MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Colonel Vazeryth observed the women with an unreadable expression, his gaze devoid of emotion as they furrowed their brows in discontent.

He saw no reason to elaborate further.

"Now then"

His voice cut through the tense silence, calm yet commanding.

"You should consider yourselves fortunate. The Recruit rank is, by far, the most effortless stage within the military hierarchy. Your sole responsibility is to train, diligently and without fail, for the next year. Upon fulfilling that requirement, advancement to the next rank will follow naturally. Simple enough, wouldn't you agree?"

At Colonel Vazeryth's declaration, a wave of relief washed over many present. Whispers of excitement rippled through the crowd.

A mere year of training to rise in rank?

It sounded almost too easy.

After all, which among them had not been honing their bodies and sharpening their skills since the tender age of ten?

"For the next year"

Colonel Vazeryth continued.

"You are expected to report here every day at precisely 4 A.M. Not a minute late, not even a second. Any delay will result in immediate punishment, the severity increasing with each offense. You are allowed only two strikes for your mistakes. Exceed that... and you will be dismissed from the military without hesitation. We have no use for those who cannot follow orders"

His words hung in the air like a looming verdict.

Without wasting another breath, Colonel Vazeryth cast a fleeting glance toward Corporal Daniel, a silent signal, before vanishing in a blinding flash of light, leaving nothing but silence and tension in his wake.

Stepping forward, Corporal Daniel addressed the recruits, his tone blunt and devoid of sympathy.

"The Colonel is a high-ranking officer of the army"

He stated flatly.

"He does not have the luxury of wasting his time training people who may very well die on their first mission"

His words were not meant to discourage, they were meant to prepare them for the brutal reality ahead.

For a brief moment, hearts faltered at his words, a cold reminder of the peril that awaited them.

But just as quickly, their resolve steeled.

After all, who among them had not stared death in the face?

Who among them had not already danced on the edge of danger at least once in their lives?

'A whole year… just training?'

Anthony mused silently from the sidelines, his sharp eyes narrowing.

'Is there truly no faster way? Can I not surpass this... break through it?'

"Your military uniform is embedded with auto-cleaning runes"

Corporal Daniel continued, his voice firm and devoid of warmth.

"It will cleanse itself every day, every moment it becomes stained. This uniform is now your second skin. You will wear it at all times, without exception. Whether you sleep, eat, or answer nature's call... this uniform stays on"

His sharp gaze swept across the recruits.

"The only time it leaves your body is when you bathe or change your undergarments. Remember that"

Without further delay, Corporal Daniel clapped his hands once, a crisp, commanding sound that echoed across the field.

In that instant, several figures emerged from the shadows, their presences sharp and imposing.

"These are your training officers"

Daniel announced, gesturing to the new arrivals.

"They will be responsible for shaping you, for breaking you down and rebuilding you through the military drill"

Having said all he needed to say, Corporal Daniel turned his back on them without another word, his footsteps steady as he walked away, leaving the recruits in the hands of their new instructors.

"A hundred of you will follow each of us"

One of the training officers, a human, declared, his tone flat, unquestionable.

Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and began walking away, his strides calm yet authoritative.

He wasn't the only one.

The other training officers followed suit, departing in different directions with quiet confidence, their presence alone compelling action.

The recruits moved without hesitation, instinctively dividing themselves into groups of a hundred, each trailing behind a training officer.

Anthony, without a word, fell in line behind the Human officer who had spoken first.

Their march was long and silent, the weight of discipline already settling in their steps.

Eventually, they arrived at another expansive clearing, a flat, barren mountain plateau carved open by nature and time.

Without needing to be told, the hundred recruits swiftly arranged themselves with practiced precision, forming perfect rows, each line standing straight, one head per line, their posture sharp.

"My name is Corporal Samuel"

The training officer announced, his voice sharp and steady, every word striking with the weight of authority.

"I will be your drill instructor for the next year"

A long, jagged scar stretched across his forehead, a silent testament to battles survived and harsh lessons learned.

It was not merely a mark, it was a warning.

There was something else about him, a quiet, ever-present killing intent that clung to him like a shadow.

It wasn't overt, but it was there... lingering just beneath the surface.

His piercing gaze swept over them, cold, calculating, as if already measuring who would break first.

"You are to report here every day at 4 A.M. sharp"

He continued, his tone brooking no argument.

"Training will begin the moment you arrive... and it will not end until 9 P.M"

A heavy silence followed, the weight of their new reality settling on their shoulders like iron chains.

But then, faintly, a mutter slipped out from one of the recruits.

"Tsk... If I'd just moved a little faster, I could've joined a Dragon or Vampire training officer"

The voice grumbled under its breath.

"Just my luck to end up with a Human..."

It was barely above a whisper.

But in this place, among warriors whose bodies were honed beyond normal limits, silence was sharper than sound.

Everyone heard it.

Every ear caught it.

The subtle shift in the air was instant.

Dozens of heads turned, their eyes settling on the one who had spoken, a figure standing tall with crimson-gold hair and faint embers trailing off his skin.

A Phoenix.

Arrogant. Proud.

And in that moment, under Corporal Samuel's gaze, the air grew colder.

He had heard it too.

"I distinctly remember Colonel addressing you just moments ago about racism in the military"

Corporal Daniel's voice rang out, cold and commanding.

"Yet it seems many of you still fail to grasp the lesson"

As the words left his mouth, a suffocating killing intent radiated from him, a flood of murderous pressure that washed over every recruit, drowning them in its weight.

The air itself seemed to freeze, as if nature itself recoiled from the sheer force of his presence.

Leaves, once fluttering lazily in the breeze, stilled midair, the wind itself too terrified to move them.

Faces turned ashen, the color draining from them as they felt the intensity of the bloodlust flooding the atmosphere.

Their breaths grew shallow, the heavy silence pressing down like an iron vice.

Then, without a word, Corporal Samuel began to walk toward the Phoenix recruit, his steps deliberate and slow, each one carrying the weight of inevitable consequence.

With every stride, his presence grew more ominous, more suffocating, as if the very air around him thickened with danger.

And with each step he took, the distance between them became not just physical, but a chasm of power, a reminder of just how out of place arrogance could be.

"If you cannot rid yourself of this mindset, Phoenix"

Corporal Samuel's voice was low, yet each word carried the weight of finality.

"I suggest you return to your castle"

The moment the words left his mouth, he reached the Phoenix, standing directly before him, the space between them charged with lethal tension.

Without another glance, Corporal Samuel raised a single finger and, in one fluid motion, swiped it diagonally through the air before the Phoenix.

A deafening tearing sound erupted across the field, sharp and violent, as though the very fabric of space had been rent open.

The Phoenix recoiled, his skin tearing apart as if it were paper, a deep, jagged wound slicing from his shoulder down to his waist, the blood spilling in thick, crimson streams.

A guttural scream tore from his throat, raw and filled with agony, an animalistic sound that shook the recruits to their core.

Blood pooled at his feet, staining the earth beneath him as he staggered, clutching at the wound in a futile attempt to stop the flow.

None of the recruits moved.

They could only watch, frozen in place, as the brutal reality of Corporal Samuel's power unfolded before them.

Some of them harbored the same thoughts as the Phoenix, but the consequences of voicing them were now painfully clear.

The Phoenix fell to his knees, clutching his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps as the scream that echoed across the field slowly turned into a desperate sob.

Corporal Samuel turned on his heel, his footsteps steady and unhurried as he made his way back to his original position.

The air seemed to grow colder with every step he took, his presence still dominating the space.

His voice rang out, cutting through the silence with effortless authority.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you. We have no need for your useless pride or bloodline here"

As he finished speaking, the oppressive killing intent that had flooded the air vanished in an instant, as if it had never existed at all.

Without a glance back, Corporal Samuel pulled a small, sleek device from his belt, a phone-like object.

With a few quick taps, he flicked it aside, and it vanished into the folds of his space ring.

Moments later, a figure materialized before him, summoned from the depths of the military's resources.

The figure stood at attention, awaiting instruction.

Corporal Samuel turned to the newcomer, his gaze sharp.

"We have an injured recruit. Take him to the infirmary. Do not heal him for the next week. Clean the wound, bandage it... but no more"

The figure nodded curtly, their face betraying no emotion as they reached for their elemental power.

With a swift motion, they vanished, taking the Phoenix with them in a flash of controlled energy.

The recruits stood in eerie silence, the weight of what they had witnessed settling over them like a heavy fog.