Broken Tower Saga: The First Swordsman

Wrik walked alone towards the omega store in the evening. The white limelights were lit on the path was in equidistance, though the fake full moon was glittering with more light than usual. He had noticed few on the path going towards the same place or coming back. Omega store was the most popular place in the sanctuary with the cafeteria.

He had two aims for this visit. One was he needed to buy a few things and second, he still had to discuss a few things with Ryat, the bald salesman. 

Two days passed, and Wrik and others had rested enough. Though few of them still need more rest. Their stay in the sanctuary would end at the end of this week, and at that time they needed to prepare themselves for Gala—the city on the tenth floor of the trial. 

Apparently, even without passing the tests on the other floors, a climber could go to Gala if they succeed in the first-floor test or have the access to go there. Many candidates who have failed to get into the top thousand could get a job there if they had expertise in some areas. 

That was the reason there were so many people here now in the sanctuary. Men and women from many organisations came in hope of recruitment—not only for the people who had failed but to take back the people that had a contract with them; the people they have recruited to take the test.

Wrik and Anton were not among them as they got the ticket through Lucas, their brother. While Davin, Tanya and Kevin were on the list as they were recruited to Knightshade through Sophia—Tanya's half-sister. But the funny thing was that nobody came to take any of them.

None of Michelle's family came as well, though the redhead did not look disappointed, rather safe with hidden trouble. 

And as for Jacob, the archer was having meeting after meeting with all the recruiters. They somehow found out there was no one who recruited Jacob—he got the ticket on sheer luck. But his display at the test and the rest made him the best candidate to be recruited.

Wrik entered the omega store. The first floor was as busy as he remembered. People always needed to buy something, even if there was no need. Today it was usually crowded even compared to before as people have earned more credits in the test and it was the only place that came to their mind when they thought about spending. He needed to buy a few supplies from there as well, but it would wait. Besides, he was not ready to hackle with the crowds here. 

Walking through the gap, he went to the first floor and found a few people, though it was ten times less. People were scrolling through the stuff at the omega window. There was no need for the shopkeeper. Most probably, the stuff on the second floor was hundreds of times more expensive and there was no fear of theft. 

Wrik silently went to the second floor and could not find the bald man he was looking for was not there. 

Wrik thought about waiting there for a while and recalled he promised a dinner with Tanya, so climbed the stairs to the third floor again. The third floor was not welcoming, the entrance was shut with the sign, Do Not Disturb. 

He considered it for a while and opened his Omega cube. After fidgeting with the device for a second, he called Ryat. The bald salesman had left his signature number on his omega cube when they met in the test. Blue light flickered, indicating the call was connecting, but no one answered the call. 

After a minute, the door opened with the voice of Ryat. "Come in." 

Wrik went inside and found the entrance closed by itself as an isolation barrier formed again.

There was another person inside other than the bald salesman. Both the bald and short salesman and the unfamiliar person stood up from their seat welcoming him.

The other person was a tall, lean man with fair skin and long whisker that was left in a chunk. He was handsome and the beard suit him well, unlike him though he was a couple of decades younger compare to the man. The man was late in his prime and even with that whisker; he gave off a generous aura. He was wearing a black long robe with similarly designed pants and a shawl on his neck and shoulder. As Wrik was checking out the blue eyes of the unfamiliar man was checking him out. 

"It's good that you came in," Ryat said and gestured towards a seat at the table. "I will leave today and probably will have met you once before leaving."

Wrik nodded and came forward when he heard the unfamiliar man greeting him. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Wrik Everknight. Your performance in the test was quite startling and unnerving." The man brought out his right arm towards him for a shake

Wrik shook hands with the unknown man and found it to be rough and hard, contrasting the delicate aura the man was radiating. "I should take that as praise," Wrik said with a curt smile and gave a face that asked for the introduction.

"I'm Alec," the lean man said. "Alec Zandra. Here for some tasks that need to be done and recruit some people if I find them convenient." 

"I see. It's a pleasure meeting you, Mister Alec. I hope you get good seedings." Wrik sat, completing his words. 

The two men looked at him peculiarly, then the bald one said, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?" Wrik asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Does the name Zandra did not ring any bell in your brain?" the bald man said smugly, and sipped in the beverage he was drinking. 

The smell told him it was not tea, or at least not the tea he was familiar with, but he had no mind for the drink. His mind pondered elsewhere. "You mean that Zandra?" he could not help but ask, giving a second look to the lean bearded man. "Zandra corps, the weapon manufacturing enterprise?" 

"We did not just weapon though," Alec cut it between with a slight smile, confirming he was from the Zandra crops. 

"But Weapons are the only thing that has got you where you are at now," Wrik said, returning the smile. No wonder they were hard hands. It comes from a weapon maker after all.

Ryat passed over a cup of the foreign tea to him and Wrik took it curiously. While Alec smiled ruefully and smiled. It appeared he agreed with that phrase as well. 

"The things you guys made are great though," Wrik said, smelling the tea. He sipped in a little amount and found it to be hard and bitter. Still had a refreshing taste. "I have used a sword and armour made by your company. It helped me quite a lot in the test." 

"I see. Good to know it helped." Alec nodded, but he did not sit down. "I will leave you two now and get my business done here. Good luck for the rest of your journey." 

Wrik watched the lean man depart and found the sound isolation barrier raised again as the door locked again.

"I did not know you have a connection to people from the Zandra corps," Wrik said, eyeing the bald man.

"I did not know you would be so calm before the current CEO of the biggest weapon manufacturing enterprise," Ryat said with a smile.

"What? That man was the CEO?" Wrik flabbergasted. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Well, you are quite calm and probably was not an idiot to discover he was an important person, so there was no harm. Besides, Alec Zandra is more benevolent than the previous business holder, a little philosophical and stupid, but a good man."

"You just called the CEO of the biggest weapon manufacturing enterprise who holds decision over such an important thing stupid," Wrik said.

"And I will stick with my phrase," Ryat said and added, " Don't tell him by the way, if you meet him."

Wrik nodded. "It appeared whatever you were discussing with Alec Zandra did not go well."

"Yes," Ryat said, sighing. "And it's your fault." 

"How is that my fault? I didn't even know what you are dealing with."

"If only you had not beaten Scythe," Ryat said, tensing his muscles. "All would have gone easily." 

"How was that relevant here?" Wrik arched his eyebrow.

"Well, it is relevant more than you can think," Ryat said, sipping on the tea. His expression relaxed again. "You know the masked fellow, Scythe, was a candidate for a top spot in the council, but your encounter with him delayed or may have destroyed his line of succession in the post and the high seat that was backing Scythe was the backers of Zandra too."

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Check out: Chaos Cycle: The Eye of Genesis.