Sergeant Red went over various tricks to using psychic powers.
"Picture the part of your body that can form psychic energies. It's fine whether you imagine it to be your head or heart. If it's easier, you can imagine it to be your abdomen like many Chinese martial arts do. What's important is the image of psychic powers materializing in your body."
Many psychic children in general fail to manifest their powers physically. They are unable to bring out the energies within their own bodies. Han was also this way. He thought that things like psychic energy would have nothing to do with his own life. He couldn't even imagine the thought before the sensor rang.
"Hmm, this is hopeless."
Sergeant Red mumbled to himself. However, all the children still heard his words.
"As you already understand, you have three weeks. In three weeks, if you are unable to manifest your psychic powers then you will be sent home."
All the children's expressions changed.
Everyone had been admitted to this place for their own personal reasons. Everyone could name a reason why they couldn't go back home. This went for Han as well.
Han concentrated once more. He couldn't feel any sort of psychic energies at all.
No matter how many days passed, no matter how much training he received from Sergeant Red, it was useless. All the surrounding kids succeeded one by one. Kuro, whom Han was closest to, also succeeded.
Wwooong.
Kuro's eyes glowed with blue light. The air around him began to shake.
"Success! I did it! Han! I also succeeded!"
Kuro jumped with glee. Han glanced over to him.
"Congratulations."
Han spoke curtly. Kuro flinched and looked down.
"I'm sorry, Han."
Seeing Kuro's success made Han feel anxious. One week had already passed.
Other than physical training and theory hours, he had spent all that time training his psychic powers.
But he couldn't feel an ounce of psychic power.
'Maybe I don't have the talent for this.'
"Han."
Kuro called him from the side.
"What?"
Han was feeling worked up and responded coldly.
"Why don't you ask Simon for help? A lot of other children succeeded following the training methods from Royal England School of Psykers."
Han slightly furrowed his brows.
Due to Simon's comments during their first gathering, the European and Northeast Asians did not get along so well. They didn't outright fight against each other but there was a silent war between the two.
"It's fine. I still have time."
Han also did not see Simon in a good light. Every word from Simon's mouth had the pride of an elite.
Simon thought highly of himself and above the rest. It was not all for show though, because he was ranked first in all their classes.
Han felt anger burning inside his chest. He continued to train his psychic powers until it was time for him to sleep.
"How are the newly admitted kids?"
The trainers and teachers were talking in the resting area. They were enjoying a cup of coffee while looking through some hologram files.
"Simon Dell's personality is trash but his results are alright."
"I heard he was Royal England School's last genius."
"He was judged as an A6 Rank for his Psychic powers. His future is bright. His telekinesis power is also excellent. He's already far past the first years. He's still young so there is a chance that he could go up to the A1 ranks as well."
They were looking over Simon's profile on their hologram screens.
Only the elite could be formally be instated as a psyker soldier because the price for their equipment prices was astronomical.
There was only a limited amount of psychoframes which could maximize a psyker's manifestation of their psychic powers, which made the price for them skyrocket.
"How about this guy? His name is Han Lee, from Korea."
"He learns the fastest in all the classes. His learning capabilities excel greatly compared to everyone. He just puts in that much more effort. But it's a shame he couldn't manifest his psychic powers all this time. He's only a D rank, so even if he succeeds, he will be greatly limited."
Sergeant Red listened to everyone's words. He lit a flame to the tip of his finger. His psychic characteristic was fire. He sucked in his cigarette and puffed out some smoke.
"There's still time. Psychic powers don't gradually grow stronger anyway. It's possible that anyone could suddenly grow stronger."
Sergeant Red said these words and leaned his body on his chair. Someone called out to Sergeant Red.
"Sergeant, this is the no smoking zone."
***
"Haa, Haaa."
All the children were out of breath in the gym.
They had to run every morning and night.
This was the hardest training for the children who had yet to fully mature. The drill instructors always shamelessly made unreasonable demands. It was an amount even adults would find tiring.
"Uuhek!"
The children flopped to the ground or stopped to throw up. The drill instructor approached them and shouted. The children who were throwing up continued to run.
'This isn't meant for physical training.'
The children needed to run until the drill instructor ordered them to stop.
This run was a test of mental strength. The drill instructors made them run until their utmost limit. Ark's goal was to make strong psyker soldiers who were able to continue forth with their mission no matter the circumstance.
When their bodies gave out, they needed the strong mental strength to stand up once again.
"I, I can't go on any longer."
Kuro covered his mouth and spoke. He swallowed back the contents that were daring to come up. Han, who had been running next to Kuro, pushed his back.
"As soon as you say you want to give up, it's the end. Endure it, Kuro."
Kuro was black, but his body was on the weaker side.
Kuro was also an orphan of war but he had grown up in Japan much more comfortably than Han Lee. He had faced similar situations but at the same time incredibly different.
"Uuuk."
Kuro fainted and flopped down to the gym floor.
The drill instructor ran to Kuro and began shouting. He shouted abusive words and screamed insults. The instructor roughly made Kuro stand on his feet.
"I, I can't, anymore…"
If he were to quit now, that meant he would be sent back home.
Ark picked only the most extraordinary children to make into superhuman soldiers. They did not bother turning common children into soldiers.
Han pulled Kuro to his side. He made Kuro lean on his shoulder and ran forward.
The drill instructor didn't say anything. Soldiers needed to leave their lives with their colleagues at times. The drill instructors were flexible when it came to peers helping one another like this.
Gradually, the children with stronger builds supported their weaker peers one by one. This was because they saw that the instructors had allowed Han Lee to do so.
'Among all the new children, he has the strongest mental strength. Han Lee. You don't act your age.'
The instructor made a memo and thought to himself.