Kaiden felt a nervous tension sweep through the line of recruits. The sergeant’s grin didn’t sit right with him. It wasn’t the kind of grin you wanted to see on someone about to put you through six weeks of hell. The air was thick with anticipation, and Kaiden could sense it in the other recruits. Some shifted uneasily on their feet; others, like Davick, stood tall and ready, faces set with determination.
“Listen up,” the sergeant continued, his voice carrying authority and a hint of something else—excitement, maybe? “For the next six weeks, you’re mine. My job is to break you down and build you back up as soldiers and dungeon divers. You’re not here to make friends, and you’re not here for fun. You’re here to survive, to become stronger than you’ve ever been, and to prepare for the dangers that await you.”
"My name is Staff Sergeant Orlin," the shorter man said, his booming voice cutting through the room as he gestured to the taller sergeant beside him. "And this here is Sergeant Kellan."
Kaiden mentally noted the ranks. So, Staff Sergeant is one higher than Sergeant, which makes Orlin the boss. Davick filled him on the ranks during the ride up here.
Staff Sergeant Orlin continued, pacing slowly in front of the lined-up recruits. "It’s our job to drill the very basics of military discipline and knowledge into your heads. Six weeks ain't nearly enough time in my opinion," he said with a sneer, "which means I won’t be taking it easy on any of you."
He paused, eyes sweeping over the group, taking in their nervous stances and steely glares. "Some of you will make it," he added, his voice darkening. "And some of you will drop out. This platoon is a mix of army regulars and dungeon divers, but while you’re here? None of that shit matters. We’re all the army now, and we work together."
Clearly, there were some who disagreed, but no one was foolish enough to voice their opinions. The tension in the room was palpable as Staff Sergeant Orlin kept pacing, his eyes narrowing at each recruit he passed.
"Now," Orlin continued, his voice sharp as he began walking down the middle aisle between the rows of bunks, eyeing up each recruit suspiciously, "there are some of you with abilities that'll make training easier. Don't even think about it."
He stopped, turning to face the group again. "If you have a passive, turn that shit off! I don’t wanna catch anyone using strength skills to push past PT or speed skills to hit their laps in time, and so on. This is for your own good. We need to strengthen your base attributes, and we can't do that if you're relying on your abilities. Believe me, we have ways to find out if you're cheating."
Turn passive skills off? Kaiden thought, a bit surprised. He had no idea that was something he could do. Testing it out, he mentally willed his Regeneration to shut off. Almost immediately, a notification flashed in his vision
Disable Regeneration?
He willed it to confirm, and sure enough, when he brought up his status page again, Regeneration was now marked Inactive.
Huh... Kaiden thought to himself. Guess that’s how it works.
Staff Sergeant Orlin walked back to the front and gave a curt nod to Sergeant Kellan. "They're all yours, Sergeant," he said.
Sergeant Kellan grinned, his expression eager. "Aye, Staff Sergeant," he replied, before turning to face the recruits. "Everybody outside, now!" he barked, jabbing a finger toward the back exit.
The recruits didn’t need to be told twice. They scrambled toward the door, moving quickly to avoid the wrath of their instructor. Kellan followed briskly behind, ensuring no one lagged.
Once outside, it was chaos—no formation, no semblance of order. Just a gaggle of confused recruits huddling together.
Sergeant Kellan’s sharp eyes darted over the group. He stormed over, pointing to four recruits at random. "You four! Get over here!" he bellowed.
The four recruits stumbled forward, standing awkwardly in front of him. Kellan positioned them an arm’s width apart, facing the rest of the platoon. Then he turned to the remaining recruits.
"Fall in behind these four! One arm's length behind!" he yelled, thrusting out his right arm as a demonstration.
Quickly, everyone fell into line, adjusting themselves to match the spacing. Kellan paced around the formation, poking and prodding those who struggled to align properly, barking commands as he went.
"Now, let’s run. Everyone, double time!" he shouted.
The platoon broke into a jog, falling into a rough rhythm. Kaiden lifted his feet, keeping pace with the others.
I got this, Kaiden thought to himself. It was a strange sensation—he’d never run with anyone before, let alone as part of a formation. There was something oddly reassuring about the synchronized movement, but also a gnawing worry at the back of his mind. How far are we running?
After some time, fatigue and pain crept up more and more. Kaiden wasn’t sure how much longer he could handle it. The familiar sting flared up in his lungs, just like last time. When he ran on his first day in Aterra, he had felt almost invincible. He was sure his Regeneration ability had kept him going longer than he should’ve, even if his body was lacking endurance. But the skill wasn’t infallible. He’d ended up passing out, not just from pushing himself too hard, but because his body was weak.
Today’s pace was much more manageable than that reckless sprint, but the pain was starting to catch up to him. His legs burned, and his breathing grew shallow.
A small part of him considered turning Regeneration back on—it’d be so easy. He could make it through the rest of the run without feeling like his lungs were about to burst. But Kaiden dismissed that thought immediately. Staff Sergeant Orlin’s words echoed in his mind—not the part about getting caught using abilities, but about cheating himself.
He knew he was weak. H knew he needed to get stronger. This was the whole point of basic training. If he leaned on his abilities now, he’d never truly improve. So, he pushed through the pain, gritting his teeth and finding a rhythm.
Oddly, a part of him relished it—the raw ache of using his body to its fullest. It was something he’d never had before, not like this. He’d always been frail, barely able to move without assistance, let alone push himself like this. The discomfort was almost... liberating.
That thought gave him a second wind, even as the other recruits around him grunted and gasped, struggling with the same pain. He wasn't alone in this; they were all pushing through together. And he was determined to keep pace.
He could see the barracks coming up on his right, and though no one spoke, the sense of relief was palpable. They had made one big loop, and even the tension in the air seemed to ease as the familiar sight of their starting point came into view.
Sergeant Kellan brought the group to a halt. "Not bad for a first run," he said, for once not yelling. "We didn’t lose anyone."
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
The recruits panted heavily, each one desperately trying to catch their breath. Kaiden, too, was grateful it was over, though he had no clue how far they'd run. It felt like forever.
“Fall out and get some water,” Kellan ordered, pointing to a well Kaiden hadn’t even noticed before. The relief was instant as the recruits filed toward the well, gulping down water in grateful silence.
Once hydrated, they formed back up, just in time for SSgt Orlin to walk out of the barracks, shaking his head in disappointment. "Even after my warnings, some of you chose to disregard me," he said with disgust.
The mood shifted immediately. The recruits had been winded, but relieved—now, dread hung in the air. Some heads hung low in shame, others snapped up in shock, wondering what Orlin was referring to.
"It seems," Orlin continued, his voice colder now, "some of you take me for a liar. Some of you who chose to use your abilities despite my warnings just to get through some easy run."
Murmurs rippled through the platoon. Kaiden's stomach twisted, unsure what was coming next.
"Take ’em again, Sergeant," Orlin barked.
"Aye, Staff Sergeant," Kellan replied, expressionless, looking like he hadn’t even broken a sweat. Without missing a beat, he barked, "Double time! Let’s go!"
The recruits, still fatigued from the first run, groaned as they broke into a slower jog.
"Faster!" Kellan’s voice rang out. "Keep up the pace!"
The panic was visible in everyone’s eyes. The second run felt like madness, and Kaiden could feel the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him harder than before. They pushed through the pain, but slowly, one by one, recruits began to fall.
Some passed out mid-run, collapsing to the ground with a dull thud, but the rest of the platoon kept moving, not allowed to stop. Kaiden’s eyes widened. This was pure madness.
Finally, mercifully, they took a shortcut and arrived back at the barracks. Kaiden was running on fumes, barely able to keep himself upright. By the time they stopped, about twelve recruits had failed to finish the run, their fate and whereabouts unknown.
Sgt Kellan yelled, “Fall out and take a drink, then form back up!”
The recruits scrambled for the well, gulping down water, grateful for the brief reprieve. They formed up again, though the fatigue was setting in. Whatever was coming next, they were ready—or, at least, they hoped so.
Kellan marched the group toward a large building they hadn’t seen before. Kaiden’s curiosity piqued as they neared the entrance, and when he finally stepped inside, his eyes widened. It was a mess hall—food!
The room was massive, filled with long rows of tables and benches. Dim lanterns hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow across the stone walls. The far end housed a kitchen with large pots steaming, and a line of recruits being served. The smell hit Kaiden immediately—rich, hearty stew, bread baking, and the earthy scent of cooked vegetables.
The line moved quickly, and when Kaiden reached the front, he was handed a tray. A large bowl of stew sat steaming with chunks of meat and vegetables floating in the broth. A large loaf of bread was placed on the side, along with a generous serving of green beans. His mouth watered as he followed the line toward the tables, where Sgt Kellan stood, directing everyone to sit.
But no one had started eating yet.
When the last recruit took their seat, Kellan spoke. Not yelling this time—there was a different tone to his voice here, firm but quieter. “Everyone will finish their meals in their entirety. I don’t care if you don’t like something. You. Will. Eat. Everything. No second helpings. You have five minutes. Now eat!”
The moment Kellan gave the order, the recruits tore into their food as if they hadn’t eaten in days. No one cared that they were still covered in sweat and grime from the run. The stew was thick, flavorful, and comforting after the morning's hell. Kaiden devoured his meal, barely pausing between bites. It was probably the best meal of his life—or at least, it felt that way.
Back on Earth, he’d never been a big eater. His condition had forced him onto a strict diet, lacking in flavor, with so many restrictions it had often felt like a chore to eat. Now, freed from those limitations, his body craved the calories like it had been deprived for years. Every bite of bread and stew felt like nourishment he'd been missing for far too long.
He savored it, even as he raced against the clock.
"Time! Bowls down!" Kellan barked, and the last few recruits still shoveling food into their mouths hurriedly swallowed and placed their bowls down. Kellan scanned the trays, nodding in approval. “Place your trays here on your way out,” he instructed, pointing to a stack of dirty trays near the exit. “Let’s go.”
Everyone stood, filing out of the mess hall, depositing their trays as they passed and forming up outside. Once everyone was back in line, Kellan began a quick rundown of basic marching techniques and terminology. They spent the next hour marching in formation around the grounds, learning how to stay in step before eventually being led back to the barracks.
Inside, the recruits lined up near their bunks, exhausted but alert. Kellan’s voice boomed again. “Bath time,” he declared. “You’ve got 30 minutes. Be back here before that clock,”—he pointed to a large clock mounted on the wall—“hits the mark.” He paused, eyeing the recruits. “Change into your night gear. You’ll find a set of shorts and a shirt in your pack. That’s your sleepwear. Put it on after the bath.” Kellan pointed toward the door. “The bathhouse is next door. You’ll wash up in the tubs and refill water from the basins if needed. Don’t waste time. Thirty minutes, now move out!”
Kaiden was surprised to see they had proper showers when they arrived at the bathhouse. It was a large stone building next to the barracks, with a simple, rugged design. Everything was open—no privacy at all. Rows of stone tubs sat in the middle of the room, and recruits had to use large basins along the walls to fill the tubs with lukewarm water. The setup was basic but functional, with enchanted runes on the basins allowing water to flow continuously. It wasn’t luxurious by any means, but it got the job done
The recruits immediately let loose once inside, the tension melting away as they cleaned themselves. Some griped about the run, others bragged about how well they had managed, and a few ranted about having to run an extra lap for the cheaters. Kaiden gulped, now facing a second challenge he hadn't considered until now: public showers. He had never experienced anything like this before—no high school locker rooms, extracurricular sports, or public gyms where everyone undressed without a care. This was different. Public nudity seemed normal here, but for Kaiden, it was a foreign and uncomfortable experience. He tried reasoning with himself, reminding himself that nobody cared about his body. Easier said than done, though, as he awkwardly stripped down.
He knew he needed the shower—it was an odd sensation, baring it all. Even when he'd been mugged back in town, he still had his underpants, which felt like the bare minimum of security. But here? There was nothing to hide behind. Still, he had to get used to it. Slowly, he tried to relax, making an effort not to let his nervousness show. To his relief, no one paid him any mind. Everyone was focused on their own business, and Kaiden began to realize it wasn’t as big of a deal as he had thought.
Amid the chatter, Davick spotted Kaiden and made his way over. “Glad you survived,” he said with a grin.
“Same to you. I didn’t know blacksmiths were good at running,” Kaiden teased.
Davick chuckled. “Blacksmiths need great lung capacity and stamina. You think swinging a hammer in front of a blazing forge all day is easy?”
Kaiden grinned. “Sure, sure. Whatever you say.”
The conversation flowed easily, and Kaiden felt the camaraderie building, something he hadn’t experienced in years. The bathhouse was filled with the sounds of conversation, the rush of water, and the occasional grumbling about the sergeants. As the minutes ticked by, Kaiden’s initial apprehensions about the public showers all but disappeared. If today was any indication of what lay ahead, showering with others was going to be the least of his worries.
Thirty minutes passed quickly, and soon enough, they were all lined back up in front of their bunks. Kaiden noticed the recruits who had passed out during the second run had rejoined the group. Some of the others muttered in surprise, having assumed they’d been kicked out.
Kaiden figured it wouldn’t have been fair to dismiss anyone on the first day. Everyone deserved another chance—especially in a world as tough as this one.
Staff Sergeant Orlin stood before them, his sharp gaze moving across the weary recruits. "Today, you all learned a very valuable lesson," he said, his voice steady but stern. "The many will always pay for the mistakes of the few." With that, he turned on his heel and walked off, adding over his shoulder, "Put them to bed, Sergeant."
"Aye, Staff Sergeant," Kellan responded before stepping forward. "Now," he began, his voice booming once more, "I'll explain how watch works, and then we'll assign the duties." He spent the next thirty minutes going over every detail of the watch rotation—explaining its purpose, the duties involved, and just how important it was for everyone to pull their weight. His voice was commanding, repeating himself multiple times to ensure that even the slowest learner understood the gravity of the task.
Finally, after each recruit was assigned their watch schedule, Kellan barked, "In your racks, now!" The recruits scrambled to obey, quickly slipping into their bunks.
Kaiden settled into his bunk, feeling the wooden frame creak beneath him. The sun had already set by the time they’d returned from the bathhouse, and though it felt strangely early to be going to bed, his eyelids grew heavier with each passing second. He wasn’t sure if it was a military thing to sleep so early, but his body welcomed the rest. Within minutes, the exhaustion of the day caught up to him, and Kaiden drifted to sleep.