Marcos felt exhausted from the intense physical training he had just completed. His weak, slender body could barely withstand the effort.
"Good job, everyone! Take a 10-minute break as a reward!" Lucio ordered.
Marcos lay on the ground for 2 minutes, then got up and went to find his roommates (Aaron, Charly, and Elliot). Fortunately, they hadn't separated those with abilities from those without.
Marcos chatted with his training companions about how tired they were. After the 10 minutes had passed, Lucio instructed everyone to follow him.
They headed toward what looked like a warehouse. From the outside, it appeared quite large, at least the size of a basketball court.
"Listen up, everyone! You're about to choose your weapons, which are currently stored in this warehouse," Lucio announced. Excitement filled the air—Marcos had been eagerly anticipating this moment since it was mentioned last night.
Lucio continued, "Since there are so many of you, only 10 will enter at a time. You'll have 5 minutes to select your weapon." After Lucio explained everything, he began selecting the first group to enter the warehouse.
Fortunately, Marcos was among the first chosen to enter. Unfortunately, his roommates were not. As they approached the entrance, Marcos felt a bit dizzy from his intense training. He was also quite hungry. Marcos glanced at the recruits who would enter the warehouse with him.
Surprisingly, Sylvia, the girl with silver hair, was also among the first to enter. Passing through the massive doors, which stood about 3 meters tall and 4 meters wide, they found themselves in a place filled with weapons.
There were shelves, racks, and cabinets brimming with swords, axes, and armor. From sabers and short swords to massive battle-axes, everyone hurried to make their selections within the 5-minute time limit.
Marcos, like the others, had already considered the type of weapon he wanted. He quickly ruled out heavy axes and maces—they were too cumbersome for his taste. Bows and crossbows were also off the table; Marcos found them too challenging to handle.
Now came the dilemma: sword or spear? Both weapons seemed fantastic, but they were vastly different. The warehouse held various types of swords and spears—short swords, long swords, and a wide array of spears, from long-bladed ones to shorter versions.
Marcos hesitated. Although he liked both options, he had never wielded a weapon in either of his two lives.
After pondering for about 3 minutes, he finally chose the spear. Marcos had a strange intuition. Despite initially deciding on a sword while lying in bed last night, he changed his mind. Something told him he might handle a spear better than a sword.
It was the kind of intuition that made you naturally think a lion could easily defeat a mouse. Marcos felt similarly.
"Now that I'm choosing a spear… What type of spear should I go for?" As this thought crossed his mind, Marcos faced a significant dilemma.
The warehouse contained all sorts of spears. With little time to think, he randomly selected one. The spear was made of a material similar to iron, with a reinforced wooden handle. Its double-edged blade featured a vine-like design, complete with notches and hooks along its edges.
The shaft measured 1.90 meters, making Marcos, who stood around 1.65-1.68 meters tall, seem small in comparison. When he held the spear, its weight almost caused him to lose his grip.
Although the spear was quite large and heavy for Marcos, he grinned from ear to ear. Holding the weapon made him feel more powerful.
Marcos noticed that all the recruits had already left, so he grabbed the spear with all his might and exited the warehouse. As he stepped through the door, he encountered Lucio's stern expression. Marcos innocently smiled and joined his fellow recruits.
Lucio shook his head at the sight. "What a kid! Doesn't he realize he chose a weapon too big for him?" With a sigh, Lucio pushed those thoughts aside. Marcos had already caused him enough trouble; it was time to stop dwelling on it.
"Next!" Lucio ordered.
Marcos couldn't join his group for a chat—they had been selected to enter the warehouse and choose their weapons. He gently placed his spear on the ground and observed the choices made by his fellow recruits.
Most of them opted for swords, but there were exceptions. One young man with long black hair had chosen a bow. Sylvia, a seemingly delicate girl at first glance, surprised everyone by selecting a massive, heavy battle-axe!
Her axe had a double-edged blade, seemingly made of iron. Each blade curved outward and then inward, forming a sharp point—a fierce and battle-hardened appearance. The handle was reinforced wood.
Overall, it was an impressive weapon.
"Wow! I never thought she'd go for that type of weapon…" Marcos thought sarcastically.
As he observed the others' choices, a wonderful idea occurred to him.
"What if I use my gift to enchant my spear?" With that thought in mind, he hesitated no longer.
Marcos stared at the spear on the ground, smiled, and pointed his hand. A small white light emerged from his palm and flew, landing at the tip of his spear. He couldn't enchant the entire weapon; that would be too draining. Instead, he focused on the spearhead, imbuing it with the "Sharp" attribute for easier cutting.
He had considered adding the "Penetration" attribute as well, but he forgot that using his gift consumed a lot of energy. Exhausted from training, Marcos sat down, fearing he might collapse.
By chance, Sylvia glanced in Marcos's direction. Seeing him nearly stumble and struggle to breathe, she looked on with disgust and repulsion.
Fortunately, Marcos didn't notice her gaze; otherwise, he would have been upset. While he wasn't particularly talkative, gaining some power had boosted his confidence. He wouldn't have started a fight, but he might have asked her why she found him so distasteful.
And her reason was simple: Sylvia disliked his appearance and considered him a commoner.
Yes, a commoner.
In reality, Sylvia hailed from an important noble family. She harbored disdain for commoners because she'd been taught from a young age that nobles were blessed by the "gods." Naturally, this upbringing had instilled a sense of superiority over common folk.