Seon's breath came in ragged gasps as he staggered back, wiping the sweat from his brow. Grim stood before him, his stance unyielding, eyes sharp with the quiet confidence of a seasoned fighter. The duel had been gruelling, every strike from Grim felt like a bone was ripped out his boned broken and put back in. Despite his best efforts, Seon had been no match. His body ached, his muscles burning with exhaustion from the onslaught, but there was something else beneath the fatigue—something that felt like a spark.
"Not bad," Grim said, his voice low but tinged with approval. "You've gotten faster. You've got better reflexes. I can tell your working really hard to pass those exams. But you're still lacking in power."
Seon wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, feeling the sting of the bruise forming under his cheek. "I'll get there," he said through gritted teeth, straightening his posture.
Grim gave a small nod. "You will. Just keep pushing."
Seon watched Grim turn away, his eyes narrowing as he processed the encounter. He had lost, but this time, it didn't feel like the defeat was as crushing as it had been before. The power he had gained from his system was growing. He could feel the difference. He was becoming stronger, faster, but more importantly, he was learning. Each defeat was another lesson, and even though he had fallen today, he had improved. He could see it in his own movements, feel it in his reactions. It was progress.
With a deep breath, Seon focused on his quest tasks, pushing the thoughts of the duel aside. It wasn't the time to dwell on failure. He needed to finish his exercises. The quest had given him a set of specific tasks to complete before moving on to the next phase. Without hesitation, Seon moved to a nearby training station and began his exercises, pushing his body through each motion with precision, his muscles burning as he completed the required drills. It was exhausting, but he couldn't afford to slow down. His ranking, his position—everything depended on his performance.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Seon completed the last of his exercises. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and grabbed his towel, heading toward the showers. The water was cold, a shock to his system, but it cleared his head, washing away the sweat and grime from the training session. As he stood under the cascade of water, he allowed himself a moment to breathe, to focus.
Even though they kept calling them exams people's lives were on the line during those missions. He didn't even consider failing just the fact that every mistake he made, every weakness of his could end the life of a cadet in his unit.
By the time Seon entered the classroom X and B sat together at the front, both looking unusually serious. B was scribbling something on his datapad, while X, ever the stoic, stared intently at the holoV in front of them.
Seon's gaze shifted to the table, his eyes immediately catching on the holoV's glowing interface. A list of units. His unit was at the top. It was no surprise, of course—he had been ranked number one, on every exam he's ever written back home. However. he'd never taken a physical exam before so seeing it in front of him, laid out in cold, unfeeling numbers, made his stomach churn slightly.
His unit was first, and B's unit was seventh. That was all it showed—just the top ten. A and C weren't even listed. Seon's eyes narrowed in thought. He'd heard the unit leader saying A and C had a good performance besides him and B out ranking them they were better than most.
The door slammed open interrupting Seon's train of thought, and A and C strode in, their tired expressions and dishevelled appearances making it clear they had been through their own gruelling training. A's sharp eyes flickered over the room, scanning the others with a mix of disdain and frustration.
When their eyes fell on the holoV and the list of rankings, something in A snapped. She took a step forward slamming her hands on the desk, her voice low but dangerous as she pointed directly at Seon.
"Number one," A sneered. "Seriously? How is this moron on that list but i'm not huh. Is this some kind of scam"
Seon straightened in his seat, his breath catching slightly. He understood her frustration but that didn't excuse the way she spoke about him. He had expected some tension like before, but the way she looked at him now was different. It wasn't just anger. There was something deeper—resentment, no it was disgust like Seon was something beneath her. She didn't wait for him to respond before she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her with a force that made the walls shake.
C stood at the entrance for a moment longer, his expression unreadable. But then he let out a sharp breath, shaking his head, and turned to follow A out, muttering something under his breath. Seon watched them go, the tension in the air thickening as they left.
X didn't move, his gaze never wavering from the list on the holoV. "As you can see," X began, his voice steady, "this list will be updated after every exam. It is a fluid ranking system, which means that every unit has a chance to move up, and just as easily, a chance to fall. There's no permanent place at the top."
Seon felt his stomach tighten. He understood what that ment. Don't get too confident.
X sighed, glancing at Seon briefly before refocusing on the list. "This list shows the current top ten. We will review the rankings after every exam. It's about performance, not potential. If you don't stay sharp, you'll fall behind. Simple as that."
Seon breathed trying to absorb the weight of X's words. It wasn't just about being number one right now—it was about keeping people on his team alive if he failed he knew he couldn't handle the guilt of it all. He could see it with B. The pressure was building. He could feel it settling like a heavy stone in his chest.
The door opened again, and A and C re-entered, their faces tense. They sat down, and for a long moment, no one spoke. It was as if the room was holding its breath.
X finally broke the silence, his tone firm but calm. "Now that everyone is here, let's move on to the lesson for today." He pulled up a new set of data on the holoV, the image flickering to life. "We've got a test coming up. This will be your next challenge, and it will factor into your rankings. Pay attention. This test is very critical."
For the first time since stepping on this base he felt confident. A test? With the system he's place in first place was as good as secured.
"The test is tomorrow. It will be 7 hours long," X continued. "It will asses everything I've taught you and more. A higher up will be present to observe the test. The will be no physical test what so every tomorrow. It will be written in here and the only person present will be the higher up. This is your chance to move up your unit."
Seon swallowed hard. He'd never written a test that long before but he didn't panic since he had the system he was going to use all the resources he had and he wasn't ashamed. His position as the top-ranked unit was not just a point of pride—it was a target. He couldn't afford to slip up especially not with the was A looked at him earlier.
"Your performance will be evaluated and the results will be issued the day after tomorrow. However, you will not be receiving your tests result only your unit's position number. Cheating will not be tolerated. No one is exempt from this—failure to bey this rule will result in the Captains expulsion." X's voice was unwavering, and the seriousness in his eyes left no room for doubt.
As the lesson continued, Seon couldn't shake the sense of urgency that was building inside him. This mission was going to make or break them, and he knew it was going to be the most challenging test yet. He glanced at the holoV once more, the list of units still looming in front of him.
He was number one—but for how long?
The pressure was mounting. They put the lives of children on the captains shoulders who themselves were kids. Seon had forgotten that he was only 15. He was 15 and he had the weight of lives, dreams and futures of children desperate to live a better life than the one they lived.
The ease he felt earlier disappeared once he realised the situation. They were all kids forced to fight in order to earn their keep and the was nothing they could to but train hard enough to survive. Seon looked over to B again and then to the holoV.
Suddenly he felt he hadn't been pushing himself enough or using the system well. A new wave of determination came to him as he saw his units name next to the number 1.