A deep, resonating horn echoed across the field, and immediately, the expressions of the students turned serious. They began searching for their designated teammates, confirming their positions as the start of the training loomed.
The Academy's formation training followed strict military discipline. Every five students formed a squad, with a temporary leader who rotated monthly. Ten people would then form a platoon with a permanent squad leader, while a hundred made up a company led by a Commander of the Hundred.
Seris Velan quickly found his place within the team. On his left was a simple, stout teenager named Xandor Ironclad, with a friendly but naive expression. His family owned a modest stretch of astral farmland, enough to comfortably support them.
On Seris' right stood a round-faced girl with a bit of baby fat, her small tiger-like tooth showing whenever she smiled. Her name was Lyra Moonveil, the daughter of a well-off tea merchant in the city.
Next to Lyra was a striking young man with a sharp, fair face, exuding a sense of elegance. His name was Orion Starshade, the son of a family of gemstone traders. He had been trained in astral martial arts since childhood and was the only entry-level practitioner of celestial techniques in their group.
To the far right, there was a scrawny youth with quick, darting eyes, always seeming on edge, as though he was constantly scanning for something to steal. His name was Kal Jin, the son of a modest boatman who ferried goods along the celestial rivers. Kal had been helping his parents steer their boat since childhood and was known for his quick reflexes and survival instincts.
The five of them made up a squad, and for now, Xandor Ironclad served as their temporary squad leader.
Woo! Woo! Woo!
The horn blared a second time, and everyone immediately stiffened, eyes fixed straight ahead. The training grounds, with hundreds of students standing in neat rows, became eerily quiet, the silence so deep that even the sound of breathing was audible.
Pat! Pat!
Suddenly, the frantic sound of running footsteps shattered the silence. A pudgy young man came sprinting towards the training grounds, hastily tugging at his clothes to straighten them. His face was flushed, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Everyone noticed him, and though some suppressed smiles, they dared not make a sound.
Woo! Woo! Woo!
As the third horn echoed, a towering figure appeared in the distance, walking with powerful strides. The sound of the horn stopped just as he reached the front of the assembled students, his arrival perfectly timed, as if to emphasize his commanding presence.
The figure was broad-shouldered, with a chest like a bull and the waist of a bear. He wore a set of well-worn leather armor, a large, menacing saber strapped to his side. His face was marked by a thick circle of facial hair, with a long, jagged scar cutting across his cheek, giving him a ferocious appearance.
This was none other than Instructor Kaelan Vortex, the Academy's infamous Military Formation trainer. Known for his ruthlessness and strict discipline, the students had secretly nicknamed him "Burly Demon Kaelan" for his harsh methods.
His mere presence sent shivers down the spine of even the most confident among them, and no one dared to disobey or show any hint of weakness under his watchful gaze.
The real training was about to begin, and everyone braced themselves for what was sure to be a grueling day under Kaelan Votex iron command.
" Cygni Solis, come out!"
The chubby, pale-skinned boy who had arrived late shuffled out of the queue, his expression guilty.
"Do you know your crime?"
"I know, I know, I was late."
"Five lashes."
Immediately, someone held him down, and the whip struck five times. The pain made the little round boy cry, his tears and snot splattering across the ground. Once finished, he rejoined the group to resume training.
The current training involved battalions of one hundred people forming squares. Several battalions combined to create larger formations, practicing the art of keeping a stable formation while advancing, retreating, and turning left or right.
In truth, formation training wasn't particularly exhausting. As long as you were focused, it only made you sweat a little after an hour.
"Brother! Let's go eat. I'm starving, haven't eaten enough for days."
As soon as the training disbanded, Seris' younger brother ran over eagerly.
Seris' teammates had already dispersed, except for Karn Vo, who seemed lost in thought. Seris invited him to join them, and Karn happily agreed.
The three of them received their free meals, courtesy of the Academy. The two brothers, their appetites ravenous the past few days, devoured their portions quickly. Seris even spent some credits to buy two pounds of cooked astral beast meat to satisfy their hunger.
They sat together, eating and chatting. Karn Vo remained mostly quiet, only speaking a word or two now and then, content to listen.
After dinner, the brothers headed off to their literacy classes. Though over five hundred recruits had joined the Academy this cycle, only a handful attended the literacy course. Like many impoverished families, Seris and his brother couldn't afford the ten silver astral shards required for formal schooling growing up.
Others were already studying the cultivation of astral energy, leaving the brothers significantly behind. The Academy demanded that all students reach novice astral adept level within a year. This meant mastering an internal astral energy technique, becoming proficient in a combat skill, and achieving the strength to manipulate at least three hundred astral weights.
Once the literacy lesson ended, the brothers rushed to their medical course, foundational for all who trained in martial arts.
The medical instructor was a man of advanced age, yet with a youthful glow in his face, seated serenely at the head of the class.
Seris Velan spent five or six hours carefully clearing out half of the densely grown astral herbs. What remained were the healthiest ones, forming a small glowing pile in the corner of the astral space.
These could only be air-dried in batches within the room. Once prepared, they should fetch a good price in the astral markets.
After finishing the various tasks of the day, Seris reviewed the day's lessons within the astral space. The fact that time flowed twenty times slower here allowed him to thoroughly master each concept and technique.
Days turned into weeks, and then half a year passed. During this time, through disciplined training and study, Seris finally learned the basics of astral writing and could confidently locate the body's energy meridians and pressure points needed for astral medical practices. At last, he was ready to begin cultivating his internal astral energy.
In this half-year period, several students had already advanced to novice astral adepts, their cultivation of inner strength and mastery of martial skills evident.
Every time Seris Velan watched them channeling astral energy or practicing their combat techniques, he couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. Their smooth movements, the glowing trails of energy left behind in the wake of their attacks, reminded him how far he still had to go.
Despite his unique advantage of the astral space, where time slowed and allowed him to study at an accelerated pace, Seris often felt frustrated. His progress seemed painfully slow in comparison.
Meanwhile, his younger brother, who lacked the benefit of the astral space, advanced at a pace that was no less than his own. In fact, Torin Velan learning progress seemed almost effortless. Every time Seris saw his brother swiftly mastering complex techniques or recalling details from lessons with ease, he couldn't help but marvel.
Torin possessed a natural intelligence and adaptability that Seris admired. Whether it was in the handling of astral energy or memorizing the intricacies of meridians and pressure points, Torin seemed to grasp concepts with minimal effort.
His growing proficiency in astral martial arts stood out, and Seris often found himself both proud and slightly overshadowed by his younger brother's abilities.
Where Seris had to painstakingly review lessons in the astral space to master the material, Torin seemed to intuitively understand it on the first try.
This difference left Seris both amazed and introspective, wondering whether it was Torin's innate talent or his own limitations that accounted for the gap in their progress. Nonetheless, Seris was determined.
Watching Torin succeed only fueled his desire to work harder, determined to catch up and prove himself worthy, not just to others but to himself.