Zeras stood there, numb, his mind reeling with confusion.
To protect Gaia?
Why?
Is she in trouble?
Besides, given how weak he is right now, compared to Commander Shiron, who was an EIA commander, there really wasn't much help he could provide.
"Help me protect Gaia..." He said once again, as if afraid, Zeras never got the information the first time.
"If that is your wish, I'll do everything to protect her...if it's within my power," Zeras said.
He would agree to the man's request because of the help he provided, but not at the cost of his own comfort.
"Good. That's all I need..." Commander Shiron said. His expression became even more relaxed once again.
Zeras stood there quietly for some time before asking with curiosity.
"Why do you ask for Gaia's protection? Is she in danger?"
"I'm afraid telling you that would only bring you more harm than good. Just know that she's very important for what's coming."
Commander Shiron replied, staring into the vast expanse of space, his eyes glowing green as if he were gazing into the far future.
"What is comi..." Zeras tried to ask him, but his attention was diverted when he saw something out of the corner of his eye.
The spaceship they were in suddenly slowed down as it came to a stop about a thousand meters from an object.
His jaw dropped to the floor in shock as he stared ahead. The top of a gigantic Monolith piercing through space.
The Monolith was so large that it could be seen from outer space, and its tip even pierced the planet's atmosphere, reaching into space itself.
"What...What is that?"
"That is the Dimensional Tower. One of Earth's greatest treasures. It is said to be the size of a whole continent on Earth." Commander Shiron said with pride.
The spaceship slowly descended into the planet's atmosphere as he saw other spaceships entering it.
A blue wave of light scanned each ship before allowing them to move closer to the tower.
The spaceship slowly came to a halt as it descended and eventually came to rest on the ground.
Zeras moved out of the spaceship, and beside him was a white-haired girl with a pink top and skirt.
Gaia stood there, also surprised by the new environment, but she kept a neutral, uncaring face, one that would automatically repel anyone from her.
Zeras waved at the spaceship, which slowly ascended into the air once again.
Within the blue screen of light, he could still see Commander Shiron's figure as he stared at him with an approving smile and said something to him.
Although Zeras only saw his mouth moving, it looked like:
"I'll be waiting for you at the EIA Base, Soldier."
Zeras smiled as he slowly walked toward the gigantic gate before the Monolith.
Arriving before the gate, they were automatically admitted after being scanned by a strange red light.
There were more than a thousand people, all around the age of 16, inside the gate, each seated around a prominent dais.
It was built as an open hall, with black obsidian rocks covering the ground and a gigantic dais at the far end.
The top of the Monolith couldn't be seen from here again, as it was hidden among the sea of clouds and barely visible. But it was really huge.
He looked to the side, only to find Gaia nowhere to be found.
She had mixed in amongst the thousands of others around.
He also moved toward one of the chairs and sat down on it when he suddenly heard someone call out to him:
"Hello."
Zeras slowly turned and looked at the young man beside him, a little dazed.
The boy was the same height as him, with pale white skin and hair that reached down to his shoulders.
His eyes contained no pupils at all, but what surprised Zeras the most were those ears.
They were long and pointed at the tip, and it signaled one thing to him: the boy before him belonged to an alien race.
"Hi..." Zeras replied politely, a little nervous.
"I'm Triton from the Elvian race. Is this your first time with an alien race?" Triton asked, staring at the raven-dark-haired human in front of him.
"Yeah, you can say so," Zeras replied, honestly curious about this alien boy.
"Me too, although I've read a lot about Humans back in my home. This is still my first time seeing one."
Triton replied, and Zeras could feel the boy's honesty in his tone and expression.
"So, you want to join the EIA too?" Zeras asked curiously.
The EIA was mainly an Earth group, but it was associated with other planets and races, including non-humans.
"Yes. I want to. Partly because I am obsessed with studying other alien species."
"Then I hope you successfully pass the trial."
"Yeah, I definitely will," Triton answered as he directed his attention away and kept communicating with the others.
"A really strange Elvian with a strange dream," Zeras mused quietly to himself.
He also looked around the place and saw that although most people are human, about 40% are alien groups with humanoid forms.
"So many life forms..."
Zeras whispered, exhaling quietly.
Just what type of future awaited him in the EIA?