"Increase your pace!"
The command resounded during the fifteenth lap, making the cadets' expressions turn from relaxed to tense.
However, unlike the first day, all the cadets stared straight ahead, including Cain, who always took the back row.
Their breathing was steady; the rhythm of their footsteps pounding the ground sounded like melodious music synchronized with their heartbeats.
The smell of dirt from the rising dust and the scorching artificial sunlight pierced their senses and stimulated adrenaline to be pumped throughout their bodies.
Immediately after the first row crossed the boundary line, they darted forward, lowering their posture to cut through the wind pushing against them easily.
From the front, Cain could see a pair, one with short blonde hair and the other with long red hair, running like a gale.
Cain took a deep breath and followed behind them. From the side, the blue panel kept appearing at intervals every few seconds, which was very different from what happened on the first training day.
[Integrity +0.5%]
…
A week passed very quickly, and Cain managed to break through Level Four and was close to reaching five.
As he suspected, even though he could progress with training, that advantage gradually declined every time.
Cain clicked his tongue. While passing the fifteenth lap, he glanced to the side and accidentally met eyes with the general.
'Damn it!'
He cursed, his fingers clenching so hard they almost pierced the skin of his hand.
There was a strong reason why he felt this way.
Every day after lunch, he went to the library and read digital books, trying to increase his survival rate by reading through martial or military knowledge.
Yet most of the books in the library were fiction and general knowledge.
Meanwhile, the books he was looking for were only available to certain people, such as the military or people with higher status.
'For what reason do they have to monopolize knowledge like that? Are they afraid of being misused, or is there another reason?'
Whatever it was, this past week, Cain's head felt like a tangled thread, heavily twisted, which affected his daily mood.
He continued his run until the bright artificial sunlight was directly hung above his head. A command from the general resounded across the open field.
"Everyone, gather!"
In an instant, the cadets ran and formed lines in front of the general, who stepped down from his podium.
His eagle eyes glanced left and right, then to his back. The seniors who were carrying a metal box in their hands stepped forward.
"For a week, I have witnessed your perseverance, running tirelessly…"
Hearing the man's soft words, the cadets tensed up. Their chests puffed out with their chins raised, except Cain, who stared forward with furrowed brows.
"And this time, the running will be accompanied by martial arts training."
For a moment, the field was silent. Then, the cadets' rumbling shouts of joy broke the silence.
The cadets around Cain were grinning, their expressions relaxed. Some even pumped their fists high, drawing the seniors' attention and small smiles.
The general raised his hand, causing the commotion to fade, and the remaining seniors marched forward, lining up in front of the cadets.
A wave of murmurs spread like wildfire when a female senior suddenly became the centre of attention.
Her silver hair waved softly like silk, and her beautiful face attracted the attention of the male cadets.
'She's here!?'
Not far from his place, Cain's attention diverted to the side where the female cadets squealed happily, watching a handsome man with cool-looking black hair.
"Seniors, open the boxes in your hands."
With a simultaneous breath, the seniors opened the chests. Inside were several small microchips stuck onto a circuit board.
"Cadets, listen to my words. Here, your seniors carry some basic techniques for your next learning phase."
The cadets tilted their heads, unsure of the connection between the next training and a small chip.
While the general continued, Cain's eyes widened, and he shifted his attention to the surroundings. He bit his lip, realizing that this was what he had been looking for all this time.
'So this is how they control us. Dole out power piece by piece, so we're always hungry, always obedient.'
Initially, he never felt this way toward his surroundings. But after a week of wrestling with his head, Cain had no choice but to become a little sceptical of the city's authorities.
Yet, in his mind, he realized that this was an action that the higher-ups had to take. Also, his lack of knowledge about the remaining civilizations out there could mean that their systems might be worse than this, or vice versa.
Only time would tell about that.
The general continued to give directions. First, from the silver-haired girl, she carried a chip containing basic knowledge of the sword; beside her was a pistol, followed by a sniper, dagger, spear, axe, hammer, katana, and others.
"If you have chosen your path. Cadets, line up in front of the seniors!"
The cadets exchanged looks; they were still unsure of their path. One cadet raised his hand in the silence that almost enveloped the field.
"General, may I have permission to speak?"
The male cadet's calm tone attracted the attention of everyone on the field, including Cain.
'Abel?'
"If I'm not mistaken, Cadet Abel, right? Go on!"
The general nodded and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yes, It's an honor to be remembered by you, and…"
'Get to the point!'
"Don't beat around the bush, state your question!"
Cain choked; for a moment, his mind aligned with the general, who narrowed his eyes, making the nearby cadets swallow hard.
From another direction, Cain could see Rika letting out a long sigh. While tension flooded the training ground, Abel innocently smiled and opened his mouth.
"Isn't this too sudden?"
"What do you mean?"
The question was met with a question, but the weight of this conversation was heavily skewed toward the general and the other seniors, who furrowed their brows.
"No, how should I explain it?"
However, contrary to appearances, Abel was calm as he scratched his cheek with a wry smile.
Cain exhaled a long, loud breath, and that action diverted their piercing gazes toward him.
However, without backing down, Cain glared at them and even the general, making the cadets and seniors widen their eyes at his audacity.
"You should have given a warning much earlier! Because something this important will affect the path for us cadets to develop in the future and do you expect us to decide right this instant with such little time?."
"Yes, what Cadet Cain said is true. Some of us might still be confused about their choice, and the fear of choosing wrong will spell doom for them in the future."
A dawn of realization descended like a hard wave hitting the naive thoughts of the other cadets.
They looked down, feeling as if they were looking into a mirror and asking themselves what path they would choose for themselves.
Although the chances were laid bare before them, one small mishap would pull them into a pit of regret for not thinking this through.
What was their purpose in joining the military?
Does it look cool? Or to be revered by others?
No! All of that was meaningless in the face of monsters roaming outside the city.
A horrifying image resurfaced in their minds: facing those monsters, relying solely on naive thoughts of having some weapon that would give them an easy win.
The cadets ground their teeth, their chests pounding so hard it could burst. But that illusion cracked in when the general sneered, as if he had been anticipating the questions from Abel and Cain.
"Listen all of you! I will give you the freedom to choose your advanced training."
Pausing for a moment, the general waited for the cadets to look up and continued.
"You're free to choose two or three weapon skills, but you must be prepared for the training later because the more you choose, the more effort you have to put in!"
"I understand, thank you, General!"
Abel lowered his hand, and the old man turned toward Cain. Seeing the grey-haired boy nod, he roared.
"Now, form a line and choose! This is also necessary for your training, for a soldier must have fast thoughts to help you in making a quick decision in battle."
The cadets stood straight; none of them took action until Abel stepped out of his line and stood before the silver-haired girl.
Both exchanged a silent gaze, and the boy took one chip from the box and stepped out of the line.
Following him, Rika strolled ahead, standing in front of the female senior with the pistol's basic combat chip.
'As expected of her, always wants to support Abel.' Cain muttered.
She didn't stop there; the girl stepped to the side and took the sniper combat chip, causing the atmosphere in the field to stir.
Seeing this, the other cadets immediately formed lines in front of their respective paths, except for Cain, who stood alone at the back.
'What should I choose?'
A blue panel appeared before him, showing the parameters developed this past week.
[NULL SEQUENCE v0.1.0]
> Core Parameters:
- Vitality: 10 → 14
- Mind: 12 → 16
- Physique: 10 → 14
- Agility: 15 → 19
- Sense: 10 → 14
- Corruption: 0%
> Bonus Point: 0 → 20
'Let's look around for a moment.'
While the other cadets had chosen their paths, Cain joined the line for the sword path, and after waiting for some time, he stood facing the girl he had met before.
"May I ask something?"
The silver-haired girl blinked. Her blue eyes reflected pure serenity, like the bottom of a clear pool, spotless and beautiful.
"Please."
Her calm voice from those thin, pink lips was soft, followed by an incredible rush of cold, winter-like air seeping into Cain's heart.
The boy took a deep breath and muttered. 'Calm down, idiot!'
"What is the principle of this basic swordsmanship? Strength or speed?"
"Strength."
Cain nodded and walked away from the spot, unaware that his action caused a slight ripple in the girl's eyes.
He almost stopped in front of the male senior who carried the chip for dagger training.
However, the dagger had a short range, intended for close combat, and what Cain read in the book was that most virus beasts had a physique that was larger than the average adult, so he abandoned the thought.
After passing several chests, Cain stopped in front of a senior male with long black hair tied in a ponytail.
'If I'm not mistaken, the chip he's carrying is for the katana.'
They looked at each other, and he unconsciously bowed slightly, which the senior in front of him reciprocated.
"Senior, may I ask about the principle of the katana?"
Softly, the senior nodded and answered.
"The principle of the katana is flow, which is built from speed, movement trajectory, and the warrior's intuition."
Cain pressed his fist to his mouth, his eyebrows creased in thought.
"Alright, I will choose…"