19
When Ace stopped and looked around, he saw five people still fighting the dolls, four of them were trainees but one of them were one of the nineteen.
They were all fighting the doll for the third time, it was intense for Ace to watch as elements were flying everywhere, and explosions kept booming in the air.
Finally two people were still standing as the doll fell for the third time, and they began fighting it for the forth.
The two people standing were both hunters, and one were the pale kid with lightning coursing around him, while the other were Rite, who swung his Warhammer into the doll at that moment.
the display today was surprising even for Joshua who knew many of the trainees were strong, but he had never expected them to be this powerful. It was wonderful for the tribe since it meant more support from the kingdom later on, he waited in anticipation when the fourth doll fell by Rite.
The pale kid didn't go past the fourth and rite never had the chance to try the fifth, before the short woman came over and stopped the doll from working.
"that's quite enough there, the fifth stage is extremely powerful and not something we can allow rampant, congratulations you will be joining your friend in the royal legion. To the rest of the Cloud weaving tribe, I just want to say that I am very impressed by all of you"
She elegantly avoided commentating on Ace, since he was so out of the norm of the other trainees, the thirty people were all given a rank as well as a barracks and officer in charge.
Ace was no exception as the tall man full of scars gave him his result.
"you will be a soldier in 100-unit commander Giles command, your barracks will be the eighth. As you were unable to gather any kind of ether you will also be receiving an artificial core or AC for short, when you pick up your equipment. Know that since you have no ether you did exceptionally well against the doll, I am sorry that it doesn't affect the final score though…"
The people who received a rank of soldier were sent off in groups of thirty, and escorted by a veteran soldier to get their equipment and barracks.
None of the other trainees came with Ace since they all received special titles, and were thereby sent to training facilities meant only to train future elites and champions.
Close to the ranking hall were the storage building, there Ace was given clothes for light protection and a short sword along with an AC ,that looked like a regular grey rock that had been polished and was the size of a fist, but also surprisingly heavy.
The sword was standard issue for most, but to ace it was another chance of surviving a fight. He already had three swords, but he could always use one more, was what he thought with a smile and looked at the clothes, they looked comfortable but very weak compared to his own armor made from an actual bear lord. when he tried to pull the shirt it tore, and he decided not to wear it.
last was the grey looking rock that was the supposed AC, and the man at the storage had told him to just drop a bit of blood on it.
Ace wasn't uncomfortable with pain or blood, and he cut a wound on his hand and dripped it on the rock, while he and the rest of the new soldiers were walking towards their barracks.
The people around had disgusted faces,when they realized Ace had just cut himself. There were others among the trainees who couldn't use ether and had been given an AC, but they could never dream of cutting themselves while around so many strangers.
Like a jolt of lightning coursing through Ace he reacted in panic, the AC awoke with a sudden ignition of ether. He had felt this feeling before when he tried to absorb the ether pebble, and the trauma of almost dying terrified him.
All the people around stopped and looked confused at Ace as he screamed in horror, and the veteran soldier came over to see what had happened. He saw Ace's state and realized quickly that Ace had absorbed the AC, with a sigh he waved his hand and continued on telling the new soldiers to follow him while Ace came to.
The ether came surging up in no time and disappeared just as fast, he felt refreshed like he had just taken a long nap. He came back to his senses and ran to catch up with the others, questions about the stone was overflowing inside his head.
The core in his hand was gone and he could feel something inside his body near his chest. There was a heat coming from his chest as the core span rapidly around, absorbing ether from all around.
They had been walking for half an hour and the Ranking hall was long gone, the road they walked on was very crowded by soldiers walking to and from other areas of the military district, or wagons carrying both people and weapons that kept driving by.
Several times had they been forced to stop and walk to the side before a giant wagon ran them over, Ace wasn't used to this kind of traffic in roads, and he kept very close to the others for safety.
"the barracks are only temporary, and is where you will meet your new officer, don't make yourselves too comfortable there since you will be sent out on missions the day after, understood?"
The group of new soldiers Ace included, all nodded their heads in response and the soldier frowned.
"the answer is yes sir, and only yes sir am I understood!"
Ace was used to being yelled at or threatened and didn't really care about the soldier's words, But many of the others became very startled and yelled out in response.
"yes sir!"
The soldier laughed to himself from the scared newbies reactions, he didn't like being a guide for a bunch of newbies and just wanted to return to guard duty.
"This is as far as I am going to take you all"
The soldier said as he stopped in front of tens of long wooden buildings that all looked exactly the same, standing side by side with only a number carved next to the entrance telling the difference.
The place was brimming with people and ace couldn't even imagine how many lived there, the soldier turned to Ace and the rest of the new recruits and spoke as loud as he could so his voice wouldn't be drowned in the noise from the barracks.
"find your barracks with the number you were told, the officers know that you are all on the way and will have someone expecting you at the entrance so don't worry. Goodbye and good luck with your new lives as soldiers, gentlemen"