Ascension: Rune Evolution System

Once the man stood at the front with Syrn and his armed companion, Syrn seemed to take that as her cue to relieve herself of the situation.

”If you’ll excuse me, Earthlings, I have other duties to attend to. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, and I wish you all the best of luck for the duration of your stay in our humble world.”

The sudden farewell came as a surprise to Frost.

He had assumed she would at least take part in the explanation that was about to follow, considering she had been the one to rescue them and bring them all the way here, but apparently, she was a busy woman.

There was a brief farewell between Syrn and Jennifer, as well as a few of the guys like Jason, who were perhaps hoping to get into her good books before she left.

Syrn entertained them for a short while before eventually leaving the shack without much fanfare.

Frost watched the entrance flap fall closed behind her.

”Well, that was... odd.”

He said that to Cassie, who happened to be sitting beside him, hoping to break the ice with her.

Although Frost hadn’t exactly endeared himself to anyone in their college, he still knew the names of everyone in his class.

Of course he did; after all the time they had spent together, he would have to seriously question his own memory if he didn’t.

Unfortunately, Cassie looked at him for a moment before deciding that he wasn’t worth wasting her words on.

Frost could only sigh and shake his head.

’After everything we’ve been through together, I thought maybe we were tight....’

”I trust that you are settling in well?” the lanky man finally asked, glancing between the fifteen young men and women before him.

Jason scoffed.

”If by settling in, you mean trying not to inhale mould and tetanus, then yeah, we’re doing amazing.”

The armed man standing behind the speaker immediately frowned and took a step forward, but the lanky man raised one hand, stopping him before he could do whatever it was he intended to do.

”Your discomfort is understood.”

Jason harrumphed but didn’t say anything else.

”Linden cannot absorb the number of arrivals we are currently receiving,” the man continued. ”Not without consequences that could become catastrophic. Food distribution is already strained. Internal housing districts are restricted by status and trade charter, and several local factions would riot if they believed outsiders were being granted permanent residence before petitioners who have waited years.”

Frost’s brows rose slightly.

Well, when he put it like that...

”Therefore, temporary settlement zones have been designated outside the walls.”

He paused for a moment.

”You may call me Harod. I have been assigned as one of the liaison officers for newly arrived foreigners. I am here to explain the next steps, answer what I can, and prevent unnecessary conflict.”

His eyes slowly moved across the room.

”You have questions. Many of them, I imagine. I will answer the ones I am permitted to answer. If I refuse to answer something, it is not necessarily because I intend any disrespect.”

The man could speak well; Frost had to give him that. He could have been a very capable politician back on Earth.

Or perhaps he was simply exceptionally well-trained in the ancient art of bootlicking and saying terrible things in the nicest manner possible.

Regardless, everyone listened intently.

At the moment, none of them really cared how diplomatic Harod sounded.

They wanted to know what kind of fate awaited them in this odd world.

”The first matter is registration. Every arrival will be recorded. Name, age, visible traits, language skills, trade skills if any, and physical limitations. Those with combat experience, technical knowledge, medical knowledge, or any specific talents will be assessed further. Those assessments will determine placement, ration priority, work eligibility, and security classification, if any at all.”

’Ah...’ There it was. ’The classic dystopian bureaucracy.’

Harod continued before anyone could interrupt.

”There is also something you may not have noticed yet. We are not currently speaking the same language.”

Frost’s expression changed, and several confused murmurs immediately spread through the shack.

”What?” Naomi asked.

Harod nodded.

”The language you hear me speaking is not the language leaving my mouth. Likewise, I do not hear or understand the language any of you are actually speaking.”

Frost stared at him.

Now that was interesting.

He slowly processed that.

There had been so many ridiculous things happening since their arrival that the fact that Syrn and everyone else somehow spoke perfect English hadn’t even registered as particularly strange.

He hadn’t exactly been trying to read lips, since there had been no need to do so, but now that he was focusing on it, the words leaving Harod’s lips were not the same as what they were hearing.

”The Evolution System provides a basic translation function between sufficiently developed languages. It allows individuals connected to the System to understand one another despite linguistic differences.”

”The second matter,” Harod continued, ”is behavioural expectation.”

His expression became noticeably more serious.

”You are not prisoners. But you are also not free to wander wherever you please.”

Frost’s eyes narrowed as did the others’.

”The districts within Linden proper are regulated. Certain roads are restricted. Certain markets will not serve unregistered outsiders, and certain militias are currently looking for excuses to make examples out of anyone who appears disruptive.”

”Good to know the xenophobia’s organised,” Cassie muttered.

”It is,” Harod replied, entirely serious, and Cassie’s jaw dropped.

Frost slowly turned toward her.

She had clearly said that out of reflex, and it was clear that she hadn’t expected confirmation.

Harod continued as though nothing unusual had happened.

”As you can probably guess, you will be staying in the outskirts for the foreseeable future, and I strongly suggest that you make use of what has been provided to you.”

His eyes sharpened slightly.

”While that may sound like a threat, I assure you that it is not. I am simply stating the reality of your current circumstances and offering advice.

”From our understanding, and after speaking with several of your representatives who now reside within the city, we have learned that your people originate from a Lower Order World, one which has only recently embarked upon the path of Evolution.”

Frost immediately caught onto those words.

’Lower Order World?’

”While our own world is not particularly high on the spectrum either, we have travelled this path for considerably longer than yours. And seeing as fate has brought our two worlds together during Earth’s First Ascension, our leaders have been magnanimous enough to provide shelter, protection, and whatever resources can reasonably be spared while your world undergoes the process.”

Harod leaned forward slightly.

”They were under no obligation to do so.” There was no arrogance in his tone; if anything, he sounded like he was merely stating a fact.