Alex heard a loud beep as his watch alarm went off, he tried to open his eyes and checked the time. 06:00 Alex had his first session at 8:00 he was eager and anxious about what would happen today.
He was curious about his strange rune as well. He examined his inner self and saw the same golden rune showing a sky with stars, Alex felt a surge of pride for making a Rune. The awe and marvel didn't come like it did when the rune was forming but it still felt wonderful to have something. Now he only needed to study and learn how to wield it.
Alex rose from his bed and noticed Tom snoring with his head hanging off the bunk. "Hey, wake up! We must leave soon," Alex said, shaking Tom awake.
Tom grumbled and struggled to open his eyes. "Huh? What? Let me sleep," he said.
Alex pulled the blanket off him. He didn't want his friend to oversleep and miss the first lesson, especially since all the courses for the F Ranks had been made mandatory. After some more grumbling, Tom finally got up and did some stretches to shake off the sleep.
Before heading to their first course Basic Training, the pair agreed to grab some breakfast at the canteen. Alex felt a mix of emotions - anticipation, excitement and nervousness - as he and Tom headed for some food.
They finished their meal quickly and searched for the training hall. It was hard to navigate the huge place. They finally saw a sign that read Basic Training – F Rank and walked in.
The training hall was a large open space with wooden floors and walls. There were several rows of benches where the F Rank students sat, waiting for the instructor to arrive. Alex and Tom found two empty seats in the back and settled down. Alex looked around and saw some familiar faces from his dorm. He also noticed some new ones, probably from other dorms or regions. He wondered how they all got their runes and what they could do with them.
"Good day, Cadets," announced Lieutenant Smith, a severe man wearing the smooth black Runefits that marked him as an academy trainer. He glanced around, seemingly piercing everyone with his gaze. "I would rather be back on one of the worlds my family recently conquered than here teaching a bunch of low-born F-Ranks only good for grunt work. But my family owes the dean for something, so here we are," he said with a sigh.
"Yesterday, we welcomed you all and gave you a nice cozy orientation. Today, we will strip away all that coziness and teach you what it takes to be a soldier," he concluded with a grim grin that made everyone tremble.
The academy divided the big group into smaller batches to learn from various trainers. Chloe and Robert didn't follow the same schedule as everyone else. It would be unreasonable to have one instructor for a thousand cadets.
With introductions concluded the class was separated by their rune essence type. Tom went with the fire essence users leaving Alex alone just standing in the middle of the hall. After 5minuites everyone had been sorted into their essence type leaving only ALex left alone in the middle. Lt Smith grumbled and stepped up towards him "What are you doing kid, get in yourself in order like the rest" He said with more annoyance than anger.
Alex looked up at the man trembling at sheer presence the man gave him. "I... I... Don't know my essence type Sir" Alex mumbled out.
"Are you a dunce or something check your digital display it will have the relevant info there" Smith said Exasperated
"I have many times, it doesn't show anything" Alex said still struggling to make eye contact.
Lt. Smith raised an eyebrow, looking at Alex with a mix of curiosity and annoyance. "What do you mean it doesn't show anything?" he asked, his tone sharp.
Alex fidgeted under the instructor's gaze. "I mean, there's nothing there. Just a blank screen," he said, holding up his digital display for the instructor to see.
Lt. Smith shook his head "Well it doesn't matter just follow along for the training part afterwords go to the tech department and get it sorted."
Alex nodded his head in understanding. The rest of the day was dedicated to military protocol—saluting superiors, standing at attention, and the like. But what truly captivated him was the lesson on Rune essence: its origins, how to sense its presence, and the method of channelling it into oneself to reinforce personal Runes.
Rune Rank Potential:
F-Rank: Maximum of 1 Star
E-Rank: Up to 1.5 Stars
D-Rank: Potential for 2 - 3 Stars
C-Rank: Can achieve 3 - 4 Stars
B-Rank: May reach 4 - 5 Stars
A-Rank: Could reach 5 - 6 Stars
S-Rank: Unknown potential; guessed to be 7 - 8 Stars
The most formidable individual in recorded history, a patriarch of the Valorian family had 8 Stars. Legends speak of his might, claiming he once obliterated entire planets.
The upper limit of stars one could reach remained a mystery, though ten was the widely accepted theoretical maximum.
The Letter ranking served as a rough indicator of one's potential. An F-Rank could achieve a single star at best. E-Rank was marginally better, with the capacity to reach one and a half stars. D-Rank individuals had the potential for two to three stars. C-Rank could aspire to three to four stars, B-Rank to four to five stars, and A-Rank to five to six stars. S-Rank, however, was a realm of unknown potential. No S-Rank had ever fully realized their capabilities, but speculation abounded—some believed the limit to be seven stars, while others argued it could be as high as eight, citing the legendary figure who once decimated planets.
Rune essence, the lifeblood of the cosmos, was an enigma to humankind until the dawn of space exploration. As early adventurers ventured beyond their terrestrial confines in search of new realms and riches, they encountered phenomena that defied all known laws of science—wormholes, anomalies, cosmic storms. It was through these encounters that they uncovered the existence of rune essence, a clandestine force interwoven into the very fabric of reality.
Harnessing this force revolutionized humanity's approach to the universe. With advanced technology, they crafted artificial runes capable of channelling the essence into myriad effects, thus igniting the era of space colonization—an epoch driven by the boundless potential of rune essence.
In time, it was discovered that runes had always been an intrinsic part of humans, lying dormant within. A simple incantation, akin to the one encased within the cube at the evaluation, could awaken this latent power. However, not all humans possessed such potential.
Rune essence was omnipresent, a mysterious force that suffused all matter and birthed the phenomenon of magic. Its origins were shrouded in mystery—ancient texts spoke of it as the residue of primordial chaos predating the worlds' inception, while some lore revered it as the divine spark bestowed by the gods upon their chosen beings.
Only those with a unique affinity, known as runemasters, could tap into this power. Their ability to manipulate rune essence—to conjure fire, summon lightning, mend wounds, or move objects with mere thought—was contingent upon their innate potential, rigorous training, and mastery of the intricate runes that dictated the essence's flow.
These runes were the bedrock of all magical arts, the symbols that harnessed the universe's arcane energies.
After the theoretical introduction to rune essence, the recruits faced the gruelling physical segment of their training. Lieutenant Smith drove them to their limits—a threshold that seemed trivial to the truly strong, as these recruits were merely F-ranked. They were taught to continually absorb rune essence through a fundamental breathing technique, a skill imparted to every soldier during basic training.
While the prestigious families boasted their own secret methods, honed and inherited over generations, Alex found contentment in this simple practice. Despite his rune display remaining blank, he could sense the energy coursing through him, invigorating his muscles with each strenuous exercise. The regimen was punishing, and many succumbed to exhaustion, their resolve ending in retching misery. But
Alex, along with a handful of others, persevered, standing resilient while the rest, including Tom, lay prostrate, barely aware of the world around them.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a crimson glow over training hall through the windows, Lieutenant Smith called an end to the day's training. The recruits let out a collective sigh of relief, glad to be freed from the relentless drill.
They staggered back to their dorms, eager to rest their weary bodies and minds.
Alex still needed to go to the tech department to fix his Rune information, he gave Tom who looked like death incarnated some words of encouragement and told him that he would meet back at the dorm later he had to go to the tech department.
The path to the tech department took Alex through the quieter parts of the academy, where the clamor of training grounds and communal areas gave way to the hushed reverence of scholarly pursuit. The hallways were lined with portraits of renowned runemasters, their eyes seeming to follow with an air of silent expectation. The soft glow of rune-illuminated lamps cast a warm light on the stone floors, leading the way like ethereal guides.
As he neared his destination, the ambiance shifted. The air carried a faint electrical charge, a whisper of the arcane energies that were studied and harnessed within these walls. The tech department itself was an unassuming structure nestled between an ancient library and a modern laboratory, a symbolic bridge between past knowledge and future discoveries.
Upon entering, Alex was enveloped by an atmosphere of intense focus. The space was vast, with high ceilings supported by columns inscribed with runes that pulsed gently—a testament to the department's success in marrying magic with structure. Workstations were scattered throughout, some cluttered with artifacts and tools, others pristine and awaiting the next challenge.
Instructors moved through the room with a calm assurance, their presence bringing a sense of order to the buzz of activity. Students engaged with various projects, their expressions a mix of frustration and breakthrough. Here, the pursuit of understanding was tangible, a shared goal that resonated in every corner.
It was in this nexus of innovation and tradition that Alex hoped to unravel the enigma of his silent rune, to find the missing piece that would allow him to connect with the essence that seemed so eager to elude him.
With a determined stride, Alex entered the tech department, a place revered for its deep understanding of runes and their mysteries. Here, amidst the quiet rustle of pages and the soft murmur of scholarly debate, lay the answers to many enigmas—including the peculiar silence of his own rune display.
The room was a blend of the old and the new, where ancient wisdom met the keen edge of inquiry. Scholars, some with runes glowing visibly on their skin, pored over texts and scrolls, seeking to unlock further secrets of rune essence. In one corner, a group of students practiced the delicate art of essence detection, their eyes closed in concentration.
Alex approached the central desk, where a wizened instructor awaited, her eyes sharp and knowing. "I'm here to find out why my rune isn't displaying any information," Alex explained, hoping that within this repository of knowledge, he would find the key to awaken his dormant power.
A flicker of confusion, tinged with annoyance, crossed the instructor's face as he seized Alex's wrist, drawing the watch closer for inspection. With a swift incantation, he summoned a constellation of tiny blue runes that danced around the timepiece. His expression contorted into a series of odd grimaces before he finally met Alex's gaze.
"You appear to lack a rune, hence the absence of information," he stated bluntly.
Bewilderment etched itself onto Alex's features. "But I'm certain I possess a rune. I can see it; I can feel its presence—it's definitely there."
The instructor held up a hand to forestall any further protest. "Do not misunderstand me. I sense the rune essence emanating from you. It's the academy's system that has failed to recognize your rune. I must report this anomaly and conduct a thorough investigation. In the meantime, you must proceed as usual until we resolve this matter," he explained with a tone of finality.
Alex consulted his timetable, a crease of worry forming on his brow. "But I'm scheduled for a Runespell course tomorrow. It's compulsory for my F-Rank status. How can I learn without knowing what my rune signifies?"
Realization dawned on the instructor that Alex was merely an F-Rank, prompting him to withdraw his attention. "That will be all, soldier. Remember the chain of command. Dismissed!"
With a heavy heart, Alex retreated to his dorm, the uncertainty of tomorrow weighing on his mind.