Chapter 34 | Method and Rank

Knock Knock

A few seconds went by.

THUD THUD

Leon was standing outside of Nyra's room. He glanced at the corner of his vision where he had the time displayed.

0530

What is she doing? We are going to be late.

The doors to Nyra's room parted. She shuffled out barefoot, one hand scrubbing at her eyes, the other lazily scratching her stomach. Her chestnut hair stuck out in uneven waves, and one sleeve of her shirt hung low off her shoulder.

"Is it time for breakfast?" Nyra asked, still half-asleep.

Leon stood there shocked at what he was seeing.

He was confused about which was the real Nyra. The one with a neutral expression who constantly analyzed her surroundings and everyone in them, or the one currently in front of him who seemed to think about food way more than he did.

He snapped out of his daze after a few seconds. 

"WE NEED TO GO!" he shouted louder than he had intended. He was anxious about being late on the first day of official training.

He pushed into the room while Nyra was still half asleep, scratching her head and yawning. Leon opened her closet and grabbed a set of uniform and her boots.

"Hurry up and get changed," he shoved the clothes into her hand and pushed her toward the bathroom.

"But I need new underwear," Nyra said while being pushed.

Leon paused and just looked at her.

"It's in the left drawer," she stated as she walked into the bathroom.

He shook his head, went to the closet, and opened the drawer to grab her undergarments.

As he was closing the drawer, an item that looked like a piece of paper fell out. He picked it up and saw it was a partially burnt photograph. 

In it, a younger Nyra—maybe twelve or thirteen—stood between two adults. The woman had Nyra's honey-brown eyes and warm smile, while the man's face was partially burned away, leaving just enough to see he had the same chestnut hair as his daughter. They stood in front of what appeared to be a shop of some kind, modest but well-maintained.

"These must be her parents," Leon muttered. The image struck him, not just for the glimpse into Nyra's past, but for the careful way the photograph had been preserved despite the damage.

"Did you get it yet?" Nyra asked loudly. Leon set the picture back into the drawer and walked toward the bathroom.

"I got it"

The bathroom door slid open just enough for Nyra to stick her hand out. He handed her the fresh undergarments and waited.

He checked the time.

0542

We should make it, he thought as he pulled up the map to find the fastest route.

Six minutes later, they were sprinting across the grounds of Fort Ferros. The early morning air was still cool on their faces. The sky was shifting from black to deep purple, with hints of copper just starting to show on the horizon. The ground was rough beneath their feet, the red soil hardened by the footsteps of many who had run this path before.

"Hurry! Run faster," Nyra shouted while turning back to look at Leon.

"Who do you think is the reason we have to be running?" Leon grumbled, his legs burning from the sprint.

"What was that?" Nyra glared at him while slowing down to let him catch up.

"Nothing," he replied quickly, knowing better than to press the issue when her eyes had that particular sharpness to them.

The training field was just around the corner of the building they were running past. When it came into view, he could see all one thousand recruits standing in formation, separated by groups just as when they had formed up after landing. The sun was still not up, but the instructors were already at the front of each group. He glanced at the time.

0601

Late.

"It's an honor for you to join us. Stand outside of the group's formation," Instructor Zell ordered Leon and Nyra.

They both fell in at the back of the formation, leaving a gap between them and the recruit at the end of the formation. All the recruits were standing at attention with their faces straight ahead, but Leon couldn't help feeling like he was being watched and judged. His picked up on subtle shifts as recruits' eyes darted in their direction, quickly returning to forward positions before the instructors could notice.

A minute later, Warcenturion Vauhn came into view. 

"Good morning, recruits. Today is the start of your official training," he began, his voice carrying across the field without effort. "Your performance in basic training will determine your future specialization. Preference is given based on your standing compared to your group as well as the whole training dravora. Remember, you are part of the future leaders of the Imperial Covenant. We will also be grading you with that in mind."

The Warcenturion paused and glanced at every single recruit. Leon could have sworn he saw the officer's eyes twitch and a slight frown form on his face when his gaze landed on him.

Great. Already singled out on the first day.

"Carry on," the Warcenturion said and walked away, his departure somehow making the air feel lighter despite the oppressive heat that was already building as dawn approached.

"Group A, follow me," Instructor Zell ordered. The group followed him to the other end of the field. Around them, the other groups had also moved to find spots in the field away from one another.

"At ease," Instructor Zell said as soon as they got to their designated spot. "Everyone can take a seat on the ground. Except you two. For being late assume the plank position and hold until I say otherwise."

What's a plank?

Leon looked around, unsure of what was expected. Nyra, however, dropped to the ground, palms slapping the dirt, elbows locking straight as her boots dug in behind her. 

Beside her, Leon followed suit, gritting his teeth as he stretched out, his body rigid, and trembling slightly under the strain already.

The position looked simple but was deceptively challenging. Within seconds, Leon could feel his core muscles burning, and his shoulders began to ache from supporting his weight. The dirt beneath his palms was rough and hot, already warming under the rising sun.

"Before we begin our fitness session, we'll cover the basics of mana methods and rankings," Instructor Zell said. "I know some of you may already know more than I do, but this is for anyone who might not be familiar."

Some of the group took a glance over at the two recruits in the plank position. Most likely remembering what a recruit on the cruiser had mentioned about a Nullari recruit who had somehow made it into the Elite Track.

"Let's start with the methods."

Instructor Zell began his lecture on mana absorption and saturation methods. As Leon had figured out last night, methods were just instruction manuals for the individual and programming instructions for the CRI and nanites. 

The methods did not differ much and were just parameter tweaks of the base operating procedures that the standard track recruits received. The CRI should be able to determine how far the user's body could take and which method was the most optimized.

So I am a computer made of meat.

The thought was both amusing and unsettling. Leon was sweating profusely now, his arms trembling while trying to concentrate on the instructor's lecture. His shoulders burned with each passing second, and his abdominal muscles screamed for relief. Yet, he was determined not to break position first.

"Methods are powerful, and there are reasons why they are highly regulated, but they are just tools," Instructor Zell continued, diving into the individual ranking system that had almost sent Leon to the standard track for frontline duty.

The Imperial Covenant gave rankings in three categories: mana absorption, mana saturation, and battle acumen. Each played a vital role in determining a soldier's worth and potential trajectory within the military hierarchy.

Thump.

Leon's shoulders and core burned with such intensity that he couldn't maintain the position. His arms gave out, and he fell face-first into the dirt.

Instructor Zell paused his lecture, waiting for Leon to get back up.

"NO ONE SAID TO STOP!" one of the assistant instructors was on Leon as soon as he dropped. 

Leon gritted his teeth and pushed himself back into a plank position. He glanced at Nyra, who looked focused but was not trembling like he was. Her face showed strain, but her body held steady.

"Where was I?" Instructor Zell asked rhetorically, his tone making it clear that Leon's failure had not improved his mood.

The lecture continued, diving deeper into the ranks. The Imperial Covenant ranked A-F for all three categories. A being the top of the Imperial Covenant, with only so few that could be counted on one hand ever achieving it.

"The first phase primarily focuses on mana absorption, although all three categories will be honed throughout the entire training program."

Mana absorption ranks were broken down and given names:

F- Dormant: Easily experiences mana sickness with a small amount of exposure.

E- Awakened: Aware of mana and able to sense it when active.

D- Channeler: Can actively draw mana from nearby sources with concentration.

C- Conduit: Natural mana attraction. Every breath unconsciously draws mana in.

B- Vortex: During focused absorption, ambient mana is pulled in with such intensity that it forms miniature vortex phenomena, spiraling visibly in the air.

Leon's mind flashed back to his own ranking: D for absorption. He was barely above the minimum threshold for Elite Track consideration. No wonder the assessment officers had been ready to assign him elsewhere.

"A-rank for mana absorption is called Sovereign. The capabilities are strictly classified, and even I am not given access to the information. We will go over the other categories in the later phases. Recruit Ezra and Rae, at ease."

Leon dropped to the ground with a hard thump and groaned. He lay there for a moment, feeling the rough soil against his cheek, his muscles quivering with relief. He eyed Nyra while on the ground. She was just sitting and stretching her arms. While she had sweat on her forehead, she didn't seem any more bothered than if she had just completed a light warm up.

"How are you not dying right now?" he whispered to her as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

Nyra shrugged. slowly 

"I've been doing that since I was little. My father–" she trailed off, something flickering across her face before it settled back into its usual neutral expression. "It gets easier."

"Take fifteen," Instructor Zell ordered. "If you leave to use the latrines or grab water, be back here to start the morning mana absorption and fitness session. Dismissed."

The group dispersed, most heading toward the water stations set up at the edge of the training field. Leon struggled to his feet, his arms still trembling.

"Come on," Nyra said, already standing and offering him a hand. "You need water or you'll collapse during the next session."

As they walked toward the water station, Leon glanced at her.

"So that's what you're like in the morning, huh? All sleepy and thinking about food?"

Nyra's eyes narrowed.

"Mention that to anyone, and I'll make sure you plank until your arms fall off."

"Your secret's safe with me," Leon grinned despite his exhaustion.

The sun bathed the rusty landscape of Ferros in harsh light. Around them, groups of recruits moved, all preparing for the grueling day ahead. Leon took a deep breath, tasting the metallic tang of the planet's atmosphere, and steeled himself for what was to come.