Zane read hundreds of comments from both sides of the argument. He saw some people invoke Darwin's "survival of the fittest" to argue for their "side," while others invoked philosophy and ethics to counter it. Overall, the post was interesting, and he learned quite a few things from it.
"The best news is my name is buried underneath all the nose," Zane thought. With so many people commenting, everyone has already forgotten the source of this argument. Feeling satisfied, he could still live in anonymity. Zane prepared to close his screen when he suddenly remembered his new acquaintance. He sent a quick email to Xi'Ke, and, as before, the latter replied swiftly. After a brief conversation, the former guide revealed a significant piece of news: club activities at the academy will begin the day after tomorrow, on Sunday. According to Xi'Ke, they should be receiving the notification email tomorrow.
Zane returned to the dorm, expecting to see Tom, Evans, and Ahmed debating about the content of the second post, but only Sanjay and James were in the living room, chatting on the sofa. Zane politely greeted them before heading directly to his room. He had a lot of work to do, and skipping this nightly conversation might not necessarily be a bad thing.
Saturday arrived, and nothing unexpected or new occurred. And as Xi'Ke revealed, the tower sent a student-wide email announcing the start of club activities. Zane asked Xi'Ke for a recommendation, and after asking Zane about his interests, strengths, and weaknesses, Xi'Ke offered him three suggestions.
Sunday, Day 7, arrived, and Zane did not stop his schedule. He did, however, reduce the load of his training. After all, he is still human and understands the concept of too much of a good thing. After his morning routine, Zane met with Tom Nguyen — who had refused to work out with him but did it on his own — and Evans, and they headed to the Club Fair.
"I'm obviously joining the Necromancer Guild and the True Mathematic Society, but I don't know about anything else," Tom Nguyen stated. "What about you guys?"
"The Dark Guild, which is an ominous name if I may so," Evans replied. "There is also the Higher Art Society, but the description sounds suspicious."
"The Higher Art Society sounds like the most elitist and pretentious thing I have ever heard in my life," Tom Nguyen stated. The crux of that society seemed to be to appreciate arts and techniques from different dimensions, but the way the email described it was, well, elitist and pretentious.
"That's what I'm worried about."
"Maybe it's a cultural thing. To us, it may sound as such, but to them, it might just be how they viewed art," Zane added, trying to reassure him.
"I hope so."
"You haven't told us what you're interested in," Tom Nguyen continued.
"Arcane Guild, True Mathematic Society, Analytic Magic Association, and Rune Chess Club," Zane replied without hesitation. Sadly, the Alchemy Union accepted only alchemists, and Zane wasn't one; well, no students from Earth were alchemists, so Zane had to wait until next month — if he could register for the class.
"The Analytic Magic Association? That's one of the clubs that requires a test, right? They also didn't seem that welcoming," Tom Nguyen asked.
"No need to worry. You can join as a temporary member, and after a three-month learning period, there is a test, and if you pass, you can become a true member," Zane explained.
"How do you know so much?" Evans asked.
"That's right. The email only had a basic summary of these clubs, most of which were not even useful."
"I have my sources," Zane replied with a smile, not revealing anything.
Tom Nguyen and Evans glanced at each other; they were now intrigued. Where did this information come from? Unfortunately for them, Zane's lips remained tightly sealed. No matter what they say, he did not reveal his sources. In life, connections are also a potent form of power.
"Are any of you interested in starting your own club?" Zane asked.
"Where on earth would I get that registration fee?" Tom Nguyen snorted.
"You don't have the money now, but in a week — Earth's time — you can sign up for the Hunting Guild. If you're truly interested, it's a good idea to start brainstorming now."
"I keep forgetting about that," Tom Nguyen grunted softly. "But, what kind of club should I create? An Earth-dimension Math Club?"
"It could be that or any other hobbies you have," Zane said.
"It seems you are entertaining the idea."
"I am," Zane admitted. His "fake" company will open soon, so he is considering starting a Software Engineering Club to meet people in the same field, learn more, and potentially recruit talented individuals. However, he has some reservations, including his current tight schedule, which is about to become even more intense after joining these clubs.
"What about you, Evans?"
"I'm going to join a student club, but I'm not interested in creating my own. That's too much work."
"Understandable," Zane nodded. He might also choose this path.
The three of them soon arrived at their destination. The Fair took place in a large area called the Rahu Hall, where Zane couldn't tell whether the spatial dimension had been extended. The lower floor was filled with booths advertising these clubs, while the rooms on the floor above were the actual locale for these activities. At the entrance, everyone received a pamphlet with a map of the venue and additional information, specifically about registration.
The tower ensured the process was straightforward. Most students only need to register using their soul crest to be accepted. Only a few clubs had strict requirements. And for today only, all the clubs will be open 24/7, allowing every student to try as many as they wish.
Although Zane had read the email and even had additional information from Xi'Ke, he was still intimidated by the sheer number of booths and clubs. There were so many of them, and somehow, the people working at those booths made everything enticing. One of the first booths the group saw was for a Muscle Appreciation Club, and the way the orc sold them the idea almost convinced someone like Tom Nguyen to join.
"That was scary," Tom stated as they ran as far away from that booth as possible.
"Those tower individuals seemed to be advertising experts," Evans commented, and the others nodded. From the lightning, the posters, the speaker, and the demonstration — everything worked in perfect harmony to entice people to join their club.
"I think we might need to separate," Zane said. There were too many things to check, and each of them had its own preference.
"How about we separate now and decide on a time to meet at the Analytical Magic Club, the True Math Society, and the Rune Chess Club?"
"That's fine by me. Evans?" Zane asked.
"I have no interest in the math society, but I'm willing to check out the other two."
"Good. Let's keep in touch through email, and we'll decide on when to meet." With a basic plan in motion, everybody felt secure to separate. Although Zane had already decided on what club to join, there were still a few that interested him, starting with the Shaman Order. Using the map from the pamphlet to navigate this enormous hall, Zane soon found himself in front of a booth led by a purple-skinned elf.
Zane glanced at her, and she glanced at him. Wearing a green medieval pagan gown, red paint running down her left eye, a long wooden staff resembling tree roots, and an owl perched on her shoulder. Zane did not like the look the owl was giving him, but he focused on the task at hand. As usual, he glanced at her tag: Eliana, 2-pulse Shaman.
"Another Earthling with a guardian spirit," Eliana suddenly said. "Unfortunately, you've chosen another path."
"That's why I'm here. I was wondering if I could still join, even if I'm not a shaman. I won't mind if I'm excluded from most activities, as long as I can learn as much as possible about shamanism."
"Another ambitious one who, what's the Earth saying — ah, yes, wants to have their cake and eat it too."
Zane frowned, "Someone told me it was possible to be both a Mage and a Shaman. Was that wrong?"
"Those were uniquely gifted individuals, and more importantly, the majority of them have started studying each path since they were children."
"I lived by the creed that since someone else can do it, I can too, as long as I have the underlying conditions. So, since I have a talent for both paths, why can't I do it?"
"You're more arrogant than I thought," Eliana stated. "However, who am I to tell you your path is wrong? Since you have such conviction, go ahead and do it."
"Then, can I join your club?"
"No. The rules state that only shamans can join, and I cannot make an exception."
"What a shame."
Zane did not pester her after the initial rejection; since there were rules, there was nothing he could do about it. Instead, he moved on to another club he was interested in: cooking. Unfortunately, he was once again rejected. That society accepted only chefs from Earth, and despite Zane's argument that he was an excellent cook, they refused him because he lacked accreditation and had never attended culinary school.