The next morning, Alexis put on the cleanest shirt and pants he owned.
They were plain and patched in places, but at least they didn't stink of rust and oil like the others.
He tied up his oversized boots, pulled his belt tight, and pressed a hand against his stomach. Empty, as usual.
But when he stepped into the workshop, something caught his eye.
On the corner of Rago's workbench, wrapped in a strip of cloth, was a small bundle. Inside were dried root chips, a piece of smoked meat, and a water flask.
Alexis froze. Rago hadn't said anything, and he never would. But Alexis knew this was for him. Rago had never done this after all.
"Thanks…" Alexis said quietly.
Rago didn't look up from the gears he was cleaning. His hands kept working as grease stained them.
Alexis waited for a reply, but it never came.
'This old guy… Seriously.' He shook his head as all he got was a heavy sigh.
After Alexis walked away, Rago set his tool down. Then, just for a moment, he glanced at Alexis's back as he headed for the gate.
***
The path to Gate 7 wasn't short. Alexis walked through the outer zone, where there was always the smell of dust and burning plastic.
It didn't feel good, but he was getting used to it.
Soon, he passed through abandoned buildings taken over by homeless people.
The ground here was quite difficult to pass through since it was littered with cables, shattered glass, and puddles of chemical overflow that came from the factories in the inner city.
Nonetheless, there were a lot of people around. He could already hear some vendors trying to attract customers in their stalls, selling anything from batteries to meat of questionable origin. He also noticed several children no older than ten moving around so swiftly. They have quick hands reaching for pockets before vanishing into the alleys.
Alexis just kept his head down and walked fast…
He didn't want to attract too much attention before he arrived at Gate 7…
Whoom~
Suddenly, a drone buzzed overhead, its red lens then scanned the street before zipping back toward the city wall.
He had no idea what that drone was looking for, but since no one bothered about it, he didn't think of it either.
"I'm close…" Alexis muttered as he knew that he was close to the inner walls of Neo-Emerald City.
As he got closer, he finally realized that they weren't just walls.
They were filled with various advertisements, posters, and many more surveillance, turrets, and tech he couldn't even begin to understand. It was just too much…
By the time Alexis reached Gate 7, the sun was already burning high, and he was already sweating…
***
"Gate seven, huh…"
The gate itself was massive. It was ten meters tall, which was probably made of steel, given how it looks.
'Ohhh… So this is what they look like.' Alexis mused as he saw the two guards in matte-black exosuits who stood on either side.
He had seen them in the posters and various advertisements. If he had the talent or compatibility, he could actually become one of them.
Although it didn't seem that great, that would still be a lot better than working at the scrapyard that was handling so much dangerous waste.
The guards he saw carried rifles longer than his arm, and their faces were hidden behind helmets with glowing visors.
Around them were other officials, probably recruiters who were also in full combat gear.
After looking at them closely, he confirmed that some had mechanical arms that had hydraulics, others with prosthetic eyes that would make a mechanical sound as they adjusted their focus. Every one of them looked stronger and deadlier than anyone Alexis had ever met in the city…
Near the entrance, children like him were gathered.
There were twenty of them, maybe more, all between eight and fifteen.
Some had clothes cleaner than his, others looked worse.
"I guess I'm not late, huh…" Alexis muttered.
He saw that a few of them looked really nervous, clutching at their sleeves or bags, while the others were looking at the guards with reverence...
Alexis realized he was the last to arrive.
The recruiters glanced his way but said nothing.
A few moments later, a figure stepped forward from behind the line of soldiers.
It was a man with a chestplate marked with the insignia of the Neo-Emerald Inner Army.
His hair was short, and half his jaw was made of silver…
He scanned the group of children for a brief moment, before speaking.
"You stand here today because you want more than what the outer zone gives you… Food. Shelter. Identity. Power."
His words were heard loud and clear…
"But understand this… nothing is free. If you pass, you will gain strength beyond ordinary people. You will be given a name recognized by the city. If you fail…" He paused as he looked at a few applicants before he continued.
"…you will return to the outer zone with a little injury in your soul."
The children shifted uneasily. But one of the recruiters called them out.
"Line up!"
The twenty of them swiftly moved, and Alexis was at the end.
The man with the silver jaw then raised his hand.
"Welcome to the Talent Assessment. From this moment forward, you belong to the process. Survive it, and Neo-Emerald will claim you."