Chapter 4: Luminous Sky Society

Chapter 4: Luminous Sky Society

Luke took in the sights, as he walked towards the administration building. It was impressive to say the least. The memories hed inherited from Max had painted a picture of the world that was tinted through the lens of, not poverty, but of a lower middle class existence in what he was now realizing was a poorer part of the world.

Luminous Sky City was the polar opposite. Every brick exuded wealth. The streets were clean, the people sharply dressed and well groomed as they milled about. There wasnt a single piece of trash to be seen, no matter how hard he looked. It even smelled good. Like woodland and flowers. Just breathing the air made him feel refreshed.

Opening the door to the administration building, he blushed as he walked to the front desk. People stared at him as he did so. No doubt wondering what smelly hole he had crawled out of. Despite being dressed the same as everyone else, Luke felt out of place. Acutely aware of the dead leaves in his hair, and the grime covering every inch of his skin. Not to mention the smell coming off of him. It was bad.

Hi. How can I help you today? A woman in white robes sitting behind the desk asked him.

I have this. Luke slid the token Nefkha had given him earlier across her desk. Idly wondering what the deal was with the robes. In Maxs memories, most people simply dressed in pants, shirts, and dresses if they were women. Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Accepting it gingerly with both hands she looked at the token and then at him. Seeming stunned that he possessed it. One moment please, Ill be right back. She got up and disappeared further into the building.

Luke stood there awkwardly for a minute as he looked around the room. Waiting rooms, he concluded, were the same everywhere in the world.

A few painfully long moments later she returned with another woman. Unlike the white robes the receptionist was wearing, she was dressed in the same black robes he wore.

Hi. Im Arya. She stepped around the desk and shook his hand. Welcome to the Luminous Sky Society. Were glad to have you join us. If you follow me, I can take you to your accommodations and get you properly sorted out.

Right. Luke nodded as he walked out after her. So what does the Society actually do?

She looked at him weirdly. Did the Elder not explain anything to you?

Scratching the back of his head, he struggled to come up with a response. Nefkha had made incorrect assumptions about who Luke was, and what he was capable of. Whatever the Society did, he expected Luke to already be aware of it. Instead Luke was completely new to the world, and had no idea how anything here worked.

He mentioned that the dress code is pretty strict?

She stared at him blankly. Thats it? She looked at him blankly.

Um. Yeah. Was he supposed to tell me more?

Suddenly she stopped and stepped into his personal space. Before he knew what was happening, her hand had snaked through the front of his robes, and was resting right over his heart.

What are you doing? Luke asked.

What are you doing here? She asked in turn.

Nefkha asked me to join

She blinked at him owlishly. I dont sense any mana in your body. You havent even begun to draw it in. Youre as mortals as a mortal can be.

He stepped away from her, as he processed her accusation. He was in fact as mortal as a mortal could be. Largely on account of the fact that he had no clue how not to be.

Is that a problem?

Her cheeks turned red. Its not a problem. Its just unusual. Typically, those who join outside of the examinations, already have a foundation in cultivating mana. Thats how they catch the Societys attention.

Mana, his Status said he had none, and that he regenerated none of it every second.

I dont really know how to do that. Luke confessed, carefully thinking over his words. While Nefkha thought he was a powerful man who had fallen on some hard times, he actually had no idea what he was doing. Seeing as he already had no foundation in cultivating mana, now was a good time to get the basics explained to him. If Nefkha looked into his actions, he was likely to assume that he was playing a role. Pretending to be an ignorant mortal he had picked up from the outside. While in fact, an ignorant mortal was exactly who he was.

She opened her mouth and then closed it, before nodding. Why dont you get settled in, and Ill arrange for someone who can walk you through what you need to know tomorrow. She said, leading him to a house on the outskirts of the city.

Is this all for me? Luke walked into an empty living room. Fully stocked with tasteful furniture.

Yes. All members are provided with accommodations and meals. There is a copy of our handbook along with a few other introductory texts already in your house. Id suggest you acquaint yourself with them. They should answer a lot of your questions. Someone will bring you food later in the evening.

Thank you.

Exploring the house, he was pleasantly surprised by it. While it wasnt extravagant, all the furniture was of very high quality, and besides lacking a kitchen, everything else in the house was largely what he expected. Peeking his head into the rooms as he went, he nodded at the large washroom, which thankfully possessed all the modern conveniences he was used to. Before finding a room with a yoga mat in the middle surrounded by shelves, which save for two books and one scroll, were empty. The last room turned out to be a standard bedroom.

Status | Quests | Inventory

Name: Lukas King

Tier: Mortal

Mana: 0

Rate: 10% per hour

Strength: 8 > 9

Agility: 9

Constitution: 13

Arcana: 0

Stat Points: 1

Bloodline: Locked. Conditions not met. (0/10 000)

Charges: 7/10

His status had changed. Not only had his strength increased by one, he had also gained one stat point, along with a counter next to his bloodline. Eyeing the stat point, he dropped it where he thought he needed it most. The Arcana stat.

Status | Quests | Inventory

Name: Lukas King

Tier: Mortal

Mana: 6.5

Rate: 10% per hour

Strength: 9

Agility: 9

Constitution: 13

Arcana: 1

Stat Points: 0

Bloodline: Locked. Conditions not met. (0/10 000)

Charges: 7/10

Surprisingly he didnt feel any different, nor could he feel the presence of mana inside him. Frowning, he analyzed the numbers. His total mana was half his Constitution stat, while the regen rate was unchanged at ten percent an hour.

Maybe I dont have enough mana to even notice it? Six and a half is decent for other things, but maybe not much when it comes to mana. Ill have to add more points to the Arcana stat, and see if it makes any difference.

Deciding it was what it was, he rolled out of his bed and got ready for the day.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Just in time.