The boy strode up to Taizen and Luna with an easy grin.
"Yo yo yo, the name's Ragra. Pleasure to meet ya! What are your names?"
"Taizen"
"Hi, I'm Luna"
Luna took control of the conversation and remarked, "You look like a berserker, and you're a pure blood too."
Ragra laughed heartily, "You've got a keen eye, Luna."
"Well, I grew up on the outskirts of Nordia, so of course, I would know," Luna replied.
Ragra nodded in agreement, "Oh yes, that's true. I read up on it when I looked at your file. In fact, I've seen everyone's files, even yours, Mr. Silver."
Taizen and Luna looked at Ragra in disbelief. "How did you manage to sneak into the paperwork room?" Taizen asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Ragra just chuckled. "Oh, it was easy. I have a way with security systems," he said, tapping his temple. "And once I was inside, accessing your files was a piece of cake."
Luna looked impressed. "But isn't the paperwork room on one of the top floors? The security there is crazy. How did you possibly sneak through?"
Ragra just shrugged. "Let's just say I have my ways. And besides, sometimes it's good to have a few secrets up your sleeve, right?"
Taizen sensed a strong aura emanating from Ragra, and he knew right away that he was one of the top students in the agency. He realized that if he could keep Ragra close, he would be able to learn a lot from him.
Taizen couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration towards Ragra. Not only was he a top student in the agency, but he also came from a prestigious bloodline. It was clear that Ragra had a lot to offer in terms of knowledge and experience.
Taizen's curious eyes scanned Ragra, and he couldn't help but wonder how someone like him ended up in a place like this. Ragra's face twisted into a solemn expression as he took a deep breath and began to speak.
"Well," Ragra started, "It's a long story. As you know, I come from Nordic bloodline, and my father a famous beserker wanted me to become a warrior and follow in his footsteps. But I never wanted that life for myself. I always had a passion for exploring the unknown and testing my limits. So, I left my privileged life behind and decided to enroll in the agency."
Ragra's eyes glistened as he continued, "I wanted to experience life on my own terms, away from the comforts of my status. And I must say, it's been a wild ride so far."
Taizen listened intently, impressed by Ragra's courage to pursue his own dreams and passions despite the expectations set for him. He could sense that there was more to Ragra's story, but decided to let him share at his own pace.
Luna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "But that just doesn't make sense," she said, crossing her arms. "There's no way they would let you leave. It's almost impossible."
Ragra's face paled and he was lost for words. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to think of a response.
After a few moments of tense silence, Ragra finally spoke up. "Well, erm… I didn't exactly leave with their permission," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
Taizen leaned forward, intrigued. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Ragra took a deep breath before continuing. "Let's just say, I had to make a difficult choice. And now, I can never go back," he said, his eyes darting around nervously.
"I'm still not buying it. Tell me wha…" said Luna before she was cut off.
The lunch hall fell silent as a mysterious voice boomed through the speakers, commanding the attention of all the students.
"Attention, students. Please make your way to the back of the school, at the entrance of the forest," the voice announced, its powerful echo reverberating through the room. Everyone looked around in confusion, wondering what could possibly be happening. Some whispered among themselves, while others exchanged nervous glances. It was clear that this was not a routine announcement, and whatever was happening was bound to be significant.
Taizen, Luna, and Ragra followed the path that led to the school's forest. As they approached, they saw Mr. Piock standing there, waiting for them with a smile on his face.
"Glad to see you all made it. I hope you had a good lunch and made some new friends," he greeted them warmly.
"Now, we're here for the second part of your combat training, the second most important aspect. Running."
The three students exchanged puzzled glances, wondering what running had to do with combat training. Mr. Piock sensed their confusion and continued,
"Running is a crucial element of combat training."
As Taizen, Luna, and Ragra listened intently to Mr. Piock, he began to explain the agency's unique approach to transportation during missions.
"We take security very seriously here," he said sternly. "That's why we can't afford to use vehicles that could easily be identified. Instead, we drop you off as close as we can, and from there, you'll have to run the rest of the journey."
Luna raised an eyebrow in surprise. "But how far do we have to run?" she asked.
Mr. Piock's expression turned serious. "It varies depending on the mission," he explained. "But it's not uncommon for our agents to run for days on end to reach their objective points. It's all part of the training to build up your endurance and resilience."
Taizen nodded, impressed by the agency's commitment to physical fitness and training. "I can see why it's the second most important part of combat training," he remarked.
Ragra, on the other hand, looked a bit uneasy at the thought of running for days on end. But he knew he had to toughen up if he wanted to succeed in the agency. "I'm ready for the challenge," he said firmly.
Mr. Piock smiled. "Good," he said. "Because you'll need to be. Our enemies won't wait for us to catch up."
"Does anyone have any further questions before we begin?" Mr. Piock asked, looking around at the group of students.
One of the students spoke up, "Even if we tried for years, we would never be able to run for that long. It's impossible."
Mr. Piock nodded and replied, "Yes, that is correct. But that's where your inner power comes into play. It will boost your stamina and speed beyond your imagination. However, you still need to work on your own stamina before you're able to fully tap into your inner."
Another student raised their hand, "How do we train for that?"
Mr. Piock smiled, "By pushing yourself to your limits every day, gradually increasing the distance you can run without stopping. And of course, a healthy diet and proper rest are also important. It won't happen overnight, but with dedication and hard work, you will see improvement."
The group nodded in understanding, ready to take on the challenge. "Alright then, let's begin," Mr. Piock said, leading the group towards the start of their journey.
"Alrighty folks, listen up!" Mr. Piock's voice boomed through the forest. "We're going to take it up a notch. You'll all be running to the end of the forest and back within two hours. Easy peasy, right?" he said with a sly smirk.
Taizen raised his hand, "Excuse me, how long is the run?"
Mr. Piock's grin grew wider, "Oh, just a casual 60 miles. Piece of cake, really." The class's jaws dropped in unison, knowing full well the task was impossible.
"What happens if we can't do it?" someone asked, a hint of desperation in their voice.
Mr. Piock shrugged nonchalantly, "Oh, it'll just be noted on your final record. You know, the one that determines if you pass or fail the agency school. So no pressure, take your time," he said, his words dripping with sarcasm.
With a confident smile, Mr. Piock announced to the class, "I'm going to run with you all today, so try to keep up as much as you can." The students exchanged nervous glances, knowing that Mr. Piock was going to find it easy.
As the countdown began, Mr. Piock vanished from sight in a flash, leaving the students to sprint through the forest in his wake. Within just thirty minutes, Mr. Piock was already on his way back, having reached the end of the forest and turned around. As he glanced back, he was surprised to see Taizen still in pursuit, trailing him by only 300 meters.
But as he looked ahead, he saw a group of four students ahead of him by about 100 meters. Mr. Piock grinned mischievously and increased his speed, quickly overtaking, But as he looked ahead, he saw a group of four students ahead of him by about 100 meters. Mr. Piock grinned mischievously and increased his speed, quickly overtaking them with ease. Within 45 minutes, he had made it back to the starting point, a full 20 minutes before Taizen had finished. The other four students came in at 50 minutes, while a few others trailed behind.
As Mr. Piock congratulated the four students who finished the race just after him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration towards Taizen. It was clear that the other students were already competent in tapping into their inner power, but Taizen had managed to finish the race in 65 minutes without utilizing his inner at all.
"How did you manage that, Taizen?" Mr. Piock asked, genuinely curious.
Taizen just shrugged, a small smile on his face. "I guess I just have good stamina and endurance."
"Your running skills are truly remarkable. If I recall correctly, you must be from the Zenero bloodline. They are known to be some of the best runners naturally, but you have taken it to an elite level," Mr. Piock said, admiring Taizen's abilities.
Mr. Piock nodded in approval. "Well, you definitely surprised me, Taizen. Keep up the good work, and who knows, you might even surprise yourself in the future."
Taizen felt a sense of pride wash over him as Mr. Piock's words sank in. Maybe he didn't have the flashy powers that the others possessed yet, but he had his own strengths that he could utilize in the field for the time being.