Having received a message from Mr. Bethany, Team 0 assembled in their training room, waiting for the massive man to make his appearance. The atmosphere was one of curiosity and anticipation, as the text had not anticipated what this would be about.

Finally, after waiting for fifteen minutes, the doors slid open, and Marcus Bethany entered, his presence as imposing as ever. Standing just shy of seven feet tall, the mustachioed, bald man exuded an aura of quiet strength. Despite his formidable appearance, his mild manners and warm smile put the team at ease.

"Congratulations on passing your F-rank test." He began, his deep voice resonating in the room. "I've asked for your time for a special reason. As you know, the Dawn Initiative was a pilot program that started with you. Thanks to your success, it's being expanded significantly and has begun rolling out nationwide. The AA needs new blood, capable Awakeners ready to tackle the challenges of the still-spawning dungeons, considering how many of our resources are being expended elsewhere."

I remember something about this. They told us it'd get implemented when we made G-rank, but I guess these things take some time… Well, that, and we were pretty quick to get to F-rank.

Mr. Bethany motioned for them to follow him. "Come with me, I want to introduce you to the new blood."

They walked through the corridors, reaching a training room on the same floor as theirs but on the opposite end of the building. All the while, James probed his surroundings with his senses, too curious to wait.

Beyond the usual hustle and bustle he had come to file away as background noise, there were a few relatively weak presences in a waiting, anxious mood, who he believed to be the new guys.

James carefully observed them from a distance, even as he absentmindedly nodded as Maria chattered away at his side. It was difficult for him to directly compare what he and his friends had been like at the beginning of their career, since his senses had developed so much. Still, James believed these kids to be a bit too intimidated, though a few hid a core of steel within. With them was also a much stronger presence, who he realized must have been their teacher. Compared with the blazing sun that was Miss Walker, this person was barely a wildfire, but they were still quite a bit stronger than he was, so James pegged them around C-rank.

The door slid open to reveal a group of five rookies, standing there somewhat awkwardly, as if unsure of their place in the grand scheme of things. The first was a tall, lanky Asian young man with a mop of unruly brown hair. He shifted on his feet, his nervous energy palpable even from a distance, but there was an assuredness hidden deep within him that made James take notice.

Beside him stood a shorter girl with a pixie cut and piercing green eyes that darted around the room, taking in every detail. Her posture was confident, a stark contrast to her companions’ unease.

Next to her was a bulky guy, his arms crossed over his chest. His build was that of a linebacker, and his expression was stoic, giving away little of what he might be thinking. However, James could feel that he was slightly intimidated and trying very hard not to show it, evidently not being used to being the weakest in the room. He had a buzz cut, and a small scar ran down his left cheek, hinting at some past altercation.

The fourth rookie was a black girl with long, curly hair cascading over her shoulders in a vast mass. She clutched a notebook to her chest, her wide, curious eyes absorbing everything around her. Inside, she appeared too absorbed by her surroundings and almost giddy at being included to feel much nervousness.

The last of the team was male, average in height, with short, neat hair and glasses perched on his nose. He had a scholarly air about him, his eyes focused and thoughtful and James could feel him studying them back, trying to catalogue every movement and expression to fit them into neat little boxes.

One thing that stood out to James was that every one of the rookies was younger than them. He realized with a start that they were probably all fresh out of high school.

The C-rank Awakener led the group, a woman with short blonde hair and an infectious enthusiasm. Her attire blended practicality and style, with a tailored jacket over combat pants. She beamed as she noticed them entering.

"Everyone, as I was telling you, this is Team 0." She announced, gesturing toward James and his teammates. "They were the pioneers of the Dawn Initiative, and thanks to their incredible success, the program has received a lot of funding and attention."

The lanky young man stepped forward, extending a hand toward James. "I'm Kenji. It's an honor to meet you. Miss Demers has told us all about you. You're kind of a legend."

James shook his hand, offering a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, Kenji. It's great to see the program growing. We'll be more than happy to share some tips and tricks."

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The girl with the pixie cut, her confidence undiminished, introduced herself next. "I'm Alice. We've been training hard these past few days, so don't underestimate us. We'll surprise you."

Mr. Bethany smiled, observing the interaction. "Team 0, perhaps you can share some of your experiences with the Dawn Initiative, what worked for you, and what challenges you faced."

The groups mingled, settling into an informal circle. Team 0, now veterans by comparison, shared stories of their early days, the trials they faced, and the lessons they learned.

Daniel offered a piece of advice first, his voice earnest. "One thing we learned early on is the importance of teamwork. Trust in your team is crucial. You'll face situations where that trust is all you have. We have encountered several monsters that should have been far beyond us, but we managed to take them down without much trouble because we have developed such good teamwork."

After all, that was the true essence behind Team 0's success. They were all talented and dedicated, but individually, they could not have achieved what they had in such a short time. Even just reaching G-rank would have taken them a lot more time, because of the need to carefully choose specific dungeons where their individual capabilities would be useful.

Instead, the combination of teamwork, a fantastic teacher, and interesting luck had seen them advance to F-rank in about nine months, which was considered almost impossible outside of very rare cases or the Apocalypse.

Maria nodded along and added. "And don't be afraid to push your limits. The dungeons will test you in ways you can't imagine. It's okay to be scared, but use that fear to fuel your growth."

Ezekiel, always lighthearted, grinned. "And try to have some fun too. It's a tough journey, but there are moments of excitement and joy you'll find along the way."

The curly-haired girl cut in then, seemingly ready to explode with questions. "Sorry to interrupt." She said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm Samantha, by the way. I was wondering, how do you manage to keep your spirits up when things get really tough in a dungeon? I know from experience that killing monsters, looking for the mana stone, getting up and doing it all over again can be exhausting."

Lauren, with a thoughtful expression, replied. "Nothing can make the clean up fun, but if you manage to find small victories, even in tough situations, it will seem less soul crushing. Celebrating those moments helps keep morale high. Also, there is little that beats the sensation of getting stronger, however weird it feels to add the stat points in the beginning."

James chimed in, reflecting on their past experiences. "That's something important to keep in mind, actually. Always remember that adding your stat points inside an active dungeon can be very dangerous. Sometimes it's inevitable, especially when you know the monsters out there are stronger than you currently are, but you should remember to do so taking turns and always having at least one person as a lookout."

The bulky guy, Lucas, grunted in agreement. "That makes sense."

Mr. Bethany then stood, interrupting his chat with Miss Demers, his voice commanding the room's attention. "You're all part of something much bigger now. The world is full of challenges, but also incredible opportunities. Help each other, learn from each other, and grow together. The Dawn Initiative isn't just about individual development; it's about building a community of capable and supportive Awakeners."

He then concluded his short speech. "I must leave you now, but before I go, I'd like you to have a sparring session. Team 0, show these rookies what they're aiming for. And you." He pointed to the rookies. "Learn as much as you can from them."

With that, the old man sat down, the sofa groaning under his weight, leaving the two teams to organize the sparring session. The session began with Kenji facing off against James. Despite the apparent difference in experience and skill, Kenji showed commendable determination and adaptability.

The younger of the two showed off a surprising Berserk Talent, which greatly enhanced his physique and allowed him to keep going despite being hit several times. Each time Kenji lunged, James deftly sidestepped, guiding him subtly into better positions, demonstrating the importance of footwork and anticipation. When James finally countered, it was with a gentle touch, a tap on Kenji's shoulder or a light sweep of his leg, illustrating the power of skill over brute strength. The fight continued for longer than expected, as Kenji kept healing himself in a display of the sheer breadth of his skills, but eventually, he succumbed, roughly falling out of the ring after James tapped him with slightly more force.

Of course, had he wanted to, James could have ended the fight immediately, but that was not the point.

Next, Alice and Lauren faced off. The girl turned out to be a Ranger of some kind, able to launch mana weapons at a distance and flitting back and forth with ease, trying to disorient the older Awakener, who merely sidestepped the attacks before disappearing from sight. Lauren's shadows spread across the training mats, creating flickers and constructs that Alice attacked with all her might, only to find them dissipating like mist with nothing to show for it. The fight ended after the fourth such attempt, with Lauren reappearing behind Alice and grabbing her into a chokehold.

The sparring between Daniel and Lucas was a display of sheer physicality. Lucas, also a Tank, attempted to use his size and strength, but Daniel's experience shone through. He used Lucas's momentum against him several times, never pitting his full physique against the other but demonstrating how to redirect force and utilize the environment. Daniel's moves were calculated, showing Lucas the potential of his strength when applied with strategy and foresight.

Then, when the younger one tried to get in a sneak shot in frustration, Daniel wrapped him in glowing barriers, showing him just how outclassed he was before walking out of the ring after patting his opponent on the back.

Samantha, the curly-haired girl, enthusiastically jumped into the fray, shards of ice materializing around her in a rotating, dizzying display. Maria stepped forward, a slightly deranged grin on her face, but James was reassured by the fact that he could feel her in complete control of herself, despite how much she would have liked to show off her fiery constructs.

Instead, the redhead limited herself to matching the younger girl's output and dispersing the dangerous ice shards into puffs of steam. Again and again, the two clashed, the room's vents working full time to keep the steam from limiting everyone's sight, but the result was always the same. Eventually, Samantha sighed and bowed out, having exhausted her mana and being at Maria's mercy.

Lastly, Ezekiel got into the ring with Elliot, the serious guy with the glasses. Surprisingly, the teenager went on the offensive quickly, lightning sparking at his fingertips. He crossed the distance between the two in a second and seemed poised to land a hit before losing his balance and falling in a heap.

James chuckled. In the past few days, he had been the subject of Ezekiel's newest and very annoying skill as the healer tried to develop it beyond a party trick.

The fight continued in the same manner before Ezekiel, having proven his point, engaged Elliot in direct combat. They sparred for a while, with Ezekiel apparently uncaring of the lightning crackling around his opponent.

Soon after, they ended the fight, Elliot having depleted his mana stores. This reminded James of how much he had grown since the beginning, when a few punches would have been enough to lay him out.

The meeting soon ended, and Team 0 said their goodbyes. The rookies expressed their gratitude, clearly inspired and motivated by the experience. They had gained a firsthand understanding of the gap between their current abilities and what they could aspire to achieve.