Darian got into the car and was taken to the part of the city where the nine smaller clans lived. As they drove, the scenery slowly changed. The endless luxurious houses gave way to a more organized area, where each clan had its own clearly defined territory.
When they reached Rhea's clan area, Darian noticed two tall buildings that stood out from everything else around them. Most of the other structures were much lower.
"That taller one is the main building," Rhea explained, pointing at the imposing structure. "That's where everyone gathers, organizes their squads, and discusses strategy with their groups. The smaller one is our marketplace and where we store our most valuable stuff."
Darian looked around. Surrounding the two central buildings were five larger houses, each three stories high. Their façades had lots of little sections, making them look more like hotels, with several small rooms per floor.
"Those are where our people live," Rhea went on, casually. "We've got 90 people living here, plus another 30 who work and stay in other parts of the Empire. I know they look small and simple, but they're just personal rest spaces. No one spends much time in them."
Further out, scattered across the clan's territory, there were dozens of strange, low, cylindrical buildings with few windows. They didn't look like houses at all—more like warehouses or specialized facilities.
Rhea pointed at them. "Those are open on the inside. They have special training areas, reinforced with artifacts and tech. Everyone here lives to train, day and night. That's why nobody cares about having a big comfy house."
Darian listened while looking around. The purpose behind everything was clear: every inch of the place was built to make the clan stronger—no luxury, no excess.
"Our clan's called Azure Haven. We're a Rank C-D clan, and we've only got 120 members. That makes us the smallest by number compared to all the others. But every member was hand-picked."
She paused a bit before going on: "Our criteria aren't really about power. We focus on teamwork and trust. We'd rather have a mid-level squad that's well-trained and willing to trust each other with their lives than a bunch of overpowered egomaniacs who only fight for themselves."
"Even though we're small, we've been able to complete every mission with little to no casualties—something even clans five times bigger can't always do. Our individual teams are seriously competent. No one dares to look down on us just because of our numbers."
Darian nodded. To survive, they couldn't afford to slack off. That's why 75% of the clan was constantly training, and the rest were working.
They stopped in front of the main building. The two of them got out of the car and went inside. Two men were waiting for them.
The one on the left—Darian remembered seeing him during the incident with his siblings. He looked about the same age as Darian but had a defiant look in his eyes.
The one on the right looked a bit older. He was tall, with long, tied-back golden hair. His gray-blue eyes were just like Rhea's… and just like the other guy's.
"Mom."
"Mom."
Both greeted her, and Darian raised an eyebrow. Wait… Mom? He'd been so focused on his siblings back then, he hadn't heard the younger one call her that before.
Rhea nodded. "Darian, the one on the right is Damon. He's my oldest son—and the leader of the clan."
"The other one is my youngest son. He's the same age as you and will be part of your group on your mission. His name is Leander."
Darian was taken aback. Then he remembered what Rhea had told him before about High Humans. Their youth and longevity were different from normal. Rhea looked only slightly older than him, but in truth, she'd lived long enough to have two grown sons.
Leander sighed. "I've already got everything ready, Mom. You can leave him to me. I'll take it from here. You really need to stop throwing yourself into all this… The elite squad needs you for training. Their mission time is getting close."
"Oh, don't be such a pain. Darian's the same age as you, and you two are kind of alike… I couldn't just leave him without making sure he was okay." Rhea waved lightly.
Darian and Leander narrowed their eyes. Alike? Well, neither of them were athletic and they were about the same height, but that was about it.
"You're the leader of the clan's group. Introduce him properly. He's a healing support... and yeah, he completely messed up his blessing, but you saw it—he heals freakishly fast and with scary efficiency. It probably burns up all his energy, but still, he's an unmatched lifesaver in the field."
Leander nodded, then shot a serious look at Darian. That support was going to be a huge asset—something no other clan had.
Damon, who'd been quiet up until now, stepped forward and handed Darian a ring. "Inside are your mana crystals. With them, you can use the clan's training centers freely. In the commercial building, you'll get a discount when buying supplies. If you can't find what you need, we can try other clans or go straight to the Empire's market, but no discount there."
Darian took the ring. It looked a lot like a spatial ring—like the ones he used in the other universe.
"There's no way to know exactly how much time you'll have to prepare. But your first mission—it's the most important one for any rookie," Damon said, looking him in the eye. "Chances of dying on this first one are insanely high. That's why the Empire only announces new High Humans to the public after you complete it. It's basically a continuation of your entry trial."
Darian nodded. Every three years or so, there was this huge event that involved all the Earth Empires. It was streamed online for regular folks.
That's when the new High Humans were revealed.
It was like a show, where rookies from all over Earth competed. It was the third biggest High Human event, and ordinary people could watch and cheer. The Empires used it as a kind of soft power contest—competing in a "friendly" way for influence.
"You'll train with Leander's group. People in our clan are tough, but if you give it your all, they won't treat you badly," Damon added kindly before turning to Leander.
"Let's go. Everyone's probably waiting already," said Leander, heading deeper into the building.
Rhea gave Darian a small smile and waved. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things and help out when I can."
He wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry. Rhea was a mature and beautiful woman, but she definitely treated him like a son, even saying stuff a mom would. It felt really weird to him—but it also showed how much she trusted him. He had to repay that trust, somehow helping her son and her clan.
Leander led him out of the building and toward a structure not far away.
The two of them entered through a glass door. Inside, everything was open—a huge area, kind of like a big counter room.
There were markings and lines on the floor. On the walls, all kinds of weapons were displayed—every shape and size. It was clearly a space made for armed combat training.
Even so, only one tall, muscular guy was inside.
Leander's face turned serious. "Zeal, where the hell are those idiots from my group? Training time already started."
"They were just here a few minutes ago," Zeal replied. "Then suddenly they got all worked up about something and left together. They just told me to give a heads-up if they were late."
Then he seemed to remember something and added, "Pretty sure I heard the name 'Raon'... and the word 'challenge'."
Leander clenched his fists. "Shit! They fell for their taunt again!"
He turned to Darian. "Stay here with Zeal. He'll show you how to use the place."
Then, without warning, Leander spun around and rushed off.
...
Darian stood silently for a moment, then let out a huff and turned to Zeal.
But Zeal was already heading quickly toward the exit.
With a big grin, he looked back at Darian, who was staring in confusion. "What? Let's go! You don't wanna miss something fun like this, do you?"