Seeing Major Celeste waiting patiently by the door brought Markus some joy. Raised as an only child, she felt like an older sibling who was looking out for him.
"Let's head out for a meal, Major, my treat!" Markus smiled, "Could you recommend the best restaurant in the city?"
The foodie in Markus stirred; resources and credits were meant to be spent. And eating good food was one of the finest pleasures in this world.
"Alright, let's first head to the contribution center before dinner," Celeste said, scanning through the security checkpoints and retrieving the stored valuables in the security deposit boxes.
Markus, forgetting about claiming his mission rewards, brightened up; his fatigue, seemingly threatening to claim him, evaporated.
With a hop in his step, Celeste was reminded that Markus was just a 10-year-old child who had awakened for barely 3 months.
The thought was frightening. Markus was getting too used to killing; although he had slaughtered many beasts, it could desensitise him to the act of taking another's life.
"Markus, you may have slain many beasts, but do not forget your humanity; never direct your killing intent towards other humans. Once you do that, you cease to become human, you become one of them, another beast walking amongst men," Celeste sternly warned. She did not want to see another human losing control of their killing intent and turning against humanity.
There have been several cases of humans overcome with bloodthirst and their murderous aura that became serial killers.
Humans with the potential to ascend past the tier 6 threshold, losing their humanity and being hunted by their peers, had been one of the greatest losses in their fight against the beasts.
A long line of awakeners was waiting patiently along the streets; they were waiting for their turn at the contribution center.
Major Celeste bypassed the queue system and brought Markus into a private chamber.
"Please scan your student badge and synchronise your communication watch with the terminals beside you," Celeste requested.
This was not her first rodeo. The digital screens lit up the room, updating Markus's mission progress with the academy and registering his kill contributions with the military database.
"Ba Ding!"
An alert popped up on the top right of the digital display.
Celeste navigated through the interface, double-checking all of Markus's information within the database.
"Markus, please look at your personal details and ensure they are reflected correctly. Since this is your first time registering an account with the military, we will need to authenticate your personal information and next-of-kin details." Celeste said, pointing at several areas for Markus to focus on.
Tapping the digital screen, Markus carefully reviewed the information, signing where required. After spending a whole 4 minutes adding his digital signature to several security clauses and agreements, Markus completed his registration with the military contribution platform.
Celeste clicked on the alert that popped up earlier, "Oh, General Braum seemed to have sent you a personal gift through the system."
[Void Repulsor]
[One-Handed Sword]
[Weight: 7 KG (15 pounds)]
[Durability: 1,000/1,000]
[Bonus Attributes: +15 Strength, +15 Agility]
[Requirements: Level 41 (Tier 4), 100 Strength, 100 Agility]
"Now I'll owe the General Braum one, this sword is perfect, my current blade is close to shattering," Markus murmured, admiring the turquoise blade through the digital screen.
"Major Celeste, I would like to leave my sword here. Its durability is fairly low now, but a blacksmith could probably repair it. Please give it to someone else who needs it," Markus placed the Black Steel Blade on the desk.
It had been his faithful companion for weeks, and Markus had developed an emotional connection with it. Now, Markus hopes that it will serve another in battle as it had for him.
"Alright, repairing a blade's durability is fairly cheap. Thanks for the donation, Markus." A soft smile played on Celeste's lips, showing affection.
Markus scrolled through the digital interface like a child on Christmas Day, looking through various resources and bookmarking them.
**
[Remorse]
[One-Handed Sword]
[Weight: 8 KG (16 pounds)]
[Durability: 1,200/1,200]
[Bonus Attributes: +21 Strength, +21 Constitution]
[Requirements: Level 48 (Tier 4), 130 Strength, 130 Constitution]
Contribution Points: 500
**
[Ventor's Wager]
[Ring]
[Bonus Attributes: +15 Agility,+5 Perception]
[Passive Ability: Agility Blessing (On crit, Gain 1 agility blessing that grants bonus crit chance and attack speed)
[Requirements: Level 45 (Tier 4), 150 Agility, 15 Perception]
Contribution Points: 700
**
[Shroud of Delusions]
[Cloak]
[Bonus Attribute: +5 Perception, +20 Agility]
[Passive Ability: Shrouds the user's presence with an illusory effect]
[Requirements: Level 50 (Tier 5), 15 Perception, 180 Agility]
Contribution Points: 900
**
Markus's Contribution Points: 2,170
**
'Let's redeem these items; my combat effectiveness and survivability would skyrocket after equipping them.'
Markus scanned his student badge and communication watch on the digital platform, confirming his selection. He swiped his index finger across the screen, signing his initials, M.B.
With this external academy expedition, Markus has successfully reached Tier-5 combat standards and netted himself with two swords, one cloak, and one accessory.
His net worth could rival several veteran Tier 4 awakeners. Accessories are one of the most costly pieces of equipment in the market, providing rare abilities and effects. Even children from the royal lineage have to prove their worth to acquire such items.
"Let's head out for dinner, Major. I'm starving," Markus chuckled, storing the box containing his items into his inventory. He would sort them out later at the academy.
"I know just the place, it has the most famous cuisine here in the city," Celeste exclaimed. She rarely leaves the military compound for meals, saving as much money as she can by dining at the mess hall.
Celeste stopped at Pizza Central, a marketplace famous for several boutique legacy pizza stores.
They were seated by the window overlooking the city, watching people walk by, and medical response teams patrolling the city streets. It seems like the aftereffects of the terraforming event have not yet concluded.
Celeste selected famous pizzas from each store, allowing Markus to experience the uniqueness of each pizza chef.
Soon, hot piping pizzas were presented to their table, steam rising from the hot bubbling melted cheese, perfectly browned crust surrounding each pie, Markus visibly gulped his hunger taking over.
"This is the famous Pequod's deep dish pizza, it is known for its caramelized crust rim, spreading a layer of mozzarella cheese along the edge of the seasoned cast-iron pan. As it bakes, the cheese melts down the sides and fries against the pan. It is filled with a thick molten layer of high-moisture mozzarella, a chunky, slightly sweet tomato sauce that sits on top, and layered with a generous amount of beef pepperoni."
"Pizza? This is a bloody pie," Markus exclaimed, "Calling this pizza is like calling Rhubard a fruit."
Markus took a slice, cheese dripping from its sides.
"This is definitely not a pizza, I can't even pick it up with my hands," Markus grumbled, annoyed at having to use a fork and knife to eat a 'Pizza'.
Markus, too hungry to complain any further, wolfed down half of the 10" pie.
The next pizza arrived, from a chef representing Futuro.
"This is our famous Detroit-style pizza, famous for our aggressive frico (burnt cheese edge). We use rectangular steel pans, so the cheese forms a tall, dark, lacy wall that stands around the entire perimeter. The crunchiest edge in Illinois city. Our sauce is a thick and slightly chunky house red sauce topped with ricotta dollops and Mike's Hot Honey."
"Now this is what I call a pizza," Markus's mood brightened, picking up the corner of a piping hot square slice of the Detroit-style pizza."
'Crunch'
A delightful crunch sounded as Markus sank his teeth in, the texture and flavour bursting within.
He took all 4 corners, enjoying the burnt cheese crust around the pie.
Lastly, another Detroit-style pizza arrived, from Loui's, topped with bacon and Wisconsin brick cheese.
It was a delightful change of pace compared to Futuro's take on the Detroit-style pizza.
Markus ordered 2 extra sets of each pizza, taking them back to the academy to share with the girls.