"To begin with, what is a Boon or a Glitch?" Oliver turned to look at Alan as he asked.
"Shit… it can't be. What are they teaching in schools?!" Alan's face went through a range of emotions all at once, but mostly disbelief at the question. "Hey, you've used a Ranger Armor. How didn't you see it?"
"I don't know. The first time, I was focused on not dying. The second time… well, I wasn't paying attention." Oliver scratched his head, trying to remember the Ranger Armor.
"How do I explain this?" Alan spoke softly as he tried to think of how to explain it to his friend. "After wearing a crystal, each body receives some kind of 'evolution.'" Alan used his hands to make air quotes as he explained.
"Evolution? How does that work?" Oliver asked.
"I have no idea. I didn't study that; it's just what they taught us in school," Alan replied.
"What I do know is that each evolution is linked to our genetic material. So, your family has a high chance of having the same type of evolution," Alan continued. The two boys resumed walking as they discussed.
The cold night wind pushed them to quicken their pace and return to the barracks.
"Normally, evolutions give us unique traits, which we call Boons. However, sometimes they can bring limitations or even mutations, which people usually call a Glitch," Alan concluded the explanation.
"Aaaah…" Oliver felt that all the events from earlier started to click and make more sense. Even what he had already seen of the Rangers seemed more natural, but it also sparked several new questions.
"You don't need a Ranger Armor to discover your Boon or Glitch; you just need to come into contact with a Z-Crystal. Of course, the easiest way is to use an Artificial Armor." Alan continued.
"I get it. I think…" Oliver commented. "But why did you avoid talking about yours at the table?"
"Do you really think that wasn't planned?" Alan looked seriously at Oliver. "Some people there might not have thought about it, but sooner or later, we're going to have to compete."
"Only 0.001% of you will be able to become Rangers, blah blah blah," Alan continued in his best impression of Major Five. "Think of it this way. What's the hardest enemy to face? The one you can't prepare for. Keeping your Boon a secret could be the difference between victory or failure."
Oliver continued to ponder the conversation, recalling the boy who had started the discussion. Stopping to reflect, the boy hadn't mentioned a last name. But he also hadn't said if he was Nameless.
The two kept walking and discussing after returning to the dormitory.
---
---
Caine was once again in the Major's office. Every year, the same conversation took place between the two of them. However, this time, he was sure of his decision.
He waited until the Major lifted his eyes from the stack of holograms scattered across his desk. "Major, this will be my last year. I'm letting you know so you can prepare for the next batch."
"Caine… we can't lose one of our best trainers," Major answered with a tired voice. "Not at this moment."
"Major, I've already stayed too long; I was supposed to leave the army when I returned from the front. I stayed to give these kids a better chance of survival, but I can't agree with what we're doing here." Caine was resolute in his decision. If it weren't for his desire to help and repay his debt to the Academy, he would never have returned to work with NEA.
The Major was careful about convincing Caine. Five knew he was one of the most skilled teachers, one of the few Nameless who had advanced so quickly in rank. Plus, his Boon was essential for the army.
"Caine, we have no other way to train them. If you want them to survive, you need to take them to hell. They need to be strengthened to face the front." Five was more gentle in his speech than last time, but the content was still the same.
"Major, do they really need to go to the front?" Others had also raised the question Caine posed. The tenth wave had ended without much effort. The Orks seemed exhausted from the war; except for some skirmishes, they were no longer superior to humanity's power.
Major Five looked over his round glasses before explaining. "Captain, there is information that doesn't reach you. Don't let your guard down because of the tenth wave; that's all I can say."
The Captain understood the conversation was over and left the Major's office. His desire to leave the army hadn't changed, but for now, he needed to start preparing for yet another class.
---
---
"Could you all shut up for a second?! I couldn't sleep all night," Alan argued with another boy in the adjacent bunk who had been snoring the entire night.
With all the shouting, Oliver woke up just in time to dodge one of the boots being thrown between the bunks.
The first night in the dormitory caused many cadets to have mixed feelings. Having gone through the previous day's challenges, several boys formed bonds, making the dormitory feel like a camp full of friends. At the same time, there were fifty boys in one room. The noise and smell prevented many of them from getting a wink of sleep.
Fortunately, this wasn't the case for Oliver. He was used to sleeping in noisy places. In his apartment in New San Francisco, he had shared with as many people as possible to lower the rent. The same couldn't be said for Alan, whose face showed all the exhaustion of someone who had stayed up all night.
Early in the morning, the boys headed back to the cafeteria; they didn't have much time between breakfast and classes. They were finally going to meet the professor in charge of the second battalion. The entire group seemed excited, shoving food down their throats as dozens of different conversations occurred in the hall.
Oliver and Alan were among the first to finish eating and decided to head to the training room early. Since they were still new to the island, finding the right path among the dozens of buildings sometimes took hours.
Fortunately for the boys, they didn't take long to find it. All the training buildings were located in the northern area of the island, one of the few areas shared by both battalions. The basic training building had just two floors, but it was covered in dark glass, allowing little of what happened inside to be seen by those walking around the base.
They passed several rooms, each with a hologram fixed to its door describing the next class. The entire building was dedicated to the second battalion, but each room belonged to a different barrack. After a few minutes of walking through the corridors, the boys finally found the correct class.
The room had a semi-circular bleacher where the cadets could always see the podium in the center. The boys sat in the front row, which was still empty. Gradually, the room was filled with new cadets who had finished their breakfast.
Among the newcomers was someone slightly older than the rest. His uniform was already worn and adorned with several medals. Unlike the recruits, he had dark, straight hair, cut short like other officers. A deep scar adorned his cheek.
However, the feature that shocked everyone was his glasses. They looked like a completely dark visor that encircled the officer's head.
As the young officer approached the podium, various discussions began to arise amid the whispers. Some boys already knew the officer, making him almost a star to many. Yet Oliver still didn't recognize him. In recent days, Oliver has begun to blame himself for not studying more or trying to get to know the famous people he saw on TV, especially now that he needs to learn everything in front of him.
Oliver looked around, noticing that many of the students had sparkling eyes at the sight of the captain. Even Alan, who had a personal grudge against the NEA, seemed impressed by the professor.
"Who is he?" Oliver whispered to his friend.
"Sometimes I'm amazed at how you don't know anything," Alan replied. "He's a legend. One of the few Nameless known by almost everyone."
The young officer tapped the podium to get the class's attention. "Welcome. Cadets of the second battalion, my name is Caine, and I will be the Major responsible for this class over the next three months."
Lights began to project from the floor and ceiling in front of the podium, creating a 3D display in the room's center.
"Over the next three months, you will be taught, trained, and evaluated in various aspects. Many of you will become officers; however, the main focus is on a select group that will be chosen to become Rangers." Caine paused slightly before completing his explanation.
"Pay attention! You will have to pass three of the following tests..."
// Ranger Notes //
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