The morning on Prometheus Island was clearer and more vibrant than usual. The sun was slowly rising above the horizon, painting the sky with orange and pink hues. A gentle breeze whispered through the island's tropical vegetation, making the leaves dance.
The sea rippled quietly along the shores of the island, reflecting the morning light like a mirror. A few seabirds soared towards the island's high cliffs, occasionally breaking the silence with their high-pitched cries.
The artificial educational complex in the center of the island still looked calm. The gray and sharp lines of the buildings contrasted strangely with the soft colors of nature. All around, sunlight reflected off the huge windows, creating a dazzling play of light between the structures.
In the forest, inside a large cave carved into a mountain, 60 people stood like spears, silently watching Major Kaya standing on a platform. Major Kaya surveyed the group with a languid gaze, then looked behind him at a two-meter-long rectangular object. Whatever this object was, it was covered with a gray cloth.
"Ladies," he said, looking at the group. "Two months have passed. After the garbage was sorted out, you started to look like something. "
There was no sound from the group.
No one moved a muscle.
"This will be your last qualifying exam before the second semester. But this exam is different from the ones you have taken before." Major Kaya clasped his hands behind his back and paced the platform. "After this exam, giving up will not be an option. You will start your real training in the second semester. So for those who have the intention of giving up, we are at the last exit door."
When no one spoke, Major Kaya smiled. For two months they had endured all kinds of mental abuse and torture. Those who had made it this far were real candidates who had no thoughts of giving up, who had programmed themselves to stay here until the end of the training.
"The necessary equipment will be delivered to you shortly. You will learn the details of the mission at the mission site as usual."
When Major Kaya had finished, he turned his head and looked at one of the instructors. The instructor nodded in agreement and grabbed the corner of the two-meter cover. When he lifted it, he revealed the mystery hidden underneath.
Wooo-wooo!
The howl of the wind caused the candidates in the cave to grimace. It was so sharp that few could resist the urge to cover their ears. But the sight that unfolded a moment later... left them all speechless.
The two-meter structure behind Major Kaya was one of the gateways to Paradise. It stood like a canvas left in the middle of the void.
The landscape in front of them looked as if it had been painted by a painter's brush, every detail rendered in divine harmony. A vast, lush green valley shimmered in the majestic shadows of the mountains. Snow-capped peaks rose proudly, defying the endless blue of the sky. Light clouds floated around the majestic mountains, shining like a golden veil in the sun's rays.
The flowers in the valley covered the earth like a colorful carpet. Delicate daisies, purple lavender and blue forget-me-nots blooming with childlike innocence danced gently with the wind. This dance brought peace to the heart and the scent of fresh grass and the first buds of spring filled the nostrils. As the wind gently rustled the leaves of the trees in the valley, it seemed to hum a melody: a tune both familiar and unheard.
The hard features of the candidates, the scars of months of deadly training, slowly melted like ice cubes in the face of this sight. For the first time in months, frozen gazes flickered; no one could hide the awe and fear in their eyes. No commandment or oath carried weight in the face of this splendor.
"What you see is 'Paradise'! Paradise is waiting to be conquered, my lions!" exclaimed Major Kaya.
"Step proper, forward!"
After the last person had passed through the portal, it was deactivated on Major Kaya's orders. The candidates lined up on the hill as usual and waited for further orders. Major Kaya signaled to the instructors he had brought with him.
A moment later crates of weapons and supplies were brought in on wheelbarrows.
Of course, the candidates were too enraptured to be interested in them. Yakup, in particular, was at the end of the second row. He felt that no matter how long he looked at the sight before his eyes, he could not get enough of it.
The information about Paradise shared with the buffer zones was very limited. Even for Yakup, who was able to search many databases thanks to the Vice Governor, Paradise was a complete mystery.
Once he came across the preface of a book about Paradise.
'When one sees such a scene, a storm rages in one's inner world. At first, he would fall under an indescribable spell; his eyes would lock on the sight, and for a moment he would forget to breathe. His heart would begin to beat with an unknown rhythm, as if filled with a newfound meaning in his chest. A feeling of peace and deep admiration would intertwine.'
On the one hand, a feeling of infinite happiness and gratitude enveloped his heart, and on the other, the weight of his own smallness in the face of such a beautiful place... His eyes would moisten, neither from sorrow nor from happiness, only from an overwhelming joy and awe. One would think that here everything was one, that one felt the deep meaning of life. Nature speaks to the soul; this voice brings with it an understanding beyond words.
What could this place be if not a paradise?
Today he confirmed the truth of these words with his own eyes. The light in the atmosphere was more spectacular than ordinary sunlight. It was as if everything radiated light from within. The dewdrops on the grass shone like diamonds, turning the light from the sky into thousands of tiny rainbows. A clear stream flowing down from the mountains meandered through the valley like a silver ribbon. The water was astonishingly pure and clear; it looked like a second paradise.
The piercing gaze he felt on him startled him back to his senses. Major Kaya was terrorizing him with his cold gaze. Every candidate, just like him, woke up from his dreams.
"Don't be fooled by beauty," he said in a stern tone. "Paradise is Paradise in name only. Remember that every corner is covered with horrible monsters, every inch of soil is soaked with blood and betrayal. Remember your training..."
Major Kaya's words brought everyone to their senses.
"Everyone whose name has been called should come here to collect their belongings and weapons. You will receive your test mission and be dropped off directly at the test site."
Major Kaya turned around and was replaced by one of the bespectacled instructors. This instructor from the Human Development Agency was also in charge of the Biology of Monsters course.
"Go Yongsun."
"Tengan Kaede."
"Boris Obelensky."
"Li Wei."
"Kaan Çelik."
Names were called one after another, and finally Yakup heard his own name.
"Yakup Cemil Karakurt."
He saluted the instructor, took his file and headed towards the armory. The armory was quite crowded. Kaede and Boris were examining their files with serious expressions.
Yakup opened his own file in a polite manner and read what was written in it. His mission was not complicated. He was to hunt a Class B Lightning Komodo Dragon and preserve the Beast Core within a week.
MCS 102 - The Lightning Komodo Dragon had one of the most durable skins among Class B monsters. The Lightning Komodo Dragon had an average length of 4-5 meters and weighed 1 ton. Its body was covered in scales with a dense metallic texture that could channel lightning bolts.
"Hm?"
After reading the mission details, Yakup was about to burn the file when he saw a small letter hidden at the bottom of the file. He checked the surroundings with his eyes and read the letter carefully. When he saw the words 'Secret Mission' written on the outside of the letter, he put the letter in his pocket and destroyed the file.
He had been given secret missions in tests before. These missions were assigned to individuals and had to be kept secret. If other candidates found out about the mission and reported it to the instructors, the mission holder faced serious sanctions.
"To pierce the skin of a Class B Lightning Komodo Dragon..." he muttered, thinking about what he wanted to take from the armory.
He saw Kaede waiting in a corner of the armory, winking at him. With the long-barreled gun case in his right hand and the shotgun slung across his back,he looked the picture of a full-fledged soldier
Yakup smiled and walked over to Kaede.
"Brother," Kaede said.
"My brother," Yakup replied.
They had grown closer over time. Kaede and Boris were among the people Yakup got on best with. Especially with Boris, they were like real brothers. During the 2 months they had saved each other's lives many times.
Yakup had learned a lot from Kaede and Boris.
Boris' close combat skills were among the best in the camp. Kaede was the best in the camp about how the world worked, about advanced technology. Kaede was the one he shared first place with in the theory exams.
He was happy to have them..