"I'm Anoud Ahmed. Please refer to me by my last name. I'm 28 years old, and I used to be a manager of a coffee chain in Quebec, but I quit after the tower announcement. I'm a Knight."
Zane glanced at him. The man wore a blue shirt with rolled sleeves tucked into brown pants and a black belt. His face was handsome, especially with his wavy hair and well-trimmed facial hair. His short beard looked even better than Zane's.
"Based on his clothes and statement, his income could only be considered middle-class. So, how did he pay for the Knight Class?" Zane thought. The director told him that Mage's classes were free, but Knights and Warriors had to pay. So, unless Ahmed used all his savings to exchange for a magic crystal, he probably wouldn't have enough money to register for class — unless Zane's assumption was wrong and the classes are not as expensive as he had thought.
"It's a pleasure to have you here," Evans nodded.
"Why are knights in a dorm with mostly mages?" James suddenly asked.
"Ignore him."
"Now that I think about it, don't knights need to pay for classes? Can someone like you even afford it?"
"James, can't you stop being rude for a second?" Evans snapped.
"It's a valid question. If he's going to live with us for a year, we must know if he's suspicious or not."
"It's none of your business how he got here."
"No, I don't mind answering," Ahmed said calmly.
"You don't have to explain yourself," Evans insisted.
"It's fine, I don't mind." Glancing at James, he calmly explained. "I didn't pay anything. I received a notification that I was selected for a Knight Training Program and to register before August 5th."
"It's the same for me."
Everybody's eyes turned to the black man sitting to Evan's left, right next to Zane. He had a baby face wearing an unbuttoned black flannel shirt with a white t-shirt underneath, black jeans, and a black Air Force 1 as beat up as Zane's old shoes.
"Name's Devonte, 21, and I'm from the West Coast. I also joined a Knight Program."
"This kid's life energy is so vibrant," Zane thought. He hasn't met many knights, but something told him it was not an easy feat for any knight to have such a vibrant life force. Even compared to Ahmed, there is a noticeable difference.
"This kid must be quite talented," Zane concluded.
"Hmm? Why are you guys staring at me?" Devonte asked, noticing Zane, Tom Nguyen, and Evans' gaze. "Is there grease on my mouth? Do I smell weird?" He wiped his mouth and sniffed his clothes.
"No, that's not it," Evans denied.
"It's your life force," Tom added. "It's so intense — it's almost blinding."
"You must be talented in the Knight Path," Zane commented.
"I don't know about that," Devonte shook his head. The tower was an opportunity for him and his family to leave the project, so it didn't matter whether he had talent; he was prepared to work a hundred times harder not to waste this opportunity.
"What nonsense about life energy are you guys talking about?" James asked with a frown.
"Since you don't want to participate, keep your thoughts to yourself," Evans grunted.
"Don't tell me what to do."
"Don't mind this jerk," Evans sighed before looking at the last roommate: an indian man wearing an expensive suit sitting next to Ahmed. "What's your name?"
"I'm Sanjay Bhandari, you can call me Jay. I'm also 30 years old and a hedge fund manager in LA. I'm a Rune Warrior."
With a swift look, Zane could tell this man was wealthy; all his clothes were luxurious or famous brands, such as Rolex and Armani. His demeanor also screamed that he wanted others to know he was rich and successful.
"I'm curious," Zane suddenly asked. "How do Rune Warriors train? The director mentioned Rune Diagrams and modules, but I don't have a clue what those words mean."
Sanjay's first instinct was to reject this question, but after seeing how everybody glanced at him, he swallowed his words. Taking a glance at Evans, and after seeing the latter's calm demeanor, Sanjay finally spoke, "I can show you." Out of nowhere, Sanjay began removing his vest, tie, and even the white shirt underneath, revealing his bare body.
The suit may have hidden it, but he was quite muscular with well-defined muscles. However, no one paid attention to his body because a tattoo suddenly appeared on his chest. The design was of two circles: a smaller one inside a larger one. The smaller circle contained a spell model that made anyone looking at it too intently dizzy. Furthermore, in the space between the two circles, one section was formed by two diagonal lines, with seven runes neatly arranged inside.
Sanjay pointed at the magic circle in the middle, "That's the Rune Diagram, also called the Mana Diagram. It's the source of our powers. Rune Warriors cannot directly sense mana, and it's even challenging for us to control it. However, unlike regular people, mana doesn't just leave our bodies after entering; it also doesn't negatively affect us."
"Wait, are you suggesting mana can negatively affect a person?" Tom Nguyen asked.
"Yes. Someone asked that question during basic training, and the instructor stated that for some ordinary people, mana is like a poison."
"Doesn't that mean —"
"Such a condition is rare because mana will not even enter the bodies of ordinary people," Sanjay explained. "And the concentration of mana on Earth is not nearly at the level of creating Mana Poisoning."
"Maybe not now, but not necessarily so in the future," Zane thought. However, he kept his thoughts to himself, allowing Sanjay to resume his explanation. After seeing that no one had any other questions, Sanjay continued:
"The Rune Diagram is engraved by a magic profession called Runescribe, and according to him, there are different templates. Most Rune Warriors were granted the [Tank Template], which requires a [Strength Module]."
Sanjay pointed at the section in his Rune Diagram with the seven runes. "That's the Strength Module. The Rune Diagram helps us absorb mana, and the Strength Module helps with combining the mana with the life energy in our muscles and bones."
"What other Templates are there?" Ahmed asked.
"So far, there are only three: Tank, Archer, and Assassin. However, the last one will not be available for a while, and it's not free," Sanjay replied while putting his shirt back on.
"Is there a Mage Template?" Zane suddenly asked. The room suddenly shifted with his words. Evans — and even James — who were not that interested in this conversation, suddenly began to pay attention.
"Someone also asked that question," Sanjay sighed. "The instructor said that long ago, one civilization did create a Mage Template. However, the technology has been lost. Well, at the very least, the tower doesn't have it."
"In the world of the extraordinary, mages seemed to be the means of manufacturing and production. If Rune Warriors could become Rune Mages, that would fundamentally change many things," Zane commented.
"You're right, but it's probably not that simple, right?" Evans asked.
"You'd be correct," Sanjay nodded. "Even the civilization that created that technology only had a few people who had mastered it. There is also the fact that Rune Mages could not become Grand Mages."
"Is that so?" Zane nodded. "Speaking of Grand Mages, do you guys have a limit?"
"Our strength can reach the limit of the 6th tier, just like Knights. We can even transfer to the Path of Godhood. It's just that it's a much harder process and requires even more resources," Sanjay replied, his voice quieter than before. It was apparent to everyone that he was worried about the future of Rune Warriors.
"Do you have classifications like Mage's ring and Knight's Stars?" Zane asked.
"Sorry if I'm asking too many questions."
"Technically speaking, we do. We are ranked by the number of module circles, but according to the instructor, it has become normal across the Astral Cosmos to rate Rune Warriors using the same system as knights."
Zane nodded to Sanjay, thanking him for answering his questions. Although he had countless more, he knew how to read the room. Sanjay seemed reluctant to speak about his extraordinary path and only did so out of peer pressure, specifically a desire not to be excluded.
"Well, now that everybody has introduced themselves, how about we enjoy the small feast I've prepared?" Evans stated before taking out a black bag with runes engraved on its surface. After tapping on it to inject mana, a large metal tray full of cut meat the size of an egg materialized on the table.
"Is that an inter-dimensional bag? The cheapest of those cost hundreds of magic crystals," Zane thought, gazing intently and longingly at that bag. Over the past two days, he had made a mental list of things he desperately wanted to buy, and that bag is on it. With great concentration, he removed his eyes from the bag and looked at the food. He was surprised to have detected mana.
"Is this magic food?" Zane asked.
"Indeed. This is the meat from an Earth Boar. One serving can not only increase life energy, but it can also increase mana capacity."
"By how much?"
"The equivalent of 20 minutes of meditation."