Heaven's Greatest Professor

If the atmosphere was heavy outside of the rift, it was a hundred times heavier inside the rift. The sky was broken red shifting colours… there was a sun, but it moved fast through the horizon. There was no change in the time ratio of day and night either, just the light wasn't bright enough for civilization to develop here.

Warden didn't think normal people could live here for long in this atmosphere. The same goes for copper ranker, considering the heaviness only grows more as one moves deeper into the rift.

The first thing Warden noticed after being drafted into the 16th infantry was that their array formation that warded the heaviness and baleful aura was faulty. It was unable to restrict even half of it.

Well, there were less than a hundred drafted to the 16th infantry, which was nothing compared to other infantry or the other division. That was probably why the formation wasn't repaired yet.

There was, of course, another reason.

As Warden sat at the table out in the open, a group of soldiers in mismatched attires came up.

"New blood, ye," the leader of the bunch said. He was a heavy man, his stomach protruding a few inches before the other part of his body, as he dragged his fat ass with him to stand before Warden. "So, what are you in for?"

Warden raised an eyebrow, considering the man. He hadn't forgotten that the 16th infantry was a place for the convicted to get pardoned for their mistakes. Some of them were murders, rapists, or worst…

Well, I too am a murderer, he thought with a sigh. I shouldn't look down on them just because of the fact.

Of course, his acts of murder were always done in the act of consideration over the weight of life. Warden would like to think he knew what he was doing with he killed those bandits… there might have been better solutions, as not every one of them was irredeemable shits… but that was the past… and at that time killing them seemed like a mercy.

He sighed. "Just fought a noble son."

The leader snickered. "That's not very rare," he said. "Kevin, here killed a minor noble's son…" he pointed towards a scrawny-looking man. "He says totally not his fault. He's been here... for two years already?

Well, far from regaining his freedom."

"Motherfucker will die in a ditch before gaining his freedom," Another fella said, slapping the scrawny guy, Kevin, on the shoulder.

"You think I don't know that?" Kevin sneered, shoving aside the arm. "I've already given up my dream of gaining a pardon. All I wanted is to live my best life in the worst environment possible."

"Which is spending all your coins on whores," snickered the guy who slapped him.

Kevin looked unphased as he turned to Warden. "New guy, a word of advice. Don't try to cheat the system and give up hope of getting out as soon as possible… They'll rope you in for one thing or another. They are always short on soldiers, the more the better."

"Come on, Kev' don't dampen the mood with your pessimism," the leader said. "And new guy, don't let the guy borrow any of your coins or contributions."

"Umm, thanks for the tip," he said. "The name's Warden."

"Luis," the leader said. "For how long you are drafted?"

"Six months."

"That's the lowest, lucky," snickered another among the group.

"Well, perhaps you might see the light of the day outside if you survive and act according," Luis said and turned to his group. "I have no hope for this bunch."

"Well, thanks," Warden said awkwardly. "Honestly, I thought you guys were coming on here to put me in place… you know how it is…"

"Haha," Luis laughed, crooking his nose. "You're not wrong."

The others laughed along, their demeanours shifting.

"You know, Warden," Luis continued, "some of us are here for over a decade. Me for example, in my fourteenth year, I probably survived the longest in this hellish place under our circumstances. I have been countless rankers die in my time here… some even in their very first week."

Well, Luis was a Silver Ranker, and a Warden was getting a dangerous aura from him. To say the least, he survived that long wasn't merely through luck.

"Life is very dull on top of the constant threat we have to deal with," Luis said. "Thus, we have prepared a few rules among ourselves…"

"What kind of rules?" Warden narrowed his eyes.

"There are only a few," Kevin said, "but you need to only know the first for now."

"The first rule is that the newcomer has to pay for one night's drink for everyone in the infantry," Luis said. "You might feel it wrong to pressure the newcomer, but it's very much required. You know, to keep the atmosphere light.

Warden expected nothing less than that.

"Of course, you don't have to pay right up, as you might not have anything with you," Luis said, easing up the unfair rule they made up to bully all the newcomers. "But you don't get a freebie after your first pay."

Warden nodded in understanding. "I thought we were indentured here for our crimes…" he asked, "we still get paid?"

As far as Warden knew, they were only above slaves, as they weren't chained, but there was no other difference. But it seemed they paid some remuneration to the indentured soldiers to keep them satiated.

"Only a small part of it," Luis sighed. "Only the fifth. The rest goes to the pockets of the people who convicted us."

A few of them cursed as one came along to slap Warden on the shoulder. "Haha, no need to worry about that for tonight," he said. "And Luis forget to add, since it is your first day, you get a freebie from us. Whatever you want to do, drink, eat, fuck bitches, it's on us. So, enjoy tonight at your heart's content, because you might not survive tomorrow... This is the excitement of--"

The siren blared instantly, stiffening each of their postures.

"--living in the edge."

"Fuck! Another attack!"