Isabela was happy that the boys had finally returned from their little "vacation," but her biggest concern at the moment wasn't them.
She had been hanging atop one of the trees outside the First Battalion's barracks for thirty minutes.
‘She'll pass by here any moment now.’ The girl was once again hunting her prey. ‘I'll catch her before she escapes to the cafeteria.’
She was just waiting to catch Astrid. Isabela had even trained in Energy Control to avoid being found so her friend couldn't sense her energy emanating from within the tree.
"Damian! Damian!"
The girl managed to hear two boys walking toward the battalion's entrance.
"What is it?" Damian responded, stopping to listen to the boy.
"Did you hear? The boy has returned.”
"Who?" Damian raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he meant.
"The one you blabbed about."
"Which one?" Damian gave a slight smile to the other boy.
"The one from the incident."
"Shh. Leo, speak lower. That Nameless is back?" Damian asked.
Leo nodded.
"What the fuck; I thought he'd at least be expelled," Damian commented.
"Seems he only got a one-week suspension," Leo explained.
"Shit. Are they still investigating the incident?" Damian asked.
"Doesn't look like it. From what I've heard, he was indeed found guilty. However, because of the fight, they preferred not to increase the punishment," Leo said.
As soon as he finished speaking, Leo quickly looked up into the tree, startling Isabela, but the girl didn't move. She remained frozen in place.
‘Don't breathe. Don't breathe,’ she concentrated.
"Did you hear something?" Damian asked.
"Maybe some animal. My boon is great inside closed spaces, but it's hard to distinguish sounds in open fields," Leo explained.
"Anyway, with them stopping the investigation, that's already great," Damian said. "Quick, let's go to the First Battalion. We can't go in, but it's better to wait for him at the door; maybe we can negotiate something before the first test."
Both resumed walking toward the entrance of the First Battalion.
‘Damn, what did I just hear?’ Isabela was still incredulous at the information. ’Were they responsible for the incident?’
As soon as the two boys were out of sight, Isabela started to descend from the tree.
"Aha!"
"Aaah!" Isabela screamed, falling from the tree and hitting the ground.
"I knew you were hiding!" Astrid shouted, waving her arms as if she'd won a fight.
"Screw you, I fell out of a tree because of your scream." The girl got up, massaging her back from the impact.
"Hehehe! Next time, don't underestimate me," Astrid commented. "Shall we go to the cafeteria?"
"Yes, yes," Isabela replied. ‘I need to find Oliver.’
--
"Damn it! We're late!" Alan shouted.
Both had lost the habit of waking up early for training. Although Oliver was always tired during his stay in Selene, he lamented, thinking that he could have breakfast in peace before.
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He had to hurriedly put on his uniform before running out of the barracks.
"Do you remember the way to the classroom?" Alan asked.
"Of course! We've only been away a week; It didn't erase my memory," Oliver replied while searching for the correct classroom of the Second Battalion. "It's close—here!"
They had finally arrived. Both looked inside the room and sighed, seeing that it hadn't started yet. However, almost all the seats were already taken.
"Just made it in time, huh?"
Upon hearing the question, both turned and came face to face with Captain Caine.
"Yes, sir," they responded in unison.
"Find a place to sit; we need to start this class," Caine commanded.
Alan ran off to one of the chairs at the back of the room. Before leaving, Oliver thanked the captain. "Sir. Thank you very much."
"I imagine you had a good experience," Caine commented.
"Without a doubt," the boy replied.
"And how was he?" Caine asked.
"Hum. Good, under the circumstances," Oliver explained.
"Thank you," Caine said before walking to the center of the room.
Oliver climbed the steps to the seat next to Alan.
"Alright. By the looks of you, I already sense that information has leaked, correct?" Caine asked his class, though he didn't need an answer. His powers already showed him that many were nervous while others were highly excited.
"Yes, sir," several recruits responded.
"So let's get to it. Today, I will announce your first exam," Caine began explaining. "Each month, you will have an exam evaluating your abilities. They are necessary to complete your training at the Academy and allow your entry into a Ranger Division. Of course, this evaluation isn't composed only of these three exams, but they are a large part of your grade."
The captain once again moved to the center of the room and initiated the hologram system.
"Your first exam will be the simplest; it will test your research and survey skills. In this case, you will have to map areas around a colony," Caine explained.
He presented the first hologram, a completely white planet with a few gray dots scattered on its surface.
"GL581 is one of the Empire's most distant colonies. Only a few months ago did we manage to build the teleportation station. Therefore, there's still a lot of unmapped terrain." Caine pressed a few more times on his gauntlet, altering the holograms and presenting the colony city.
"However, this base is essential for the Empire's development. It serves both as a spearhead and as a research base. Therefore, each of you will have a system installed in your gauntlets that will allow you to map terrains, creatures, and anomalies found," the captain presented a few more photos.
"This will not be an easy or safe mission. Your safety will depend entirely on you. Obviously, we'll have some captains and other officers on site. However, this is no guarantee that incidents won't happen," Caine warned, looking carefully among his students so they'd be aware of the risks they would be taking.
"On GL581, we've already mapped three different types of creatures you'll need to be alert for." He informed them as some images of the creatures appeared among the holograms.
"The first of them is the Ice Goblin. It's a creature of low cognitive power; however, even though its intelligence is limited, they're capable of basic reasoning. Therefore, although its power is Pawn level, be careful," the captain pointed to the first image.
From what they could see, it was a type of primate with long arms and fingers and sharp claws at the tips. Its faces were flattened, but its ears pointed. The creature's entire body was covered in white fur, and it seemed to wear some type of primitive clothing.
Caine switched to the second creature. "The second is Snow Tigers. They are ferocious and territorial; under no circumstances should you engage in combat with them. Their power level is Knight."
Among the holograms appeared some specimens of Snow Tigers. The main difference from tigers existing on Earth was their size; the creature could be twice as large as any species on Earth. Moreover, it was an animal with three tails and capable of using them to trap its victims.
"Finally, the third creature is the Yeti. I advise everyone to run at the first sign of spotting them. Although they are titanic, they are also fast. However, once you leave their territory, they give up the chase. Their power level is Bishop." When Caine finished explaining, one of the recruits in the first row raised her hand.
"Yes?" Caine asked.
"Captain, how are we supposed to enter a territory filled with creatures many times stronger than us? Wouldn't it just be a suicide mission?" the girl asked.
"You will only map areas that have the presence of Ice Goblins. However, I prefer to present all the possibilities in case any of you are insane or dumb enough to leave the official exam area," the captain explained.
The girl nodded, relieved.
"Furthermore, this exam will not be carried out individually," Caine added. "You will have to form teams with four participants, two of whom will act as escorts, and two will map the terrain and surroundings."
This time, a boy raised his hand to ask, "Should we form a group only with people from this class?"
"No. You can form it with anyone on campus," the captain explained.
"Even from the First Battalion?" the same boy asked.
"Correct," Caine confirmed.
This information started a buzz among the cadets. Getting the right student for your group could be the difference between success and failure.
"Any questions about the exam?" Caine asked.
"When will it take place?" It was Oliver's turn to ask.
"You have until tomorrow to prepare," the captain replied.
The exam date wasn't mentioned in the leaked information. The recruits panicked when the captain confirmed that it would be the next day. Some were already using their gauntlets to chat and confirm their groups.
"Dismissed!"