The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when Kai awoke, the first light of dawn casting a gentle glow across the room. He rolled out of bed, his body feeling lighter than usual as if the gravity of the day had not fully set in yet. He looked around, his eyes still heavy with sleep, taking in the spartan furnishings of the room he shared with his fellow recruits. The sound of distant chirping birds and the faint rustle of leaves outside the window filled the quiet space, creating a serene atmosphere that was a stark contrast to the rigorous training that awaited them.
With excitement bubbling in his chest, Kai dressed in the academy-issued gear and made his way to the mess hall. The smell of breakfast wafted through the corridors, a mix of eggs and bacon that made his stomach growl in anticipation. As he entered, the clatter of dishes and the murmur of early morning conversations grew louder. The room was abuzz with the energy of those who had completed their morning routines and were eagerly awaiting the day's adventures.
The quiet rustle of leaves accompanied the soft patter of rain as Kai took a solitary stroll through the academy's garden. It had been a peculiar week; every dawn, his hand had emerged from the bonfire unscathed. The scales on his back grew, stretching like a second skin, hinting at something extraordinary within.
-|DAILY QUEST COMPLETE|-
-|10 XP ADDED TO EXP|-
Kai's system was displayed after he completed his daily heat absorption from the sun. His system had started to give him different weird quests to complete daily, including the daily sticking of his hand in the fire. He had started to form a resistance towards fire and the scales on his back had started to expand exponentially forming an armor around him.
Kai joined the rest of his teammates at the training court. The trainer was yet to arrive so Kai decided to meditate as they waited for the trainer to come. The morning sun soon disappeared revealing the harsh afternoon sun.
"And where do they intend to go." Colonel Davide called drawing Kai's attention away from his meditation. Some teammates had already started to leave and behind the Colonel were two recruits. They had not been present all morning. Taking his sunglasses off he commanded the team to form a line.
Taking action immediately, they all formed two sets of lines of five recruits each. "Today we'll be focusing on our skills and how to use them appropriately. Hmmm!!" The Colonel let out a sigh as he walked in the middle of the recruits. "Now form a line according to the node you bear." Kai didn't want to feel left out. "But sir what if I am yet to have a skill?"
"Just join any of the lines."
There were four different lines meaning four different nodes were present, water had two people, Annika and Bjorn. Lightning had only Erik present, Sound had 3 people, while Magic had 4 Kai inclusive.
"Let's begin." The teams were tasked with displaying the skills they had already acquired. Starting with water. Annika started displaying a beautiful control of her water conversation skills. She was able to extract water from the air before converting it to ice and then back to gas. A round of applause followed after the display,
"Looks like you're the only one without a clear skill, Kai." Annika teased with a smirk as she twirled a droplet of water around her index finger. Kai felt a pang of self-consciousness, his hand instinctively reaching for the back of his shirt where the scales lay hidden. Bjorn was next. He was ranked blue but still needed water to display any skill, being able to only form an ice fist.
"The essence of this practice is to show the control you have over your node." Erik displayed next, drawing the attention of even the other recruits who were practicing differently. He was a master of his skills and had a unique technique he used for control.
The sound team had little to display since they all had the same skills and were in the black rank. Listening was a very unique skill and if developed well the user could detect the next move of any opponent easily.
The magic node bearers were the next to display their skills. They all had different skills unique to themselves. Frode displayed a charming skill used for the control of non-living objects.
"That will be all today, get some rest tomorrow. The next challenge begins the day after." The Colonel said after observing his trainees for the longest hours of the day. They were all exhausted.
The sound of a distant bell pierced the tranquil silence, signaling the arrival of the weekend. It was the first free day in months, and the excitement in the air was palpable. Recruits scurried around, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. The prospect of seeing their families was a beacon of light in the rigorous training routine.
"Tomorrow we get to go outside." Frode grinned from ear to ear as he landed his hands across Kai's shoulders. Kai kept a blank expression. "Oh! You don't know. Tomorrow is a free day for the academy. We get to visit our families or they visit us."
"So I get to see my sister again." Kai jumped happily hugging Frode tightly.
The rest of the day flew like a bird, bringing dawn to a new day. Kai hurriedly got off the bed, as he prepared to go out into the city.