Chapter 177: The Ascendants Area
Silently, the flying mat soared into the far distance, and silence reigned for as long as they remained therein.
But soon, everything changed when they arrived in an area where they broke through an unending mountain range.
What occurred after that was the sky suddenly darkening all around them, followed by the entire world becoming a light-filled arena of glowing astral light.
Yes!
What was supposed to be an afternoon instantly turned into a bright, astral-night sky.
GASPS
Gasps of shock could be heard amongst the students, who looked at the entire area with absolutely gobsmacked expressions, and even Nolan was no different.
It was like they had all moved into an entirely different world—a world of endless stars and astral light.
"This is the Astral Serenity Jungle..." The voice of the grey-haired Protector rang out as everyone listened.
"This place used to be an endless deserted area of nothing but golden hot sands."
"But one day, a figure was born here, and its birth was so mighty that it changed the entire desert land into a glowing Astral world."
He called out, and Nolan could see reverence flashing in the eyes of the Protectors themselves.
But his head was buzzing chaotically at the moment.
'The birth of something can cause an entire world to undergo a metamorphosis, just from something as simple as birth?'
'Is he bluffing?'
Nolan thought to himself, looking at the Protectors, but judging from their expressions, he didn't think they were lying.
"If one day, you all are able to see this place or traverse it alone again, I must warn you of the dangers hiding within this area..." the man continued as he turned to them.
"The birth of a beast caused this entire place to change from a desert into this. And what you all must know is the fact that this beast still resides here."
"I have no idea where, but I'm sure the beast never leaves."
"If there is something it hates the most, it would be an unnecessary loud sound, such as an explosion."
"So in this area, you must not fight or make too much noise at all. It is a place that must be passed with absolute respect and reverence."
"Anyone who dares to make even the tiniest attack in this area will be tempting fate itself, and his or her death will not be avenged by the academy."
"That's the rule of the Astral Serenity Jungle: No noise!"
He warned in a serious tone before facing back to the front and the mat silently wove through the island, moving further and further ahead.
'Even the Protectors seem wary...' Nolan noticed, and the warning was carefully kept in his mind.
He didn't want to die because he made noise in some random place.
But something else piqued his interest.
'I wonder what type of beast it is?'
' Maybe a cat or a serpent?'
Nolan mused to himself, a strange thought forming in his head—the possibility of making the beast his familiar.
---
Another two hours passed quickly in the strange Astral world, and once more, they appeared before what seemed to be some sort of strange astral-like cocoon.
Immediately, they arrived about 100 meters away, witnessing the scene of the astral dome quickly parting to the sides.
A large circular vortex appeared, and they all quickly disappeared into it.
What followed was the sensation of the world flipping upside down and time seemingly stopping, but it was so fleeting that in less than a second, Nolan felt the world return to him once more.
Opening his eyes, he took in the sight before him, and immediately his jaw dropped to the ground.
"What? What is this?"
The shocked question rang out, and Nolan wasn't the only one whose jaw dropped.
Almost everyone around him had the same reaction to the sight before them. It was an unbelievable scene.
"Welcome to the Ascendants' Hierarchy of the Academy..." The Protectors loudly announced as the mount slowed down its speed and gently moved forward.
Unlike the Newcomers' area of the academy, where Nolan could see brick-like buildings, the world before him was a realm of glass.
The sky above was an astral world illuminated by thousands of stars—stars that were never the same, and ones that Nolan had never seen before.
Some of the stars formed majestic constellations of their own, representing various mythologies.
Nolan noticed constellations that resembled the heads of various creatures, almost like celestial figures: a roaring lion, a soaring unicorn, a winged hippopotamus, a powerful bear-like creature, and a humanoid goddess-like figure with nine wings.
There were various assortments of such constellations, and Nolan felt his lips part in awe.
Some were inanimate objects, such as a scepter, a crown, a flaming red staff, and a dangling chain.
It was like some sort of grand painting cast across the entire sky.
Even more spectacular than the sky was the ground itself.
There were buildings made entirely of glass, and what caught Nolan's attention the most were the various pyramid structures.
Yes!
Large pyramid structures that reminded him of the Egyptian pyramids on Earth.
But instead of being golden and made of bricks, these pyramids were made of glass, refracting the light falling from the various constellations shining upon them.
On the streets, various students—visibly older than them—were moving around with mind-bending speed.
Rhey were like phantoms, flashing around here and there, and Nolan was gobsmacked when he realized something.
'That's their normal walking speed!?'
Yet it seemed to him like they were running.
A single one of their steps covered hundreds of meters, making them look like dragonflies flashing around.
Some of the Ascendants turned their heads upwards when they saw them floating above, but they didn't pay much attention and simply continued with their business.
It seemed that their arrival wasn't too surprising.
---
"The Anscendabts hierarchy, like any civilized and organized hierarchy, of course, possesses its own various rules that must be obeyed to live properly in this place."
"That is why the first place you will be going is the Newcomer Preparation Hall," the man called out to them as they all soared down towards a massive glass-like structure.
"The Ascents area of the academy is quite vast, so you will definitely need your maps, your new books, and this time, you will be using the Academy's uniforms."
"There are also a couple of other items, such as a runic telecommunication device to better communicate with others."
"It will also give you access to most of the events occurring in the academy."
"That device is where your maps are safely stored, as well as where you'll receive new orders and announcements," he explained as the mat lowered to the ground, stopping a few inches above the glass ground.
The students all jumped down.
"You all go in. Therein lies the next step," the grey-haired man said as they turned toward the glass structure.
Two instructors were just exiting the building and beckoned them inside.
Quickly, they followed the instructors, but Nolan's eyes narrowed.
He turned behind him one last time, scanning the horizon, only to find nothing.
The three protwctors, along with the large mat that covered the entire area, had vanished instantly.
What was shocking was that not even the lightest gust of wind had been created. It seemed like they had simply faded into thin air.
"Their power is as mysterious as ever..." Nolan mumbled silently to himself, but he refocused as he looked down at the ground where he was walking.
Everything beneath his feet was glass.
He grew even more shocked when he pressed his leg down and realized something unbelievable.
The glass beneath his feet was harder than the ground he was used to in the Newcomer's area.
As he grew stronger, Nolan had noticed the ground in the Newcomer's area had started to feel like butter.
With enough power, he could sendbcracks spreading throughout the entire region.
But when he exerted strength beneath his feet on the glass, not a single sound was made. Nolan even felt a tinge of pain in his legs instead.
"It's unbelievable." Nolan mused, trying to apply more strength as he walked forward until he arrived before the instructors.
He exhaled miserably.
[Don't bother. The hardness of everything here is about ten times greater than in the Newcomer's area. And that applies to the thickness of the air as well.] Read exclusive content at m_v-l'e|m,p-y r
Th system said as Nolan paused his action and they appeared all arrived before the Instructors who led them straight into the building.
And soon all the Newcomers entered into the structure causing the peace of the Ascendants Area to return once more.
Yet, at the top of a structure 100 meters away from the Structures where the Newcomers had gone into.
There stood a singular young man, and another lady.
The man sat atop the structure, where the intensity of the air would be powerful enough to carry an entire Newcomer structure away from the ground, yet he say there visibly unbothered, white hair flapping around in the wind.