The morning alarm blared through the dormitory, shaking Oren from his sleep. His body ached from the previous day's training, and for a moment, he debated staying in bed. But the memory of the instructors' harsh punishments for non-compliance pushed him up.
Aliyu groaned from the top bunk, rubbing his eyes. "I barely got any rest," he muttered.
"That's what happens when you don't sleep on time," Akari chirped, already lacing his boots.
"No, this is what happens when you are operating at the devil's hour" Aliyu said.
"Never been in the Army eh!" Akari Scuffs
"Army? For where, I'm from Nigeria.!"
Neil, of course, was as energetic as ever comes out of the bathroom. "Time for some action, boys!" he said, punching the air.
Oren rolled his eyes. Unlike Neil, he had no illusions about his combat ability. He wasn't weak, but he wasn't a fighter either and that wasn't a problem until today.
Oren followed the same morning routine as the previous day—shower, breakfast, and then off to the training ground.
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The Combat Grounds
The training field had been reconfigured overnight. Large, reinforced platforms stretched across the grounds, each surrounded by sparring rings. Some had dummies, others had weapons neatly arranged in racks. But the real problem wasn't the equipment.
It was the instructors.
A row of heavily armored soldiers stood at the front, each one radiating the aura of an experienced warrior.
The head instructor, a scarred man in black armor, stepped forward. His voice was deep, commanding.
"I am Sergeant Voss. You will learn how to fight or you will die. There is no room for weakness in the Trials. There is no fairness, no second chances. If you hesitate, you will die. If you think mercy will be given, you will die. If you breath the wrong way, you will die"
A heavy silence fell over the recruits, as the Sergeant droned on and on about how we die.
All Oren could think about as Voss droned on and on was 'We get it we will die!'
Voss continued. "Combat training is divided into three phases. Phase One: Unarmed combat. Phase Two: Weapon mastery. Phase Three: Tactical engagement. Today, we begin Phase One. You will fight. You will bleed. Some of your bones may break. But you will learn."
He gestured to the soldiers behind him. "Each of you will be assigned to an instructor. If you're lucky, you will leave this field conscious. If not... well, you'll be carried."
A few chuckles from the instructors. None from the recruits.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Oren was paired with a wiry, stone-faced instructor named Ramos. The moment they stepped into the sparring ring, the man barely gave him time to breathe before attacking.
A fist blurred toward Oren's face. He barely ducked in time, but a kick followed immediately after, slamming into his ribs and knocking him onto the sand.
"Too slow," Ramos said flatly. "Get up."
Oren coughed in pain, rolling back to his feet. He tried to steady himself, raise his fists in some semblance of a defensive stance.
"Wrong stance," Ramos snapped, closing the distance and sweeping Oren's legs out from under him. He hit the ground again, hard.
"Pathetic," Ramos muttered.
Oren's vision blurred for a second, his ears ringing. This was worse than he thought.
Nearby, Aliyu was faring better, managing to stay on his feet against his instructor. Akari was downright impressive, slipping out of holds and countering with fluid movements. Neil, as expected, was grinning like a maniac as he exchanged blows with his instructor, laughing even as he got punched in the gut.
Oren groaned. Of course Neil would enjoy this, he's a fucking masochist.
Ramos gave him no time to reflect. Another attack came, this time a brutal hook to the side. Oren barely managed to deflect it, but the impact made his arm numb.
"You're reacting. Not fighting. Predict me."
Oren gritted his teeth. How was he supposed to predict a trained soldier?
But then, something clicked. He wasn't strong, he wasn't fast, but he could observe.
Ramos shifted his weight slightly before throwing a punch. Oren noticed. The next attack came—a straight jab to the ribs. Oren dodged, stepping back instead of forward, forcing Ramos to overextend slightly.
"Hmm," Ramos said. "Better. Again."
The sparring continued. Oren was still beaten down, but this time, he managed to evade some of the worst hits.
Maybe he wouldn't die on the first day.
Weapon Selection
By the time the unarmed combat session ended, Oren's entire body ached. But there was no time to rest. The recruits that were conscious were led to a new section of the grounds, where rows of weapons were neatly arranged.
Sergeant Voss stood before them. "The Trials are unpredictable. Some of you will rely on brute strength, others on speed, and others on strategy. Your weapon is your life. Choose carefully."
Each recruit was given a few minutes to test different weapons.
Oren picked up a short sword first. It felt awkward. Too heavy. He tried a spear. A little better, but he had no experience with polearms. A dagger, maybe? It felt comfortable in his grip, but in a real fight, would he be able to get close enough to use it?
Frustrated, he looked around. Neil had already picked a pair of tonfas, spinning them with unsettling ease. Akari selected a curved sword, moving as if he was already familiar with its weight. Aliyu tested a large metal staff, wielding it with steady control.
"Oren Kael," a voice called out.
He turned. One of the instructors, a tall woman with a calculating gaze, was watching him.
"You hesitate," she observed.
Oren frowned. "I'm trying to find what suits me."
She gestured to the weapon rack. "What do you see?"
Oren glanced at the weapons again. Blades, blunt weapons, ranged options. All different, all deadly.
"A bunch of ways to die," he muttered.
The instructor smirked. "A good answer. But what if I told you weapons are nothing more than extensions of movement?" She stepped forward, grabbed a simple baton, and in a blur of motion, disarmed one of the other recruits in a single, fluid strike.
Oren blinked.
"It's not about the weapon," she said, tossing the baton back. "It's about how you use it."
She handed him a pair of knives. "Try these. You don't have the brute force for heavier weapons, and you rely on observation. Small blades work well for those who wait for an opening."
Oren took them, testing their weight. Light. Fast. Efficient.
"I'll give them a shot," he said.
The instructor nodded. "Good. Now let's see if you can make them deadly."
Survival Training
After combat training, the recruits were dismissed for lunch and soon led to another section of the training grounds. The area was set up with makeshift survival stations—fire pits, water purification units, and mock shelters.
An instructor stood at the front. "The Trials are not just about fighting. If you cannot secure food, water, and shelter, you will not last long enough to fight. Today's lesson will teach you the fundamentals of survival. Pay attention."
Oren's group was assigned to fire-starting and water purification. Neil immediately attempted to set his station ablaze using a pile of dried leaves and a stick. He failed spectacularly.
Akari, on the other hand, created a perfect flame within minutes.
Aliyu managed to filter water efficiently, using a simple rock-and-cloth filtration method. Oren paid close attention to his technique.
This will be crucial in desert environments or polluted water zones Oren thought as he watched him.
He was starting to realize just how unprepared he was, but it didn't come as a surprise to him as he wanted nothing to do with this stupid event in the first place.
Strategy Session
As the sun dipped lower, the recruits gathered for their final lesson of the day. Commander Harlow stood before them once again, flanked by several holographic projections of different Trial maps.
"Now that you've learned how to fight and how to survive, it's time to think about how to win," Harlow began. "We will be dicussing new Strategies today. Let's discuss approaches that have historically worked."
The screen displayed three primary strategic approaches:
Stealth & Evasion: Avoiding conflict, using terrain to stay hidden, and only engaging when necessary.
Resource Control: Securing supplies early and managing them effectively to outlast competitors.
Dominance & Combat Supremacy: Establishing immediate power through force and intimidation.
"Your choice of strategy should depend on the terrain and your own capabilities," Harlow continued. "Understanding the map you are assigned to will be crucial to survival."
The holograms shifted, displaying different environments—lush forests, arid wastelands, ice-covered plains. Harlow explained which strategies worked best in each.
"Tomorrow's training will involve team-based survival and combat simulations. Be prepared."
End of the Day
By the time training ended, Oren's entire body felt like it had been through a grinder, he looked beside him to find Neil asleep. Oren woke him to go to dinner.
Neil, as always, was enthusiastic. "That was awesome! Can't wait for tomorrow!"
Oren looked at Aliyu trying to wake Akira up "You need help."
Aliyu chuckled. "At least we're learning. Some of us might actually have a chance now."
After dinner Oren headed to the library agian to study more. He noticed the same guy from the previous night already there with books infront of him.
Planning to avoid him Oren took a sit on the other side of the hall but after a few minutes the guy approach him.
"Hi, I am Eli. Can I sit with you?"
Wondering why he came all the way here just to ask him if they can sit together was confusing to him but Oren still allowed him to sit.
"What is your name?" Eli asked after he noticed that Oren went back to reading.
"Oren"
"What district are you I never see you at the training ground or class?"
"District N"
"Cool, I am in district B"
Oren was surprised. Districts were assigned based on prior experience and physique, and Eli didn't seem to fit District B
Eli apart from his height, looked lanky and lean. He didn't seem like he would be goo at fighting.
"Maybe he was smart and resourceful," Oren thought.
While he was reading Eli kept asking him questions about himself and what he had learnt. He didnt know why but he enjoyed his company and didnt mind all the question he was asking.
Soon it was almost time for curfew, so they departed with plans to meet same time tomorrow.