"Frightening won't necessarily protect me ..." Ralph disagreed.
Hearing this, the trio was silent for a moment.
Ralph decided to take the opportunity to leave the room, but was surprised by a figure who was standing behind him.
He was a middle-aged man, with black hair and black eyes. But what really caught Ralph's attention was the man's military uniform, and the rank on his shoulder.
"..." Ralph was stunned and speechless.
Looking at the country and Torvi, Ralph realized that they were avoiding direct contact with his eyes.
-Double Fuck! When did they find out !? Not only that...
"Sorry if I'm interrupting, can we introduce ourselves?" The man who holds the rank of general spoke suddenly as he looked at Ralph.
Ralph was taken by surprise but quickly regained his composure and spoke with a fake smile:
"May I know what I owe the honor of your honorable visit? Sir ..."
"José." The man spoke with a smile.
Ralph nodded and continued:
"My name is Ralph Karman, please have a seat."
After José had sat down, Ralph offered a glass of water and asked if José wanted any snacks.
José accepted only the water and said:
"Sorry if this seems sudden, I didn't expect your family to be hiding it from you."
Ralph laughed bitterly as he realized that the trio had evaporated from the room.
"As you heard on television, we urgently need people with these special skills."
Ralph frowned and said:
"Has a law been passed that allows the army to mandatorily enlist people with skills?"
José laughed tiredly and said:
"Congress is very confused between taking advantage of the confusion to steal or pass useless laws."
Ralph smiled and said:
"I believe that means that the choice is mine, right?"
José laughed lightly and nodded.
"Thank you very much for your visit, but I have a long life ahead of me, and I want to live it with all my vitality." Ralph said as he stood up.
José did not get up, though.
"Your parents told me that your ability is to create things out of nothing, but from what I heard just now, they were mistaken. Still, a skill that creates illusions ..." José spoke and sighed.
"Pretty useless, right? So please leave, I don't want to risk my life for anything." Ralph spoke genially.
José frowned and looked at Ralph with a rigid expression.
"Useless? Maybe just in your hands, but a skill like that has countless uses ... Don't play the stupid, I know you study at TULA, a stupid person wouldn't even be able to enter that place."
Ralph laughed weakly but did not have the courage to retort the general.
"Besides, how can you risk your life for nothing? Don't you watch television? Don't you know about the crisis the world is going through? People with special skills can be our only chance to follow all this change without being left behind." José continued while looking deeply into Ralph's eyes.
Upon hearing the general, Ralph pondered. It's not like he doesn't understand the general, but he wanted a little more practice time before taking a risk fighting beasts.
José was silent, waiting for Ralph's decision.
"I want to know something ... Only people who killed a beast got skills, right? And not even among those who killed, did everyone get one."
José nodded, unsurprisingly at Ralph's question.
"So ... how many armed forces have they already recruited?" Ralph asked in a serious tone.
José did not answer directly, but he thought for a moment.
"We identified 513 individuals with special skills across the country."
Upon hearing this, Ralph smiled furtively and asked:
"And I'm sure we will all be on the front lines, right?"
José nodded.
Ralph's smile turned cold and he asked again:
"Last question, how many beasts have been identified throughout Brazil?"
José realized what Ralph was getting at and said as he got up:
"Forget it, we don't need cowards."
Ralph was not irritated by José's speech, and he made his way to the general.
But Joseph said before leaving:
"Maybe you are that type ... Know that the salary we are willing to pay is 120 thousand real."
Ralph can hear the sound of something falling from behind, but what really made his spine go cold was the look of Ana arriving at the house and probably heard the general's words.
"..." Ralph put his hand on his forehead.
Enemies in the front, enemies in the back, and the big boss on the side. Perfect, it couldn't get any better. Ralph swore he could listen to the music of the dark souls boss.
José seems to have noticed something as he did not leave immediately:
"Apart from the benefits for the person's family, such as: Universal life and health insurance, privileges in the purchase of real estate and cars, greater ease when traveling or living abroad, pension if the person has a child and ends up dying, and yet another series of aids for everything imaginable. "
Ralph looked angrily at the general, but before he could say anything, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.
"Son ..." Tom spoke in a serious tone.
"... Father?"
"You're a man?" Tom asked as he tightened his grip on Ralph's shoulder.
Ralph ground his teeth and didn't respond immediately.
"... Yes" Ralph stopped himself and said quietly, knowing what was coming but trying to avoid it anyway, but then he felt Tom tighten his shoulder even more.
"Sorry, I don't think I heard you right."
Feeling the pain intensifying, Ralph shouted:
"That's enough! What's up with you!"
But then Ana put her hand on Tom's shoulder and said seriously:
"Listen to your son, what you are doing is not right."
Ralph was relieved and grateful that Ana supported him, but then that feeling went down the drain.
"... Even if he is a big coward who refuses to help his own country just because of the lack of confidence that makes me rethink being his girlfriend."
Ralph took a deep breath, this is no longer a matter of being risky or not, but a question of dignity.
"Okay !! I accept." Ralph said as he looked at the criminal boss, José, who was smiling furtively.
Ralph's calm days seem to have come to an end.
-They don't care if their son is in danger fighting monsters? And what's up with Ana? I thought she had some notion ...
Ralph thought bitterly.
*
The special force was officially created some weeks later, with 103 members in total, coming from several countries in South America.
Ralph understood immediately that he was deceived by José, who said they were "identified", not "recruited".
The incorporation process is not instantaneous, Ralph will need to undergo rigorous internship training at the barracks until he is ready to fight.
The training will last for three months, and he will undergo a regime of physical and also mental training. In particular, Ralph will suffer a lot because of his physique. But José assured Ralph not to worry, and that he will receive special training suitable for his physique.
Ralph had a dark feeling about hearing this, but he had no choice.
After finishing all the preparations and undergoing health checks, Ralph was finally leaving the house.
"Be careful, don't get too excited." Tom shouted at Ralph as the latter was taken by military men who came to get him.
"What are we doing ... Is it really the best?" Ingrid asked in a concerned tone.
Tom laughed lightly and said:
"What are you talking about? Of course it's for the best, don't forget ..." Tom stopped suddenly, realizing that Torvi was close by listening.
"Don't forget what I told you before." Tom spoke and entered the house.
Ingrid sighed and watched Ralph's distance.
Ralph's mood at the time was, peculiar.
While he was actually a little anxious, he was confident that he could make it through this test.
This trust is not empty, though. In the latter he made great strides in the ability to illusion, and now manages to make sounds with much more clarity and fidelity, in addition to spying on the way to create false thermal sensations. The skill level has not increased, though.
"How do you feel knowing that your life has been interrupted in this way?" An officer who was on Ralph's side asked.
"... angry, but at the same time anxious."
The officer nodded and said:
"My name is João, I hope you have some fiber in you, General José said some things about your ability and ... about you."
Ralph's face darkened.
-That old man ...
"You will not go through this little hell alone, though. The other 102 will also suffer with you." The officer said as he smiled at him.
"There is no need to try to scare me, I very much doubt that they will put us through such rigorous training right away." Ralph said calmly.
The officer smiled but did not speak.
The trip to the airport was quick, but from there he would have to take a flight to Manaus, where military personnel will take him by Jeep to a military base.
The flight was generally smooth, with only a short turbulence on landing.
After disembarking, Ralph was met by an army lieutenant:
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ralph. My name is Matheus, I am in charge of taking you to the military base where your training will take place, please accompany me."
There was a Jeep of the same model as before outside the airport, waiting for them.
"The military base is 100 miles from Manaus, we will have to board boats to navigate the river. Depending on the weather, this can take a whole day, but it usually only takes a few hours."
Ralph nodded and asked:
"What about the others? I mean, the others with special abilities."
"They are also going to the base as we speak, although some are already there."
Ralph never visited the Amazon rainforest, so he was a little amazed by the wonders of the place and the rivers that run through the forest.
"Does it look like it's your first time around here?" Matheus asked.
"Yes, I never had the opportunity to visit this region."
"Hah, don't get too excited, or the insects will be attracted to your recruit's blood." Matheus laughed.
Ralph smiled slightly and continued to observe the environment.
Green and greener, water and more water. Two colors, but it still felt like a paradise untouched by human hands, Ralph can't help but be moved.
After two hours, after having boarded a boat and entered another Jeep, Ralph finally arrived at the military base.
Ralph couldn't help being surprised, since the base was different than he imagined.
Ralph thought that the base would be like in the movies, not that it would look like a great medieval fortress.
"Don't be surprised, the beasts that inhabit these woods are really dangerous, and the superiors decided to be brute too."
After they were inspected and entered the military base, Matheus introduced a sergeant to Ralph.
"This guy here is called Jorge, he can be a little too serious but he is quite capable. He is in charge of introducing you to the base. In addition, others of his type must also be around, so be careful." Matheus said and then said goodbye to Ralph.
Looking at the sergeant, Ralph decided to take a serious step and said:
"Sergeant Jorge, it is a pleasure to meet you, can we start?"
The sergeant nodded and started the journey with Ralph.
"On that side are the lodgings, female and male." Jorge said as he pointed his finger at a place.
"That is the training ground"
"The infirmary is on the side of the training ground."
"The stewardship department is in the main building, where the senior officers are also located."
The military base was basically a large circular wall with a diameter of 700 meters. Within the wall were several buildings, but in the center was what appeared to be a tower, the largest building at the base.
There was also a large land with no buildings, it was the training ground.
Ralph met other skill-holders along the way, but just exchanged simple greetings.
After they were finished, Jorge took Ralph to the lodge and handed him a badge.
"Don't lose this badge, it will serve as an identification tool throughout the training period. Your bed and closet can also be located with the badge numbers." Jorge then said goodbye, leaving Ralph alone.
Each of the beds and cabinets was numbered, and Ralph was quick to find his.
"Good, I'm going to sleep on top!" Ralph murmured to himself.
The beds are all bunk beds, and the accommodation has no walls. So at least the accommodation is like in the movies.
After guarding his stuff, Ralph sat on the top bed.
He could see some coming and others also sitting in their seats.
But what really caught Ralph's attention was the boy's ability a little ahead of him.
It looked like he could control the wind or something, it seemed very useful.
After pondering for a moment, Ralph decided to practice as well.
He feels that his skill is not far from reaching level 2, but probably because the illusion of sounds is not yet perfect, he was unable to level.
Making a speaker appear in his hand, he concentrated.
Suddenly, Ralph's voice started to come out of the speaker, but it didn't sound exactly identical, it had some almost imperceptible differences.
Time passed, and without Ralph noticing, it was getting dark and the accommodation was practically full.
When Ralph finally opened his eyes, exhausted from having practiced for so long, he realized that some looked at him curiously, while others just practiced their respective skills or kept their eyes closed.
Ralph was amazed for a moment, the most diverse abilities were before his eyes.
Some could create flames out of nothing, others created water, others had a body with scales or something, among other skills.
After being distracted for a moment, Ralph steadied his composure. All of these men would be his colleagues from now on, he must certainly pay attention to his skills, but first he has to look at himself.
"Attention! General José is summoning everyone to the main courtyard, absences will not be accepted." A strong man entered the barracks and shouted.
Ralph was not surprised, as something like that is just normal to happen.
When Ralph arrived in the courtyard, he saw General José on a dais.
After everyone was in the yard, Ralph noticed that there were probably more women than men with abilities.
"Good evening to all, first of all I would like to thank you all for being here, whether Brazilian or not. Some of you may not understand what I am saying, so a translator will remain after I finish my speech to translate it for you. " José then waved to the translator, who was a lieutenant, who nodded and started speaking the same words in Spanish as José.
After the translator finished, José continued:
"You must have realized the precarious situation that we find in the newspapers, but the truth is much more cruel. Every day we lose courageous men in the fight against the beasts that come on and on. During the day, things can seem calm, but this is just an illusion. The danger exists both in the night and in the day, but in the night ... it is several times more expressive. "
A projection appeared on a white screen. They are images of beasts, of different types. Some are gigantic and scary, looking like dinosaurs. Others are smaller, but they don't look weak at all.
"No matter what they look like, all the beasts are extremely dangerous, I prefer to just call them monsters ... This huge triceratops-like beast for example, took us an hour of heavy interrupted fire and a man's life to be killed."
"That other little mouse-like horned mouse killed six men with its poison, which killed men in a matter of minutes."
"No matter what size or shape, they are all extremely dangerous."
The projection was turned off.
"Training for these three months will not make you experts, nor elite. You are the only ones who can make this a reality. This training will only serve to sharpen your sense of survival, and make you a blade that just needs to be sharpened."
"These consecutive events have taken everyone by surprise, our training has been adapted to take advantage of your skills, but it is not perfect. So you will need to find ways to improve in this regard on your own."
José looked at everyone one by one as he spoke, everyone could feel the pressure behind the general's words.
"I have been appointed as your temporary leader, and commander of this international base. My nation has given up this piece of territory just to ensure that no political problems occur in the future."
"What happens on this basis will be the responsibility of all the countries involved, but at the same time, you will need to help the countries that need you here in South America."
"However, it was decided that you can choose to help a country or not, with the cost being the expulsion of you from that special force."
"Any question?"
Ralph raised his hand in a flash.
"What's the question?" José looked at Ralph with narrowed eyes.
"After training is finished, will we be free to visit our families at any time? Or will we be bound by this special force forever?"
"If you finish training, you will be able to decide whether to actively serve or stay on the reservation. The latter means that you can return to your families until your help is needed."
Ralph nodded in understanding.
"More questions?"
After that, some carriers started asking different questions about training or beasts.
"If there are no more questions, I will say goodbye. But I warn you that your training will start tomorrow, so be prepared!" José then waved to the translator and left the platform.
Those who understood José withdrew, while those who only understand Spanish listened and asked questions of the translator.
Ralph went back to his bed, and found that someone was on the bottom of the bunk.
He was a sturdy man who looked to be the same age as Ralph. He had dark skin and brown eyes and hair.
The man noticed Ralph and stood up with a small smile.
"It looks like we will be bunkmates for a while, nice to meet you, my name is Victor." Victor said as he held out his hand to Ralph.
The corners of Ralph's mouth twitched, that sounded really strange. Still, he greeted Victor.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Ralph."