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Cedric was puzzled as to why he was singled out, but he didn't dare to outwardly express it. Instead, he just followed orders, believing that these people wouldn't harm him for absolutely no reason.
Officer Zod was right; the Blue Building was hard to miss, mostly because it's the only building that has this one color only amongst the rest of the buildings around it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
He went inside and immediately felt the stare of the person at the reception. He wasn't expecting to be met with a large dog wearing the same uniform as him, though.
"Hi, how can I help you?" The dog asked.
Cedric fought hard to prevent any visible changes in his expression. The dog was furry and adorable; if his wives were here, they would most likely be unable to help themselves from petting him.
What makes this strange though is that this dog was also at the 5-star Grand Solar Sage realm, just like him. Meaning that if they fought, this dog could and might be able to keep up with him.
Also, he has a name tag. Apparently, his name was 'Barker'.
"Hi, there. Officer Zod gave me this letter and asked me to show this to you," Cedric replied before handing the letter.
Barker sat on his buttocks and pawed at the letter before opening it with his psychic power. He briefly scanned the letter, and his doe-like, shiny eyes showed understanding.
"Ah, I see." Barker hummed. He looked at Cedric and said, "This is an endorsement letter. It indicates that you are to skip the initial training since apparently, you already showed sufficient skills."
"Congratulations. I don't know what you did for the camp to make you an exception, but this is legit." Barker then hopped off the table and opened the drawers to take something out.
A few items then floated towards Cedric: a new badge that looked relatively the same as the one he previously had, three ticket stubs, and a metal box covered in runic inscriptions.
"Replace your old badge with this. This new one signifies that you're an official Border Patrol Guardian from here on out. You're still a cadet, but by accomplishing missions, you steadily accumulate merit and increase your rank."
"The ticket stubs are for your equipment. You get three for free within the Grand Solar level; if you want more or want something stronger, you're going to have to pay with merit points."
"And lastly, that box is an update module for your Void Suit. You use it by smearing a drop of your blood at the scanner, which is the obvious red circle on it. But before you do that, refine your badge first. Once you've been recognized by the badge, only then you can safely use the update module."
Cedric looked at the items and asked, "Can I do it here?"
Fourth floor—Room 18—that's what it stands for. Cedric could've gone for the rooms on higher floors, but there isn't really that much of a difference. Besides, being on the lower floors makes it quicker for him to get out of the building when he needs to.
"Alright, give me a minute," Barker said.
Cedric then watched as the dog expertly pawed at the holograms, ticking permissions and typing in some things that had nothing to do with Cedric. Around thirty seconds or so, a blue card manifested before Barker. It's only when he was done with his typings that he pushed the card with his paws towards Cedric.
"Here's your room card; don't lose it or it will be troublesome for the both of us. Go up and familiarize yourself with your new environment."
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"Since you just joined, you can rest easy and adjust for a bit. But as soon as the next week arrives, you are expected to start doing missions within the camp. Take this little time off to peruse the available missions for your rank and plan ahead."
"Just a reminder, we do not tolerate laziness and tardiness here. Any signs of either will be met with strict and varying levels of punishment. Don't try to challenge the authority of the Border Patrol Guardians or else, your ending won't be pretty."
"There is a detailed breakdown of your expected level of activity available on Board Notice, which could be accessed through your badge. Read up, learn, and perform, and you'd be just fine here. That's all from me; you can go up now."
"Thank you." Cedric nodded.
He didn't stay any longer than necessary since it looks like the dog officer wants to take a nap now, and who was he to get in the way with that?
Cedric took the elevator and arrived at his chosen room. He then inserted his room card at the scanner, and the door opened before him. He stepped inside the door closed and was locked behind him without his input.
The interior of the room didn't surprise him anymore. It looked like a spacious dorm, at least. It was clean, quaint, and smelled nice.
There's a small reception area, a kitchen, a small bathroom, a dining area, the bedroom, and all the necessary furniture around. There's even a few decorations and a tiny pot of plants around.
What got his attention was this one door that's seemingly out of place. When he opened it, he was surprised to see what's on the other side.
"Ah, so the plot twist was right here." Cedric hummed to himself.
This door led him to the vast space outside of the room, where there's a massive expanse of flat ground with a thin blanket of grass. He could feel the density of energies and laws here, making him think that this must be a place built for any form of training by the cadets. Which only makes sense because even the slight disturbance could ruin the interior of the room.
Shaking his head, he closed the door for now. He'd use it later, eventually. For now, though, he'd best use the time to plan ahead so that he won't be caught lacking by next week.