Several soldiers in battle-suits were sparring with each other. Some of them chose not to wear a helmet. A small group was taking in the sights in the corner of the room.
“Joe… pass the bottle, will ya?”
Joe went to the fridge and grabbed bottles of flavored drinks such as wine, salmon, chocolate chip ice cream, and a few other recognizable delicacies. He put them in a fairly complex machine, watching the magic at work. He tossed the finished product to his friend, repeating the process for himself.
“Bottom’s up, Sam!”
Sam took the cap off and began to drink. He didn’t waste a single drop, draining the whole bottle in one go. He burped, throwing the empty bottle into the recycling machine.
“What do you think we’ll get next week, Sam?” a young woman next to him asked.
“Not sure, Sophia. They always give us some crazy stuff every other week,” Sam replied.
“Ahh… I was wondering if happiness was supposed to have a hidden meaning. It was still good, though. I felt like my head was in the clouds for three hours,” Sophia laughed.
“That rookie is supposed to come soon, right? The one that aced the assessment?” Joe commented.
“Right. He’s so monstrous he skips over boot camp and goes straight for a mission. A monstrous exception was made due to his monstrous abilities,” Sophia giggled.
“You keep saying monstrous,” Sam joked.
“The military kept using monstrous,” Sophia replied with amusement.
“Didn’t we all think the same, then our seniors beat us till we begged otherwise?” Joe asked.
“Monstrous in comparison to his peers, not to us. We’re just providing the staff an approximation of his actual level,” Sam replied.
“Do you think he can beat all of us?” Sophia asked.
“It’s possible, but given the circumstances, no,” Sam answered honestly after thinking about it.
The soldiers that heard the comment laughed.
“Hey, hey, he’s here!” someone shouted.
All eyes were on the newcomer as they walked in. Those wearing the full battle-suit sucked in a breath of cold air. The basic stats were quite shocking. Was this considered a Cadet anymore? Someone with no prior military or combat experience, how else would those numbers be attained? How did he do it? What kind of master was supporting him? That was the only possible conclusion.
“Really odd reactions,” Sophia said as she looked at a soldier.
“Sophia… his presence is lackluster compared to the stats on him. Put on your battle-suit and link your interface. You’ll understand immediately. He’s like a devil wearing an angel mask. The difference is too much for me,” someone explained.
Joe, who was nearby, turned to look at the soldier instinctively.
“The words of the many are credible, I’d say. Plus, it’s Shelton. Would he say something unreasonable?” Joe commented as Sophia checked it out herself.
“This is a glitch in the system?” Sophia asked.
“No. We’ll know more once we see him in action. Even more, if we spar with him. Second-hand accounts are less reliable than first-hand experiences, especially some text on a screen,” Shelton replied.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“I’m excited then; I hope he’s very strong!” Sophia said happily.
“You’re the only battle-crazy fool. Once you experience bloodshed, you won’t be so happy-go-lucky anymore,” Shelton said helplessly. “You’re the only one who hasn’t gone out yet. I’m saying it with sincerity.”
The group joined the crowd to get a closer look. The newcomer was Cadet Sikhail GodFiend. He stood at rest with his arms crossed behind his back. The soldiers formed a half-circle around him, a sign of respect and friendship. He caught a bottle thrown at him from seemingly out of nowhere, with a gasp following a moment later.
“This is cutting-edge military tech developed in collaboration between the New Hope World Government and the Light Coalition. Although it’s a side project, you can imagine how much more advanced the important stuff is… This is to open your mind to the degree of difference between us and everyone else,” a voice from the crowd explained.
Sikhail took off his helmet, revealing his face for the first time. Although he was 16, he looked more like he was their age, giving them quite a shock. There were instances in the Military where people could look older after spending time in the grim reality known as war. This caused them to take him more seriously.
Sikhail took a sip, then more sips, before draining the bottle entirely. It felt like he was eating steak, then drinking sprite, alternating, and after he finished, he had a piece of cake. There was also a bit of convenience. He licked his lips but didn’t have to wipe his mouth. Furthermore, there were no dishes as he crumpled the bottle. It was a unique material, but only a moment passed before he angled his arm, throwing the bottle into the nearby recycling machine. This caused a few soldiers to step back without thinking about it.
In the crowd, Shelton frowned. Sikhail had never tried these drinks before. His actions proved that. The part that bothered him was the bottle toss. It was made of a unique lightweight material that required many attempts before you got a feel for them and several more before you understood the trick. He got a feel for it too fast…. Or else… he didn’t know what else.
A soldier stepped forward, introducing himself.
“Cadet Sikhail GodFiend, I’m the weakest of everyone here, but I’m definitely stronger than your peers. I would love to experience your ability,” he said with a smile.
Sikhail nodded in response, stepping up as well. The soldier rushed at him, his posture and form designed to maximize his speed and momentum. He closed most of the distance when Sikhail stepped back with a foot, leaning slightly backward. The soldier was right in front of him the next instant and threw a punch out. A sharp whistle could be heard, but the punch stopped an inch before Sikhail.
The soldier was shocked, then became embarrassed. He was unsure of what to do next. He realized he would’ve been dead if this was a real fight to the death, but he felt helpless. He had never encountered such a situation before. He had never missed his punch before. The training was always centered around following up after the punch. Unfortunately, the punch didn’t connect this time, so he froze.
“Hey… a feint is good, but why isn’t he following up? Even if you missed, you should have contingency plans. The newcomer doesn’t look intimidating, so I’m not sure what’s going on with this fella’s head.”
“Yeah… he’s been stuck in that pose for a while now. This is just embarrassing us, to be honest. If you’re not confident, that’s fine.”
The soldier’s face was becoming hotter and hotter.
“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING. AS A SOLDIER WITH A CUTTING-EDGE BATTLE-SUIT, YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE NEWCOMER. IF YOU BEAT HIM, THEN YOU BEAT HIM. IF YOU FAIL TO LAND A PUNCH, THEN REGROUP AND TRY AGAIN. NO ONE’S EXPECTING US TO DEFEAT HIM IN A SINGLE PUNCH,” a voice boomed.
The soldier’s eyes widened as he took a deep breath and retreated. He looked at the newcomer in embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. I’ve never missed my punch before, so I lost my composure. It won’t happen again,” the soldier said awkwardly.
Sikhail only nodded in a friendly manner.
The soldier rushed again, throwing a punch from a different angle. He didn’t falter when his first punch landed on thin air but followed through with a second punch. Unfortunately, he felt a sudden force on his chest when the punch was only halfway out, causing him to stumble backward.
He looked up, confused. The newcomer didn’t throw out any punches, at least none he saw, yet he still got hit. If he saw a punch coming, he would’ve dodged it, but he saw nothing!
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
Could this newcomer punch harder and faster than he could?
He tried a few more times, only to get the same result. He was thoroughly convinced now.
“You’re pretty good! I wasn’t fated for those coveted military ranks, but I don’t have any excuses. I’m thoroughly convinced by your physical combat abilities! I look forward to your future exchanges!” the soldier heaped praise.
After saluting the newcomer, he stepped off the stage.
In the crowd, Shelton was startled. The rookie had solid fundamentals. Muscles and brawns. A somewhat deceptive package. If he was put out on the field, this advantage was enough to ACE any standard mission. The real deal would start with the unknowns. Scouting and reconnaissance. No mission was exempt from having too much information. Actually, there was never enough. Soldiers were always teetering on the edge of death, and no one planned on dying. All of this meant there was always an element of uncertainty.