Chapter 24: Chapter 24 – A New World.

Waking up with a start, Astrid rubbed her puffy eyes. Looking out at the orange orb that was creeping up from the horizon, a yawn forced its way out of her mouth and stretched her arms high. Groaning, she jumped off the bed and gave herself a quick glance over at the mirror. Then settled on her face. Leaning in, Astrid peeled open one eye. It was my imagination, after all.

Astrid had checked daily. Whenever she closed her eyes, the x would appear. Faintly. Closing her eyes, it appeared once more. Ignoring it, her mind’s mana activated as the matter within the room swirled. Candlesticks, picture frames, and leftover tableware levitated around her like she was the eye of a storm. It helped activate her mind for the day to come.

Finishing her exercise, she placed all the items back where they belonged. Without a single one dropping. I’m getting better, but it’s not enough. I need to level up faster. The fight with that soldier was evidence enough. An unprotected, low levelled mage is just beast food. Astrid raised her arms, stretching. Her toned stomach peeking out from her pyjama top.

Shaking her head, Astrid stood up. A little package on her study table attracted her attention. Walking over, she picked it up and peeled over a small label that was attached.

“To my beloved daughter. I know you are as stubborn as your father and brothers, a bunch of bulls, the lot of you.”

“Mother.” Astrid smiled. A warmth bubbled within her. She continued reading.

“As a mother, I want to hold you back in this house, never letting go, but I can no longer do that. You might have viewed your life so far as a chick within a cage. But to me, you are a phoenix that has always shined the brightest. So accept these items and fly… I love you, my precious daughter, and please come back to me safe and sound."

P.s. I went behind your father's back this time. Sinwen tradition be damned.

With all the love, your mother.”

Astrid broke out into an exuberant smile–sniffling–she unwrapped the gift paper. Inside was a white glove and a ring. She quickly put them on and felt the power well up inside her. It was like a steroid injected into her veins. The higher her stats became, the greater the feeling.

Stripping her clothes off, she changed into her wetsuit. Then her battle dress over the top. The armour seamlessly clung to her like a second skin.

Astrid approached the coat hanger, plucking the cape, she tied it around her shoulders. Opening her System, she gazed at all the equipment she was wearing, alongside the stat increases they brought with them.

Uncommon Crafted Equipment - Level 10 - Battle Dress: Made with durable fur of a Dire Wolf, lined with heat resistance fabric and finished off with Cold-Steel.
| 5 added Intelligence
| 3 added constitution
| +10% heat resistance

Rare Mage Class Equipment - Level 15 - Shroud Linen Cape: Spun from the Shroud Knotweed Plant. A tough yet flexible yarn that holds magical capabilities.
| 8 added intelligence.
| 7 added wisdom.
| Magic spells deal 5% extra damage.
| Mana regenerates 2.5% faster.

Uncommon Mage Class Equipment - Level 20 - Mind’s Aspect Ring: Crafted from Mythril, a mana conducting metal. It has been imbued with an enchantment to improve psychic powers.
| 10 added intelligence.
| 6 added wisdom.
| Enchant: Mind spells deal 6% extra damage.

Rare Mage Class Equipment - Level 25 - Psyker’s glove 1/3: ???
| 16 added intelligence.
| 9 added wisdom.
| 5 added constitution.
| Mind spells deal 10% extra damage.
| Mana regenerates 2.5% faster.
| Enchant: Auto repair.

Set of the Psyker.

Set bonus 2/3
|+25 intelligence

Set bonus 3/3
| Offensive psychic abilities are 20% stronger.
| There is a chance to double cast a psychic skill with no extra mana cost.

Ah, I feel damn good. Thank you, mother, for going behind father's back. Astrid beamed a smile. She knew the equipment couldn’t compare to the ones Gloria was wearing during the exam. Her family didn't have the same strict rules, unlike the Sinwen family. But they brought a special warmth that the stats couldn't provide.

Shaking her head, she grabbed her go bag that lay on the floor and left the manor.

---

As she walked through the shopping district, Astrid could smell the tantalising fresh baked goods wafting through the air. One or two pastries can’t hurt. I’m up earlier than usual, anyway. Astrid walked into the bakers. When she returned, she had crammed a flaky pastry filled with meat into her mouth.

Ahh, so tasty.

---

Astrid stood at the side of the ship. Alongside the other examinees from the other classes and dozens of senior Wayfarers.

Jacob stood with his hands behind his back. He was in a different uniform than before. Well, it couldn’t be considered a uniform. He was wearing thin plated armour that covered his casual clothes. It was the same as the other Wayfarers. They were all wearing whatever they wanted… whatever equipment they had scavenged from the Bubbled-Cities or towns down below. But they all had one thing in common. The badge of a Wayfarer pinned on their chests.

“Welcome recruits. With your first mission within a Bubbled-Town, there will be casualties. One mistake and you could easily lose your life,” The Major continued. “Once we are out on the ocean, keep your head on a swivel.” His eyes peered forward, individually looking at every examinee. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes major!”

Everyone cried out at once. Jacob nodded.

“Astrid, you and your group will be in that boat.” Jacob pointed to a black rubber dinghy that was hovering over the edge of the ship. It was being held up by a long, coiled metal wire. A high-powered propeller was attached at the back of the boat.

“Price is your captain. They’ll take good care of you. They're good people, and I have known their parents my entire life. As this is your first mission, the time limit will be one day. If you’re not out by then, we’ll come looking. Go on then.”

Nodding, Astrid stepped foot into the boat and the entire thing wobbled. She glanced up at the two steel wires hoisting the dingy up. They won’t snap, right? Astrid sat down near the edge, looking down. The sheer drop was stomach wrenching. With another wobble, the other examinees quickly joined her.

Froderick peered over the edge, his face instantly turned ashen.

“Scared of a little height?” Gloria smirked.

“Then why don’t you look down?” Astrid said as she watched Gloria’s head refuse to turn.

Gloria exhaled.

“Has it hit you yet?” Nick’s eyes gleamed. “The excitement, I mean.”

Astrid and the others nodded as they gazed into the never ending horizon. They knew at that moment if they passed their first mission. Their lives would change forever.

“Lower!” Jacob shouted.

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The boat started with a jolt. The horizon lowered as they descended. It took an entire ten minutes to reach the bottom.

“Loose!” Jacob’s voice was barely audible from up on the ship.

Astrid heard a snap and then felt a pit in her stomach as they fell. With a tremendous splash of water, they landed in the endless expanse of blue. Astrid and the others were in a team of five Wayfarers. One had robes on, while the others were mixed with light and heavy armour. .

The soldier that had a curved blade by his waist grabbed hold of a long piece of cord from the motorised propeller at the back. With a tug, the motor roared to life. He wasted no time in putting the motor to work. Astrid tightly held on as she felt her body jolt back at the sudden force of the engine.

Astrid raised her head as the sea breeze buffeted her face and sent her hair into chaos. The salted water licked her fair skin. The skipping of the boat jolted her legs as they repeatedly crashed against the ocean’s waves. These were all things that put a beaming smile on Astrid’s face. Standing up, she stuck out her arms as the wind blew her clothes into turmoil. It was all ruined by a singular, stray fly.

Astrid coughed and sputtered as she quickly sat back down. “Shit, I thought I was gonna die.”

The others laughed. Even Gloria couldn’t hide a smile from brimming to life.

“And that’s why you keep your ass on the seat, newbie.” One of the female Wayfarers in light armour chuckled. She had short brunette hair. Freckled covered her face from her cheeks to the bridge of her nose. Scars were marked into her arms, evidence of her experiences.

“Frank had it worse. One time, he did the same thing you did. Although it didn’t end well. Ain’t that right Frank?” She said.

He was wearing heavy armour. He had a bald head but made up for it with his long beard that was stirred by the gusts of air.

“Aye.” Frank continued. “It was also my first mission, the feeling of the wind kissing my cheeks. I couldn’t get enough of it, but unlike today, the waves weren’t so calm. Ended up biting my tongue so hard, I had to get the healer working overtime to save it.”

“It was a damned blood bath, I tell you, you’d think the dinghy was sinking with the amount of blood pooling within.” The lightly armoured female said. “My name’s Arya. The other lot are a miserable bunch. You’d be lucky to pry their names out of them.”

“Arya, Frank. Nice to meet you.” Froderick smiled, his hand stuck forwards.

“It’s not that we’re miserable, Arya. It’s just that your banter sucks out the will to live, that’s all.” The lightly armoured, robed man seemed to be in his thirties. The robes were green and black. A half-circle hairband managed his long chestnut hair.

“You don't usually complain?” Arya winked.

Froderick’s face turned scarlet-red.

“Look at what you’re doing to the young uns,” the man in robes said. “The name’s Miller. This ragtag group's healer.”

“Nice to meet you, Miller.” Froderick leaned over, shaking his hand. “We’ll be in your care for this mission.”

“Rarely we get to be on a team of three newbie high-nobles.” The last man in heavy armour frowned. “The pay could be better to match up with the stress.”

“That’s Bert. We’ve not known each other long, but he seems alright. If you can ignore the grumpiness.” Arya said in a hushed voice that everyone could still hear.

“Nice to meet your Bert.” Froderick leaned forward with a handshake once more.

“Yeah.” Bert said. Refusing to shake the noble's hand.

I guess not everyone is friendly. It makes sense considering how dangerous the missions are; I suppose. Astrid thought.

“We’ll be approaching soon.” The man at the engine shouted over the engine. The others nodded.

“And that’s the captain, Price.” Arya said.

Price had dark circles under his eyes, but he remained well groomed. He wore a light tan long-sleeved shirt with light armour strapped to his slender body. A wide, curved blade was sheathed at his waist.

The trip took three hours to approach the sight of the Bubbled-Town. Finally, Price cut off the loud growling from the engine.

This must be it. Astrid clenched her fists. Her head peered over the edge, thanks to the summer's day. The water was crystal clear. Looking down, the faint image of an enormous bubble greeted them.

“Under your seat, you’ll find a breathing apparatus with two spare canisters.” Price reached underneath, taking hold of a brown bag. He took out a small mouthpiece from within and implanted one of the cylindrical canisters. The others all copied him.

“The bag’s waterproof. Strip your clothes off and place them in the bag. You don’t want to be adventuring the coldness of the town with saturated clothes. When we dive, it's in formation. You'll all be in the middle, while we surround you, covering you from all directions.” Price continued. “This is the great ocean, after all. This isn’t our playground. Keep your head on a swivel, and your weapons in your hands. I’ll clear the way.” Price finished his sentence and dove straight in like a spear.

“I’ll quickly add something before you all get yourself killed.” Miller tied his magic staff to his back. “When we approach the bubble, don’t enter it from the top or middle. Follow us all the way to the bottom. I don't have to explain gravity, do I?” Finishing his words, he followed Price.

Astrid nodded and stripped off her dress, revealing her wetsuit below. Astrid stuffed her clothes into the waterproof bag, and then into her rucksack. She bit down on her mouthpiece and followed closely behind. The water, despite the sun looming above, was cold. As she descended further, her chest tightened from the high water density. Although it took hours to reach the location, it took only a few minutes before she was staring at the bubble in front of her. It completely dwarfed their entire group.

Although it was just a town, the bubble sprawled for miles. An enormous forest surrounded the town's highrise buildings. Fields of grass and weeds had devoured most of the roads, making it difficult to make out signs of the once vibrant civilisation. Above that, clouds had formed, creating its own weather system. She looked down at where the ocean met the bubble. The ocean floor was barren. Countless years of water pressure and erosion had eviscerated any signs of civilization outside.

From the bottom to the top of the Bubble, it was the height of a mountain. Price took them all the way to the bottom of the ocean. The constriction of the ocean was intense. Even with the respirator, Astrid could feel the lack of air reaching her compressed lungs.

The captain wasted no time as he entered the mountain-sized air bubble. Astrid was quick to follow. The faster she could escape the ocean’s force, the better. With her hand reaching forward, a strange air current tickled her palm. Then her entire body entered.

Astrid's heart constricted as she gazed upon the new world that blessed her sight.