Few dozen more people get assigned, most of them go to Gridra or Fortzvel, rarely someone was assigned to Niddraz, this is because of the sorting system that have been design to evaluate candidate based on their ambition and potential, what Elara seen in the hologram was their inner potential awaken from the serum, what is the serpent inside them evolve to, this would then be the barometer for her to decide which unit they would be put into.
GRIDRA was the most of the recruits usually be, in Gridra unit most of the time the recruit will be stationed at the bases across the Rift or in the moon itself, and Gridra is just basic starting point for all recruits, once they advance enough they could choose another units in which there are hundreds of them. Characteristic of Gridra unit is that most of the people in here have Support Type Artifact, that’s not to say most of them can’t do combat, it just say that Support Type Artifact holder usually starts in Gridra, in fact the most powerful support type artifact holder were started in Gridra
FORTZVEL, is also one of the starting units, people that got into Fortzvel usually have ambition seek something in their life, Fortzvel unit usually not stations at base, they’re out there doing research and exploring, making something or even diving to outer layer of the rift with Abyss Walker unit, the unit branch that “dive” to the rift and fight the “Dweller” there that usually the reason behind Rift Leaks or Voiders to spawn, Fortzvel was like balance unit, they have many different kind of artifact holder in here from support to attacker, to defender, unique, unclassified and many others, but most of it were just Balance type artifact, and they usually are the majority of the Fortzvel, that is why this unit is called the middle ground, you can’t go wrong if you placed in here, there are mundane and extreme job you could do if you were assign to Fortzvel.
NIDDRAZ, is one of the rarest of out the three, Niddraz unit is basically consist of either crazy or insane powerful people, Niddraz unit get selected very few in the recruit assignment phase, because to become a Niddraz you must be have unique inner potential and then have to be powerful enough by the priestess that judged you, this requirement is not mere to just be made up administration that the military made, to be in Niddraz is to be strong enough for them to send you to front line without caring or worrying about your safety, Niddraz is the front line of every conflict and every single problem that require combat power to dealt with, because of this few people actually stays long enough in Niddraz, most of the people that were assign by start were either request transfer not long after or dead, although Niddraz have it rough, people in Niddraz have higher social standing and status than the other unit and they’re considered advance unit already and most of the time if people from Niddraz were want to transfer to other unit they got accepted immediately. Because there are only EXTREME job if you’re in Niddraz, that means you always dealt with problem that no other unit could handle or they got to have you in their team to handle it.
Arthea approached the archway as if walking down the red carpet of a grand cathedral toward her own coronation. She then smoothed her jacket like it was a royal gown, held her chin high, and also refuse to look the “peasants” around her. As she arrived at the front of the archway she lifted her head up and talked to Elara on the screen.
“Witness, Oracle,” she flips her hair while posing to the the screen “I will show these peasants the true! The crown princess of the Lunaris bloodline! Hmp!”
On the screen, Elara blinked, she was used to arrogance, and pride of someone had like Darius and Violet before, but this was different, she never head something like “Lunaris Empire” and yet alone a noble woman who born from Eearth-1 and got enlisted in the military, she was just flabbergasted with her “entrance”, but despite this, Elara knows that she “had” to just play along.
“Very well, Your Highness” Elara replied, going along with a polite smile. “Let us see your magnificent presence!”
“Hm, Hmm good!” Arthea said as she walks through the veil, the veil color then changes to bright yellow gold color, it was so bright that the other recruits left on behind had to hinder their view and covering their eyes with their hand, this include Eric.
On the other side Elara’s Hologram blocking the light, so regardless of how intense the light is she would be fine and the screen displayed a throne room, Elara was confused and stunned, for a whole five seconds, because she doesn’t spot any serpent in the landscape, she keep moving the view screen around to make sure, but there are none, no serpent whatsoever, but she notices that there were knights and several armored looking figure standing in each side of the throne, and then she also notice red carpet before the throne and on each side of the carpet also standing each knights kneeling on each sides, she keep zooming out to see how many there are, solid thirty seconds had passed and she still can find the end of the line.
“What is this, is this? How could it be? There is no serpent or serpent like creature here… It just a throne room and this armored looking knights statue..” she murmured in her head.
Arthea has gone through the veil ten seconds ago she just stood there waiting for the Elara to announce her unit
She then open another screen and looked at Arthea’s file, She’s not a noble, no noble houses are associated with her, no history of being related to one, she just a normal citizen that lived with a couple that has died before in Endria.
“If there is no serpent. the screen should have not projected any landscape at all, if the case like that she would assign her NULL unit, where the one who not get accepted the serum would go, but a landscape being projected means that she accept the serum, but how? Where is the serpent? What it represent? Don’t tell me the serpent were these knights?” said Elara on her mind.
“If indeed they were, she also the high potential one… To be able to project something entirely different in one inner domain to be like this… Either she’s highly delusional, crazy or insane, but i with what already has happened for today, i would not be surprised of she is. This one is confusing to assign to, which unit that she would fit? Hmm maybe for now i can just assign her to that” she continues.
Elara then forced her expression into one of dazzled awe, clapping her hands together like a delighted servant,
“Wow! Truly magnificent, Your Majesty! I’m sorry for make your highness wait, your true power is truly just need time to comprehend!” Elara gushed “Your golden aura color! Such brilliant radiance! It blinds the eye with its glory! It is the undeniable proof of your Highness’s true nature!”
Arthea puffed out her chest, flipping her hair. “Naturally, a future queen has nothing less to show but brilliance!”
“Of course, of course!” Elara nodded vigorously. “We must find the place that worthy of your presence immediately!”
Unit: FORTZVEL
“May your presence bring your unit to it outmost potential your highness!”
Arthea nodded, satisfied with the praise. “Hm, Hm, Alright!! You may continue your duties, Oracle! You have served me well Fufufufufu” said Arthea as she walks away while Elara just wave at her from behind.
Lena stepped forward, it’s her turn, she had to do this, her hand trembling, as she approach the archway. The moment she arrived, she turned back to look at the remaining crowd, few left of them, one of which is Jaxon, she wonder why he didn’t go first, he seemed to be the type who took the the initiative to her. She clasped her hands together praying, and then she looked up, above was the screen where Elara could seen her.
Elara’s face on the screen softened and let out a smile as she saw her prayed before she speak to her. “Don’t be afraid My dear, sometimes you have to take the step to begin right? This time, you have to take one to begin your journey”
“You may proceed” as she said again the line but this time with encouragement tone.
Lena just nodded back to Elara and then closed her eyes then walk forward to the veil, soon after she moved through, the color of the veil changed to bright emerald colored, it was bright but not with blindingly bright one, it was soft and warm light, makes the one that sees it feels calm and peace.
Back to the Elara screen, it displayed a beautiful vast forest landscape, In the center of screen, there was a lake, and in the center of this lake, appeared to be a rock, a figure could be seen lean sitting atop of it, the figure shape was like a human, but the appearance of the figure itself was just cloaked with bright white and glowing green color, it made the figure appearance can’t be seen beyond just the shape of it, although, there were something that the figure holding that could be seen, and it was a small harp.
The figure was playing this harp and gather around it was butterflies and various insects and birds, circling around the figure, not so long something could be seen emerging from the calm lake near the rock, it was a small serpent like creature, it swaying its head to left and right, as if it was humming with rhyme of the harping that the figure played. The serpent itself was mostly white colored one with some scales of emerald colored scatter around its body, it’s unfortunate that the displayed vision doesn’t have a sound, Elara who was seeing it, interested to hear the sound of the music the figure played.
Too focused on the displayed, she forgot that Lena have already been through the veil, this is a second time she was lost in moment, the first one was with Arthea. Lena who was just stood there for solid twenty second then let out a voice asking if the high-priestess is okay.
“E-Excuse me, are you okay?” said Lena in her soft mannered tone.
Elara snaps back and realized she has been way too focused on the screen and forgot about Lena that just had gone throught, she then apologized.
“Oh My!, I’m sorry My dear, i was dozing a bit there, too focus it seems”
“Oh, I’m sorry to disturb you mam…” Lena respond.
Elara smiled warmly. “Pure hearted soul, this one remind me of someone, This girl, she’s precious”, she thought.
“You always pray my dear?” Elara asked her calmly.
“Y-Yes mam, if weren’t for my lord, i won’t be the way i am today…” Lena response as she fidgeting her fingers together.
“HMMM!!! You’re so cute!!” Elara said softly then suddenly lunge forward and hugs Lena.
“E-ehhhh???!!” Lena surprised.
Unit: GRIDRA
One few recruits remaining, after Lena ha gone through for some reason Jaxon started to take initiative and move after her as if he was waiting for her turn first before going in.
Jaxon walked up to the archway in hurried paced, when arrived he just stood there then bowing his head down, his eyes fixed on the floor he did this for ten seconds, it seemed that he was refusing to look at the Priestess’s face on the screen above.
To Elara he doesn’t seemed to be like other recruit, to her he just looked tired. Elara then tried to make the situation less tiring by not doing her playful demeanor entirely.
“You carry a heavy weight for one so young” she said softly.
“You refuse to look up, is it because of me? Is it shame? Or fear?”
Jaxon didn’t answer.
“You may proceed”
Jaxon who were still looking at the floor, walked forward through the veil, immediately after he walked the color of the veil changes abruptly to red and then sparks of black lighting being to emitting from the veil and the archway.
ZZTTTTT!!! ZZTTTTT!!! ZZTTTTT!!!
Elara eyes were narrowed down, and she dismissed the screen immediately without even seeing the vison, as if she was knew what she would’ve shown on it.
“This sensation” she thought.
“Two times, already, i don’t want to get any more of paperwork, so i will wrote this down as “Normal”, yeah” she mutter in her head.
Jaxon still not seeing her, as if he knew, she would’ve known, as if he knows that she would’ve done this. Then Elara said.
“I won’t ask anything” she said gently.
“So, will you do me a favor?”
”…” Jaxon didn’t say yes neither did he says no.
“Try to not mess with them, you either would be in a lot more trouble or would be in hell” Elara continued with her serious tone.
“Huft…” she let out a sigh.
“I don’t really like being this worked up with a recruit, i guess i wish you a good luck then” then she looked straight at Jaxon.
Jaxon then looked back at her, with his red eyes, Elara notices immediately as she sharpen her gaze. “Thank you” said Jaxon to Elara, and then walked away
“Tsk, You’re welcome” as she sees him walked away.
Unit: NIDDRAZ
Finally, the last remaining out of one hundred and forty one recruit, this is Eric turn, he stepped forward, in the empty hall room toward the archway.
On the screen, Elara tilted her head. “And here we are, you’re the last one” and smiled to Eric.
“Hello, madam, I’m in your guidance” as Eric bow to the screen above.
“Alright!, you may proceed”.
As Elara said the line, eric hesitated to take a step forward in his mind echoed thoughts.
“Please be normal”
“Just give me something boring”
“Let me stay in the base or something”
And then he walked forward to through the veil, the veil… It didn’t changed its color, even after eric has gone through it just the same blue colored one, on Elara’s screen, nothing could be seen, it was blank, not even error static screen, it just empty.
“What? What just happened?” Elara was confused,
Bzzt! She then open another hologram that seems to be like a pop up window to control the archway detector machine, she adjust few things and then she said to Eric to re enter the veil.
“Mr. Rossvolt could you re-enter the veil again? just go back and re-enter”
“Ah, okay alright, uh so i just go through her and re-enter again like i did before?” said Eric in a bit of panic mannered.
“Yes exactly like that”
Eric did the same re-entering the veil, and the same thing happened again, it was nothing, the veil color did not changed, and nothing on the screen.
“What? What the? It’s still nothing??” said Elara still confused.
“Mr Rossvolt one more time please” said Elara to Eric, then Eric nodded and did the same thing.
The same result happened,
“Again please” said Elara.
Same result.
“Again”
Same result.
“Again”
Same.
Again.
They did this over 10 times and still nothing, Elara was doing everything she could to make the detection works, but nothing worked, so after 10 th attempt she said.
“Okay that’s enough Mr. Rossvolt, I’m sorry making you repeatedly do this”
“Eh? Alright” in Eric’s mind he thought he had to reenter again.
“This is quite unfortunate, it’s either the machine is broken and the detector isn’t working or your potential is, I’m sorry to say this, zero” said her softly.
“I can’t see the destiny for you Mr. Rossvolt”
“In the time like this is why i was giving out a choice back before when one could choose to remain in the base”
“So that people could just worked in the base and have their safety assured…”
“I’m sorry Mr. Rossvolt, but in case of non-detector like this i can’t assign you to any normal unit, you instead be going to”
Unit: NULL
Eric felt the words NULL was just perfect, he got his “boring job”, but maybe he was expecting something else? He kept his expression blank, accepting the result.
“Well It was better this way” he said to himself in his thought, and then he took steps to walked away.
“Wait” said Elara
“Unit NULL can’t take normal jobs that other unit had, but you can still earn money and served well in the moon base, don’t worry Mr. Rossvolt, it’s going to be fine, there are people who were NULL too before so rest easy”
She then walked towards him, she reached out to him, her face full of that warm affection. “Having her around was reassuring” said Eric, in his mind.
“Her presence was like a warm blanket”
“Well shit, even that drunk dude got something on, damn it did i really expecting something else?” Eric conflicted in his thought.
Elara said in her mind,
“So sad someone like him being the last have go through something like this, he will probably not going to last long in the Rift, so the least i can do here is to cheer him up”.
“Don’t look so sad,” she said softly, as she reaching out.
“I’m sure everyone has their own potential, maybe you will awaken yours too later on” as she said this she reached out to pat his shoulder as a playful, comforting gesture.
The moment her hand made contact, the playful smile was ripped from her face.
BLIZTSSSSSS!!
The Vision hit her.
She was stood with him in the the Admin Hall before, but the hall just vanished. She was now, floating over the Endless Dark Ocean.
Elara’s eyes widened and her face could not fathom, what is this? Is this real? Then she notice way afar in front of her, a creature the it’s size so massive she doesn’t even believe it was exist. It was a serpent, no, it was a Leviathan, just like in the Kaelion symbol, it looked exactly like that one she saw int he symbol. A jade-blue colossus that dwarfed the mountains, it has terrifying aura, by just seeing it from afar her hand were shaking, and her legs were trembling like it was made of noodles. It was bigger than anything she had ever seen in her life.
It wasn’t alone, standing on top of the water, right in front of the Leviathan, was a figure. It was humanoid in shape, composed of shifting dark blue liquid, it was
The Void Incarnate.
As seeing this her instinct went feral, voices echoes in hear head.
“MUST DESTORY ALL VOIDERS!!”
“DESTROY”
“DESTORY!!”
Both creature notice Elara presence and looked at her.
GASPPP!
Elara violently snapped back to reality, she stumbled back, her playful persona shattered instantly. Her pupils were dilated in sheer terror. Her heart pumped so fast, she hold on to her chest, breathing heavily, and staring at Eric.
“Ma’am?” Eric surprised and asked,
“Are you okay?“.
The sound of his voice seemed to calmed her down her. She blinked rapidly, forcing herself to keep a good posture again.
“I…” She let out a shaky voice still looking at Eric.
And then she let out a stutter laugh. “I—I’m fine! Goodness! Hahahaha, Just tired a bit hehehe!”
“Goodness today was exhausting..” She tried to wink, but her eyelid just twitched.
“What was that?” Elara said in her mind,
“I should test it again, just in case” as her hand shaking she tried to touch Eric again.
“Good luck on your journey Mr. Rossvolt” she touched his shoulder again, but this time nothing happened.
“Thank you Mam, uh I’m sorry to making you stays longer when you are exhausted like this”
Elara seemed surprised with what just happened, but she didn’t let Eric caught her expression, and immediately keep her posture and demeanor.
“No-No-No, it’s okay!, good luck for you too Mr. Rossvolt” she pad eric shoulder again and she confirmed that nothing happened.
As eric leave he bowed to her and she waved him goodbye.
In her mind she wondered,
“Just what was that before?“.
All one hundred and forty one recruits all done be assigned to, most of them were on Gridra, plenty on Fortzvel, only 10% managed to get into Niddraz and one unlucky person were assigned to NULL. Before they departed the recruits were given chance to call their families and loved one, and also to say goodbye to their friends if they were stationed at the base, or finishing their preparation.