<h4>Chapter 141 Paradise</h4>


    It had to be remembered that after the Sixth failure, the survivors would have already experienced a Summoning. It should have been easy to pull them under one banner.


    Why make just a single Race, and yet leave so many separate countries? What was the point of speaking just onenguage if there were still dozens of cultures?


    It all felt like a smokescreen only capable of fooling those too lost in their propaganda or too uncaring to think past a singleyer.


    It seemed that everyone was scrambling to hold onto their power in some way and couldn''t be bothered to consider anything else.


    If the human race was still acting like this after almost getting wiped off the face of the, he couldn''t imagine they would ever change.


    "Anyway, I don''t know many details, this is all I can tell you. You''ve already made it so far on your own, so feel free to make your own decisions," Magnusughed, "not that you need me to tell you that."


    **


    A ne touched down from the skies. Lucius and his drafteesnded in the Ranger Province not in an airport, but a rather inconspicuous stretch of asphalt surrounded by a wheat field.


    They had clearlye for battle.


    With Aether, spatial devices had be useless and most could only carry around their weapons and various armors. Since there was no point in hiding it from the Browns anymore, they had all brought out their treasures.


    On the ne, however, Lucius had given them allrge bags to hide them. Each of them was now carrying around a pack that must have been at least a meter or two taller than them.


    Well, except for Ss. He just had a normal suitcase of clothes.


    He looked the most normal of them all. He was wearing the same tan trench coat he hade to the Brownspound with. Beneath it was a white turtleneck and a pair of ck cks and loafers.


    Rather than battle, it looked like he was about to teach another ss.


    Most had picked up on the hint that the government was not their friend for this excursion. But only Nathan and Ss seemed to realize that this didn''t mean they were going balls to the wall.


    How easy would it be to turn the people against the Browns? A family of billionaires suddenly wanted to seize control of power when the world underwent a change?


    This would be an uphill battle, and that was precisely why it was a test. One that Lucius apparently wanted them to see through on their own.


    Lucius didn''t inform them of this on purpose, clearly as an attempt to test them. The more leeway he gave them, the easier it would be to observe their characters.


    "Let''s go. There''s a small town about fifty or so kilometers from here."


    With that, he set off.


    Such a distance would have been unconscionable for them to cross before, but they hardly reacted to the distance after Lucius finished speaking.


    Like this, they set out in a group of about 30 or so. Aside from the draftees, Lucius of course had his own trusted aides.


    …


    Their destination was a neighboring small town to Lone Star known as Paradise. It had a poption of only 10,000 or so, and it was quite used to having a great deal of tourists. Those that took long road trips to Lone Star would almost certainly stop here.


    For much of its life, it had lived up to its name. It was peaceful, had a low crime rate, and a warm atmosphere.


    However, as the town came into view, the first thing Ss noticed were the patrols.


    A town like this one would have a sheriff''s office. It would be an elected position that would likely double as a mayor. Clearly, whoever this sheriff was had deemed it necessary to set up such a.


    ---


    [Gabriel Shroom]


    [Level: 0]


    [Physical: 7]


    [Mental: 7]


    [Will: 7]


    ---


    Out of habit, Ss checked one of their stats, but the result was a surprise that shouldn''t have been one.


    He shook his head. The reality was that most of the humans on Earth right this moment were not Trial Takers as the majority had died. What he had to be worried about wasn''t this person''s stats, but instead the gun on his waist.


    Ss'' gaze shifted to the gun on the man''s hip. Because the Trial had ended early, the force multipliers of Earth''s technology still reigned supreme. If someone thought they could act freely just because they had a few stats, they would quickly find themselves to be sorely mistaken.


    The unfortunate part was that Ss couldn''t scan Lucius. He was very curious about the man''s stats, but the risk was too high. He''d have to wait for a good time.


    Soon, Gabriel and his partner noticed them and couldn''t help but frown. Even under normal conditions, a group of more than 30, each with a huge sack on their back, walking into a small town like theirs would have attracted attention no matter what… let alone now.


    "Stop right there!" Gabriel barked. "Identify yourselves!"


    His hand shifted to the holster on his hip, his wariness shining forth in his eyes.


    Lucius held up his hands and everyone followed suit.


    "I know it looks odd, officer, but we''re just a group of campers that got caught up on the road."


    "Campers?" Gabriel frowned, looking them over. He could believe that for some of them, but why were two of them so well dressed? Who went camping in a thousand-dor coat?


    Ss silently watched this interaction, slowlying to understand something.


    ''… He''s trying to force a conflict…''


    It was impossible for Lucius to be so airheaded that he''d neglect such a detail. He didn''t brief any of them on exactly what the ns were, and up until a couple of hours ago, they had all thought that they were going to Lone Star, not an adjacent town.