Transcendent Gene
Chapter 143: Atmos Clan [1]

Chapter 143: Atmos Clan [1]

There wasn’t much left after the conversation ended.

Gio was given three days, but after Gregor had confirmation that he would be following them, he pushed the date forward.

The next day, Gio put everything important in his Storage Hole. There wasn’t much at all. Even his own shack was now filled with Ricky’s stuff. He didn’t need any of that.

’The daily necessities exist up there so I don’t have a reason to bring them with me. My serums, equipment, and everything else were packed in ten minutes, so...’

Gio spent most of the day walking the city and reminiscing about the past. It sounded like a day when time would pass slower than ever, but it was actually the opposite.

Those memories were the same ones Gio had replayed in his mind so many times.

Finding serenity within the madness wasn’t as easy as relying on the [Memory Book]. Gio had to train himself to preserve his sanity in the tower.

He watched the best and worst memories of his life over and over again. The moments that defined him as a person were engraved in his brain as muscle memories. His mind was numbed further and further. The [Memory Book] became further as well. The memories it held of life before the tower started feeling distant.

However, no matter how much Gio died internally, the core of his being was always preserved. It had been etched into him in a way that couldn’t be touched or changed by anyone else.

Therefore, when the time came for him to truly regain himself, it was only a matter of filling in the pieces. He didn’t have to rebuild his entire psyche from scratch.

’My life started in this city.’

If it weren’t for this city, nothing else would have been possible. If the Old Lady never took him in and gave him a home in this very place, he would have remained a wanderer in the Wasteland.

He didn’t know if he would have even survived long enough for the Atmos Clan’s forces to save him.

"Huu..."

The streets of the inner city were bustling with nightlife. The bars and clubs that were open this early were usually the most unpopular ones, but that didn’t mean people weren’t on the prowl.

It looked like a true civilization, a taste of what Gio would become accustomed to soon enough.

’Everything starts moving here.’

The whole world was waiting for him in Arcadia. Everything would finally be set in motion when he arrived.

All he had to do was make the journey.

***

The next morning, Gio got to see the scene he had been anticipating.

"Hey! Help me out here! How are we even traveling? Can all my stuff fit?"

Ricky came out of his shack with a massive backpack on his back and a suitcase on each side.

That much would have been fine, but it seemed he wasn’t willing to part with most of his stuff. He was stumbling around, carrying a table with two chairs wrapped around his neck. His mattress was strapped under the backpack on his back, and from how he was calling Gio, it didn’t seem like that was everything.

Gio didn’t try to hold his laughter even a little bit. He walked over while taking pictures of Ricky’s comical appearance and happily made fun of him.

He liked to be creative when mocking others, but he knew what worked best with Ricky.

"You look dumb as shit."

A single sentence sent him off the edge. He flew into a rage, talking about how it was Gio’s fault that he was like this, but none of it could be heard over Gio’s own laughter as he opened the Storage Hole.

When Ricky learned what it was, all of his complaints disappeared.

The Storage Hole was a kind of existence that was so far beyond Ricky’s understanding of the world that all other thoughts disappeared when he walked inside and found himself in a new world.

Ricky pouted to himself as Gio helped him load all of his stuff into the storage space. Soon after, the two of them walked over to the Old Lady’s house, where she was waiting for them.

"Are you both ready?"

She ushered them over with a smile.

"I am," Gio said.

"But I don’t think he has any idea what’s going on."

Ricky sent a glare his way and retaliated.

"Who’s fault is that? Ma’am, he didn’t even tell me we were leaving until yesterday, and he’s been making fun of me this entire morning. How is that fair?"

"I can’t believe this. Snitching is your first instinct. I might have to reconsider–"

"Ma’am, actually, I was lying. Gio has been nothing but a great friend to me."

Ricky stood at attention. The Old Lady watched the two boys banter with a warm smile.

"Well, if this is your attitude, then I guess there was never a reason for me to worry," she said.

"Come. They brought the fleet over this morning. Everything should be prepared by now."

It was just after noon. The sun was properly in the sky, and the cool breeze brushed across their faces, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

They walked through the quiet streets and exited the city. There was a car waiting for them at the gate that took them a little further out where their ride was waiting.

’It’s a good ship no matter how many times I see it.’

It was an old model, but the warship Gregor commanded was still a top-of-the-line product.

In terms of aesthetic design, it was one of Gio’s favorite warships, even.

While the three of them stepped out of the car, a door opened on the warship’s side and a ramp unfurled. Gregor stood at its highest point and looked over at them.

"Welcome," he said with an inviting expression.

"Come in and make yourselves at home. It will be a short trip, so there’s no need to worry about finding ways to spend the time."

He walked down the ramp and stepped aside, allowing Gio and Ricky to walk past him.

The Old Lady approached and watched them enter the ship before speaking to Gregor.

Gio had already said his final goodbyes to her the night before. They also spoke during the few minutes in the car, so there wasn’t a need to say something here as well.

But even if she wasn’t saying anything to him directly, there were still things that needed to be said to his new caretakers.

While she and Gregor spoke about things Gio didn’t need to hear, he was experiencing another moment of deja vu.

As he walked through the halls of the warship, the people bowed, showing him the respect a member of the main clan deserved.

He was guided through the ship by a woman with a stoic expression. The guide in his past life was a man, but their mannerisms were almost perfectly the same.

Gregor wasn’t lying about the length of the trip. It was so short, in fact, that there wasn’t even a need for him and Ricky to be given rooms to stay in.

They were shown to a casual area with a kitchen, a TV, and plenty of snacks and left there.

When Gregor boarded the ship, there would no longer be anything holding them back.

It was time to go to Arcadia.