CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36 — FIRST DRILLS

Morning mist still clung to the eastern yard when Bright led his squad out into the open training field.

The sand was cold beneath their boots.

The compound quiet—too early for most recruits, but not for them.

He stopped at the center of the field and turned.

Juno looked eager, Mara nervous, Fen unreadable, Lira mildly interested...

Rolf still looked annoyed.

Bright spoke plainly.

"Today, we start with assessment drills. I need to know what you can do—and what you can’t."

He didn’t raise his voice.

He didn’t need to.

Being an Initiate had changed something deeper than power.

His presence carried weight now.

An instinctive "pay attention" quality that even the stubborn ones felt.

Bright pointed toward the long track carved into the sand.

"Lira. You’re first."

She stepped forward, rolling her shoulders, dagger resting against her hip.

Her speed enhancement thrummed subtly—it wasn’t active, but a natural aura was felt around her.

"Run the full loop," Bright said. "No ability boost from your core . Just your baseline."

Lira nodded.

Simple enough.

She took off—quick, light-footed, and efficient.

Faster than any normal human.

The others watched, impressed.

She crossed the loop and returned, breathing evenly.

Bright gave a single nod.

"Good. Now again. No limiters, use your full ability."

Lira grinned.

She blurred.

Dust exploded behind her.

Her form snapped around the loop like a slicing wind.

She finished the circle in seconds, landing softly with only a faint exhale.

"Nice," Bright said. And he meant it.

Lira raised an eyebrow.

"You don’t look surprised."

"I’m not."

She smirked, amused or slightly annoyed—hard to tell.

But she respected his composure.

Bright turned to Mara.

"You have Clear Mind as an ability. You’re not here to fight—you’re here to keep the rest of us from succumbing to the terror of the shroud. I need to understand your range."

Mara swallowed.

"O-okay."

"Center yourself," Bright said. "Let your ability settle naturally. Don’t force it."

Mara closed her eyes.

A faint stillness spread across the group—soft but real.

Juno relaxed.

Fen blinked slowly.

Even Lira’s shoulders loosened.

Rolf... looked irritated that something so calm could affect him.

Bright felt it too.

Not a supernatural effect—just clarity.

Like fog lifting from the air.

He nodded.

"Good. Functional radius of about eight meters. Enough for squad combat."

Mara exhaled, relieved.

"You don’t need to be brave," Bright said quietly. "Just steady."

Mara nodded, encouraged.

"Rolf."

Rolf stepped forward, jaw set.

"Finally."

"Fireball. Max output. Hit that target."

Bright pointed to a reinforced metal plate fifty meters away.

Rolf cracked his knuckles, heat building around his arms.

A sphere of fire formed—bright, dense, loud.

The others stepped back.

Bright didn’t move.

Rolf launched the fireball with a grunt.

The impact slammed into the metal plate, blasting the sand around it, leaving a scorched crater and trembling the air with heat.

Juno whistled.

Lira nodded.

Fen looked impressed.

Bright simply said:

"Powerful. But too slow. And too linear. High damage, low versatility."

Rolf’s eyes narrowed.

"You think you can do better?"

Bright shrugged lightly.

"That’s not the point. The point is to fight smarter with what you have."

Rolf clenched his jaw but stayed silent.

That was a sign of progress — although barely.

Bright looked at Juno and Fen.

"You two are next. Basic fitness assessment. Sprint, climb, lift, endurance."

The two stepped forward.

Juno ran the course with decent speed.

Fen followed with stronger stamina and cleaner technique.

Both did fine.

Nothing exceptional.

But nothing hopeless.

Bright nodded.

"Good enough for now."

Lira folded her arms.

"You assessed us. What about you?"

Juno perked up.

"Yeah! We haven’t seen what an Initiate can do."

Even Rolf smirked.

"Let’s see what made you so special."

Bright blinked once.

He wasn’t planning to show off.

But...

They needed to understand the difference.

Not for ego—

for trust.

He stepped toward the track silently.

"You want to see an Initiate baseline?"

They all braced.

Bright exhaled once.

Then moved.

He didn’t blur like Lira.

No ability, no burst.

He just... ran.

But his body was beyond human now.

His feet hit the sand with perfect balance.

His muscles fired faster than they could follow.

His lungs barely shifted.

His stride was clean, efficient, cutting through wind with minimal drag.

He completed the loop faster than Lira’s unenhanced run—

and only slightly slower than her boosted one.

She stared.

"That wasn’t an ability."

"No," Bright said calmly. "That’s just what an Initiate is."

He continued.

He approached the climbing tower next.

Scaled it in seconds.

Dropped down effortlessly.

Fen muttered, "Monstrous."

Juno looked starstruck.

Mara whispered something like wow.

Bright turned.

"This is your goal."

Rolf narrowed his eyes.

"Trust me," Bright said, meeting his gaze directly, "if you reach Initiate... even your fireball will feel different."

Rolf swallowed—not fear.

Ambition.

Bright gathered them again.

"Listen carefully. You five are under me now. I’m not here to baby you. I’m here to get you through training alive."

He paced slowly.

"To reach Initiate, you’ll push past exhaustion. Past your limits. Past everything you thought your body could handle."

He stopped.

"And I’ll push you harder."

Silence.

Five young fighters stood straighter.

Even Rolf.

Bright nodded.

"Good. Formation practice begins now—"

Then he paused.

His enhanced hearing picked up something from the compound gates—

running footsteps.

Voices shouting.

A bell ringing once.

A signal.

A warning.

Lira looked toward the noise. "What’s happening?"

Bright turned sharply.

"Something’s approaching the compound."

His squad stiffened.

Their first real challenge...

was arriving faster than expected.