The air felt damp against their exoskeletons. The ground carried the scent of earth and moss. In front of them stood a steep wall of rough terrain.
The surface was uneven, filled with jagged edges and narrow holds. Loose stones shifted slightly under the wind. Small patches of grass clung to the surface, thin and unreliable.
Valeria stood at the base with her arms crossed. Her posture stayed straight. Her eyes moved across the three of them one by one, steady and focused.
"Listen up." Her sharp voice carried across the rocky slope. "Your first task is to climb this terrain and reach the top."
Isla stared up at the steep wall of stone and packed, dried mud. Loose dirt shifted near her feet.
"What...?" she muttered under her breath.
Valeria's eyes narrowed.
"One wrong move and you fall. Hesitate, lose your footing, or make a bad judgment, and the only thing waiting for you below is pain."
"Uh… that's impossible," Isla said, her voice tightening as she took a small step back. Her eyes moved across the steep terrain again, searching for something solid to grab onto.
"There's no way we can climb that," she pointed upward. "There's barely anything to hold onto."
Lancelot stepped forward and unsheathed his mandibles. The metal scraped softly as he lowered them to his sides. His eyes stayed fixed on the rocky slope ahead.
"It might be rough," he said, "but we can manage if we push through."
Valeria took a slow breath before speaking.
"The use of your mandibles is prohibited," she said firmly.
"But how do you expect us to" Lancelot muttered. The words cut off as he turned toward Valeria, caught off guard. His mouth stayed slightly open for a moment.
"No way!" Isla said. "Climbing that with just our bare hands? We'll never make it!"
Ari looked over at Isla as she continued protesting.
Why is she acting like this is so difficult? Ari thought. Am I missing something…? Or are they really not able to climb walls?
A memory surfaced in his mind. Back when he was human, ants used to crawl across the walls of his home without slowing down. Vertical surfaces never seemed to stop them.
So why are they struggling with this?
Ari glanced at Isla and Lancelot again.
…Is it because they're part human and part insect?
"Quit your squabbling," Valeria said in a low, serious tone. The area immediately fell quiet.
Isla stiffened and took a small step back. "R Right… sorry…" she said with an awkward smile. Her hands trembled slightly near her sides.
Valeria let out a slow breath.
"Fine. I'll show you that it's possible."
She walked toward the rocky terrain, her feet scraping against loose gravel as she stopped at the base of the slope.
"So watch carefully."
Without hesitation, Valeria pushed off the ground and climbed onto the steep terrain. Loose dirt crumbled beneath her fingers, pebbles bouncing down the slope, but her movements never faltered.
Each grip was deliberate. Each foothold landed exactly where it needed to. Her body moved with practiced precision, steady and controlled from start to finish.
The three of them watched silently as she climbed higher. In only a few moments, Valeria reached the summit.
She straightened her posture at the top and looked down at them from above. The wind brushed against her dark hair. Then she moved again.
She descended at full speed, her armored feet striking against the rocky surface in quick succession. Despite the pace, the loose soil barely shifted beneath her steps.
A small cloud of dust rose as she landed lightly in front of them. Lancelot stared at her, slightly surprised.
Valeria lifted her chin, her sharp gaze sweeping across the group.
"There. Now you've seen it for yourselves. It can be done, so keep your complaints to yourselves."
Isla's mouth hung slightly open as she looked at Valeria.
She's so cool… and so strong…
Her fingers slowly tightened at her sides.
Will I ever be able to become that strong?
After a moment, Isla shook her head lightly. Right… I'll try my best.
Valeria cleared her throat, drawing their attention back to her.
"Remember this, worker ants may not possess the raw strength of soldiers, but they can climb terrain like this with ease, even while carrying heavy loads."
She turned slightly and gestured toward the steep slope behind her.
"They adapted through necessity," she continued. "Any slope. Any angle. They learned how to move wherever they were needed. If you intend to protect them, then you must be capable of doing the same."
A brief silence followed before she spoke again.
"Battlefields are not always flat open ground. You may be forced to fight on steep terrain, along cliffsides, or deep within narrow tunnels. When that moment comes, your inability to do so will only get them killed."
Why does that sound like more than just information? Ari thought. It almost feels like she's hinting at something… like this is some kind of test.
Beside him, Lancelot drew in a steady breath and rolled his shoulders back.
"Alright," he said with a firm nod. "I'll go first. Let's see what this slope's made of."
He stepped toward the terrain and planted both hands against the rough surface. Small bits of dirt shifted beneath his fingers.
With a grunt, he started climbing. The muscles in his arms tightened as he pulled himself upward.
His feet searched for stable footing along the uneven slope while loose earth crumbled beneath his hands. The rough surface scraped against his palms with every movement.
Slowly, he climbed higher. Five feet. Ten. Fifteen.
His breathing grew heavier as strain built through his shoulders and back. Then, near the twenty seven foot mark, his hand suddenly slipped. The loose dirt gave way beneath his grip.
"Ah..!"
Lancelot lost balance and dropped hard against the ground with a heavy thud. Dirt scattered around him as the impact echoed across the slope.
Isla winced and quickly pressed a hand over her mouth.
"Ouch… that looked painful. Are you alright, Lancelot?"
Lancelot pushed himself up from the dirt. Mud clung to his arms and exoskeleton as he brushed himself off, his jaw tightening for a brief moment.
That hurt as hell…
"I'm fine," he said. He rolled one shoulder before looking back at the steep terrain again. "The sooner we get through this, the stronger we'll become."
Ari glanced toward Isla. She looked back at him for a moment before the two quietly nodded at each other.
One by one, the three of them threw themselves back into the climb. Their fingers dug into rough stone while loose dirt crumbled beneath their hands.
Every movement demanded effort. Their arms strained as they fought for each foothold, sweat and dust slowly streaking across their faces.
Lancelot pushed himself higher with a low grunt. His forearms trembled from the constant strain, and sweat dripped into his eyes as he searched for another grip.
A little more…
He pulled himself up again. For a moment, it felt like he had finally reached the halfway point. Then his fingers slipped.
No—
"Ahhh—!"
His body lost balance instantly. Lancelot crashed back down the slope, rolling against loose dirt before hitting the ground hard. Dust burst around him on impact.
"Dammit!" he snapped, slamming a hand against the ground. "I was halfway there…"
A short distance away, Isla struggled through her own climb. Her breathing turned uneven as her feet trembled desperately against the rocky surface. Then her footing gave out.
"Aahhh!"
Lancelot looked up just in time to see her falling straight toward him. A second later, Isla landed directly on top of him with a heavy thud.
"Ow—!"
"Thank goodness…" Isla gasped, her voice shaky. "I thought I was a goner…"
She hurriedly tried to push herself up. Lancelot groaned beneath her weight. "Can you… get off me?"
He shifted slightly against the ground, trying to relieve the pressure while Isla scrambled away in embarrassment.
Days passed. Each morning brought more climbing, more falls, and more bruises. Cuts and scrapes slowly built across their hands and arms.
By the third day of training, progress was finally starting to show. Lancelot had managed to climb a little over halfway up.
Isla had only reached around a third of the way, but even that was farther than where she started. Throughout all of it, Valeria remained nearby with her arms crossed, silently watching every attempt.
Their attempts are admirable, I'll give them that, Valeria thought. But it takes more than grit and determination to reach the top.
Her gaze shifted toward Ari. The fingers of one hand tapped lightly against her arm as she watched him in silence.
Ari wiped dust across his cheek with the back of his hand and stepped away from the terrain. His breathing was rough, chest rising and falling from exhaustion.
Then he suddenly sprinted forward.
"Haaah!"
His feet slammed against the ground as he rushed toward the slope at full speed. Valeria's eyes narrowed slightly.
At the last second, Ari launched himself upward and grabbed onto the rocky surface. His legs trembled violently from the force of the movement as he tried to gain as much height as possible in a single burst.
Ari climbed rapidly, pulling himself higher while dirt crumbled beneath his hands. Halfway. Then further beyond it.
His movements slowed. The strain finally caught up to him.
Ari's body jerked as his momentum gave out, leaving him hanging from a single hand gripping a narrow stone edge. Small pebbles bounced past his face and rolled down the slope below.
Still, he kept climbing. One arm pulled. Then the other. Closer to the summit.
But then... Crack.
The stone beneath his fingers broke apart. Ari's eyes widened slightly before his grip gave out completely.
He tumbled down the rocky slope as dust and loose stones scattered around him. His body struck the ground hard enough to send another cloud of dirt into the air.
For a few seconds, he stayed down. Then, despite the pain twisting across his exhausted body, Ari slowly pushed himself back onto his feet.
Valeria watched him carefully. He's reckless...but somehow, he's getting closer each attempt.
Damn it… I can't feel my legs or my arms… but I have to reach the top. This is the only way to get through this training.
Ari's fingers dug deeper into the rough surface. Dirt crumbled under his grip and scattered past his face.
His breathing came out uneven, sharp pulls of air scraping against his throat. Every time he tried to lift himself, his arms shook so badly he nearly slipped.
Sweat ran down the side of his face and dropped into the loose soil beneath him. His shoulders burned. His chest tightened with each breath.
For a moment, his body stopped moving entirely. Below him, the slope stretched down like a wall. His eyes narrowed.
I don't know how she made it look so effortless… and I'm not sure I ever will.
Ari dragged one arm higher. Then the other. His knee scraped against the incline, barely finding support before sliding again. Small rocks rolled away beneath him.
His jaw tightened hard enough to ache. Another pull. Another breath. His vision blurred for a second.
The wind brushed against his face as he slowly lifted his head. The edge of the summit sat just above him now.
Only a short distance remained, but his arms trembled violently the moment he tried to push again. Ari stared at the ground in front of him, breathing hard.
Then he moved.
With the last reserves of strength, he threw himself upward and caught the edge of the slope. His fingers sank into the loose soil.
Muscles in his arms tightened painfully as he forced himself higher inch by inch. Dirt pressed beneath his palms. His elbows finally cleared the ledge.
A strained breath escaped him as he dragged the rest of his body onto solid ground. He collapsed flat against the summit. For several seconds, he didn't move at all.
Valeria's eyes widened, a rare crack forming in her composed expression.
"What…?" Her voice slipped out under her breath before sharpening again. "He actually made it…"
Below, Isla stared upward with her mouth slightly open.
"Lance… Ari actually reached the top!" The words rushed out of her unevenly. "No way…"
Lancelot blinked once, then let out a quiet laugh through his nose.
"Well, would you look at that…" He folded his arms loosely. "Ari's seriously unbelievable sometimes. I don't even know how he pulled that off."
At the summit, Ari's body continued trembling against the ground. His arms twitched every time he tried to move them.
"I did it…" he muttered weakly. "Finally…"
Valeria stepped toward him, her armored feet pressing into the dirt with heavy crunches. She stopped beside him and gave a single nod.
"That was impressive. All of you pushed yourselves further than expected." Her eyes shifted toward Ari. "But especially you. You kept climbing after failing over and over again."
Ari managed a tired smile. It disappeared the moment Valeria's gaze hardened.
"However, this training was never meant to push you to the edge of death. I made it look easy for a reason. But apparently that fact couldn't make it through those thick skulls of yours."
She lifted one foot slightly off the ground. Rows of sharp claws extended from beneath it.
"All ants are born with these. They allow us to grip surfaces naturally. Even terrain that looks impossible to climb."
Silence settled over the group. Isla's expression slowly fell apart. Her lips trembled.
"So…" Her voice cracked softly. "You're telling me I suffered through all of that for nothing…?"
Lancelot rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled.
"I mean… it explains a lot." He glanced down at his feet. "We weren't soldiers before this. And we definitely weren't worker ants. Nobody ever taught us how to use them."
Then his eyes shifted toward Isla. "Hold on. Weren't you a worker ant? How did you not know this?"
Isla wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I never needed to climb anything before," she admitted quietly, avoiding his gaze.
Lancelot stared at her for a moment before sighing through his nose. "That's actually kind of impressive in its own way."
He shifted his footing and slowly pressed his claws into the slope. The sharp tips caught instantly. Lancelot paused.
Then he started climbing. This time, the dirt barely moved beneath him. His body stayed balanced as he ascended steadily up the incline.
"Huh…" He looked down briefly, surprised. "Okay, that's way easier."
Isla blinked, then hurried toward the slope. After a brief hesitation, she copied his movements. Her claws dug into the terrain naturally, locking her in place.
A second later, she climbed upward without slipping once. The two reached the summit moments later.
Ari remained slumped against the ground, breathing unevenly. A weak laugh escaped him.
"Wow… would've been nice to know that before I almost died climbing this thing."
Valeria gave a short smirk.
"Welcome to training. Lesson one. Adapt or die."