Spartans?
The same thought resonated through the minds of all the youths. Even Grim seemed to have a look of pride and reverence on his face as he heard the solemn name.
Sal paused for a moment, making sure his words sank into the deepest core of the youths before he continued.
"Humans have been limited for a long time, relying on technology and martial arts to surpass the limits of their bodies, but none have ever been able to succeed."
"A few became stronger than the masses, and some even became akin to gods among men, legends in the hearts of their fellow humans. But they were all still humans, nothing more."
Sal paused, his eyes glancing around as he stared at the youths one after the other.
"Who can tell me why?"
None of the youths replied. While some thought they knew the answer, they also knew that in such a moment, it was better to pay attention to every word coming out of Sal's mouth than to prove their intelligence.
"The human limit," Grim replied, and Sal nodded in acknowledgment.
"That's right, the human limit."
The youths all paid attention to the word. While it didn't seem strange, its true meaning was foreign to them.
"Legend has it that humans have a limit, a cap on their potential, a mountain peak that they can never surpass. Normal humans wouldn't even approach this peak in their lifetime, and the rare few who did were praised as apotheons."
"Well, humans have once again proven themselves as the ultimate species. We've found a way to stretch and potentially surpass this limit."
This time, there were reactions from the youths. The likes of Lassen and Zandov were baffled, while Percy and the other nobles were only mildly surprised.
They'd heard something similar whispered among their elders who were also in the royal army special squad.
"The pool?" Ichor asked.
"Yes. The pool in Golgotha," Sal replied. He took a step back, gesturing for the short man beside him to take the front stance.
The man nodded. He cleared his throat and began to speak, his voice deep and reverberating.
"The pool has just one function: it increases the height of the mountain. This way, the new peak is one that, when attained, would make one surpass the standards of a human."
"I am Horace, the blacksmith. I'm in charge of everything you'll be using, from weapons to armor. But before you can use anything in here, you have to be strong enough not to die on contact."
"What?" Yvonne blurted out, her face going red immediately as she realized she had accidentally voiced her inner thoughts.
"Yes. Every metal here is extremely powerful, and the most powerful elements tend to have effects on normal humans. You've all been in Golgotha, but for now, you are yet to surpass human standards." Horace chuckled as he turned around, walking away from the youths.
"Touching or having contact with what you are not supposed to can kill you," he added.
Sal followed after Horace, raising his hand to gesture for the youths to follow him.
"In order to qualify to receive anything from here, you have to prove you are worthy to wield them," Horace continued his explanation, his metallic boots making tapping sounds as he walked.
He pointed to a particular area where a large silver shield was hung. It stood out due to its particularly reflective surface and the fact that it was plain; pure silver with no design whatsoever.
"That shield weighs almost four thousand pounds and is extremely radioactive. With a few tweaks and experiments, it will become a truly powerful weapon, and it will most likely weigh even more. You all can barely support a thousand kilograms of weight."
"There are seven ranks in the military. Cadet is a term used to refer to all ranks under captain, which are lieutenant, sergeant, and recruit in descending order. The difference between each rank is not just experience but strength," Sal added.
The youths nodded their heads as Horace led them to a special corner in the forge. It looked like a training center, one that was specially designed for certain purposes.
"This is our testing center. That tube is used to examine your physique, while that robot is a sparring partner to know your general combat prowess."
The tube in question was like the transport tank that had been used to bring Ichor out of Golgotha. It was like a refrigerator with many tubes attached to it and a transparent cover.
The robot was as simple as they came; it looked more like a wooden puppet than a robot. It had dark ebony skin with interlocking joints and very few screws.
Its only distinctive feature was its eyes, which were currently glowing green.
"And how do we qualify? How do you know when we are worthy?" Percy asked.
Horace looked back at him, his golden eyes glowing as he chuckled. He chuckled more and soon, he was laughing.
"How brazen! I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting that from someone of your clan!" Horace finally spoke, his voice filled with amusement.
"Fine! Bravery is needed to become a Spartan!"
Horace walked forward, heading to the doll-like robot. He opened a compartment at the back of its neck and touched a few things before closing it back up.
"It's quite simple, actually. To become worthy, you just have to defeat it." Horace said, pointing to the robot.
"It has been set to the standards of a sergeant. Defeat it, and you become a sergeant on the spot, same rank as Grim."
Percy immediately took a step forward. Horace chuckled, pointing to a corner where a rack of weapons lay.
Percy went over, coming back a few moments later with a gleaming silver greatsword. He placed both hands on the hilt, his stance steady as he prepared for battle.
"Ready?" Horace asked Percy as he walked to a table in the corner. He picked up his brown antiquated pipe and lit it. He then turned around and gave Sal a glance.
Sal nodded in return.
"Begin!"
The moment the words left Sal's mouth, the robot moved from its position, its speed nothing short of stunning.
Woosh! Bang!
Everyone stared in shock at the sight before them. In the blink of an eye, Percy had gone from standing to being pinned on the floor.
Fwoooo!
Horace let out a cloud of smoke from his lips as he spoke to the youths,
"Oh, I forgot to add. Be careful. After all, Kuthumi is Spartan."