"People from all around the world, welcome to this year's recruitment!" Lieutenant Gray's voice echoed in everyone's ears in an authoritative tone.
"The city of Bion, as the central city of the country of Westeros, is extremely far from others and therefore practically independent. That means it's ninety percent occupied by armed personnel, both soldiers and bandits."
"Before we start everything, know that it's up to you and I to protect ourselves, the city, the surrounding villages, the country, and the neighboring countries from the fierce beasts and bandits that plague our peace."
"You're here not just to be trained. You are here to become faster, stronger, and capable of protecting those in need, including the rich. Start moving out if you know you are weak, else you will die before you complete the first stage of the trainig. UNDERSTOOD?" Gray said, staring deeply into everyone's eyes.
"UNDERSTOOD, LIEUTENANT GRAY!"
Each and every voice rang together. But among the shouts, one person didn't say a word. Kai stared at the roaring faces with disgust since he didn't know he was supposed to speak. All that reeled in his mind was what the lieutenant said - Country of Westeros.
"You will face four tests. Speed, strength, endurance, and finally, the few among you who would be alive by then would fight. If you fail any, you die. And if you pass…"
'Well, let the game begin,' Gray thought the last sentence to himself.
"Leave your bags and follow me. Let's start with the first test." Gray said and turned.
The six soldiers moved forward, telling and arranging them in groups of twenty pupils per line. They followed Lieutenant Gray toward another black entrance.
Bright rays of artificial light filled with the smell of green vegetation welcomed them as they entered the open door.
"First, run and maintain a top speed of 100 km without rest for an hour. If you fall, you'll be eliminated by metal hinges you won't see coming," Gray said, pointing to a mark carved on a huge pillar surrounded by sharp spears.
The recruits looked at each other—some nervous, others confident. A few cursed, regretting being fooled by the letters and words their government and parents gave them before they signed up for the training.
After thirty minutes of silence, with no sign of action, Gray moved from where he stood and gestured toward the exit door.
"If you know you'll die before even starting, leave while you can!"
Eight men, followed by two women, stepped out, throwing the papers in their hands onto the floor. A sense of relief filled them as they stepped into the street outside the barracks wall.
Meanwhile, Kai, the smallest among them and first in line, stood still, unmoved.
Then it began after a gunshot tore through the air. One by one, they ran, each trying to reach the mark before the countdown ended.
Some, who had trained for years specifically for this day, succeeded—sweating, groaning, but maintaining their top speed for forty-five minutes.
Others fell after thirty minutes. Seventy of the remaining ninety reached the stop point.
Screams tore through the air, followed by torn pieces of skin flying into the sky.
Among the first group to finish, Kai stood without a drop of sweat on his face.
…
"Were the weak ones really killed?"
"I'm sure. I didn't see any sign of life after the door closed behind us."
The soldiers started laughing when they saw the fear on the recruits' faces, but went silent when they noticed Kai. He showed no sign of exhaustion. He walked calmly, as if he had just taken an energy drink.
Lieutenant Gray folded his arms, uncrossed his legs, and walked toward them.
"Well done. Don't worry about those who couldn't make it to the end. Their families will be compensated."
"Follow me, let's go to the place for the second test."
The ladies among the recruits frowned and began murmuring words clearer to only their ears, but Kai happened to be closer to one who heard her.
"What kind of training are we going to face in the strength stage. I'm drained. Why not give us at least an hour to be fully energized before we start the next test? I will just run away if I see that I can't go on with it."
Tilting his head slightly to the lady, he saw a white glow around her. Her glow shimmered differently and uniquely from all those he'd seen on the rest.
Gazing at her leg shape alone sent a slight affection in little Kai's heart, though he was small and knew nothing of love, but he knew the difference between affection, lust, and love.
Soon after they entered another hall that had white walls all around it, Gray stopped at the gate and gestured for them to enter the large hall.
"Firstly, lift and carry for forty meters. If by any means you drop it, you're out. For this stage, your elimination won't be death, but you'll wish to be dead." Gray said, pointing to a row of massive stone blocks of different sizes and shapes.
The recruits who had huge body structures looked at each other and smiled, but the guys with slim bodies and the ladies looked at each other nervously. Meanwhile, Kai stood there comparing his height to others and the shapes in a comical manner.
One by one, they began attempting to lift the shapes. The strong one struggled a little but succeeded after two failed attempts. Though they were strong physically, sweat poured from them as they started walking, clutching the stones on their chest.
Among all the recruits, thirty men and ten ladies groaned in pain as they reached where the red mark was. Others lacked the strength to hold on to the stone properly, letting it fall to the ground with a dull thud.
After a long while, Kai remained the only person standing at the starting point unmoved. Lieutenant Gray stood at a distance, crossed his arms, and watched him.
'Will I be able to lift the small one?' Kai thought as he walked toward the stones, but as he neared where they were, he noticed that all the ones that looked small in his eyes were rather bigger than the ones he thought to be big.
Everyone began to wonder what a small child would be doing when Kai reached the stones.
He crouched down, clutched his small arms around it, and closed his eyes.
Laughter surged up as they imagined how the stone would mash the boy when it rolled on him.
With little effort, he simply lifted it on his first attempt. The further he walked, the more the weight of the stone reduced.
'This isn't normal. Isn't this the stone the tall and broad-shouldered people left behind after two attempts? What did those shadows do to me when they entered me? I feel strange.' His mind kept on reeling.
Without realizing, he'd already walked past the mark, and when he noticed it, he simply set it down. The hall, which had been in complete silence, was now startled by the sound of the stone hitting the ground.
All their laughter and thoughts that surged in their mind now turned into a shockwave that wasn't seen coming. No one laughed, closed his or her mouth or eyes; they all stared at Kai strangely.
The lieutenant didn't say a word, but a small smile formed on his lips as he screeched his fingers on his hairless jaw.