NUMBER 004

"LOWER!"

In response to the instructor's command in front of them, all of the students shouted while clenching their teeth and bending their knees even lower.

A hundred students are currently being trained by the school in combat under the scorching sun.

Due to the intense heat, several of them even pass out amid the large training field, but their instructor has no intention of interrupting their training.

They just sent several nursing bots to tend to the students who collapsed quickly and to bring them to the infirmary to recuperate, but that just means that they are already eliminated from contention.

The remaining students' faces strained with determination as they pushed their limits, feeling the burn in their quivering muscles. The field was filled with the sound of heavy breathing and the collective effort of the students, each determined to prove their strength and endurance.

With beads of sweat rolling down their foreheads, they held the position, determined not to give up until the instructor's next command.

This kind of opportunity opens only once every five years. This day is very important for the students to not even complain or give up.

Every major academy in the world has what is called Special Section A, or the SSA; this is the section that will assist the government as a special unit.

The five selected youths will be trained as soldiers; they will also have special access to the school and various establishments in the country. Aside from that, money will never be a problem, nor will the future of the student once they finish as a student in Special Section A.

"Attention!"

When their instructor shouted the word, everyone stood up straight. Their names were called one by one, and they responded loudly to each one.

Then he simply left; no further command was given. Most of the students were dumbfounded because they didn't know what to do next, but not one of them moved. They remained upright.

The sun was still very bright at that time, and some of them were already pale from what they had done earlier.

An hour passed, and the number of students who passed out increased significantly.

Everyone remained still and steady the whole time.

Another half-hour passed, and most of the students' patience was wearing thin until one of them angrily cursed.

He became irritated and kicked the air before leaving. The others exchanged glances and began to leave while muttering loudly, believing that the school was only messing with them.

One of the students who was steadily standing in his spot sarcastically laughed inside his head as he shook it in dismay at the sight of his fellow students who had just left the field.

Do you think the way to becoming a member of the SSA is as simple as smiles and rainbows? Idiots.

His disgust for those leaving the training field is apparent in his eyes, especially when the person next to him passes out.

He couldn't help but feel superior to those students he regarded as weaklings, despite knowing that joining the SSA needed more than just an optimistic attitude.

As he watched them walk away, he couldn't help but wonder if they truly understood the gravity of the challenges that lay ahead. With a smirk on his face, he vowed to prove his worth and earn his place in the prestigious organization, no matter what it took.

Out of a hundred students, only fifty-nine were left.

What's more, this is only the first day of training; it's not even half of what previous students of the school have done, which included walking through fire.

The instructors who were observing the students through their monitors sighed in dismay at the individuals who gave up easily; they couldn't help but think that the more inventions are invented, the weaker and lazier the students become.

"Ok, the numbers are just enough," said one of them before heading out of the room to tend to the remaining students in the field.

Their instructor came back carrying a bucket full of heavy clothing and a fair number of robots carrying room-temperature bottles of water.

The robots distribute the water to the students as fast as they can. Once the students get a hold of the water, they all drink it without a drop left. It was the tastiest drink they ever had at that moment; it was more luxurious than the most expensive drink they had ever drunk in their entire lives.

"Put it on your arms and legs and go around the field three times. You only have two hundred seconds to get ready."

Their instructor whistled loudly, everyone moved quickly, and one by one they put on the cloth before forming five lines. Some shuddered when they felt the weight of those attached to them. It's too heavy.

Once again, their instructor whistled loudly, causing everyone to start running.

Some students frowned at a car; their instructor was happily riding in it while following them.

Fuck!

Everyone cursed inside their heads while running breathlessly.

"Sing!"

Angrily, the students shouted at the same time and sang an old song about the war.

Due to the prolonged exposure to the sun, some of the students fainted again while running; they were immediately taken to the car and given initial medicine.

Out of fifty-seven, only forty were left.

Their training continued until noon.

They were all relieved when the running session ended. It was finally time for lunch.

Everyone envisions it to be the most enjoyable meal after their intensive training, but they are immediately left disappointed once they learn that even their meal was timed by the school and they only had ten minutes to finish it all.

Their training continues once again.

Most of them are still hungry, causing them to pass out in the middle of training.

When their training day was over, their instructor gently glanced at the students left in front of him.

Four of the ten youths left are girls; three of them come from prominent families in different parts of the country.

He turned to look at a guy with blonde hair. He recognized the person right away; it was one of the rebels they had previously apprehended and had been given a second chance, under strict supervision, of course. This young man has a lot of potential to become a soldier.

He smiled sarcastically as he realized that the one hundred students earlier now had only ten people left.

"You can leave now and go to your dormitory."

The students saluted him seriously and went straight inside the dormitory.

A young woman sat down on the bed and grabbed her laptop. She has long, silky black hair and pale skin.

She was busy typing when the door suddenly opened. She turned her head to see who had entered the room.

"Yow," the woman who had just arrived said indifferently.

Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. It was long and bright, as it was dyed blue, which drew the attention of the girl typing on her laptop.

The woman who entered was carrying several things, including her two red suitcases, several shopping bags, which no one knows where they came from since they all trained the whole day, and some small random things.

She then lazily dropped everything on the floor, and they all scattered everywhere. Some even rolled to the bottom of the bed of the girl who was busy working on her laptop.

The girl momentarily stopped what she was doing before closing her laptop. She seriously looked at the person in front of her, who had now fallen face down on the bed.

The young woman who was lying on the bed felt as if someone was watching her. When she turned around, the woman who had just been busy typing was looking at her seriously.

Puzzled at her gaze, the woman who just entered finally opened her lips.

"Lucy Matilda and you are?"

"Recka," said the person in front seriously.

Not once did she break eye contact with the girl in front of her.

After some time, her gaze became uncomfortable, making Lucy feel nervous for some unknown reason.

Slowly, she unconsciously reached the nearest thing that was scattered on the floor; it was a book, while not breaking her gaze with Recka.

She calmly opened the book and slowly looked at what she was holding. She swallowed and turned the page. She began hearing fast-paced typing on the keyboard. She concluded it was coming from the girl across from her.

What's her problem?

The whole room remained silent; no one spoke.

At that time, every keyboard key that Recka clicked sounded louder than it originally did. It was like a loud drum.

Lucy's heart raced as she tried to make sense of the situation. The tension in the air was palpable, and the sound of the keyboard only added to her unease. She couldn't help but wonder what had caused such an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Lucy secretly peeked at the person next to her, but the girl immediately returned her gaze to the book she was holding when she saw that Recka was still looking at her.

What the fuck did I do?

Despite the deafening sounds of keys typing and Lucy's heartbeat, the loud sound of a bell broke the silence of the room, but Lucy saw it as the sound from heaven at the time.

"Lights out!"

Recka slowly turned off his laptop and lay down. Lucy just swallowed when the light suddenly went out.

She can still feel the girl's gaze.

This person will kill me while I sleep!

She lay down nervously and tried to move her body away from Recka's bed.

While everyone was sleeping soundly, they heard the loud ringing of a bell.

Lucy immediately got up and touched every part of her body to see if anything went missing. She smiled happily, realizing that her body was still complete.

I am alive!

A hologram appears in the middle of their room. It was a man wearing a mask; he was standing in the middle of the training field.

"I'll give you six hundred seconds to get ready and go to the training field; anyone who is late will be punished."

The smile on Lucy's lips immediately disappeared upon hearing this.

Only ten minutes!

After hearing the announcement, they all moved quickly as if it were the end of their lives.

They haven't been able to take a proper shower; they only brushed and combed their hair before running out of their dormitory to the middle of the field.

When they arrived, various modern weapons were revealed to them.

An elegant man greeted them. The body is big, and it has a big scar in the right eye.

Most of the students gasped when they saw who that man was.

This was the famous general on their continent; he was able to defeat several hundred Mahistiya rebels when everything was too chaotic back then.

As Lucy and the others stood before the elegant man, they couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and fear.

The scar on his eye gave him a menacing appearance, but his warm smile put them slightly at ease. He introduced himself as Captain Reynolds, their instructor for the next couple of hours.

"You have your weaponry right here, and I want you to choose one. There will be a match between each of you, and the five winners will automatically represent the Special Section of the academy. You have 60 seconds to choose."

This man is also known as one of the best wielders of various types of weapons, be they short-range or long-range.

They all approached the weapons laid out in front of them, inspecting and analyzing the equipment. Some were very serious about their choices, while others simply picked the first thing they saw.

"On your formation!"

Everyone stopped when their instructor shouted. They all then quickly returned to their positions while carrying their weapon of choice.

He took out a black box and gave it to the nearest student.

"Pull one out and pass it to the others."

Puzzled at what they were for, the student took one out right away; it was a colored stick, he then passed the black box to his right.

When everyone finished picking a random colored stick, their instructor slowly turned his gaze to the ten young people.

A smile immediately appeared on his lips as he aggressively threw away the black box.

"There are only five colors and ten available sticks. Do everything to find and get the color that is similar to yours and hunt them all you want. You will only stop once you have your opponent's sticks. Good luck, soldiers," the instructor said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

As the students looked down at their colored sticks, they immediately distanced themselves from each other while observing everyone, including the colors that they got. They all become wary of each other.

The group of young people exchanged glances, the air thick with suspicion. They were well aware that the next few minutes would decide their fate in this game of stick hunting.

A large number of projector drones arrived in the area, and one by one they formed various holograms of trees and broken buildings in the vast training field. After a while, it was as if they were in another place.

"Remember, when I say you can do everything, I mean everything," he hinted before clearing the area.

The students immediately hid their sticks and prepared themselves.

Realizing what their instructor was trying to say, One of them immediately broke into a cold sweat while tightly grabbing the weapon around his waist.

He quietly scanned the area while slowly pulling back his left foot, biting his lip firmly. He quickly retreated and headed into the dense forest.

Shit, everyone is allowed to kill.