SpEG5-31407C, a boy with black hair and gray eyes, was the weakest of the EG5 batch. He was a joke—a wheezing, stumbling shadow compared to his peers. Whether it was running, climbing, swimming, or lifting, he lagged behind, his efforts met with jeers and taunts. Even the others in C class, the lowest tier, looked down on him. He was the below-average specimen.
He walked back to the training field to finish the run.
"Keep up, deadweight!" one of them sneered when he tumbled during the morning run. Laughter rippled through the line as the cohort continued without him, a collective tide he couldn't keep pace with.
Slowly, he began treading the ground, his soles propelling him forward. At first, he could feel the wind against him, which was nice. But soon, as always, his lungs began to burn.
His vision blurred, and tears clouded his eyes. His body screamed under the strain, but he had to persevere. He wasn't going to remain in C class forever. He was going to taste organic food. His mind wandered back to when he was Seo Jun-ho. His tongue had never done its function in this life, but in his previous life, he remembered what a pleasant experience tasting had been.
He never enjoyed music or art in this life, but in his previous life, those were things he could easily appreciate. The revelation of his previous life undoubtedly showed just how horrible his new life was. Things he had taken for granted—such as tasting meals, listening to good music, or enjoying movies, art, reading, and all other visual pleasures—were privileges only higher-tier classes enjoyed.
His conviction strengthened as his burning feet pressed forward. He would make sure to move up during the naming ceremony and, finally, after a lot of pushing, he passed the five-kilometer mark. He had done it. His legs were burning, but he had done it.
He slowed to a stumble, exhaustion threatening to pull him to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted SpEG5-31400C, his only friend, leaning against a wall. He must be done SpEG5-31407C thought
"You actually finished?" someone shouted from across the field. It was SpEG5-31405C, a wiry boy with sharp features and a smirk that always seemed to be aimed at him. "What's next? Are you going to win the naming ceremony too?"
More laughter erupted. SpEG5-31407C gritted his teeth, trying to ignore them, but the humiliation stung.
SpEG5-31400C stepped forward, his blue eyes shooting darts. "Enough, 31405C. Let's see how you feel after running it twice."
The group quieted, their gazes shifting uncomfortably. No one wanted to cross 31400C—not when he was clearly destined for A class.
SpEG5-31407C counted himself lucky. If SpEG5-31400C had been like the others, he would have been all alone in that hell they called home—isolated and underestimated, not given the time of day as the worst one.
"Let's move to the next one," SpEG5-31400C said, offering his hand to SpEG5-31407C. He pulled him up without a word, though his nod was one of approval.
It was time to do the "Triple 100," as they called it: 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, and 100 squats. SpEG5-31407C could already feel the burn just thinking about it. Would he manage?
The two boys headed to where the other 98 spawns were.
A couple of girls and boys could be seen on the ground doing push-ups, while others sat doing sit-ups, and still others did squats. There was varying ease in their performances—some breezing through the sets, others not so much. SpEG5-31407C thought that at least he wasn't alone. But then again, he was the worst of them all.
He sat down, intending to start with the sit-ups. He started strong, but by his sixth sit-up, he was already losing it. It felt as if he were being held down by the weight of the entire planet.
"Is that a sit-up or are you just flopping around?" SpEG5-31409C jeered.
The others laughed, but SpEG5-31400C's voice cut through. "Don't stop. Focus."
And so he did. He shut out the laughter, the insults, the judging stares, and pushed himself to finish the set. By the time he completed the squats, every fiber of his body burned.
When it was over, SpEG5-31407C couldn't move a single muscle. He lay on the ground, his chest heaving, while the rest of the cohort moved on to the next task. It was SpEG5-31400C who helped him to the medical bay, as always.
Mother did another round of healing with her gift before sending the two boys to the mental challenges. These ranged from cognitive enhancements to emotional control, empathy, social manipulation, and structural understanding. SpEG5-31407C found himself better in these areas, but he was still below average compared to the rest of his cohort. But it didn't matter—he was going to upgrade no matter what.
Evening soon approached, and everyone took their nutrient supplement of glob, which had no taste at all. The consumption of it was especially agonizing for SpEG5-31407C now that he remembered the taste of food.
The entire E division headed to their sleeping quarters.
SpEG5-31407C and SpEG5-31400C shared a bed and often engaged in late-night chatter. This night was no different. In fact, it was more charged with the looming naming ceremony coming up. This was the chance to move from being spawns to members of the BioSynth collective.
"How do you think I'll fare tomorrow?" SpEG5-31407C asked, as if he already knew the answer but just didn't want to acknowledge it.
SpEG5-31400C, being the intuitive person he was, could already sense his friend's worries. "You shouldn't fear what tomorrow holds. Today, you pushed your limits and achieved something. So no matter what new class you get, don't let it define you."
"I knew it; you also believe I will remain in C class," SpEG5-31407C replied.
"The classes mean nothing. We are all humans, and this class division shouldn't define who we are as individuals. So instead of asking 'What class will I get?', ask 'Which name will I get?' For that is what will truly define you. The class defines you in a group, while the name defines you as a person. Let's look forward to our names and not our class."
SpEG5-31407C was impressed by the wisdom of the 10-year-old before him. It was clear he was intelligent and would definitely become A class. Although the C class still loomed over him like a Damocles sword, he found a bit of peace. He was going to see the naming ceremony through.
Early morning came, and many of the spawns were excited; they were finally going to be integrated into society. They prepared themselves as much as they could, but there wasn't really much to prepare since they only owned white tunics.
Mother gathered the 100 spawns, as they were to use a flux gate to portal to the nearest genesis core.
The flux gate was still a bit away, but it was within walking distance, one they could all manage. Hopefully, Mother thought, as her gaze turned to SpEG5-31407C. They would also get to experience a real-world environment and not a synthesized world.
The journey to the flux gate was long, but the 100 spawns walked in a single file under Mother's watchful gaze. The air buzzed with anticipation. SpEG5-31407C couldn't marveled at the biotechnological wonders around them: bio-bridges, alive and pulsing beneath their feet, linking different sectors.
The walls themselves were alive breathing, shifting and growing in response to their surroundings. It felt like they were walking through a city made of flesh and bone rather than stone and steel, with the technology and the environment so seamlessly intertwined.
Thanks to Mother's biotechnological gift, the spawns moved effortlessly, their bodies enhanced with bio-synthetic upgrades that prevented them from tiring. The flux gate ahead pulsed with vitality, powered by living organisms that harvested energy from their surroundings.
This was the heart of the Biosynthesis faction, where technology and biology merged seamlessly. As they approached the gate, SpEG5-31407C felt the air vibrate with the resonance of the organic systems transporting them to a new world.
Mother led the single file of marching students through the gate. Beyond lay a world the spawns had never seen before, offering the worst one a chance to change his fate.