One by one, the remaining students emerged from their awakening chambers.
Above each tent, holographic displays flickered to life, broadcasting names and gene spark to the spectators:
[Aria Chen - Wind Blade - D-Rank]
[Marcus Vrell - Shockwave Fist - D-RANK]
[Yuna Park - Thermal Vision - F-RANK]
Most of the gene-spark were not considered good but they were above the bare minimum requirement to be accepted for the Entrance exam.
However, somewhere Logan couldn't see, some people awakened peak quality gene spark of C ranks and even higher, becoming the genetic lottery winners who'd become the Academy's pride and the military's future commanders.
As the last recruit found their positions, Head Instructor Klein stepped forward on the platform.
He raised one hand up and instantly the sounds of thousand of students murmuring with each other died instantly.
"I see disappointment on some of your faces. Shame." His gaze swept across the formation of students. "You awakened F-rank, E-rank gene spark and you think you're weak, that the universe has dealt you a losing hand."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air.
"You're right to feel that way. Statistically, you are weaker than your C-rank and B-rank peers. Your Gene-Sparks provide less potential and, slower enhancement curves."
A bitter silence settled over the entire field. Logan could practically feel the sadness radiating from several hundred students. Like him, they had spent their lives dreaming of heroic awakenings, only to be mediocre in the face reality.
Then Klein's expression turned fierce.
"However, talent isn't everything." His voice cut through the air like a blade. "Talent is the spark. Work is the fire. Consistency is what tempers raw potential into actual strength. I've seen E-rank soldiers outlive A-rank prodigies because they understood one fundamental truth: the warrior who survives is the warrior who learns."
He began pacing across the platform, his movements drawing every eye.
"Three hundred years ago, the Terranoids descended from the void. They came with overwhelming force, a mixture of technology and biology fused into something we couldn't comprehend. They thought we were weak. Thought we'd break beneath their assault."
Klein's hand clenched into a fist.
"They were wrong. Not because we were strong, we totally weren't. We were fragile, separated by race, greed and desire, barely capable of defending ourselves not to mention our own planet. But we had something they didn't anticipate: adaptability. The Terranoids brought the tools of our evolution with them, paving way into our future and forging us into the next evolution!"
His voice turned even stronger and his face solemn.
"For three hundred years, we've fought them. Bled against them. Learned from them. We've turned their greatest weapon into our fuel. We've expanded from a single dying world to an advanced civilization that our ancestors would be proud of. We've become the nightmare that the Terranoids fear in the dark."
"We are the survivors. We are the evolved. We are humanity ascendant!"
A fierce wave of pride rippled through the wntire student as they felt their blood boil.
Head Instructor Klein took ina deep breath, basing the wind to howl as he calmed down.
"Now, you've awakened your Gene-Sparks. That means your nanites have become your your cells, granting enhanced strength, accelerated healing, and most critically: the ability to harvest Quantinium energy directly from Terranoid corpses and covert it to become evolve further."
He gestured with his left hand, and a massive holographic display materialized behind him, revealing a transparent crystal like liquid that flowed like water but at the same time seemed like solid crystal.
"Extract Fluc crystals, refine, and integrate. This is the engine of our civilization!"
Head Instructor Klein's expression suddenly hardened as he spoke.
"However, the Academy doesn't accept students based on potential alone. We need to see what you can do. Therefore, the compulsory combat Assessment will begin tomorrow at dawn instead of in a week."
Instantly, the recruits were stunned. Everyone had expected the combat examination would take at least one week and even some case two weeks of breaks but they didn't to think they would just be given one day of break.
"You have tonight to rest. To let your bodies adjust to the nanite integration and familiarize yourselves with your new capabilities. Use this time wisely." His gaze swept across them one final time. "Dismissed."
"Yes sir!"
Instantly, the recruits responded in chorus and moved in military formation that had been ingrained into them for several months.
As they filed out of the field, several recruits broke ranks and as they went to meet their friend, bragging about the gene-spark.
Logan walked like a zombie as the countdown, counted down before him.
[24:14:37]
24 more hours till his death.
'How am I supposed to—'
"Logan! LOGAN!"
The voice cut through his spiral. Logan unconsciously turned around and he saw who it was.
Dark blond hair that seemed to never go unsettled even after the rough awakening, blue eyes and an average looking face.
It was James Stark, his best friend.
There was exhaustion on his face but he was grinning like a mad man which made Logan smile uncontrollably.
"You made it!" James slapped Logan's shoulder, the contact solid in excitement.
"I saw your tent marker from across the field—E-rank Shadow Fizz, right? That's actually pretty interesting! Shadow manipulation has tons of tactical applications."
Logan snorted. "If you say so. What about you?"
James grin widened. "D-rank Flame Eruption!"
He suddenly held up his hands and his Gene spark lit up as runic lines lit up from underneath his skin. Starting from his chest to his right hand.
James then raised his hand up and snapped. The void trembled as the friction caused by his fingers between his fingers created a spark which then erupted into a ball of flame not bigger than an apple.
It danced above his fingers before dissipating. "I can't particularly generate fire out of nothing but my gene spark can keep flames running. So I wouldn't say it's not really useful. Plus, fire! How cool is that?"
"Very cool.", Logan said with slight amazement on his face. Come to think of it, he hadn't checked his own talent yet.
James laughed proudly and proceeded to explain his awakening process" I actually almost set my containment tank on fire when my Gene-Spark first manifested—"
James continued to speak as he pulled Logan along by the shoulder.
They walked together toward the Academy's main complex. The entire building was made out of mostly steel and smart-glass with billions of holo-pixels.
"I swear I accidentally melted my boot sole when I was getting dressed," James laughed. "Just thinking about heat made my temperature spike. It's going to take some getting used to."
Logan nodded, half-listening, the other half of his mind contemplating what he should do.
They reached the massive cafeteria area where hundred of students could be seen eating. The two proceeded to join the queue.
"God, I'm starving," James groaned, pressing a hand to his stomach. "The awakening burns through so many calories. I feel like I could eat a whole Terranoid."
"Pretty sure those are toxic," Logan replied automatically, and they both laughed.
The food line moved quickly. Students tapped their Academy ID bracelets against scanners, and molecular printers instablt printed meals in just a few seconds:rice, protein cubes and plain suace.
Logan grabbed his tray, then he and James found seats at a table near the back, away from the main crowd.
The first bite was weird. It didn't taste bad as Logan had expected and even more flavorful but it still wasn't the classics plant rice.
"So," James munched in his food while he spoke. "you okay? You seemed kind of out of it on the field."
Logan froze slightly but he nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just tired from the fusion… processing."
"Yeah." James nodded In realization. His gaze softening. "I get it. We both made it through, though. Together, like we planned."
Together, Logan thought bitterly. Right.
[21:47:09]
They ate and discussed slowly, chuckling occasionally but that didn't last long a someone interrupted them.