Chapter 2 - Upbringing

Pov: MC

I closed my eyes as I relished the feeling of water droplets hitting my skin in the shower. I could feel my tense muscles aching as I relaxed them, many cuts and bruises could be seen on my skin.

The past few months had proven to be complete hell, pushing our bodies and minds to their absolute limit. After killing that creature and meeting Dr.Ava for the first time, we were all isolated from each other and stayed in individual cells. Everyday with barely any rest, information were drilled into our heads and we came to know exactly what we are. Through extreme genetic enhancements, we seemed to be able to process information at seemingly impossible speeds compared to normal humans, we learned in one day what it would take a normal person months yet our minds seem to hungrily devour all the information fed to us. The rate of which the information were thrown at us increased constantly and our minds were pushed to the very limit, constantly adapting to keep up with the amount of information coming in.

The moment I could talk and write, I was given a name, Zero.

Even with our minds developing at an amazing speed, according to a brief explanation on what we are, we could never physically age. We had superhuman strength and agility yet it would prove insufficient against the horrors of what the galaxy holds in store for us and I was constantly reminded of this every single day after the education phase.

Thrown out into the barren desert to fend for myself and make my way back to the facility. Aside from having the fend off against the harsh environment of sub-zero temperatures during the night or blazing heat during the day with nothing but the thin clothes on my back, there were creatures that roam this barren dessert as well, swimming beneath the scorching sand. Relying on my senses alone they were impossible to spot but my instincts were always right. I went days without food and water yet barely feeling thirst or hunger. When I finally made it back to the facility, I was guided back to my cell, where I could take a short much needed rest.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower where I was instantly blow dried. I dressed myself into a gray suit and lay down on the bed, ready to let sleep take me.

“Zero please head to section C for your next exercise.” Cyrus’s robotic voice came once again, just as I was about to lay my head down on the extremely inviting pillow.

“Affirmative, heading there now.” Sigh, ‘Is a minute of shut eye too much to ask?’

I followed Cyrus’s guidance to section C and proceeded to enter the door designated by him.

I entered the pitch black room, standing at the edge of where the light from the corridor could reach. The door then closed behind me, leaving me alone in this dark room.

I bring the back of my hand into “view”.

“Figures, visibility is zero.”

I walked forward only to come in contact into a wall to my front and left, so I turned right only to meet another wall further down but this time, there were no walls to my sides within reach.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“A maze huh…” I softly mutter under my breath.

The maze feels cold, devoid of life, yet my instincts tell me otherwise. My instincts screamed at me and I shifted quickly to the side. I was greeted by a touch of acid eating into my shoulder as I managed to dodge to the side in the nick of time, sensing that something struck the place where I stood soon after the acid came into contact with my shoulder. Had I been a little bit slower, the acid would’ve probably ate into my face, rendering me a perfect victim for it. Whatever it was, it’s fast. But I’m faster, I responded with a roundhouse kick in mid air, crushing whatever it was with a crunch. A scream echoed through the maze and it came from quite ahead of me. I could sense the thing next to me being retracted back, so whatever I just crushed, was an extension of the real thing.

‘This thing… It has one hell of a long reach.’

This creature seems familiar to a May’lek, a dark green bipedal creature that inhabits temperate worlds and is a nocturnal hunter. It uses it’s keen sight to hunt in the dark, spurting acid from a sack beneath it’s eyes followed by shooting out a long sharp tongue with barbs which anchors onto its prey from its shoulders to reel it in.

I mentally shut out the intense pain eating into my right shoulder and prepared myself for it’s next strike.

“Bring it on” I taunted.

As if it could understand me, it struck out once more but this time I was ready for it. I crouched under as I felt acid fly pass above me, following by a rush of wind and I grabbed whatever was above me and yanked with all my might. I tore off the extension of itself but not before it sent the creature flying towards me. A short lived scream resounded in my ears as I shot my leg outwards with enough force to send the organs of the creature exploding out it’s back.

But I could not afford to relax even for a second. It’s scream seemed to attract everything else in this maze as my senses picked up countless dangers approaching me. I gently closed my eyes in the darkness, slowing down the world around me. With each time I bring myself into intense focus, everything tends to become much slower than in the previous time.

I let out a small grin…

Let the slaughter begin.

***

2 days later

“Damn, haa… haa… These guys just don’t let up do they.” I said as I stomped the skull of whatever the hell it was that attacked me. It gave way easily, letting out a light crunch and squelch as it’s brain matter oozes out. They kept coming one after the other as I continued to advance through the maze with barely any intervals in between.

“Cut me some slack already…”

I clutched onto my left arm which hung limply on my side. It broke some time ago trying to shield myself from an impact I never saw coming until it was too late.

I took a deep breath and continued to walk forward.

Finally, in the darkness something slides upwards to let light in which my eyes quickly adjusted to. I quickly moved towards the light.

I finally made it out of the damn maze. I looked around the white mess hall to see the youths I’ve met when I first woke up staring at me. A group of boys to the far end of the room started snickering at the current condition I’m in. Among them I spotted a familiar face, belonging to the blonde girl who used to stare at me with hatred, aaaand she’s still starring daggers at me. ‘Hey you attacked me first.’

A boy with dark hair walks up to me.

“Hey dude, you look pretty banged up. What the hell happened?”

‘What the hell happened?! Try getting through a bloody maze PITCH BLACK might I add, with creatures trying to eat you keep popping up in your face every 3 seconds or so.’

I just stare at him coldly in the eyes. And the guy just chuckles and pats my back anyway.

“Come on guys, nothing to see here. Hi, I’m Seven but you can call me Sven. What’s your name?”

…

‘Is this guy serious? Haa… What a pain, perhaps he’ll go away if I ignore him. I just want to sleeeep~’

“A man of few words I see, no matter I shall call you pepp- Gufuu!”

He collapses after a tall girl with short dark hair karate chops him in the head.

“I apologize for my friend’s disgraceful behaviour.” She said with a slight bow then drags him away by the collar.

‘What on Tyrios just happened?’

I shrugged it off with indifference then proceeded down to the medical bay to get patched up, I’m too tired to give a crap about anything anymore.

I blacked out the moment I touched the bed in the medical bay.