"Leon, choose your path wisely," an unknown voice echoed.
Father?,Leon kept mumbling.
An alarm rang, jolting Leon from his dream. He couldn't help but wonder, was that my father's voice?
Checking the time, he realized it was time to head to the training field. Today marked the day Leon officially joined the Soul Corps Squad Platoon and met his new squadmates.
Leon muttered to himself, "The assembly time should be at 6 A.M., but why is no one here? I've been standing in the training grounds for over two hours. Maybe I'm in the wrong place."
"You're in the right place, Leon," a voice called out.
Turning, Leon saluted and said, "Good morning, Sergeant. I'm Leon, Private First Class, currently holding the rank of F."
"At ease, soldier. I'm Sergeant Cain. I'll be your instructor. Shall we begin?"
"Sergeant, what about the others?"
"They'll probably arrive later; they already know most of the basics of Soul manifestation and manipulation and Mana Harness. Let's begin."
"Yes, Sergeant."
"Leon, here's a list. Complete all of these basic training exercises by the afternoon, and I'll explain the rest afterward."
"Yes, Sergeant."
Leon looked at the list and was taken aback. "Maintain Soul form for 5 hours?"
"Sergeant, there must be a mistake. I can't learn Soul form and maintain it for 5 hours in one afternoon."
"Private Leon, you must be joking. Sir Everett told me that you were given instruction about Sector A and Soul Manifestation, right?"
"Sergeant, Miss Zora Cadell gave me training schedules and rules and regulations about Sector A."
"Zora Cadell? I see. She probably led you to some café shop, didn't she?"
Leon looked puzzled and replied, "Yes, Sergeant."
"Private Leon, your behavior will be tolerated this time. Next time, you will be punished."
"I'm sorry, Sergeant. It won't happen again."
"Alright, let's start with the first task: How to manifest your Soul. I'll explain it first."
"Thank you for teaching me, Sergeant."
"You need to loosen up; you're scaring me already."
"Yes, Sergeant."
Sergeant thought to himself, "This one might be trouble. I hope the others won't give him a hard time."
"Follow me; I'll take you to your Mana Chamber Pod."
They both used the training ground elevators and descended even further underground. Leon gazed out of the elevator, captivated by the sight of numerous Chamber pods with AI robots analyzing people inside.
They reached the Mana Staging room, where Sergeant pointed to a chamber. "Leon, this is your Mana Chamber Pod Number-A1577755. Type the number and place your hand to enter. Behind this mirror is the Mana Chamber Room."
"Yes, Sergeant."
"Mana Chamber Room is in Earth's coldest temperature, so don't attempt to enter it directly, always use Mana Pod to enter."
"Yes, Sergeant."
"Now, let me explain how the chamber works. When you enter, a significant amount of Mana will flow in. Your first task is to absorb and then harness that Mana, allowing you to control and manifest it, separating your physical body and turning it into Soul form. You must learn to manipulate your Soul to give it a form for combat in the Sun's realm. Any questions?"
"Does that mean I can assume any form I want in the Sun's realm, Sergeant?"
"Tell me your height, Private."
"It's 1.65 meters, Sergeant."
"Your Mana pod is 2.5 meters tall, so there's a limited amount of circulated Mana, and you can only harness a specific amount. If you waste too much Mana on your form, it'll be challenging to sustain in the Sun's realm. Understand?"
"Yes, Sergeant."
"Now, enter the chamber using through Mana pod. I'll instruct you on how to harness the flowing Mana inside."
"Yes, Sergeant."
Leon donned the Mana Suit and mask, with all his vitals connected to AI monitors. His chamber pod was placed inside the Mana Chamber Room.
"Private Leon, can you hear me?"
"Yes, Sergeant."
"Private, say 'Initialize M.A.I' (Mana Artificial Intelligence)."
"Initialize MAI."
**Commencing Preparation**
***Hello, Leon. My name is MAI, your AI assistant. You can change my name if you prefer.***
"Leon, you can adjust its voice, gender, and name. During combat, it'll monitor your soul, assist in communication with other soldiers, and analyze your situation in the Sun's realm. Naming it creates a sense of camaraderie, like having a comrade in battle. I suggest giving it a female name; it can be comforting during tough times."
"Yes, Sergeant. I'll give it a name."
Sergeant thought to himself, "Please don't name it Zora, Leon. Commander Kenzo and Zora's mother will have my head."
Leon pondered for a few moments and made his decision.
"Hey, MAI, I'll assign you a male gender and voice, referencing Cyrus Stronghold, the former Commander in Chief's voice. Show me the basic settings for the voice."
**Initialize Sound setting.**
Leon thought to himself, "The voice I heard today, it sounded like my father's, but different. It was soothing and comforting yet powerful and stern to convey the gravity of the situation."
*---Voice 7777*
"Is it this one?"
*---Voice 4879*
"No, that's not it. Let's try another."
*My name is MAI. -Voice 67678799**
"Yes, this is it."
Leon said, "Confirm this voice, and your name will be Fuery."
**Activated Voice and Gender. As I collect more data, my analysis will improve, providing better reports of your situation.**
"Thank you, Fuery. I look forward to working with you."
"Private, if you've chosen a name, say 'Initialize Mana Harness.'"
"Yes, Sergeant. Initialize Mana Harness."
**Initializing Mana Harness**
A surge of Mana liquid gushed into the chamber, enveloping Leon. It felt like being underwater, an entirely new and overwhelming sensation.
** Mana Flow-Normal rate**
Sergeant shouted in panic, "Leon, absorb the Mana slowly; otherwise, you'll drown."
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0%**
Leon couldn't hear the Sergeant's voice, feeling submerged in a sea of Mana.
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0%**
Sergeant kept urging, "What's happening? Colorless souls typically absorb and harness Mana easily. Why isn't he absorbing any? Should I stop this?"
"Don't stop, Sergeant. Let it run for a few more minutes," an unknown figure chimed in.
Sergeant was shocked. "Squad Leader Amelia, why are you here?" He thought to himself, "Trouble is brewing."
"That's not the point; just do as I say."
Sergeant thought, "I'm the superior here."
Amelia thought to herself, "Leon, just peacefully let go. Don't cause unnecessary trouble for the Auger family. It's the best outcome you can hope for."
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0%**
"Leon, choose, either you want to live or die," a voice similar to Fuery echoed in the sea of Mana.
"Leon, choose, do you want to learn the truth or stay ignorant," kept echoing in his mind.
"Leon, choose, will you float towards light or dark," the voice seemed to get distant with every word.
"Leon, choose, do you want power or death," the voice slowly started to fade away.
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0%**
**Heart rate dangerously low**
"Squad Leader, his heart rate is plummeting; we need to open the chamber," Sergeant pleaded.
Amelia said, "No, wait a few more minutes."
"What are you talking about? He's about to die any moment."
"He has a colorless soul. He will absorb Mana sooner or later. Just wait, Sergeant."
"Please, Leon, don't die. Commander will have my head," Sergeant kept calling Leon's name.
**Heart rate dangerously low**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 0.1%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 1.2%**
"What?!" Both of them were shocked to see a slight rise in Mana absorption.
**Heart rate at a dangerous level**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 5%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 20%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 50%**
**Heart rate normalizing**
"What is happening? He's supposed to die. Why is his heart rate returning to normal, and he's absorbing Mana now? He's already at 50%," Amelia thought in disbelief.
"Amelia, you're right. All his vitals are stabilizing," Sergeant said, relieved and thinking, "I can keep my job for now."
"Should we stop now, Amelia?" Sergeant inquired.
"Wait, it's still increasing."
"Increasing? What?" Sergeant was shocked to see that. "He keeps absorbing. Normally, it takes at least a year to reach 50%, and he's already done it, and it keeps increasing. What's happening?"
"I don't know, Sergeant."
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 52%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 59%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 60%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 75%**
Sergeant was amazed, "He reached 75%! It took me four years to achieve that."
Amelia stood in stunned silence, thinking, "Leon, just die peacefully. Don't strive to improve, or you'll meet the same fate as my siblings."
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 74%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 73%**
**Amount of Mana Absorbed- 70%**
Sergeant finally exclaimed, "That's it; he can absorb up to 75%. I'll recall his chamber now, Amelia."
Amelia remained silent and abruptly left without a word.
Sergeant thought, "What a cold individual, nearly causing a man's death and leaving without a word to her superior."
Leon's chamber was withdrawn to the Staging room, and the pod opened. Leon was rushed to the medical unit.
A week later, Leon awoke in the morning, feeling an arm gently hugging him. He sensed warmth and whispered, "Antonela," slowly opening his eyes.
At first, he saw Zora, held tightly by Jil, Jung, and Juk. Sergeant was holding his hands together, looking extremely worried. Leon looked further down and saw Valerie, Zora's mother, embracing him.
Leon was stunned; his heart raced. "Zora's Mom, why are you here?"
Zora kept exclaiming, "Mom, Mom, why are you here?"
Valerie commanded, "Quiet, everyone."
Valerie inquired, "Leon, you kept saying a girl's name when I hugged you. Who is this girl?"
With a faint smile, Leon replied, "Antonela is the person I cherish most."
Upon hearing this, both Zora and Valerie appeared profoundly shocked and departed in different directions without a word, covering their faces.
Jung remarked, "You, into women? Who would've thought?"
Jil added, "Leon, where is she now?"
Leon told them, "I don't know. I met her a few years after my father's death, and we spent some time together. She helped me through tough times."
Jil looked disappointed, and Jung inquired, "Any idea where she might be?"
Leon said, "I only know she's from Planet Stihians, and that's it."
Jil commented, "That's why you mentioned her name when Zora's mother hugged you. Zora's mother is also a Demi-Stihian. Stihians mostly have a similar smell."
Jung quipped, "Scent? Are you a bloodhound, Jil?"
"Shut up, Jung, grrrrrrrrrrr " Jil growled.
"Leave those fools," Juk said. "She must possess high Mana and a strong soul to travel from one planet to another at her age."
Jil stated, "She's probably of royal descent on Stihians, and she might be a renowned soldier by now. Who knows?"
Juk added, "Perhaps she married someone for political reasons or has forgotten about you entirely. No point in speculating."
Jung declared, "Ignore those idiots. I heard you reached 75% in Mana absorption on your first attempt. That's remarkable."
Jil and Juk chimed in, "Indeed, way to go."
The nurse entered, and everyone rushed to the windows, apologizing to Leon and explaining that it wasn't visiting hours. They wanted to avoid facing the nurses, who could be quite intimidating.
Sergeant waved goodbye while running away.
The nurse informed Leon, "Rest up; you'll be discharged this evening."
Leon lay there, pondering, "Did she really forget about me?"
Meanwhile, on the Stihians Planet...
"Captain, we received the report. Leon woke up, and he seems fine. He even achieved 75% Mana absorption on his first try with the Mana Harness."
"Good. Stay alive, Leon. I'm looking forward to seeing you again," an unknown voice spoke, filled with joy upon hearing the news.
[End of Chapter]
***
Sergeant Cain:
Rank: A
Soul: Red
Species: Human
Description: Sergeant is currently mentoring Leon. He is a loving husband and father, with one child, striving to provide them with a peaceful life. He is actively seeking a promotion, believing that Leon holds the key to his advancement.
***