Camp 70 was already stirring with motion. Everyone was nervous about the upcoming physical evaluation.
"Let's go, guys," Raith said as he adjusted his black training suit provided by the camp.
The clothing wasn't very stylish, but it was clean and practical. It looked sharp in a way that made everyone feel like they belonged.
Even him.
"Wait for me!" Kev shouted.
Kev was sleeping during the free time after the briefing. It was only for a short time, but he wanted to use every second to rest.
"You should use your free time to improve your Force, Kev," Dane suggested.
Dane had spent his time learning to control his new power. Just a few days after awakening, he could make a small fire dance in the air.
"What is there to master? My power is simple. I just think about which parts I want to harden with rock, and it happens," Kev replied.
This was true, but Raith and Dane thought differently.
"Maybe there are other ways for you to use your Rock Hardening?" Raith offered.
Kev closed his eyes and thought.
"Yeah. You should also consider all the possible situations. Like if you meet someone whose power counters yours," Dane added.
"Like what can my rock be weak to?" Kev asked.
Dane shot a tiny fireball at Kev and said, "My fire?"
That was when Kev realized that being burned would hurt him.
"Yeah. I guess you guys are right. I need to think about this more," Kev said slowly.
Raith offered a faint smile. "Pretty sure that's exactly why they split us."
As they walked toward Training Ground 01, they met Mira and Elisa.
Mira greeted, arms crossed but eyes softer than usual.
Then, she looked at Raith and said, "Please talk more with your new squad. Don't be quiet."
He chuckled under his breath. "You think I'm the quiet one?" he said as he glanced at Elisa.
Elisa didn't say much at first. She just looked at him, her calm eyes hard to read.
Then, she spoke in a low voice, "Be careful. Your body is still adjusting."
Raith was surprised. This was probably the first time she had really talked to him. Still, he nodded. Elisa might be right about how Raith's body was handling things.
Dane gave him a solid and loud clap on the back. "Just remember not to use your power beyond what you can handle. Even if you're S-rank, you're still the guy who got hurt after hitting a monster."
"Thanks for the reminder."
They stood still for a moment, as if trying to hold onto the time. But then the alarm rang—a sharp, loud sound echoing across the compound—and it was time to go.
"Time to carry my squad," Kev sighed.
The others laughed at his comment. They would never think less of their new squad members.
Other than their S-grade, they had nothing. Not even proper combat training and experience.
One by one, they walked away toward their squads. New names. New faces. New beginnings.
Raith tried to find his squad here in Training Ground 01.
The newly cleaned ground crunched beneath his boots. The scent of dry earth, synthetic sealant, and something faintly metallic filled the air.
Rows of Cadets were already forming. Everyone was in their black training uniforms. No personal flair allowed yet. It made them all look equal, at least on the surface.
'So this is it. Life as a Cadet begins.'
Raith's eyes swept the yard as a call echoed.
"Squad C-707. Line up."
He moved to the designated zone, tension creeping up his shoulders. The others joined him.
Five in total. Three guys, two girls. Seventeen to nineteen, just like the others.
To his left was a tall girl with a striking posture. Pale blonde hair pulled tight into a braid, her movements precise. She had a quiet intensity, like she didn't need to speak to control the room.
"Liria Solenne," the evaluator, a guy in his thirties, called out.
Liria stood at attention. "Yes, sir."
Raith couldn't help but glance again—there was something captivating about her. Beautiful, yes, but in a cold, composed way. Like still water beneath the ice.
"Force and grade?" the evaluator asked as he approached her.
"Water Manipulation. A-grade."
"Define it," he said, even though it was a simple kind of Force.
He needed to check if there was anything different from what he already knew so that he could recognize it if it was used during the physical evaluations.
"I can solidify moisture in the air into constructs. Blades, barriers, whips."
"I see," the evaluator noted, moving on.
Beside her was a guy Raith immediately recognized as trouble. Tall, wiry frame, smirk like he'd worn it since birth.
"Cael Runar."
"Yes, sir," he answered, but he seemed to have no respect for the evaluator.
Luckily, the evaluator paid no heed to Cael's action.
"Force and grade?" the evaluator asked.
"Break Step. B-grade."
"What's that?"
Cael tapped his leg. "I can dash quickly, either on the ground or in the air. When I move, I create a shockwave behind me. If I time it well, I can push through enemies or use the force to change direction during a fight."
The evaluator blinked. "So you break the ground and people?"
Cael smirked. "Exactly."
Raith raised a brow. It sounded useful. Versatile, even. But Cael's attitude made it hard to like.
Then the girl on Raith's right offered a cheerful wave before the evaluator even reached her.
"Vanna..."
"Yes, sir. Just Vanna."
She had a narrow frame, a messy copper ponytail, and freckles that added to her open-book energy. She looked younger—seventeen, maybe—but she didn't carry herself like someone insecure.
"Force?"
"Pulse Whistle. I release sound bursts that mess with balance or blow small stuff apart."
"C-grade?" the evaluator asked.
"Yes, sir," she grinned. "But it is much more potent than it seemed."
Raith almost smiled. Almost.
Last was a broad-shouldered guy who stood with both hands behind his back like he was trying to disappear.
"Demitri Valeck?" the evaluator asked.
"Yes, sir. Steel Shift. C-grade."
The evaluator blinked. "Explain."
Demitri sighed. "I can transform parts of my body into hardened metal. Arms, chest. Mostly defensive… sometimes blade-edges. Still refining it."
"Alright." Then the evaluator turned to Raith.
"Raith? One of the S-grades?"
Raith paused. Then gave the simplest answer.
"Yes, sir. Super Strength."
The evaluator smiled. "Alright. Let's see how you perform without it."
"Yes... sir?" Raith didn't know how to respond.
The evaluator scribbled something, then barked, "Alright. Squad C-707."
He looked at the five of them and said, "Your physical evaluations begin now. No Force. This is to assess your base metrics only."
The Cadets moved forward.
"I'll be your Evaluator. Speed, strength, endurance, and reflex. No exceptions. This is your baseline. You'll be retested every two months."
Raith took his position quietly.
'No Force,' he thought again. 'No advantage.'
Just his own body. And that was what scared him most.
Still, he needed to complete the evaluation.
First came the sprint circuit. A hundred meters and back, full speed. Raith launched off the line and nearly overshot the first turn.
His legs moved faster than he expected. The ground felt lighter under his feet. He dug his heel in at the far marker, almost slipping, then bolted back toward the start with wind slicing past his ears.
He crossed the finish line first.
Not by a step—by a full body length ahead of Cael, who had clearly expected to win.
Raith blinked, and his chest moved up and down steadily.
"Okay. This is... new," he said quietly to himself.
Next, the weighted carry. Two stone-packed bags, one for each shoulder. Forty kilos each.
Most Cadets struggled to lift them. Some barely made it to the marker and back, their chests heaving, shoulders trembling.
Raith bent down, swung the bags up, and stood straight with barely a grunt.
He moved at a brisk walk. Balanced. Grounded. His arms didn't shake. His legs didn't protest. His breath stayed even the entire time.
When he reached the line, he dropped the weights gently and stood there, barely sweating.
"Am I always this strong?" he wondered out loud.
No one said anything. But some were definitely watching.
Then came the bar hold.
Suspended grip, legs off the floor, full-body tension.
Most Cadets dropped off early. Some under a minute.
Raith held firm.
His shoulders didn't burn. His grip didn't slip. The pressure was there, but his body responded like it had already adapted.
Time blurred.
When he finally dropped, not because he wanted to, the instructor hit the timer—over ten minutes.
Raith flexed his fingers. They were steady.
The last test was reflex.
A circular ring of motion-triggered lights. Panels flashed at random angles—left, right, behind, overhead. A blink late, and the score dropped.
Raith stepped in, legs bent, arms loose.
First flash—hit. Second—twist and tap. Third—overhead. Then left, right, behind. He moved without thinking, his body reacting before his brain even finished processing.
The flashes got faster.
He still hit everyone.
At the end, the panel buzzed. He had achieved the perfect score for reflex with a reaction time of 0.23 seconds.
Raith stepped out, hands trembling slightly—not from fatigue, but something else.
His breathing was calm.
But his nerves were alive.
'If this is me without activating Super Strength… what happens when I do?'
The Force wasn't just inside him anymore.
It was becoming him.
Vanna collapsed beside him and rolled onto her back, groaning. "That was cruel. That was evil."
Demitri wiped his forehead with a towel. "You're fast. Like, really fast."
Raith just nodded.
Cael said nothing, but the way he eyed Raith made it clear—he was already sizing him up.
Liria sat off to the side, arms crossed. She looked at Raith once, then turned away.
The evaluator returned. "Scores will be logged. Warden introductions tomorrow. Dismissed."
They all started to scatter.
Cael lingered near Raith for a second too long. "Don't think you can do everything with brute force alone."
Raith said nothing.
Vanna popped in between them with a grin. "Don't mind him. He came from a known family."
Raith nodded. He figured that out already based on Cael's air.
Demitri walked beside Raith as they left the yard. "You didn't seem like you were trying at all."
"I was," Raith said softly.
Demitri blinked.
Raith didn't respond. He didn't know what to say.
Because for once, he wasn't sure who he was either.
But whatever was happening—whatever had awakened inside him, it was just the beginning.
And tomorrow, it would all get harder.
Author's Note:
You can read all available chapters on Patreon. Search for my name: C.N. Baihaqi.
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