DeathMarines, the boogeymen of wars.
A military force exclusive to the Mamonth Empire, this empire being the strongest amongst the great seven in the world, they were the nightmares of mages and the bane of beast masters.
Other than the Empire's official registry, which carried their name as part of its military, and the stories that circulated, there was no other proof of their existence.
Becoming a DeathMarine wasn't something Cole had ever thought of becoming, not necessarily because of the unreal survival chance or the steep training, but because of the controversial requirement to even be looked at.
After resting and trudging through the forest for several more minutes, Vera had led Cole to a small, lone building densely surrounded by trees.
Its interior matched the contours of its appearance, just a single bare room with no lights. Its floor descended, taking them beneath the earth.
It had been several hours since Cole arrived at the facility, and after being put through a regular physical examination, he had been moved for the trial.
In a large white hall with dark glasses above, securely strapped on a hard bed that stood slanting, Cole looked at the other candidates around him.
They, just like him, had been secured to their own beds, and they all had a bag containing a green liquid hanging beside them, connected to a tube that went into their arm.
Looking at the bag, the liquid sloshing within it, Cole sensed a ravenous hunger, and it made him look down at his arms and grip his fists tight.
"This is happening."
Cole remembered Vera talking about the Empire needing something more, and it made him wonder what nightmare could exist beyond the already existing DeathMarines.
A 99.8% chance of failure, that was just a polite way to declare death. Yet, lifting his gaze, just as Vera had said, ninety-nine were present for this sentence, even though most had no choice.
"Power and freedom."
It was the only reason for anyone to be here. Without these two, no one could claim to be truly living.
Everyone here, none of them had been able to awaken their mana, and the fact that they were here meant the same had happened with their beast awakening.
......…
Up above the individuals strapped to beds, behind the black glass, people dressed in white lab coats hurriedly walked around, carrying sheets and transmitting orders.
Within the mini chaos, a figure stood by the glass, enjoying a clear view of the hall below, emotions she didn't allow to settle, fluctuating in her eyes.
Another figure walked up beside her, and immediately she straightened, her eyes clearing.
"You got him here quick."
"He wasn't hard to convince."
"I can imagine. Very few young men like him in this world. What is your assessment of him?"
The figure beside her was a tall, slim man. Just like Vera, he wore a green military uniform and cap, but in addition, he also wore a green coat that covered his entire body, leaving only his black shoes visible.
The second the question was asked, Vera immediately replied.
"You have my report on the state I found him in. Other than that, I can say he's retained at least 60% of his strength from five years ago."
"Yes, the physical tests they did earlier showed that. He almost scored the lowest."
"I know what you want most is an idea of his mind, but nothing strictly has changed. He's still unreadable to me."
"Really? I find that hard to believe, considering the depression and misery he's been in over the past few years. Did you try to probe him?"
"No, sir. With the tests, I think it's best we don't have him on alert against us. He needs to be completely focused on his survival."
"True."
The man said no further words, and Vera decided to do a bit of fishing on her own.
"Sir, why did you add him as a candidate?"
"I didn't. The orders came from up."
Though Vera remained still, she gulped, a slight shiver running through her.
The man beside her was a Major General, why had the monsters up there decided to look so far down below?
"Why are you turning pale?" the man suddenly laughed.
"Sneers and snickers might now surround his name, but it does nothing to his status."
Vera stayed silent, pressing her nails into the skin of her palm. Then she lost to her emotions.
"He'll die."
"It's his decision."