chapter 27 citizenship
The transition was as violent as a physical blow.
Saint Veera swept her hand through the air, and the reality of the Endless Quagmire shattered like a pane of glass. One moment, Fighter was a flickering spark of violet light in a world of iron-scented sludge; the next, he was sitting on the hard wooden bench of the dim exam room.
The physical restoration was perfect. Kaizer's missing limbs had returned, seamlessly knitted back to his torso. Fighter's body, which had been reduced to jagged scrap and purple light, was whole again—flesh, bone, and dirt-caked rags exactly as they had been.
But the mind does not heal as fast as the flesh.
Fighter's vision blurred. Even though his body was restored, his ability [Blessing of The Worms] remained active, a cold parasite in his brain that refused to let the sensory data go. He could still "feel" the sensation of his soul being peeled like an orange. The contrast between the phantom memory of being unmade and the sudden solidity of the room was too much.
Fighter doubled over and began to vomit, the bitter protein paste and medicinal water splashing onto the stone floor.
Beside him, Kaizer wasn't vomiting, but he was shaking. Faint, erratic sparks of gold lightning danced across his skin, crackling with a high-pitched hum. His golden eyes were wide, fixed on his own hands as if he expected them to vanish again at any moment.
### The Command Call
Saint Veera ignored the mess. She was focused on a small, crystalline device strapped to her wrist—a Mana-Comm. She tapped the crystal, and the air above it hummed with a sharp, static-filled projection.
"Central Command? This is Instructor Veera," she said, her voice dropping the teacher's facade for something colder and more professional. "I am concluding the intake for Exam Room 3."
A voice crackled through the comms, sounding bored and sharp. "Status, Veera. Give us the usual A-Class failures so we can file the paperwork."
"Update the records," Veera said, her eyes shifting to the two boys. "We have one Step 10... and one Step 8."
There was a long, heavy silence. Then, the sound of glass shattering echoed from the device.
"What? Repeat that, Veera," the voice demanded, now frantic. "You're saying we have two SSAs from the same room? And a 10th step? That's impossible. No one takes the 10th step. It defies the geometry of the River."
Veera watched Kaizer, who was slowly regaining his breath. "I have already transmitted the recording. Check the logs yourself. The Step 10 was raw, mindless willpower. But the Step 8... the skinny one... he dived. He went under the current and came back out."
The voice on the other end was breathless. "An SSA class is rare enough once a year, but this makes three in one intake. This is... unprecedented."
Veera's expression darkened. She whispered to herself, too low for the boys to hear: "Too many monsters, It's never a good sign when the world starts birthing this many legends at once."
The Verdict
After a few minutes of tense silence, a ping signaled the official result. Veera turned to them, her Aura retracting into a tight, controlled shimmer.
"You two have passed," she stated. "A guide will arrive shortly to escort you to your assigned quarters. Congratulations on becoming citizens of the Human Unified Territory. I suggest you use the afternoon to find a mirror and remember what you look like. You'll need that sense of self where you're going."
Without another word, Veera turned and vanished through the door, her pace hurried, as if she were rushing to a meeting of the High Council.
Kaizer leaned back against the wall, letting out a long, shuddering breath. "Just like that... we're in the UCA. Ha! I thought for sure she was going to kill us."
"Don't celebrate yet," Fighter rasped, wiping his mouth with a tattered sleeve. "We just traded one hell for a much more expensive one."
The ID Cells
A man in a sharp, grey uniform appeared at the door. He didn't look at them with the disgust the "Four-Eye Nerd" had; instead, he offered a slight, respectful bow.
"Please follow me to the administration office for your citizenship finalization."
They followed the guide through hallways that grew increasingly luxurious—plush carpets, moving portraits of past Heroes, and air that smelled of expensive incense. They were led into a private lounge and seated on a sofa so soft it felt like sitting on a cloud.
Minutes later, the guide returned, holding two sleek, metallic tablets—ID Cells. He handed the first one to Fighter.
Fighter's fingers trembled as the device hummed to life, projecting a holographic display:
[ CITIZENSHIP RECORD ]
Name: Fighter
Citizen Level: 8 (Restricted Access)
Affiliation: UCA Student (Class SSA-Beta)
Status: Story Bearer (Noberry)