Primordial Expanse: I have the Strongest Talent!

As Alex docked his ship with the space station, he couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and unease.

His sleek, state of the art military vessel hummed with the power of its advanced technology, a stark contrast to the battered and weathered ships surrounding the base.

Clearly they had already taken quite the beating.

He quickly disembarked, clutching his communicator that contained his orders.

He needed to find Colonel Margit.

The base was a hive of activity, with soldiers and officers rushing about, preparing for the ongoing battle on the planet not too far away.

If it weren't for the fact that sound couldn't travel through a vacuum, this place wouldn't be able to find peace with how many explosions and battles were going on nearby.

Alex navigated through the maze of corridors, his eyes scanning for any signs that might lead him to the Colonel's office.

Eventually, he found a directory screen and tapped in Colonel Margit's name.

The screen displayed a route, and Alex followed it to a large, reinforced door marked Command Centre.

He took a deep breath and entered.

Inside, the room was filled with holographic displays showing real time data of the battlefield, tactical maps, and communications feeds.

At the centre of the chaos, stood a tall, stern-faced man with greying hair and a rigid posture.

His uniform was adorned with numerous medals and insignia, reflecting his long service and high rank.

'Colonel Margit.'

Alex recognised him immediately from his name tag.

Alex approached, trying to project confidence despite the intense scrutiny he felt from the room's occupants.

He wasn't a direct subordinate in the military, so he didn't bother to salute.

"Recruit Alex reporting for duty, sir."

The students and any outside awakened were regarded as 'Recruits' by the military officials.

Colonel Margit turned, his piercing eyes evaluating Alex with a critical gaze.

He didn't respond yet, instead letting the silence hang in the air.

Finally, he spoke, his voice gruff and authoritative.

"So you're the prodigy they sent to help us win this skirmish. Do you have any idea what you're stepping into, boy?"

Alex wasn't surprised that a boomer like Colonel Margit was against the involvement of inexperienced students.

He was old, and it was hard to change the mindsets of people like him who've held a position of power for so long.

But Alex wasn't any ordinary student, and he was far from inexperienced by this point.

He stood his ground.

"I'm not here by choice, I'm here as a citizen of the federation to do my duty, whether you like it or not, sir."

Margit snorted, a hint of disdain in his expression.

"You want to help, huh? These damn higher ups think sending kids like you will turn the tide. What do you know about real combat? About the sacrifices these men and women make every day? Your little fights with beasts in the Primordial Expanse are nothing compared to what we soldiers go through every day."

Alex didn't flinch.

"I don't have to prove myself to you. I don't need your validation. I'm only following orders, just like you."

Colonel Margit's eyes narrowed.

"Don't have to prove yourself, you say? We'll see about that."

He turned to a nearby officer.

"Get me the details of the lowest tier battles happening on the surface."

The officer quickly pulled up a holographic map, highlighting a region on the once vibrant planet where D tier skirmishes were taking place at almost all times.

"This area, sir. Mostly low tier engagements, minimal strategic importance."

Margit nodded and turned back to Alex.

"You'll be deployed here. These skirmishes are just right for a D tier like you."

For some reason, Alex felt like the emphasis on the 'D tier' was meant to ridicule him.

"If you want to be a part of this war, you'll start there. Earn your place, just like everyone else."

Alex felt a surge of frustration, but kept it in check.

The officer next to Margit leaned in to Alex and whispered.

"Don't take it too personally. The Colonel's old school. He's seen a lot of young talent come and go. The best thing you can do is prove him wrong."

Alex nodded in thanks.

Margit ignored his officer's comment, but he still wasn't done with Alex.

Colonel Margit leaned in, his expression severe.

"And understand this: I don't care what the higher ups think of you. Out there, you're just another soldier. You follow orders, you stay alive, and you don't make trouble. Got it?"

Alex thanked the officer next to Colonel Margit for the details of the location he was being deployed to, and left.

He didn't even give a response to Margit, because he felt he didn't deserve one.

And he also knew that Colonel Margit couldn't do anything about his disrespect since he wasn't officially a part of the military either.

This part really got under Colonel Margit's skin.

'It's people like him that ruin society.'

Alex thought to himself as he made his way back through the corridors.

The officer may have asked him to not take it personally, but Margit made it about as personal as it got by belittling him.

He had worked hard to get to where he was, and he wasn't about to let some snobbish low rank Colonel stomp down his achievements just because he had to report to him in this war.

Alex soon returned back to his own ship, even though he was supposed to board a deployment ship which would send troops down in batches.

But he was making good use of the fact that he wasn't a soldier, and followed his own rules.

His only obligation to this war was that he had to participate in it, anything else was up to his own discretion.

'It's time to lay waste to some of these Red Demon scum!'

Alex was excited to finally get his hands dirty for the first time in months.

But he was especially more excited for the loot that he might gain from them when he kills them.