“Welcome,” Marty said as he held the door of the limo for the girls.

“Wow, this is your home?” Caelia asked in shock.

“Four stories high with one story below and the basement below that, as ordered,” Thomas said.

“It’s so big,” Morgan said as she exited the limo.

“Oh?  Is your house lacking compared to this? Hahahaha.” Marty said to imitate what Morgan had said when she showed him her house.

She glared at him with a hint of annoyance. “Humph, it’s not that impressive,” She replied with a pout.

“Oh, and you got something wrong. It isn’t my house, it’s our house.”

“It’s going to take some getting used to,” Caelia said as she looked over the mansion.

“If you all would please follow me, I’ll take you on a tour,” Thomas said as they followed him inside.

“I’m surprised it’s so well furnished,” Marty said as they entered.

“Of course. We made sure to provide you with whatever you may need. On that note, we brought your luggage in and prepared numerous clothes for all of you.”

“When did you manage to do that?”

“With the measurements from a medical exam. We had someone get a ton of clothes which she then sorted based on your measurements and photos we gave her of you.”

“And when did you take pictures of us?” Marty Said with an angry smile as he grabbed Thomas’s shoulder.

“Stills from security cameras, of course.”

“… I hope you didn’t put any in the house?”

“Oh? Did you not want them?” He asked, innocently.

“Given that this is the personal residence of my wives and myself, emphasis on the female percentage, no!” Marty said as a vein appeared on his forehead.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. The cameras are all external except for the internal ones fixed at the entryways. On top of that, they are all on an internal wired network within the house, so the only way to access the feed is from the inside, which defeats the purpose.”

“I’m going to do a sweep for bugs anyway.”

“Oh? Do you not trust me?” 

“Not with that smile, I don’t.”

“That’s too bad.  Anyway, as I was saying, this is the first floor. It has an entertainment center, a large kitchen, dining room, and guest area. The floor below this has a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, and an exercise facility. The basement is currently empty but has access to all the utilities so you can use it for whatever you wish. The second floor has a large bath comparable to a small pool and has the primary sleeping quarters. The main bedroom and several other bedrooms are located there. The two floors above that are effectively empty rooms which you may use your own discretion. Outside you have a stable, pasture, and a shooting range with plenty of free space left over.”

“I see.”

“Ladies, you may choose whichever rooms you like.”

“I want to be in the same room as Caelia,” Shiro said with a smile.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Caelia added.

“Well, one of the bedrooms adjacent to the main bedroom does have a pair of full-size bunk beds,” Thomas said

“Why did you include that?” Marty asked him.

“We figured you were planning to have a dozen kids with all the stuff you were asking for,” Thomas replied with a laugh.

“… I see.  You girls check out the rooms and figure which ones you want, I’m going to go outside for a little bit.” Marty replied as he made his way outside.

Before Marty left, Thomas stopped him. “Oh, Marty, about that legal matter you mentioned. You aren’t the first person to come back with multiple wives. There is legislation to recognize polygamous marriages done outside of the world in response to this. However, it is highly doubtable to become legal anytime soon. Given that you aren’t officially registered as being married to any of them, you don’t have to worry about breaking the law.”

“Is there any issue with illegal entry?”

“Seeing as they may not have come willingly and cannot be sent back, they won’t and can’t be deported.  They can obtain their citizenship later though they require a guardian in the interim. If you look at how other Offworlders have been handled...  Given that you claim them to be your wives, inferring that you are willing to take care of them, you should be recognized as their legal guardian. By the way, the government recently approved of giving Offworlder caretakers a certain amount of money for the first three years which we have already applied for.  Since we’ve been prepared to expect your arrival with guests, we’ve taken care of the paperwork and deposited into your account.” He said as he handed Marty a tablet.

“This is quite a generous amount.”

“I believe the government sees this as being an investment in making them an asset to society. I imagine they don’t want to risk paying cleanup.”

“Makes sense. If you’d excuse me.” Marty replied as he handed him the tablet and finally exited outside.

...

“Well? What do you girls think?” Marty asked the girls after he came back into the house sometime later.

“Lights are cool!” Shiro said with a smile.

“I can’t believe you have a pool,” Morgan added.

“I found the… What was it? TVs? It is fascinating.” Caelia said insecurely in a cute way.

“That’s very good. I’m sure it will take some time you are used to this world, but I will be here to help you.”

“Well, that’s about all that you need from me today,” Thomas said as he prepared to leave. “If you need anything, feel free to contact me. You have my card. Unless something important comes up, I should be available within an hour.”

“Understood. I will do so. Morgan, can you come with me for a sec? I have something to show you. Will the three of you be okay your own here for a little bit?” 

The girls nodded.

“Shall we go?” Marty asked as he extended his arm to escort her.

“Why are you acting like a gentleman to me?” She asked as she eyed him skeptically. 

“Aren’t I always a gentleman to you?” He asked as he exaggerated his shock while they walked outside.

“No… But it’s not as if you’ve ever been mean to me.” She replied under her breath.

“Of course not, Goldie,” Marty teased. Surprisingly, she did not react. “You don’t mind being called Goldie anymore?”

“It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s not like you’re insulting me.”

“… You can be surprisingly cute at times.”

“Wha?” She froze up as her cheeks began to turn red. “Are you saying that there are times when I’m not cute?”

“Yeah, when you’re beautiful,” Marty continued to tease her.

“... Pervert.” She said under her breath as her cheeks were further reddened.

“Probably...  At any rate, we are here.” Marty replied with a chuckle as they stopped in front of the fence. “Take this.”

“What’s this?” She asked as she looked at what he handed her.

“Sugar cubes. Wait a sec.” He replied before he whistled.

A couple seconds after his whistle echoed, there was a neigh and the distance.  From behind a nearby hill, a black stallion appeared. As he approached, Morgan’s eyes lit up.

“What a magnificent horse,” She said as she petted him after he came to a stop at the fence.

“Why don’t you give him the sugar cubes?”

“Here you go,” she said as she fed him the sugar cubes. “What’s his name?”

“He’s all yours, so you could name and whatever you like though I do have a suggestion.”

“Really?!” She replied with a smile Marty hadn’t seen in a long time. “What do you think I should name him?”

“Hengroen, in remembrance of Llamrei.”

Her smile slowly turned soft before she turned to touch her forehead to his. “Hengroen it is,” She whispered as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

End of Day -140

 

“Wow Martel, I mean Marty,” Caelia said as he entered. “You sure look different.”

After they had spent a night in their new home, the five of them had cleaned themselves up and now wore new attire. Marty clothes were now completely black and form-fitting.  The slacks were simple but for a chain which drooped down and was attached to the top and bottom of the left pocket. The black button shirt with long sleeves had a tall unfolded collar which reached up to the height of his mouth. It also included a pair of gloves of the same material as the rest of the outfit that he couldn’t identify.  It seemed to be water resistant and extremely firm cloth-like material. 

“In your case Caelia, you look amazing,” Marty said as he looked at her.

“Eh? Really?” She asked a little shyly as her cheeks began to match the color of her hair.

She wore blue jeans with the dark Crimson shirt and a dark blue short jacket which was just large enough to accentuate her assets.  Marty found it eerie how well she fit into Earth’s clothes. Perhaps because of the drastic change in clothes, Marty came to realize just how beautiful she was.

“How do I look?” Shiro asked as she skipped into the room.

She wore a white dress and petticoat with light blue patterns along with it with a matching light blue sweater jacket and white leg tights.  She no longer hid her ears, and her tail could be seen as it came out from behind. 

“You look adorable,” Marty replied as he gave her a hug which caused her to giggle.

“Pervert,” Morgan said under her breath as she entered.

“You look good too, Goldie,” Marty replied as he gave her a good look over.

She wore a relatively simple blue dress that strapped to the neck but only revealed the shoulders.  The dress was covered with gold patterns which fit her well.

“Of course I do,” She replied with a hint of pride.

Behind her, Cali walked in silently with the exact same dress as Shiro, but all-black.

“You all look lovely,” Marty said as he grabbed a bouquet of flowers nearby. “I’ll come to pick you up for the orientation later. Until then, I’m to be gone for a while.”

“Where are you going?” Shiro asked innocently.

“To visit a grave,” Marty replied with a sad smile.

“I see… Can I go with you?”

“Shiro, that isn’t really-”

“It’s fine, Caelia,” Marty interrupted. “If you guys want to go, you’re more than welcome to.”

“I see.”

“Then we should go once to show our respect, at least,” Morgan said.

“I see. If you want to go, follow me.” Marty replied as he made his way toward the garage.

“We’ll take the four-door,” Marty said as he saw that all four of them had followed and opened the doors for them.

“What’s that?” Morgan asked.

“That’s my motorcycle. It’s similar to a car, but for fewer people and not as safe.” Marty replied as he got into the driver’s seat.

“You can operate this?” Caelia asked from the front seat.

“Yeah. Once you turn 16, you can get a license to drive.” 

“So... Whose graves are we visiting?”

“… My family’s.”

...

Here lies Catlin and Wilhelm Cross. Proud parents and good friends to those around them. They left this world as they lived in it, together and loving each other.

Here lies Alice Cross.  A loving daughter and sister. A beauty who was taken from this world too young, her heart still beats on.

“Mom, Dad, Alice, I’m back. Sorry that it took so long.” Marty said as he cleaned their grave as the girls stood behind him. “Believe it or not, I went to another world. I gained abilities out of fantasy. After a while, I got engaged. I stopped two wars and even fought a Dragon. But I couldn’t protect her. I failed.” Tears rolled down his cheeks. “I’m sorry Alice, it seems you saved a useless brother.”

“… Can I say something?” Morgan asked after a few seconds of silence. Marty nodded. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cross, Alice. My name is Morgan. I am the sister of his late betrothed. As such, I have something important I want to say to you, mainly Alice. Thank you for saving him. He says he’s failed, but I don’t think he has. I think he’s human, has flaws, and as far from perfect. If it weren’t for him, I would be dead right now, many times over. Thank you for saving the man who saved me.” She finished with a respectful bow.

“He saved me too, thank you,” Shiro said as she mimicked Morgan.

“He has reliably been there for me too,” Caelia added with the bow.

“I like my family,” Cali added.

Tears filled Marty’s eyes as they spoke and continued long after they finished while he hid his pathetic state from them. “Girls, thank you.”

...

“Why are we stopping here?” Caelia asked sometime later as Marty pulled into a parking lot.

“Since I don’t need to go and pick you girls up, we have some time left over. Are you all up to eat?”

""""Yes."""" They all responded.

“Okay, let’s go.”

After he had sat them down in the diner, he ordered food for all of them before he went back and sat down.

“So they feed anyone who comes in here?” Morgan asked.

“Yes, so long as you have money.”

“So it’s like a tavern without rooms?”

“Sort of,” Marty replied with a small laugh.

For a short time, nothing was spoken between them as Shiro shifted and looked uncomfortably around her.

“Are you okay, Shiro?” Marty asked.

“... Yes.” She answered back softly.

“Are you still afraid?”

“Yes,” She replied as she nodded her head.

“Well, I think it’s courageous of you that you’re willing to expose your ears and tail in public.”

“Everyone staring at me.”

“Not everyone, almost everyone,” Marty replied with a smile to which she cowered into herself further. “What are the emotions of the people around us, Morgan?”

“I sense some apprehension, a small amount of fear. Mostly jealousy and anger.”

“I noticed that too. I also noticed there was a significant change when they realized I was with you girls. Aside from Cali, it’s quite obvious that you girls aren’t normal and you are all quite beautiful. I’m pretty sure most of the guys here want me to die.” Marty said with a chuckle.

“Why?” Shiro asked cutely.

“Because they’re jealous that I get to be with such an adorable young lady,” He replied as he patted her head.

“A large number of people just got angrier,” Morgan observed.

“I don’t think you need to use Spirits to know that.  By the way, that reminds me. Whenever we are at the University, I think it would be better if you act like you didn’t know me.”

“Why?” Caelia asked.

“Well for starters, even though I can easily protect myself, I don’t want to get mugged for associating with a group of beautiful young ladies.”

“Will that happen?”

“Possibly. In fact, it’s more likely if they find out my reputation at the University.”

“Do you have a bad name or something?” Morgan asked.

“I have a nickname. I’m known as The Thinker because of my intellect. I told you I earned a doctorate already? Well, I’m the youngest person to do so by two years breaking an already impressive record substantially.”

“Wait, you’re actually smart?” Morgan asked with a look of shock.

“What’s that supposed to mean? In Camelot, I focused mostly on physical training. At any rate, I don’t want to have a high profile. I would prefer to take the class and leave without drawing attention to myself. Plus, if we have a relationship, it’ll be less likely for others to approach you. I would prefer for you to meet people and make new friends together.”

“What about you?” Caelia asked.

“I will be too busy to have much of a social life outside of you girls. I think this would be the best course of action.”

“I see, well I’m fine with it,” Caelia replied as the other girls nodded their heads. “Oh, by the way, Shiro, do you want to do anything special for our birthday?”

“Is it that time already?” Shiro asked. “I lost track a while ago.”

“It’s tomorrow.”

“From the sound of it, it sounds like you share birthdays,” Marty concluded.

“Yes.  We were born on the same day, five years apart. It’s one of the reasons why we stayed so close over the years as her parents would celebrate our birthdays together.  Is there anything you would like to do or want, Shiro?”

“I…” Shiro began shyly as she puts both hands on her cheeks.  With a small smile, she continued softly. “I want to have Martel’s baby.”

“Shiro, don’t say things that in public.” Morgan scolded her quietly as she looks around.

“Caelia?” Marty asked when he saw her complex facial expression.

“Well… The truth is, the 13th and 14th year for Demihumans are rather special.  You see, around the time they are 14 to 15 they go through a massive growth spurt.  After which, they are considered full of adults unless they are not strong enough. However, in Shiro’s case, she surpassed that level when she was very young.  As such, it’s not entirely uncommon for Demihumans to begin to look for their… mate… during their 13th year.”

“I see.  How old were her parents when they had her?”

“They had recently turned 15 at the time, I think.”

“That’s a bit young,” Morgan said in surprise.

“Well, at that time, they were fully grown and could take care of themselves, so it’s fine.”

“Then what about you?  Seeing that you’re 18.” Marty asked.

“Well, the thing is, Elves aren’t considered Demihumans.  They are considered a species of their own, as are humans.  Because I grew at a steady pace and my parents’ decision, they told me I would have to wait till I was 16.  Because of my mixed blood, no one really wanted me. I was pretty heavily ostracized. That’s why I’m thrilled I met you guys.” She replied with an honest yet sad smile.

“I see.  Then I think I should tell you, technically your birthday has already passed.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mentioned before that every day here is two days in Albion, right?  That means that your birthdays have already passed. That being said, you don’t turn 18 until tomorrow.  I think we’re going to have to make a distinction between all of our birthdays and our agedays.” Marty said with a sigh.

“Here’s your food.” A waitress said as she set down trays with food.

“Perfect,” Marty replied as he delegated everyone’s shares.

“What is this?” Shiro asked as she eyed it curiously.

“Hamburgers. You wanted to try them, right?”

“Yeah!” she answered with a smile.

“Is there something you need?” Marty asked the waitress who hovered nearby.

“Well, this is a bit embarrassing, and I’m not sure to ask it.” She began as she fidgeted slightly from embarrassment. “You see, I’m a huge cat lover.”

“I see. Shiro, she wants to pet you.”

“Eh?” She replied back with a bit of a perplexed look on her face.

“It’s not a big deal.” The waitress said as she shook her hands.

“It’s okay,” Shiro replied little shyly while Caelia’s eyes went wide from the surprise of her acceptance.

The waitress very gently reached out and touched her head and ears.   After a couple seconds, she backed off with a lovely smile. “Thank you very much, Shiro was it? I never thought I’d ever get the pet a real cat girl and a cute one as well. I’ll leave you to your meal.” She finished before she walked away.

Marty took a good look at Shiro, who tried to hide her face. “If you are trying to hide that smile, Shiro, you’re doing a very poor job of it,” Marty said happily as he voiced everyone’s thoughts.

“How am I supposed to eat this?” Morgan asked while she looked at the hamburger.

“Like this,” Marty demonstrated.

“I’m supposed to eat this with my hands?”

“They seem fine with it.”

“This is good!” Shiro exclaimed cutely with a big smile and sauce on her face.

It gave them all a good laugh.

...

A little over an hour later, the five of them are sat in a classroom at the University as they waited for the person responsible for their orientation. 

“Oh good, I think everyone is here.” A well-built man in his late 20s said as he came in and took his place at the podium. “Hello everyone, my name is Eric Little. You can call me Professor or Professor Eric.  Please raise your head when I call your name. Marty, Cali, Shiro, Caelia, and Morgan. Good everyone is here. Nice to meet you all, I am in charge of your orientation as well as your Interaction Class Teacher and Combat Class Moderator.  I look forward to working with all of you. Now I’m going to go ahead and start straight away with orientation, if you have questions, please feel free to raise your hand to let me know. We have quite some time until you are all scheduled to find your Ability Ranking, which I will explain shortly. The first thing I will go over is defining the vocabulary that is regularly used at the University and using it in society.  

“The first word is SUPER.  A SUPER is anyone who demonstrates an ability belonging to the Four Primary Schools.  There are three types of Supers. The first is the Offworld Super, also known as an Offworlder.  Basically, an example is the young ladies present. People from other worlds who have unique abilities.  Though the term Offworlder does not, by definition, mean that they have an ability, the case where they do not is beyond rare even given the relatively small number of them.  The second is a Terrian Super or Terrian. This refers to those who gain an ability without leaving Earth. The final is Abductee Super or Abductee. These are those who were taken from Earth and gained abilities in other worlds before coming back.  Thoughts or questions so far?”

“Society loves its labels doesn’t,” Marty mumbled to no one in particular.

“Yes, that is still true.  We are trying to get the terms out there so that they do not become derogatory.”

“I understand the mentality, but it fails every time.”

“I don’t think The Thinker is a negative term, though,” He added before he paused due to Marty’s glare. “Very well, I will now continue with the Interaction and Combat Classes.  They are both mandatory weekly classes required to be taken for at least one year for all Supers. Both classes share the same students so you will know the people there. On that note, our class is a new one, so it falls quite short of the average of 50 students.  The Interaction Class is straightforward. Aside from the occasional lecture from me about things that involve SUPERs, it is meant for those with unique abilities to get to know and understand one another. The Combat Class is for those who wish to test their strength and grow their own abilities.  Strength is measured in three tiers referred to as Ability Ranking. One’s Ability Ranking is dependent upon their Power Ranking and Technique Ranking. Through a combat demonstration, one’s Power Ranking and Technique Ranking are decided. The difference between the two is straightforward as their titles suggest, raw power compared to technique.  The general rule for the Ability Ranking is to take the higher between the Power and Technique Ranking and subtract the difference from higher and lesser divided by two and rounded up. Note that these are for the ability, not combat ability of the individual.

“The first and weakest tier is the Lesser Tier.  Its levels are F, E, D, C, and B. To put it in perspective, F means that the abilities possessed at their current level do not surpass the average human.  These also include noncombat abilities though abilities that are useful outside of combat may be given a higher rank. It is estimated that each Rank is roughly 1½ to 2½ times stronger than the previous.  The reason for the vast differences is based on the ability of the person.  

“The next tier is the Middle Tier.  Its levels are A, S, SS, SSS, α (Alpha).  Beyond that is Higher Tier being Spector, Fiend, Devil, Demon, Ω (Omega). The final tier is quite unique.  Several people have come back with stories of beings more powerful than the previous ranking system allowed, which also caused its creation.  It is called God Tier for the simple reason that individuals at this level will most likely be unable to be stopped by all of Earth’s military might not involving Supers.  Its levels are, Demigod, Lesser God, Higher God, Deity, and OP.”

“OP?” Morgan asked.

“It stands for Overpowered.  Basically, if anyone does reach this point or a being exists at this level of power, I doubt there’s anything anyone can do to oppose it. Each of these ranks has - and + to further separate the levels of power as there is an increasing gap between Rank.”

“Next I’m going to go over the Four Primary Schools of Abilities.  The first I will go over is Magic. Magic is one of the most varied schools.  Generally, it is considered the power to bend or create almost anything and is usually considered a skill of the mind.  It has a very vague description and multiple types which have been identified and are referred to as Secondary Schools. Just understanding a kind of Magic does not guarantee you can learn another.  We have determined that Mana is the standard fuel for the majority of Magic, but there are exceptions.

The second Primary School is Ki.  Ki is considered to be a power of the body and is the most consistent common of the Four Primary Schools.  While it is unknown how to obtain, to use Ki one requires a Ki Core. The Ki Core gathers the energy of the body and releases it in what has the appearance of a flame, which is why it is referred to as the Ki Flame.  The size of the Ki Flame is primarily dependent upon the overall amount of Ki an individual has, though they can moderate it to a certain degree. The size of this Ki Flame is referred to as Ki Rank. After gathering some information, we determined the necessary amount.  Every Rank is the multiplication of that size. For example, right now, my Ki Flame is about Ki Rank 2.”

[So Ki Rank 1 was the average person and Albion then.]  Marty thought as he raised his hand to which the professor acknowledged. “What is the highest Ki Rank?”

“Officially, it’s Rank 10 though not many are sure as to exactly why.”

“Isn’t that because any larger and the Ki Flame would be larger than the body would permit?  Also, isn’t that the maximum amount that the body can safely expel at once?”

Surprise comes across Little’s face. “You live up to your reputation quite well.  Both of which are the generally accepted theories.”

“And unofficially?”

Little hesitated shortly before he answered. “Theoretically, a larger creature could have a Ki Rank above 10.  Also, what defines a Ki Rank is the amount of Ki released at any given moment. It is unconfirmed, but I have heard that a couple rare individuals apparently can create more Ki on demand than their 10 Ki Flame should be capable of.”

“Any idea of how this occurred?”

“I’m not sure.  I did hear about one case, though.  One of the individuals who have a lot of Ki in the eastern US apparently transcended this limit.  His nickname is The Meditator. Apparently, after staying in a state of meditation for over a week focusing on Ki, something happened, which allegedly damaged him.  After he healed and got back into the occasional fight, some people began to notice he could release more than the Rank 10 Ki amount should allow in a given moment. But this is unofficial and unconfirmed.  Are there any other questions?... Very well, then continuing with Ki amount we have the size of the Ki Flame. Due to research with the help of cameras which can see Ki, we have been able to quantify the relation between the size of the Ki flame and the amount of total Ki expended.  The formula is that the base Ki Rank is less than another Rank by the amount it takes to reach that Rank by multiplication squared. For example, a Ki Rank of 5 has 25 times the amount of Ki as Rank 1, and a Ki Rank of 6 has 9 times the Ki as Rank 2. Next, we have Ki Color. The most common Ki Color is a light blue, as all of you here appear to have.  However, there have been multiple colors that have been confirmed. The exact cause is uncertain, but race definitely can have something to do with it. Though it is rare, some individuals can have multiple colors of Ki which they can call upon. Some colored Ki seems to have unique attributes, but this is still being studied. Ki also has four different principles, three of them being considered necessary with the final considered being advanced.  Starting with the three basic, we have Reinforcer.  

“Reinforcer Ki is the act of compressing and giving it solid form when it would otherwise be intangible.  This shows the most unique attribute of Ki; even though it is weightless, it still acts as though it has mass.  The more Ki, the more force it exerts contrary to its lack of weight. The second is Manipulator Ki. This is focusing the Ki to parts of the body and into specific shapes.  The third and final of the basic principles of Ki is Emitter Ki. This principle focuses on Ki outside the body allowing for projectiles as well as some control from a distance.  The fourth principle of Ki considered to be advanced is Ki Manifestation. Ki Manifestation is extremely unique compared to other Ki techniques. The reason for this is because they can almost be labeled borderline Magic.  Once a Ki Manifestation is learned, it becomes relatively easy to draw out again, allowing for much quicker and nearly instant activation so long as enough Ki is present. Most Ki Manifestations vary from person-to-person and are often created unintentionally.  They often exceed the parameters of what Ki is supposed to be capable of doing. For example, there are manifestations of weapons which are copies of actual weapons. These generate the qualities of the original weapon if not surpassing it. However, it is not limited to immaterial things.  A Ki Manifestation can be something created from imagination or an animal.”

“Like a dragon made out of Ki.” Morgan suddenly blurted out.

“Yes, that is definitely possible.  In fact, I think I recall hearing of one such Ki Manifestation.  Those are extremely rare as they require a deep understanding of an animal and even seem to have basic autonomy.  It sounds like you saw something similar?”

“Oh… Well, I might’ve imagined it, but I thought I saw something like that.” Morgan said in a small fluster as the girl’s eyes all left Marty’s body.

“What are the requirements to obtain a Ki Manifestation?” Marty asked as the Red Ki Dragon had come to his mind.

“While it isn’t confirmed, it seems that it requires a Ki Rank of at least four and active use of at least two of the three underlying principles of Ki.  However, individuals who have achieved this are not guaranteed to obtain a Ki Manifestation. If there are no further questions, I will move on...  

“The third of the Four Primary Schools is ESPER.  ESPER Abilities are the power of the mind. It could be argued that it is a form of Magic, but without the versatility hence the separate category.  There is no scientific reason as to how this power comes about as it appears to be the will of the wielder. There can be temporary physical changes to the body, however.  

“There are three subcategories of ESPER abilities though the distinction can sometimes be a gray area.  The first is Mental. A Mental ESPER Ability is one that creates no substance and generally cannot change the physical world.  These can be mind reading, telekinesis, etc. The second type is referred to as a Physical ESPER Ability, which can change things or create.

An example of this would be pyrokinesis, control of an element, etc.  The third and final is the Metaphysical ESPER Ability. This one is the rarest, most difficult to define.  The distinction was made because they tend to not fall into the other two categories. Most ESPER abilities are affected by a variable which is referred to as Mental Strength.  Mental Strength for the average person is at 0, and noticeable effects on ESPER ability are increased effectiveness or additional effects.

This could include changing the entire body to a particular substance or be an ability that has elements of both of the other categories.

“The final of the Four Primary Schools are Mutant Abilities.  These are changes to the body, which can be seen scientifically.  In every case to date, it involves some change in the individual’s DNA.  However, the change in the DNA does not necessarily have a connection to what changed from a scientific standpoint.  It is uncertain that someone with the same DNA change would still have the same Mutation or a Mutation at all. “There are four subcategories of Mutant Abilities.  The first is called On-Call Mutation. In this instance, the Mutation cannot be detected without an extensive study but can be brought about to its full potential by the will of the user.  This can be something simple or complex. You can think of it as an ability which is undetectable and unusable going to one that is detectable and usable. The second is called a Permanent Mutation.  This can be thought of as a Mutation that is always active and cannot become inactive. They are often obvious but can be internal and thus unobvious. The third is called Hybrid Mutation. The distinction here is that it is a Permanent Mutation which can be furthered by the user. To put it another way, it is a Permanent On-Call Mutation.  

“The final subcategory is Composite.  It is the rarest form of Mutation as it is often the most extensive and complete.  It is a Permanent Mutation and an On-Call Mutation. What separates it from a Hybrid Mutation is that the On-Call aspects have little or nothing to do with the Permanent aspects.  Basically, it is both Permanent and On-Call.”

[I see, so I probably have a Permanent Mutation though it could possibly be a Composite.] Marty thought.

“Mutations have a unique attribute where they can further evolve.  This can cause the Mutation to strengthen and/or gain an additional ability.  Well, that’s it for the lecture. We still have some time until your scheduled Ability Ranking mock battle.  Marty, I believe that Mr. Smith’s assistant, Thomas, was planning on giving you a tour of the unique facilities between orientation and the Ability Ranking.  I will stay with the young ladies the entire time to answer any questions they may have and make sure they get to the Ability Ranking safely where we will meet back up with you.  I understand you already have his contact information, so if you could please step out and give him a call on your cell phone, it would be appreciated.”

“I understand.” Marty replied as he pulled out his cellphone.

“By the way, your next Interaction Class and Combat Class is tomorrow, but none of you are required to go to this one.  Feel free to come to any one of the classes so long as you start within the next three weeks. Even if you do, the Combat Class can be excluded depending upon your circumstances and proficiency in your abilities.”

“Very well.”

“Ladies, if you have any questions about what I just talked about or anything about Earth, as you are all Offworlders, I will answer to the furthest of my abilities.”

“Um, what’s a cellphone?” Caelia asked with a confused expression.

As Marty exited the room, he could see Little’s face turned from one of surprise to a small smile.

“You see…” He began as Marty closed the door.

“Well, there’s another expense.” Marty said with a chuckle as he put the phone to his ear.

[It seems like Caelia is going to be the one I need to be least concerned about adapting to Earth.]