The five lower-rank virus beasts began to move. But unlike when they were controlled, their movements were stiff, leaving their bodies and coordination open to attack.
The five crabs attacked him from all directions, without regard for their comrades. Their claws were open, shimmering in a sharp glow even in the dark.
Cain took a deep breath, his black eyes staring at the approaching monsters, especially at their chests, where the red cores pulsed. With one stomp of his foot, Cain disappeared and appeared next to the iron crab running in front of him.
He plunged his katana right into the chest of his enemy, which made the red glow dim, and the monster's body disappeared as if it had been deleted.
It didn't stop there; Cain turned into a shadow, leaving several afterimages on the battlefield. The tip of his katana continued to pierce the core of the monsters.
There was no sound of metal shattering, only an illusion image that broke into small particles when his katana was withdrawn, leaving his figure standing alone on the battlefield.
Cain let out a long sigh, then peeked back over his shoulder. He found Albert raising the terminal in his hand to cover the smirk on his mouth. No one knows what was in his mind.
He walked closer and, from behind the glass, asked.
"Can you raise the level?"
Albert swallowed back his pleasure, then began typing on his terminal and sent it to his other colleagues. The man turned to Cain and gave him an okay with a nod.
"Done!"
The boy turned away from Albert and faced the six lower-rank virus beasts that had previously troubled his other comrades.
Albert peeked at the terminal screen in his hand, which showed Cain's record time from his earlier simulation.
{00:05.21 seconds}
The number instantly turned into a large hammer that hit his consciousness squarely. It showed that Cain's ability was already above the average of the senior cadets who had been in this facility longer.
'So he defeated a lower-rank virus beast with an average time of one second!?'
When the number on his terminal diverted his gaze, his eyes blinked, watching his terminal screen show a new notification from the simulation that Cain had just completed.
{Intermediate Stage, ...level five: 00:07. 02 seconds}
Seeing the score that came in, it made the corner of his lips lift. Albert's hand jolted as he kept increasing the simulation level further.
From behind the glass, the man watched the black shadow move with precision and a clear goal to finish off the monsters in front of him. Albert couldn't peel his gaze from the sight. It was menacingly breathtaking.
The numbers displayed on his terminal made him hold his breath. It was all in single digits, and the battle was nearing its last level of the Intermediate stage.
But in this simulation, he saw something different. Albert's pupils shrank. It was thanks to a certain accident that granted him a sight different from that of any normal person. He saw a black aura crackle from inside the boy's body.
It flowed seamlessly as it thinly coated the boy's skin. The aura didn't stop until there; it was starting to conjure a layer on the dummy katana's edge.
Albert found it intriguing and, at the same time, shocking, for he recognized the symptom.
'Does Cain also have Ether?'
Ether was a supernatural power that appeared in a person with high mutation potential. Some veterans in the military also have it, including General Dosh. Albert also saw the same thing in the cadets who were with Cain. Each of them had a different color.
What was the main cause that made it different? He wanted to know the truth.
Cain, who was covered in a black aura, became a different person. He moved past Mach speed and the virus beast's exoskeleton, which should have been able to withstand the dummy sword he provided. It was split into two; its sharpness sent a chill down his spine.
'He's a monster.'
The man had witnessed many kinds of people's combat power in a simulation room like this. However, all of it paled in comparison to the grey-haired boy before him.
Not only his fighting technique, but also the boy's sharpened instincts, his split-second decision-making, his rapid development, and, moreover, his body's ability to adapt to the virus beast.
It made him desire Cain as the subject of his personal interest.
'As I thought, he's the one.'
The vibration from his terminal snapped Albert out of his reverie, prompting him to look down. He scrolled the incoming results, a record that had never been achieved before by a cadet who hadn't even stayed a year in the training facility.
{Intermediate Stage Simulation.}
Cain. Level ten, recorded time: "00:05.23 seconds" Luna. Level ten, recorded time: "01:12.45 seconds" Kurata. Level ten, recorded time: "01:17.11 seconds"
Albert stared at Cain's back, who stood tall in the middle of the crimson land, a splitting image of hell itself.
The boy turned, leaving the desolated battlefield shrouded in red and walked towards him. His index finger was ready to set the simulation setting to the Advanced stage, but the sentence that came out of Cain's mouth made him freeze.
"Thank you for the opportunity. I will come again tomorrow."
"You won't continue?"
The man asked, and watched Cain shake his head. He then followed the cadet's wishes and pulled his finger back before opening the door.
The door in front of him hissed, causing the red scenery that stretched far to fade, replaced by a round arena with a silver floor.
Cain stepped outside and exhaled sharply, allowing Albert to remove his armor suit. With a click from his bracelet, the particles on his body returned to it, giving him a little room to breathe.
When he wore the armor suit, his body felt a bit stiff.
"Do you want to see your recorded time?"
Albert came after storing the bracelet and turned on his terminal for the boy to see. Cain leaned forward, his mouth gaping.
From the Intermediate stage level five onward, all time records were listed under his name. He scratched his cheek, feeling a little guilty towards his comrades who had put in an effort.
Yet he retracted his statement and muttered in his head.
'No, I mustn't think about feeling bad for them.'
"Thank you. I will return to my friends then."
"Wait!"
A deep voice that came out of Albert's mouth made Cain's body flinch as he turned into a statue. The boy gulped, gazing at the man's black, twisted pupils. Just looking at him made his body shudder in fright.
Behind that darkness, Cain felt a palpable aura of desperation from someone who had been trapped in emptiness for too long. However, he saw a bit of tenacity behind it.
The boy faced Albert, then opened his mouth.
"What do you need me for?"
A little light began to return to Albert's eyes, changing his image from a gloomy person to more lively.
"This is regarding our previous agreement. Would you consider it by talking to me privately later?"
Cain crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at his comrades and turned back to the man.
"Alright, but after their simulation is finished, then we can talk."
"Alright."
Seeing the man nod, Cain turned and walked away, approaching his comrades, who gaped at his arrival. He raised his eyebrow, wondering about his friends' stiff, slightly pale expressions.
"What's wrong!?"
Without realizing it, his body was yanked to the side, then surrounded by the other four as they glared at him. Abel, Peter, Rika, and Louise all exchanged glances before Abel asked.
"Did you use your attribute just now?"
Cain stared into the blonde boy's eyes, almost unable to hold the twitch in his eyebrow.
Of course, with his last fight ending so quickly, as fellow people with attributes, it was impossible for them not to doubt it. In their conversation yesterday, the five agreed not to display their attributes before further notice from General Dosh.
However, Cain parted his lips, glaring at Abel as if wanting to challenge him.
"Did you see me use it?"
From that question, everyone besides Cain widened their eyes. They replayed the earlier battle in their minds, and what their leader said was true.
Cain's body showed no aura whatsoever, and because of its black color, they should have been able to notice it even if it were as thin as paper.
This time, they were the ones who raised their eyebrows and asked, How did he do it?
Witnessing his friends' blank expressions, Cain chuckled and whispered something into their ears.
"...I'll show you guys the trick later."
Cain straightened his posture and gave a thumbs-up.
"Next?"
A hoarse voice, laced with irritation, echoed in the room, causing the cadets to bite their lips as they glanced at Cain.
"Who's next!"
Albert was furious, causing Abel's right hand to jolt high as he ran from the group. The other three who were left peeked over Cain; their faces radiated a mixed feeling of curiosity and annoyance.