Raider HQ Gymnasium.
Damien had a surprisingly peaceful night of sleep in preparation for his classes today. After talking with Luka, he'd learned that the little girl he'd risked his life for was being looked after by the Raider Corps and would be placed in a new home soon.
Unfortunately, Luka didn't know what happened to the drunk... nor did he care.
But the real reason for his peaceful slumber was that, for the first time since touching that rock, the wailing was gone. Luka had explained that HQ's walls were blocking Particle sensing in both directions. Nothing outside could feel them. Nothing inside could feel out.
His mind was finally clear.
"Attention maggots!" Damien and Luka straightened, following what the other dozen or so Raider cadets in their line were doing as a man with a chiseled jaw and a vein-mapped bald head, clad in dark military greens, paced on the blue mats in front of them.
"I don't care if you come from a lineage of Raiders. If you stumbled upon a fragment one day and were blessed by the high heavens. Or if you're a piece of shit scavenger who we caught!" The man stopped and pressed himself inches from Luka's face. "All of you are Raiders now. And as your combat instructor, I only have 6 weeks to shape you into well-oiled monster-killing machines before you're the ones raiding those Islands!"
Luka shakily raised his hand. "Sir... I'm not a scavenge..."
"Did I say you could speak, maggot!"
"No, sir!" Luka straightened even more.
Damien couldn't help but laugh lightly at Luka and at how ridiculous their instructor was. He obviously read too many books on how old military men used to dress and behave, considering that Raiders don't wear these types of uniforms, but instead cloaks for better concealment.
His laugh drew the instructor's attention.
Ah shit...
He slid over to Damien, who was now sweating.
"Oh, did I say something funny, boy? Please share with the class?" As Damien was about to profusely shake his head, an obnoxious laughter drew everyone's attention.
At the opposite end of the line, a small girl with her auburn hair tied back was belly-laughing, wiping tears from her eyes.
The instructor stormed over to the girl.
Luka nudged Damien's shoulder. "Lucky bastard."
"I'm sorry, sir, it's just those two boys are so dumb. My mother told me they were prodigies, so I was nervous, but they don't look the part at all."
The instructor sighed, feeling oddly pressured.
"Your name, cadet?"
"Summer Voss."
After a tense silence, he said calmly. "Give me one hundred situps for your tone. Don't let it happen again, young lady."
"Okie."
As Summer sweated out her situps, she looked over to the glaring prodigies and winked.
"You're welcome," she mouthed.
However, the other cadets looked at the duo with obvious disdain, most of them freshly eighteen or nineteen, though a few were much older. Damien didn't care, noting that all of their Particle counts were indeed below 700, some of them being half that, even the head director's daughter, Summer, whose count was only 632.
Their affinities were all elemental-based, blending together.
I really am something else, he smacked on his gum.
Then the instructor positioned himself in the middle of the line, his voice ordering eyes. "Pair up with someone whose particle count is close to yours. We're going to see how well you chicken shits fight."
***
After changing into their standard-issued skin-tight combat suits, the cadets took turns sparring on the blue mats. Summer took down her opponent with ease, her skills reflecting the gruesome training her monstrous mother probably put her through by the time she could barely say, "Mama."
Even though Damien's count was significantly higher than hers, 1010 now, and he could sense her movements through her Particles, he didn't see a way to beat her.
She was truly a monster.
He was still thinking about that when the next pair stepped onto the mats.
The oldest in the class, Sam, was at least 50 but wore a youthful expression as he fought. Only 18, Julius sneered insults at the old man, saying he needed hip replacements before he could take him down. In the end, the old man's life experiences won. He grappled the kid to the mat, putting him in a headlock, making him tap.
"Haha, did you see how purple his face got?" Luka whispered to Damien, jokingly. "You'd better be careful, or I'll smack ya just like that."
Damien smiled. "Sure, buddy."
Seeing the prodigies' joyful expressions, Julius pushed himself up from the mat. "What are you two laughing at, huh? I don't care if your Particle count triples mine, I'll kill you the next time you laugh at me." He charged at Damien, fist reared back.
Damien frantically waved his hands. "I didn't mean it like that, I swear." Inwardly, he cursed at his idiot friend for making him laugh.
This brat is so slow though...
"STOP!" The instructor's voice froze the boy. Then the kid shot Damien a dirty look — a look that promised they weren't done before stomping off.
After things had settled down, the instructor ordered Damien and Luka to the mats.
"Remember, no abilities, straight hand-to-hand combat... Show the rest of us what prodigies are made of. So far, I only see two wimps who got lucky." He brought his hand down. "Begin!"
Luka's expression turned maniacal, jumping. "You ready?"
Damien's face hardened like stone, chewing more intensely. "Yeah."
Neither wanted to let the other have the right to gloat.
Then Luka lunged forward, his fist shooting toward Damien's jaw. Acting on only his own speed, neglecting his Particle sense to better practice his fundamentals, Damien ducked under the punch and delivered a gut shot.
Air erupted from Luka's lungs.
But he was already spinning, a roundhouse kick counter prepared.
Maybe because Damien had grown too used to his Particle sense already, but it was faster than he anticipated. His arm was late to block, the kick slamming his waist.
They separated.
It was obvious to the spectators who had the upper hand by their breathing. Of course, it was Damien. Although particle counts mostly enhanced the magic a Raider possessed, while realms reshape the Raiders' bodies, enhancing physical attributes, Particles also slightly boost physicals.
The Particle count difference was a lot for Luka to make up for with his limited fighting experience. And as the duo traded blows, it became obvious as to who was more skilled.
Luka.
The instructor glanced at his charts. Besides the Island break a few days ago, he's never even fought before, but his techniques would already put him at the top of the class. They're almost an even bout.
The other one isn't bad either... he just got out of a coma, and he's fighting like this already? I can tell he's not using his sensory ability.
A chill crept down the instructor's spine. They're monsters. With my tutelage, they will definitely lead us one day.
Damien swiped Luka's fist, leaving him wide open. His friend's eyes bulged like a frightened cat, realizing he couldn't dodge the fist hurtling at his face.
Looks like I take this one, Damien thought smugly.
Just then, however, an overwhelming amount of Particles burst in from the balcony. Damien shifted half of his attention to it, then his full attention as he saw a man with dark skin wearing a black cloak.
He removed the hood, revealing a deadpan expression, his piercing eyes fixed on Damien.
I've felt these Particles before... Captain Jaelyn?
Smack!
Suddenly, Damien was in a world of hurt as Luka's foot nearly split his groin in two.
He doubled over as everything went white.
"HAHAH, I told you to be careful."
Ring!
Ring!
A bell rang over the gymnasium, and the cadets began shuffling to their next class: Island 101. Luka thought about waiting for Damien, but given Damien's current state and not wanting to have another instructor hate his guts, he left the gymnasium.
"I'll save you a seat."
"For what it's worth, you fought surprisingly well." Summer lifted Damien to his feet.
"Thanks..."
After an awkward silence, she patted his shoulder and exited the gymnasium.
Damien grabbed at his stomach. Couldn't you have hit me anywhere else? Dickhead!
Then, like a gust of wind, Captain Jaelyn appeared at his side.
"I need to ask you a few questions pertaining to the Island break."