Chapter 124: Trial Planet
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Chapter 124: Trial Planet
Stars flew by Jack. There were hundreds of them, thousands. He saw galaxies swirling in the distance, their spires barely discernible even with his new senses. He saw something flashing periodically in the distance, and he saw a column of light stretching up and down from the center of a far-off galaxy.
They traveled through the Milky Way galaxy. There were blue, yellow, and red stars. Some large, and some so titanic that his mind couldnt comprehend their scale. They crossed a dust cloud so immense that it made even those astral giants seem like fish to an ocean.
Their speed was unnatural. They floated through space not at the speed of light, but the speed of thought, untouched by anything. The fabric of space itself was their vehicle.
Jack lost track of time, but it couldnt have been more than a few hours.
When the world stabilized, Jack found himself on a moon. He stood on a large teleportation platform, like the one hed departed from, except his surroundings were mostly empty.
Before anything else, he fell to his knees and violently emptied his stomach. Next to him, Gan Salin did the same. Brock seemed unaffected. The vomit disintegrated as it touched the platform. Only after a good minute did Jack look up.
A dome of glass surrounded them like an Inuits igloo, about a hundred feet in height and another hundred in diameter. Outside its walls, he could see gray dirt lined with craters. There was no sky; space was directly observable from here, like the pictures Jack had seen of Earths moon.
Perhaps I could go to the moon now, he thought, before realizing he was much farther than any Earth-387 human had ever been in the entire history of their planet. He was a pioneer.
In the horizon, a large sphere rose over the moon they stood on. It did not look like Earth. Jack didnt know what he expected, but it was certainly not this. This planet lookeddead.
Step off the teleporter, a commanding voice reached their ears, cutting off Jacks train of thought. He looked around, then followed the command to step away. The person who had called out to them was a human of Earth-199, dressed in a silver uniform with the Hand of Gods emblem at the frontan open palm facing the observer, with an open eye in the center.
He was at the D-Grade, as were the other two guards flanking him: one ant-like humanoidan antfolkand one that looked like a djinn but was even smaller in size, barely reaching Jacks waist. This last one was also floating on a tiny cloud. Its species was apparently called vonanan.
Are you expecting more people? the human guard asked. Gan Salin shook his head.
Nope. Just us.
Good. He took out two pieces of paper. Name, affiliation, and Dao, please.
Gan Salin, Animal Kingdom, Dao of Insanity, Gan Salin replied. And my friend here is Jack Rust, Bare Fist Brotherhood of the Animal Kingdom constellation, Dao of the Fist.
Jack glared at him. Salin leaned in, whispering, Dont worry. The Hand of God doesnt care about the B-Grade faction grudges.
You told them my Dao. That was personal information.
We have to tell them, Salin replied, shrugging. Everybody does it. And lying to the Hand of God is a terrible idea.
Jack grumbled. Speak for me like this again, and we go separate ways. Understood?
Gan Salin smiled. Perfectly so.
And the brorilla? the guard asked. Gan Salin didnt reply, shooting Jack a glance.
Hes my spiritual companion, Jack replied.
Okay. The guard scribbled down some things. Does he have a name and Dao?
Jack hesitated for a moment. He glanced at Brock, who frowned but nodded. Brock, Jack replied honestly. Dao of Muscles.
The guard nodded, still writing down stuff. Unless he was describing their physical appearance in text, Jack had no idea how an immortal could be this slow at transcribing.
Well, people obviously come here in teams, but the Hand of God doesnt want weaklings to delve far just because of their connections. Everyone is scattered before they enter the second ring. The fourth ring is small enough and open enough that teams can reconvene, though. With your strength, you should be able to make it there. Me too, I hope. Unless Im unlucky. Then, Ill just die. He laughed.
Jack looked at Brock with worry.
Oh, dont worry. Spiritual companions arent split, Gan Salin hurried to add. You and little Brock will be just fine.
Brock punched his shoulder.
Big Brock, I meant big Brock, Salin corrected himself, laughing.
So Trial Planet is only for combat classes? Jack asked.
Well Partly. Non-combat classes can also delve, and they often do, but they have to go through the trouble of reconvening with their teammates at the second ringwhich can take months. For us, its better to just go solo until the fourth ring.
I see
Jack looked outside the window. They had reached the planet by now and were sailing over its surface. The ground below was ravaged. There were razor-sharp ravines kilometers in length, like theyd been slashed open by swords. There were craters the size of cities, one of which was shaped exactly like a palm print.
Jack even saw areas covered in multicolored mist, as well as ruins where the shadows seemed to flicker wrong.
Who could have done all this? he couldnt help but wonder.
So, thats the plan, Gan Salin repeated, drawing Jacks attention. We meet at the fourth rings village. If one of us hasnt made it there in two monthsthe other just keeps going. Okay?
Okay.
And by the way, if you see anything resembling a trial ground, go for it!
What? What do trial grounds look like?
Youll know it when you see it.
Jack rolled his eyes. The starship slowed down. Suddenly, he noticed a massive hole dug into the earth under them. It was circular, with a diameter of a few hundred feet, and seemed to stretch down endlessly. It was like a deep dark maw carved into the earthor just a really large and deep well.
The starship touched down on the land right next to the hole. Jack Rust and Brock, please descend, the antfolk said. Jack and Brock stood up.
Gan Salin, Jack said, throwing the canine a complex gaze. I have no idea what youre thinking, but you saved me. I appreciate that. We are no longer enemies.
Of course not. Were friends!
I dont know about that yet, but not enemies. Probably. Jack hesitated for a moment, then smiled. Be careful down there.
Same to you! Gan Salin flashed back his own smile. Jack caught the antfolks gaze and decided not to delay any longer. He and Brock walked away. The moment they stepped onto the ground, the door behind them slid closed, and the starship took off. Gan Salin kept waving from the little window until he disappeared in the distance.
Jack looked at the sky for a moment. It was red and hazy. The air was stingy, like he was breathing through a lemon. His eyes were watering. So, this is Trial Planet, he said. What do you think, bro?
Brock gave him a thumbs-up and a monkey grin. Jack grinned back. Thats what I thought. Lets go! For Earth! For us!
The hole behind them resembled a gate to hell. They found stairs swirling its edge and climbed down, one man and one brorilla.
They didnt even have a backpack.
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Chapter 124: Trial Planet
Stars flew by Jack. There were hundreds of them, thousands. He saw galaxies swirling in the distance, their spires barely discernible even with his new senses. He saw something flashing periodically in the distance, and he saw a column of light stretching up and down from the center of a far-off galaxy.
They traveled through the Milky Way galaxy. There were blue, yellow, and red stars. Some large, and some so titanic that his mind couldnt comprehend their scale. They crossed a dust cloud so immense that it made even those astral giants seem like fish to an ocean.
Their speed was unnatural. They floated through space not at the speed of light, but the speed of thought, untouched by anything. The fabric of space itself was their vehicle.
Jack lost track of time, but it couldnt have been more than a few hours.
When the world stabilized, Jack found himself on a moon. He stood on a large teleportation platform, like the one hed departed from, except his surroundings were mostly empty.
Before anything else, he fell to his knees and violently emptied his stomach. Next to him, Gan Salin did the same. Brock seemed unaffected. The vomit disintegrated as it touched the platform. Only after a good minute did Jack look up.
A dome of glass surrounded them like an Inuits igloo, about a hundred feet in height and another hundred in diameter. Outside its walls, he could see gray dirt lined with craters. There was no sky; space was directly observable from here, like the pictures Jack had seen of Earths moon.
Perhaps I could go to the moon now, he thought, before realizing he was much farther than any Earth-387 human had ever been in the entire history of their planet. He was a pioneer.
In the horizon, a large sphere rose over the moon they stood on. It did not look like Earth. Jack didnt know what he expected, but it was certainly not this. This planet lookeddead.
Step off the teleporter, a commanding voice reached their ears, cutting off Jacks train of thought. He looked around, then followed the command to step away. The person who had called out to them was a human of Earth-199, dressed in a silver uniform with the Hand of Gods emblem at the frontan open palm facing the observer, with an open eye in the center.
He was at the D-Grade, as were the other two guards flanking him: one ant-like humanoidan antfolkand one that looked like a djinn but was even smaller in size, barely reaching Jacks waist. This last one was also floating on a tiny cloud. Its species was apparently called vonanan.
Are you expecting more people? the human guard asked. Gan Salin shook his head.
Nope. Just us.
Good. He took out two pieces of paper. Name, affiliation, and Dao, please.
Gan Salin, Animal Kingdom, Dao of Insanity, Gan Salin replied. And my friend here is Jack Rust, Bare Fist Brotherhood of the Animal Kingdom constellation, Dao of the Fist.
Jack glared at him. Salin leaned in, whispering, Dont worry. The Hand of God doesnt care about the B-Grade faction grudges.
You told them my Dao. That was personal information.
We have to tell them, Salin replied, shrugging. Everybody does it. And lying to the Hand of God is a terrible idea.
Jack grumbled. Speak for me like this again, and we go separate ways. Understood?
Gan Salin smiled. Perfectly so.
And the brorilla? the guard asked. Gan Salin didnt reply, shooting Jack a glance.
Hes my spiritual companion, Jack replied.
Okay. The guard scribbled down some things. Does he have a name and Dao?
Jack hesitated for a moment. He glanced at Brock, who frowned but nodded. Brock, Jack replied honestly. Dao of Muscles.
The guard nodded, still writing down stuff. Unless he was describing their physical appearance in text, Jack had no idea how an immortal could be this slow at transcribing.
Well, people obviously come here in teams, but the Hand of God doesnt want weaklings to delve far just because of their connections. Everyone is scattered before they enter the second ring. The fourth ring is small enough and open enough that teams can reconvene, though. With your strength, you should be able to make it there. Me too, I hope. Unless Im unlucky. Then, Ill just die. He laughed.
Jack looked at Brock with worry.
Oh, dont worry. Spiritual companions arent split, Gan Salin hurried to add. You and little Brock will be just fine.
Brock punched his shoulder.
Big Brock, I meant big Brock, Salin corrected himself, laughing.
So Trial Planet is only for combat classes? Jack asked.
Well Partly. Non-combat classes can also delve, and they often do, but they have to go through the trouble of reconvening with their teammates at the second ringwhich can take months. For us, its better to just go solo until the fourth ring.
I see
Jack looked outside the window. They had reached the planet by now and were sailing over its surface. The ground below was ravaged. There were razor-sharp ravines kilometers in length, like theyd been slashed open by swords. There were craters the size of cities, one of which was shaped exactly like a palm print.
Jack even saw areas covered in multicolored mist, as well as ruins where the shadows seemed to flicker wrong.
Who could have done all this? he couldnt help but wonder.
So, thats the plan, Gan Salin repeated, drawing Jacks attention. We meet at the fourth rings village. If one of us hasnt made it there in two monthsthe other just keeps going. Okay?
Okay.
And by the way, if you see anything resembling a trial ground, go for it!
What? What do trial grounds look like?
Youll know it when you see it.
Jack rolled his eyes. The starship slowed down. Suddenly, he noticed a massive hole dug into the earth under them. It was circular, with a diameter of a few hundred feet, and seemed to stretch down endlessly. It was like a deep dark maw carved into the earthor just a really large and deep well.
The starship touched down on the land right next to the hole. Jack Rust and Brock, please descend, the antfolk said. Jack and Brock stood up.
Gan Salin, Jack said, throwing the canine a complex gaze. I have no idea what youre thinking, but you saved me. I appreciate that. We are no longer enemies.
Of course not. Were friends!
I dont know about that yet, but not enemies. Probably. Jack hesitated for a moment, then smiled. Be careful down there.
Same to you! Gan Salin flashed back his own smile. Jack caught the antfolks gaze and decided not to delay any longer. He and Brock walked away. The moment they stepped onto the ground, the door behind them slid closed, and the starship took off. Gan Salin kept waving from the little window until he disappeared in the distance.
Jack looked at the sky for a moment. It was red and hazy. The air was stingy, like he was breathing through a lemon. His eyes were watering. So, this is Trial Planet, he said. What do you think, bro?
Brock gave him a thumbs-up and a monkey grin. Jack grinned back. Thats what I thought. Lets go! For Earth! For us!
The hole behind them resembled a gate to hell. They found stairs swirling its edge and climbed down, one man and one brorilla.
They didnt even have a backpack.
Chapter 124: Trial PlanetStars flew by Jack. There were hundreds of them, thousands. He saw galaxies swirling in the distance, their spires barely discernible even with his new senses. He saw something flashing periodically in the distance, and he saw a column of light stretching up and down from the center of a far-off galaxy.They traveled through the Milky Way galaxy. There were blue, yellow, and red stars. Some large, and some so titanic that his mind couldnt comprehend their scale. They crossed a dust cloud so immense that it made even those astral giants seem like fish to an ocean.Their speed was unnatural. They floated through space not at the speed of light, but the speed of thought, untouched by anything. The fabric of space itself was their vehicle.Jack lost track of time, but it couldnt have been more than a few hours.When the world stabilized, Jack found himself on a moon. He stood on a large teleportation platform, like the one hed departed from, except his surroundings were mostly empty.Before anything else, he fell to his knees and violently emptied his stomach. Next to him, Gan Salin did the same. Brock seemed unaffected. The vomit disintegrated as it touched the platform. Only after a good minute did Jack look up.A dome of glass surrounded them like an Inuits igloo, about a hundred feet in height and another hundred in diameter. Outside its walls, he could see gray dirt lined with craters. There was no sky; space was directly observable from here, like the pictures Jack had seen of Earths moon.Perhaps I could go to the moon now, he thought, before realizing he was much farther than any Earth-387 human had ever been in the entire history of their planet. He was a pioneer.In the horizon, a large sphere rose over the moon they stood on. It did not look like Earth. Jack didnt know what he expected, but it was certainly not this. This planet lookeddead.Step off the teleporter, a commanding voice reached their ears, cutting off Jacks train of thought. He looked around, then followed the command to step away. The person who had called out to them was a human of Earth-199, dressed in a silver uniform with the Hand of Gods emblem at the frontan open palm facing the observer, with an open eye in the center.He was at the D-Grade, as were the other two guards flanking him: one ant-like humanoidan antfolkand one that looked like a djinn but was even smaller in size, barely reaching Jacks waist. This last one was also floating on a tiny cloud. Its species was apparently called vonanan.Are you expecting more people? the human guard asked. Gan Salin shook his head.Nope. Just us.Good. He took out two pieces of paper. Name, affiliation, and Dao, please.Gan Salin, Animal Kingdom, Dao of Insanity, Gan Salin replied. And my friend here is Jack Rust, Bare Fist Brotherhood of the Animal Kingdom constellation, Dao of the Fist.Jack glared at him. Salin leaned in, whispering, Dont worry. The Hand of God doesnt care about the B-Grade faction grudges.You told them my Dao. That was personal information.We have to tell them, Salin replied, shrugging. Everybody does it. And lying to the Hand of God is a terrible idea.Jack grumbled. Speak for me like this again, and we go separate ways. Understood?Gan Salin smiled. Perfectly so.And the brorilla? the guard asked. Gan Salin didnt reply, shooting Jack a glance.Hes my spiritual companion, Jack replied.Okay. The guard scribbled down some things. Does he have a name and Dao?Jack hesitated for a moment. He glanced at Brock, who frowned but nodded. Brock, Jack replied honestly. Dao of Muscles.The guard nodded, still writing down stuff. Unless he was describing their physical appearance in text, Jack had no idea how an immortal could be this slow at transcribing.Well, people obviously come here in teams, but the Hand of God doesnt want weaklings to delve far just because of their connections. Everyone is scattered before they enter the second ring. The fourth ring is small enough and open enough that teams can reconvene, though. With your strength, you should be able to make it there. Me too, I hope. Unless Im unlucky. Then, Ill just die. He laughed.Jack looked at Brock with worry.Oh, dont worry. Spiritual companions arent split, Gan Salin hurried to add. You and little Brock will be just fine.Brock punched his shoulder.Big Brock, I meant big Brock, Salin corrected himself, laughing.So Trial Planet is only for combat classes? Jack asked.Well Partly. Non-combat classes can also delve, and they often do, but they have to go through the trouble of reconvening with their teammates at the second ringwhich can take months. For us, its better to just go solo until the fourth ring.I seeJack looked outside the window. They had reached the planet by now and were sailing over its surface. The ground below was ravaged. There were razor-sharp ravines kilometers in length, like theyd been slashed open by swords. There were craters the size of cities, one of which was shaped exactly like a palm print.Jack even saw areas covered in multicolored mist, as well as ruins where the shadows seemed to flicker wrong.Who could have done all this? he couldnt help but wonder.So, thats the plan, Gan Salin repeated, drawing Jacks attention. We meet at the fourth rings village. If one of us hasnt made it there in two monthsthe other just keeps going. Okay?Okay.And by the way, if you see anything resembling a trial ground, go for it!What? What do trial grounds look like?Youll know it when you see it.Jack rolled his eyes. The starship slowed down. Suddenly, he noticed a massive hole dug into the earth under them. It was circular, with a diameter of a few hundred feet, and seemed to stretch down endlessly. It was like a deep dark maw carved into the earthor just a really large and deep well.The starship touched down on the land right next to the hole. Jack Rust and Brock, please descend, the antfolk said. Jack and Brock stood up.Gan Salin, Jack said, throwing the canine a complex gaze. I have no idea what youre thinking, but you saved me. I appreciate that. We are no longer enemies.Of course not. Were friends!I dont know about that yet, but not enemies. Probably. Jack hesitated for a moment, then smiled. Be careful down there.Same to you! Gan Salin flashed back his own smile. Jack caught the antfolks gaze and decided not to delay any longer. He and Brock walked away. The moment they stepped onto the ground, the door behind them slid closed, and the starship took off. Gan Salin kept waving from the little window until he disappeared in the distance.Jack looked at the sky for a moment. It was red and hazy. The air was stingy, like he was breathing through a lemon. His eyes were watering. So, this is Trial Planet, he said. What do you think, bro?Brock gave him a thumbs-up and a monkey grin. Jack grinned back. Thats what I thought. Lets go! For Earth! For us!The hole behind them resembled a gate to hell. They found stairs swirling its edge and climbed down, one man and one brorilla.They didnt even have a backpack.
