Book 2 - Brotherhood of Blood / Boy. Soldier. Weapon
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For the next two days, Sylar trained relentlessly in the fundamentals of close-quarters combat. Each session lasted four hours, broken only by a single half hour of rest—barely enough time to catch his breath.
Of course, two days were nowhere near enough to master the highly refined martial arts style developed for the Shooting Star forces. But Sylar's remarkable Cognition and Adaptability allowed him to absorb techniques with astonishing speed. What would take most recruits weeks to understand, Sylar grasped in hours.
On the final day of training, they moved on to cold weapons. Swords, axes, combat knives, batons, spear-tips—anything that could cut, pierce, or bludgeon.
Sylar had always relied primarily on his own limbs for battle. In Arcade, his body had been stronger than any blade he could have found. But things were different now. He remembered vividly the combat knife Captain Benjamin used during the fight against the True Apostle. The memory of that blade slicing through flesh and steel without resistance was impossible to forget.
There was no doubt in Sylar's mind: that knife would cut through his body as if it were soft clay.
Among all the weapons he trained with, the combat knife felt the most natural in his hands. It allowed him to take full advantage of his physical strength, his speed, and his ability to launch sudden, explosive attacks. Sylar felt the weapon fit him perfectly—simple, efficient, lethal.
He was pleased with his growth, proud of how rapidly his skills were improving. Part of him wished the training would continue, but that thought vanished when the ship trembled slightly beneath his feet.
Captain Benjamin glanced at the control panel built into the wall and gave a faint nod. "We have arrived."
Sylar's eyes sharpened instantly. The Star Crucible. The trial that would determine whether he could become a Shooting Star, one of humanity's greatest soldiers. Despite all he had endured—death, mutation, the Omega Compound, sensory isolation, and countless battles—Sylar felt a thrill run through his blood. This was the moment he had been moving toward.
Yet, a moment later, disappointment flickered in his gaze. Training time was over, and he had completely missed the chance to practice with one thing he had been excited to try,
Captain Benjamin noticed the boy's expression easily enough. A slight smile tugged at his lips. "You'll get your chance to train with our guns and rifles during the Star Crucible. But trust me—you won't find it very entertaining. Especially not at the beginning."
The three Lieutenants exchanged looks, each wearing a strangely pained smile. A couple of them even rubbed their shoulders as if remembering some particularly unpleasant memory. Sylar stared at them, confused, but decided not to ask. He would discover the truth soon enough.
Instead, he placed his hands together and gave a deep bow to Lieutenants Kirk, Astro, and Oscar.
"I appreciate everything you've done for me these last months. I won't forget it."
The trio smiled warmly and nodded.
"We hope the next time we see you, you'll have taken your first step into our brotherhood," Kirk said, voice full of encouragement.
Sylar didn't make any promises. He simply nodded. His silence did not disappoint them—in fact, it impressed them more. Words meant little to a soldier. A man proved his resolve through actions, not speeches.
From the side, Captain Benjamin watched the interaction unfold, a proud smile lifting his face. The boy he had rescued from that Lost World had grown into someone truly worthy of their ranks. Someone who carried the potential to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Shooting Stars—and perhaps beyond.
A meaningful glint entered Benjamin's eyes as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, perfectly smooth marble. Holding it between his fingers, he focused, then spoke aloud.
"Boy, watch out."
Sylar turned just in time to see the marble flying toward him. It wasn't even moving at the speed of sound—slow enough that his enhanced reaction speed allowed him to see it clearly, like a softball tossed by a child.
But while Sylar saw only an ordinary marble, the Lieutenants reacted with shock. Their eyes widened, and several of them opened their mouths as if to shout—only to clamp them shut instantly, watching Sylar with tense, expectant expressions.
Confused, Sylar reached out to catch the harmless-looking marble. But the moment it drew within a meter of him, a sensation surged up his spine—raw, instinctual, undeniable.
"Danger." That was the only word his mind supplied.
Something was wrong with the marble. Terribly wrong. He couldn't describe the energy radiating from it, but his instincts screamed.
He moved sharply to the side, abandoning the attempt to catch it.
A heartbeat later—
"BOOM!"
The marble struck the wall.
Metal buckled.
The sphere embedded itself deep into the ship's armored plating. Sylar's eyes widened in disbelief. He had thrown himself at these walls during the Omega Compound's evolution process, striking with everything he had—so hard he had shattered his own hands—and even then he had barely scratched them.
Yet that marble, moving at a lazily thrown speed, had twisted the metal.
It made no sense.
"Good," Captain Benjamin said, stepping forward. "You couldn't see it, but you felt it. That is an excellent first step."
The three Lieutenants nodded immediately. Not one of them bothered to hide the respect in their eyes.
Seeing the confusion still lingering in Sylar's eyes, Captain Benjamin continued, his voice steady and patient. "Boy, remember the first time we met?"
Sylar's mind immediately flashed back to their first encounter, recalling the tangible pressure that had radiated from the captain—an invisible force so dense it made the metal walls groan. So much had happened since then that he had nearly forgotten that display, but now the memory returned with full clarity.
"It's the same power," Sylar muttered in sudden realization, turning sharply toward the captain.
Benjamin nodded with a small smile. "That's right. I can shatter buildings and leap across entire towns. But I have no psychic gifts, nor do I possess any genetic ability that generates force fields. So tell me—how do you think I did it?"
Sylar didn't answer. He simply listened.
"Body, mind, will. These are the three components of this power," Benjamin explained, raising one finger. "First, the body. A human body generates mostly chemical energy. The stronger we are, the more we produce. Some researchers claim a Grade 1 lifeform generates as much energy as a small nuclear power plant."
He raised a second finger.
"Second: the mind. Our brains produce electrical energy—thought, memory, consciousness. According to the last millennium of research, these electrical patterns are the foundations of awareness itself."
He paused, ensuring Sylar absorbed every word.
"And lastly—will. Intent, desire, focus. Will is the bridge between body and mind. When all three align in perfect harmony…"
Benjamin narrowed his eyes, and a faint shimmer passed over him.
"…you awaken Logos."
The air trembled.
A crushing pressure erupted from the captain's body, so dense and overwhelming that even the ground seemed to vibrate. Dust spiraled upward in twisting currents as an invisible storm surged outward. For a moment, Sylar felt as if the atmosphere itself were trying to flee the man standing before him.
"This is the power that allows us to rise beyond the limits of the flesh," Benjamin said, his voice rumbling beneath the force. "The power that lets us confront the Thinking Root, surpass the abominations of the Antiverse, and stand against the very rules of the universe. With this power…"
He exhaled, and the pressure intensified.
"…a human can kill a god."
Sylar clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles whitened. His pulse hammered, his thoughts blazing with excitement and hunger. This was a path of power equal to the Antiverse's psychic abilities, a force that could reshape reality itself.
[Quest #005: Awaken Logos before the Star Crucible ends
Mission Grade: +2
Status: ACTIVE
Reward: Evolution to Rank 2 / +1 Mutation Slot / 30,000 XP]
His eyes widened. The desire burning in his heart surged to new heights as he saw the new mission of the Nemesis System.
Captain Benjamin continued, his tone solemn. "Logos is where thought becomes form, and form becomes power. To reach it is not to command—it is to become the command."
The overwhelming pressure vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. Benjamin inhaled deeply, then pointed to his head. "Mind."
He tapped his chest. "Body."
And finally, he raised his hand, clenching his fist. "Will."
"Unite the three, and you will awaken Logos. Do not chase information or overthink the process—it will only hinder you. Trust your instincts. Trust your focus. That is the path."
Sylar took a deep breath and bowed his head, committing every word to memory.
With that, Captain Benjamin gestured for Sylar to follow. They left the other three super soldiers behind and approached a row of drop pods lined along the bay wall. The captain motioned for Sylar to enter one, then stepped into another himself.
In the next instant, both pods fired.
The world around them blurred into streaks of light as they shot out of the starship, tearing across the void of space before plunging into the atmosphere of the waiting world below—two blazing comets marking the beginning of a new chapter.
The first journey aboard the starship was over.
Now it was time to enter a new, greater, and dangerous world.