A week later, the wagon finally made it to their destination. The long journey had given Kaiden ample time to learn more about Aterra. He’d listened to conversations, asked questions here and there, trying to fill in the gaps in his knowledge without drawing too much attention to himself. When that didn’t work, he decided to go with some truth. To explain away his lack of basic understanding, he told everyone that he was a shut-in, confined to his home for years because of an illness. “But when I got my Regeneration skill,” he had said, “I was finally able to walk again.”
That seemed to work. Most of the recruits had nodded sympathetically, a few even offered their own stories of hardship, saying, “That explains a lot.” It wasn’t exactly the whole truth, but it kept them from being suspicious of his ignorance about things.
He also learned that “skill” and “ability” seemed to be synonymous with each other. In addition to innate skills and those learned from tomes, the last way to obtain an ability was through a class. All classes had skills associated with them and getting a class was done through a class tome which were found in dungeons.
Now, as the wagon rumbled past the towering gates of Fort Ironhold, one of the recruits up front muttered, “We’re here.”
“Finally,” groaned another from the back, his voice dripping with exhaustion. A few heads nodded in agreement as if the week-long ride had worn down everyone’s patience. Kaiden stretched his stiff legs, the soreness creeping up from sitting for so long. As the wagon clattered through the fort's gates, he took in the sight of the stone walls that surrounded them, taller and thicker than anything he’d ever seen back on Earth.
The recruits fell silent as the fort came into full view. Fort Ironhold sprawled before them—stone barracks, blacksmith forges puffing out black smoke, wide training grounds with wooden dummies and obstacle courses as far as the eye could see. The clang of steel echoed in the distance, and soldiers could be seen drilling in the far yard. It was... intimidating, to say the least.
Next to him, Davick let out a low whistle. "This place is... massive," he said, leaning forward for a better look.
Kaiden nodded but kept his thoughts to himself. His stomach twisted, part nerves, part anticipation. Six weeks of basic training, he reminded himself. He’d overheard enough conversations to know it wasn’t going to be easy. Sure, his Regeneration ability would help him heal from injuries, but his body was weak. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done something physical other than his victory run when he first arrived. He was incredibly anxious.
“Think they’ll break us right away?” a recruit near the front asked nervously, breaking the silence. A few chuckles followed, but the nervousness was palpable.
“I bet they’ll have us running laps before we even see the inside of the barracks,” someone else said.
Kaiden sighed and glanced over at Davick. “Nervous?”
Davick nodded, though his eyes were glued to the training grounds. “I’ve been waiting for this,” he muttered, though Kaiden noticed the hesitation in his voice. “Just didn’t think it’d feel so... real.”
Kaiden glanced around the wagon, noting how many of the recruits were trying to keep their cool but failing. Some fidgeted, others tapped their feet nervously. He felt the same way. Was he ready for this? Six weeks of basic training, then on to the real test—Dungeoneer training. This was a far cry from his isolated life back on Earth, but he’d already come this far. This was his chance so truly see what he was made of.
As the wagon rolled to a stop, the recruits began to shuffle out, one by one. Kaiden could hear whispers around him—some relieved, some excited, others just restless and waiting to get started.
"You ready?" Davick asked, giving Kaiden a sideways glance as they prepared to step off the wagon.
Kaiden forced a smile. "Yeah. Ready as I'll ever be."
Sergeant Torpe stepped out in front of the recruits, his eyes sweeping over the nervous faces with a mix of amusement and anticipation. He pointed toward a squat building on the left. "This here's intake," he said, his voice booming across the crowd. "File in, get your gear, then your drill instructors will take you to the barracks and start your training." A toothy grin spread across his face, making it clear he saw the recruits as little more than fresh meat. "Welcome to the army, boys... now fuck off inside."
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As the last words left his mouth, the recruits shuffled forward in a nervous mass, making their way into the intake building. Sergeant Torpe stood by the door, arms crossed, watching them go. Behind him, the corporal from the wagon followed silently, likely taking stock of the other new arrivals.
Inside, Kaiden took in the scene. The room was large and functional, filled with rows of metal cages stacked high with gear. Three military personnel manned the front counters, and beyond them, shelves of uniforms, boots, and various supplies could be seen through the mesh doors. The line moved quickly, recruits stepping up to the counter, getting their gear, and then moving into a nearby waiting area.
Kaiden eventually reached the counter. The person working it—a young woman with short-cropped black hair and an indifferent expression—didn't even look at him. Her eyes stayed glued to whatever paperwork she was shuffling as she said, "Place your hand on the orb."
Kaiden, somewhat confused but eager to keep the line moving, did as instructed, resting his hand on a glowing crystal orb on the counter. The woman still didn't meet his gaze, but she muttered, "Wait a moment, need to get your size from the back." Her tone was flat, as if this task were the most boring job on the planet.
Kaiden watched her head to the back, intrigued by how the orb worked. Does it scan your hand for size or something? he wondered, trying to figure it out. It was impressive but left him curious. Magic really is part of everything here.
Less than a minute later, the woman returned with a large pack and a rolled-up bundle of cloth. "Here," she said simply, plopping them on the counter. Kaiden grabbed the gear and slung the pack over his shoulder, securing the bundle under his arm. As he walked away, he heard her call "Next" without even glancing up from the counter.
He noticed a sergeant standing near the waiting area, silently overseeing the recruits as they gathered. When Kaiden approached, the sergeant wordlessly pointed to a spot on the floor and raised a finger to his lips, signaling Kaiden to stay quiet. Kaiden nodded, falling in line with the rest of the new recruits in the staging area. The atmosphere was tense, and despite the number of people, it was eerily silent.
Kaiden found his spot on the floor, placed his pack and bundle down beside him, and waited. The quiet of the room seemed to press in on him, making it feel as though something was about to happen—but what, he couldn’t yet tell.
Two sergeants entered from the far side of the room holding some papers. The first was tall and broad-shouldered, with a stern face framed by a thick beard that contrasted with his clean-cut military uniform. His sharp eyes scanned the room with an air of authority that demanded respect. The second was shorter, stockier, with closely-cropped hair and a slightly weathered face, but he carried himself with equal confidence. Their disciplined posture and no-nonsense demeanor suggested they were men you didn’t mess with.
Kaiden watched as Sergeant Torpe crossed the room to meet them, handing over some paperwork. The two new sergeants quickly leafed through the pages, conversing quietly with Torpe while nodding now and then. After a few minutes, Torpe exited through the same door he'd come in, leaving the two sergeants in charge.
As the last of the recruits shuffled into the waiting area, everyone seemed to shift their attention to the taller of the two new sergeants, who stepped forward. His sharp eyes darted over the group before he began speaking in a clear, authoritative tone. “When I call your name, stand up.”
He started rattling off names, going down the list. Kaiden listened closely as each name was called, watching recruits—those from his wagon and the others who were already in line when they arrived—stand as their names were read. It was then that he realized this wasn't just his group; there were more recruits than he'd thought. Makes sense, he thought. Basic training would have to involve more than just a single wagon’s worth of recruits.
Sixty-six recruits now stood, including himself. He had counted out of pure curiosity as the names were called.
The sergeant finished the list and then spoke again. “For the next six weeks, you are now Platoon 1035,” he said, his tone leaving no room for confusion. “Follow behind me as we proceed to the barracks.”
Without a word, the group silently followed the two sergeants out of the intake area, forming a rough line as they were led across the base. As they approached the barracks, Kaiden noticed the inside was long and rectangular, with two rows of bunks stretching the length of the room. It was tidy and practical—the neatly made bunks lined up with footlockers at the base of each bed.
The sergeant pointed to various bunks as they walked down the center aisle, assigning a bunk to each recruit. When Kaiden and Davick received their spots, Kaiden found himself next to Davick once again, which was a welcome surprise or maybe not as it looked like they were assigned by alphabetical order of their last names.
"Change into your PT uniforms and line up when done," the sergeant commanded.
Kaiden and Davick, already wearing their uniforms from earlier, were the first to stand at the foot of their bunks, ready for the next set of instructions.
After everyone had finished changing into their PT uniforms and stood lined up at the foot of their bunks, the shorter sergeant stepped forward. His booming voice filled the barracks, bouncing off the walls and echoing through the room.
“Now that you all look the part,” he said, his grin widening with a strange eagerness, “we can finally begin.”