Chapter 285: Change of plans.

"What do I have to know about this place?" Lee asked after Overseer Augustus left."Immigration center processes all new arrivals ..." The drone began a long explanatory answer, but Lee immediately interrupted it.

He said, "Stop, Sery, stop! I mean – what do I have to know about Myrios? No, let’s go to my place first. And change your voice to sound more gentle."

"You probably mean your residence." The drone said, "It’ll take forty two days to get there if you run as fast as you did yesterday. I suggest you use the closest Waystation to get there instantaneously."

Turns out the closest Waystation was in a smaller pyramid next to the Immigration center. And it wasn’t a real station – it was a hall with few pedestals, two of which were occupied by stern looking youths, dressed in elegant robes. They sat with their eyes closed, either meditating or pretending to be important.

There was also an older woman, watching over them, probably some kind of supervisor, and a line of youths, patiently waiting for their turn to whatever was about to happen.

"What’s this about?" Lee asked, but the next moment a man-sized rift opened, and two people at the front of the line rushed through it.

"Spatial elemental masters practice while providing services to the other citizens." Sery explained.

"Impressive." Lee said with a tinge of envy, "To be able to create long-distance rifts while at the level of elemental master isn’t something you can see every day."

"Of course!" Sery agreed, "It takes many years of practice to be able to do that. And they are ones of the best payed people as well."

"You mean, they work here? And for years?" Lee’s expression changed hearing that.

"Indeed. It’s the most effective way to practice spatial skills." Sery said.

’Like hell!’ Lee inwardly shouted, getting a bad premonition all of the sudden.

"Does everyone need to work like this?" He asked.

"Need is not the correct term. If you speak about the duties of the citizens, they have to complete missions – assignments given by overseers and their assistants. Prefects like you have extra duties, of course." Sery explained.

"So these guys basically work all day?" Lee asked, still not believing his ears.

"You are not very smart, are you? There aren’t that many spatial cultivators, and no one is going to waste their talent, including themselves." Sery explained, not catching Lee’s meaning, "Under the meticulous guidance of experienced experts they gain invaluable knowledge."

’Yea, right ... invaluable! They are fucking slaves!’ Lee thought to himself, but then realized he intended to present himself as a spatial cultivator as well.

’There’s no way I’m gonna become a doorman! Fuck that!’ He immediately decided. But that meant he had to carefully pick his formal elemental affinity!

"Do other elemental masters have incredible opportunities like the spatial cultivators?" He asked, faking excitement.

"Only the most talented who are hand-picked by overseers and their assistants." Sery said, and Lee could sigh in relief.

"So no matter the element, compared to these guys the rest are considered useless?" He asked.

"There are no useless elements." The drone seriously replied.

"Ok, ok. But let’s say, I have earth affinity. Will anyone try to make me work like this?" Lee asked.

"No!" The answer made his eyes lit up, but the following part spoiled the mood, "Being a prefect of a faction you have other obligations, though."

"Do I have to belong to a faction?" Lee asked.

"No, but since you are the only Overlord Seris’s faction member, you are the prefect and can’t avoid your duties." Sery said.

’Alright! I guess I’ll need to trick someone to take on the responsibilities.’ Lee thought, ’I wonder if I could bribe anyone ...’

In none of his lives he had ever worked a day job, and he didn’t intend to start now. According to his understanding, earning money, or here in Myrios – credits, was a matter of wit, not shed sweat and wasted time.

"Destination?" The elderly lady asked Lee when it was finally his turn.

Lee glanced at the floating drone, and Sery said, "Southeast region, Central district."

"Alright, your token?" The lady stretched out her palm towards Lee, but when he passed the thick silvery coin over, and she inspected it, she said, "You don’t have any credits!"

"Isn’t there a system that supports new arrivals?" Lee asked.

"Making debts on your first day?" The lady said with a shake of her head, but didn’t argue. She motioned to one of her students sitting on a platform, and the guy, after a brief period of focusing, opened a rift.

Lee was about to step through it, but suddenly retreated. His actions were out of place and he couldn’t explain why he did so, but there was something about the rift he instinctively didn’t like. Maybe it was the color or the peculiar flicker of the spatial particles surrounding it, but he felt grave danger the moment he got close to the rift.

The old lady reacted the same moment Lee did. She appeared next to the guy who opened the rift, placed her hand on his forehead, and he passed out. The rift vanished at the same time, startling the rest of the people in the line.

"Damn! Trying to kill me on my first day!" Lee laughed, but then turned serious and asked, "Is he alright?"

In his eyes it was a small incident, but the old madam’s expression after his joke turned grave serious.

"We apologize for the trouble. Would you like to issue a demand?" She said.

"Demand?" Lee was confused. The past lives he had lived among cultivators and had long forgotten what it meant to talk to bureaucrats, "It’s no big deal. He’s probably overworked."

The old lady bit her lip, then grabbed Lee’s token, fiddled with it and returned, with the other hand effortlessly opening a rift.

"Good luck!" She said, and turned her attention to the fainted young man.

"What just happened?" Lee asked after he stepped through the rift, and Sery followed. They arrived at a larger square next to another pyramid, also probably an official building.

"You assessed the situation correctly." Was the dry answer.

"No, I mean, did she charge me an extra time?" Lee asked.

"No. She deleted the previous transaction." Sery said.

"Oh? Nice, so I’m not in debt for now." Lee carelessly said, "Ok, where do I live?"

He liked this place even better than the previous. A quick look around showed there were hundreds of pyramids of different sizes, with one particular towering above others, but what caught Lee’s attention was the warm and humid air, and the palm trees planted at both sides of the street.

"Until you can afford your own place, the best would be for you to stay in your faction’s residence." Sery said, "Follow me!"

The so called Central district of the Southeast region was actually a large city with the only downside being the monotone architecture. There were only pyramids of different sizes clearly indicating that the local architects didn’t have any imagination at all.

The residents, though, were of all races. They walked alone and in groups, chatting and lost in thoughts. And there was one general feeling Lee got observing everyone – the place was incredibly peaceful.

They walked for several miles, and sensing the changes, Lee sniffed the air, and asked, "Please tell me there’s an ocean nearby! Or sea!"

"There is an ocean nearby." Sery dryly said, "Since Overlord Seris’s faction has only one member, it can’t have more respectable residence in the center. Only when you increase the numbers of her followers you’ll be allowed to change it. For now you’ll need to endure and work hard."

After five or six more miles, they arrived at the very edge of the district, at a pyramid of a larger size. About two hundred yards away a long stretch of yellow sand met the calm turquoise waves, which rolled gently to the shore. A row of palm trees lined the beach, their leaves swaying lightly in the breeze.

"As I said, If you work hard and increase the numbers of Seris’s followers, spreading her influence, one day you might build your faction’s residence next to Afleg’s." Sery said.

"What’s an afleg?" Lee absentmindedly asked.

"Afleg, the Overlord of Evershard. His faction owns the largest residence in the district." Sery explained.

"Sure, sure ... so ... I’m the prefect of a faction, right?" Lee said, pointing at the pyramid they stood at "And this is my residence, right?"

"Yes. But may I suggest you visit a healing expert? The cognitive functions of your brain seem to be damaged." Sery said.

’Cognitive, shmognitive!’ Lee loudly cheered inside, rushing to the beach, on the way taking off his clothes, ’Change of plans! Prefect or not – this is the place to live!’