Birth Of The Crafts-God

The notification was a message informing Lucas of the time, date, and location of the exam.

"Central Prefecture district. I guess in the end, I'll still be going over there today."

The location was within the Central Prefecture district, and the date for the exam was the next day. In order not to miss it, Lucas had to depart today as the exam was in the morning of the next day.

He left to pack his things, and once done, Lucas hung a "Closed" sign on the door. As long as the sign was up, the store would be locked by the system, with only Lucas being the one capable of undoing that. After closing the store, Lucas left in the direction of the light-rail train station.

A few hours after Lucas had left the store, a hover car parked close by, and from it, two figures descended.

"Such a lacklustre and low-traffic area. Are you sure this is where he is?" A man asked as he walked around the place.

"Looks can be deceiving, right? But don't worry, sir. We've confirmed with a few visits that this is the place." Barry said.

This group was roughly the same team sent by the Red Fangs for the Silver Fig Trade Convention. The only difference was that Lieutenant Mayer, who was a part of them, was sent to the auction instead of all three. The goal of these two was Lucas, but unfortunately, the latter had just departed for the Central Prefecture district.

"It's closed. I guess we're late."

. . .

Lucas was currently in a light-rail train heading for the Central Prefecture. Light rail trains were so fast that even the 700km (434.96 miles) distance between the West Wing district and the Wastelands could be covered within thirty-five minutes.

For the Central Prefecture district, which was about three hundred kilometres from the light-rail train station, the journey was a mere fifteen or so minutes. Nonetheless, Lucas left a short while after he got the notification because the procedure for getting into the district was strict.

The last time Lucas was here, he was under arrest and so, did not need to go through the usual process. However, coming in as a visitor, he had to go through procedures. At the same time, Lucas decided to take a look around the district.

With over one thousand federal coins in his possession and more to come thanks to the agreement deals he made during the convention and the maintenance works he took, Lucas wanted to enjoy himself a bit. What other better place to do so than the centre of the entire Baylands city-state?

The light-rail train stopped at a station located just at the border of the Central Prefecture district. Stepping out of the vehicle and inhaling the air, Lucas had a sense of deja vu, which was expected as he had been here before. After enjoying the refreshing air that was almost addicting, Lucas checked out the place.

The station was massive and well-furnished, almost like a museum. The interior design and decor were almost like they was made by a world-renowned architect. Even the chairs weren't standard items you'd see outside.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

With paintings hung on the wall to give a vibrant touch and decorated pillars that gave off an imposing yet dignified feeling, the light-rail train station would have been a must-go tourist destination on Earth.

The station had only two entrances and exits on opposite ends. One of them was for the light-rail trains, while the other was for civilians. In other words, as long as one came in from the outside, they could only follow a single path into the district from here on out. At the same time, if one wanted to depart the district, they would have to do so through the light-rail train exit.

This was because the entire Central Prefecture district was covered by an invisible shield to prevent invaders.

Unlike the other districts, the Central Prefecture district's security was on an entirely different level. Not only did it have the headquarters of every security agency in the city, but it also had a powerful invisible barrier preventing spies and intruders from sneaking in.

The only way to enter the district was through the light-rail train stations at the border, but getting through the gates required strict checks and searching.

With the email from the EVL, his identification card, and some of the previous letters of recommendation he got from Harry, Lucas managed to get through the checkpoint after fifteen minutes. It took this long simply because this was his very first time. For constant visitors or citizens of the district, the checks didn't take more than a minute but usually averaged around half a minute.

Walking through the gates of the station, Lucas was now able to see the Central Prefecture district in its glory. The sky-high skyscrapers scattered, the aesthetic monuments set up in strategic positions, or the roads that were paved with a material comfortable to walk on, yet capable of withstanding wear and tear—every single aspect of the district spelled advanced technology.

Even though the West Wing district was pretty advanced compared to Earth, the Central Prefecture district raised the bar up a notch.

If you could imagine it, it probably already existed there.

"I guess it's time I do some exploring," Lucas said to himself.

Ever since he arrived in this new world, he had limited himself to the West Wing district; the only exception being the mission that forced Lucas into the Wastelands. Part of the reason for his unwillingness to travel was Lucas' weakness. But with three Bronze Grade cards in his hands now, Lucas didn't need to worry too much.

He opened up his communicator and activated the GPS function. The Central Prefecture district's map, which was normally unavailable, became available as he was within the district.

Lucas browsed through the map before finally settling on his destination; a restaurant. It was a crime to travel out and not try out the local cuisine, even more so in such a gentry-dominated environment.

Throughout the next couple of hours, Lucas was spent trying out the district's unique features until he got tired. He then found a motel and stayed the night. The next day would be the day of the test, so Lucas needed all the energy he could get.