked up and placed my left palm against the gate, and just as I expected, instead of phasing through and being teleported, it was no different than if I was touching a solid object.
"The Gate rejects people like me, as it’s a resource meant for non….uh, what’s the word I’m looking for…"
"How about I just settle on the term Evolver for now until something more adequate comes along." Shrugging my shoulders, I stepped away from the gate and returned to the General’s side.
"Evolver? Interesting choice of terminology, what led you to that." He asked while examining me a bit harder now.
"I mean, isn’t it common to believe that instead of being labeled a freak of nature, I’m just a step up on the food chain, basic evolution theory and all. It was either that or Mutant, but I prefer not to be thrown into a lab and experimented on. That is to say, anyone would ever be able to, considering I would fight back if need be to protect myself."
"I see….you truly are a strange kid; as for this…Undead Tower…"
"Let me stop you right there before you say something that will make you look like an idiot. Pardon my insubordination, but this needs to be said." Holding up my hand, I wore a serious expression, my words causing the General to give me a hardened Look.
"No matter what you do, this place can’t be regulated, not by you, not by any military branch, and certainly not by any governmental body. This Tower doesn’t belong to any one person, organization, or nation."
"The moment anyone starts getting that thought in their minds, Partaevian will strike, and let me assure you, as it stands, no one in this world can stand against Draven Faircloth, leader of the group."
’Except for you, of course.’ Adding the last part, Xilia snickered, taking a jab at the fact that, in reality, I was probably the only person capable of fighting Draven head-on.
"It won’t just end with this Tower either. I suspect that Draven will move to make more all over the world, and he leaves them to the People, not certain groups, and there is nothing you can do to stop him, not guns, not bombs, hell he could probably deflect Nukes with a flick of his wrist, that’s just how dangerous the man is."
"The only way to carve out a piece of this Tower for yourself is by entering and fighting for it; it’s as simple as that." But as happens with any time I go off on a tangent like this, of course, someone has to butt in, and as luck would have it, the man in question chose that very moment to make his presence known.
At first, all I felt was a slight fluctuation in the wind, then suddenly, a purple rip in space opened up, and just like before, no particle radiation was emitted by it.
"Nicely spoken, Hero Nexus,"
’Xilia, leave us, head north and meet up with my Brother and Father,’ I didn’t know what Draven was up to, but if anything were to go down, I needed my family to know something happened instead of me, like suddenly vanishing or something of that nature.
"Draven Faircloth, I would say I am surprised you decided to show up, but let’s be honest, you’re the kind of cockroach who’s always hiding in the dark nearby." Rolling my eyes, I reached up and drew my Eskrima sticks before dropping into a combat stance.
"Now, now, Nexus, there is no need to be on edge like this. If I had wanted to fight you, I would have done so earlier when we bumped into each other."