Amazing! Such agility! Is this really what it means to be Spartan? Zandov thought, his eyes involuntarily glancing in Grim's direction.
I see. So he had barely been using his strength back then. This is more than I imagined! And to think that I have such potential waiting to be unearthed!
Zandov looked back at Percy whose eyes were still wide in shock. He was still in a stupor, unable to believe what was happening.
The rest of the cadets were equally shocked, Marceline even had her hand on her mouth. She had gasped in shock.
Ichor glanced in Sal's direction, his eyes narrowed. He was also shocked, he was just better at hiding it than the others.
"Three months! You all have three months to get to that level." Horace pointed at the doll-like robot named Kuthumi.
"That's impossible!" Zandov blurted.
"It's like trying to teach a toddler to become a martial arts master in a few months." Yvonne commented in agreement to Zandov's words.
Lassen looked like he wanted to say something but Irene patted his arm, shaking her head.
"Nothing is impossible. If a toddler goes to hell and back, I assure you, he will be more than a martial arts master." Horace spoke slowly. His golden pupils gazed at the youths, a sudden hunger which hadn't been there previously bursting forth.
The cadets suddenly felt like they had been plunged into a deep well with a wild beast staring at them hungrily.
"In three months, I'll be sure to whip you all into shape. Just like metals, after passing through my forge, you'll become the next finest batch of Spartans."
"You'll all take turns entering the Biotube. It will carry out an in-depth scan on your physique and let us know what we are working with. The rest of you that are not currently in the Biotube should go to Horace. Tell him the weapon you want created."
….
Ichor walked out of the Biotube, he was the last to go in. He didn't wait to see the result and instead went to meet Sal.
"Why the rush?" he asked. Sal looked at Ichor with deep eyes.
"As expected, you noticed. Seems like you aren't the only one." Sal commented, glancing in the direction of the rest of the cadets.
"The war between north and south is getting more intense and crimes are rising. We might be able to keep spies out of our military ranks but we can't do so among the citizens. Chaos is brewing and the royal military alone isn't enough to handle it all."
"So we are the emergency squad?"
"More than that. You are the stoppers." Sal chuckled. He sighed, adjusted his cap before turning around to leave.
"The next three months will be hell for you all, but the following ones will most likely be worse. Don't worry though, I'll make sure you get your reward for the spar before sending you off."
Ichor watched as Sal left the forge, his gaze unreadable. He turned around when he heard footsteps approaching him.
It was Grim and the rest of the cadets.
"Well, I'll be off now. You've all done the necessary things, all that's left now is training. I'm guessing it will be handled by someone higher up."
"Why is the base so scanty?" Percy suddenly asked. Grim paused for a moment, his brows furrowed as he debated whether he should answer.
"You'll know when you become sergeants. For now, focus on training."
Grim bid the cadets farewell as he also left the forge, leaving them standing, at a loss for what to do.
"What do you think you are doing?!"
The youths suddenly turned around, shocked at the volume of Horace's voice. The stout man yelled at them, his hand making gestures.
"Your training has begun! You will all take turns battling Kuthumi until you can't move anymore. To forge the best iron, you have to beat the shit out of it first!"
The cadets all looked at each other, even Ichor looked hesitant. It was one thing to fight an enemy you stood a chance against and it was another thing to fight an enemy you couldn't even begin to compare to.
But then he remembered. He remembered the vision he had of his mother, he remembered his goal, and he remembered the pain in his left socket. He could still feel the hollowness even though it was now filled.
He steeled his resolve, glancing around at the other cadets.
"There's no time to waste. I mean, how bad could it be?"
***
"Ostyn, what brings you here?"
Sal adjusted his cap, his head lowered as he stood respectfully before the figure behind the desk.
The office was rather dark and only a few things were visible.
To the left, just beside the seated dark figure was a pair of glowing green mechanical eyes, reminiscent of Kuthumi.
The dark figure himself had a pair of glowing blue eyes, lighter than Sal's but way deeper. One could see the slight wrinkles at the edge and the wisdom contained within.
On the desk, a plaque made of ebony and golden patterns glimmered dimly, on it was a single word in gold: Commander.
"Your honour, the cadets have officially begun their training. Everything is going smoothly."
"Hmm." The dark figure replied. He stood up from his seat, his dark figure slowly walking towards Sal, stepping into the light.
"What are your opinions on them?" the man asked as he stood before Sal.
He was a large man, standing at almost seven feet. His hair, which was partially revealed, was copper and he looked to be middle-aged.
He was a member of the Laforde family.
"They are promising. Very promising." Sal replied. His head remained low, it was obvious that he revered the figure before him.
"It's been a while since we've received the distress call. They must be ready as soon as possible."
Sal nodded his head. He turned around to leave when he heard the commander speak once more.
"I smell danger."
Sal's eyes widened, his body trembling a bit as he took deep breaths to calm himself. He slowly turned his head around, gazing at the figure who was now staring at a dark corner.
"Sir… you don't mean…."
"I don't know what I mean, Ostyn. All I can say is… the smell is familiar…"
The man suddenly walked to the corner, what he was looking at was obscured and Sal couldn't tell.
The man looked over his shoulder, he chuckled in a self-deprecating manner before sighing.
"Blue blood."