The sergeant came and started yelling directly, "Straighten up your backs!"
He started walking, looking at us one by one. "Put your hands behind your back!"
I did.
"From today, you are fucking soldiers. Millions died to protect this country so you could grow up. All right, now it's your job to serve this country. You understand?"
"Yes, sir," a few said.
"When I say you understand, you say yes sir! Do you understand?"
"Yes sir!" we all said in one voice.
"Raise your voice, bitches! Do you understand!"
"YES SIR!"
"Now get the fuck out here. GO!"
I got out running first because I was the closest to the door.
I kept running until I got out and saw a lot of people in military clothes standing there in lines, both men, and there was a line of girls too.
I had forgotten about the girls. They did not share rooms with us.
I stopped and stood beside the first guy in the last line outside. Ben, Tom, and the others formed up behind me.
After a couple of minutes, more people started coming out and made a line beside us.
The sergeant was the last one to come out. He walked over and stood in front of us.
"I'll be running in front. You follow me in order. There will be another sergeant in the back. Anyone who messes up our order will be punished. Let's go!"
We started running inside the military base, taking a tour there.
"Newcomers," the sergeant said, pointing to a building. "This is where you'll have your class later this morning."
Then we left the military base and ran onto the road in the middle of the desert.
It was still night, so the weather was not hot. It was cold, and we kept running on the road. None of us dared complain about the cold.
From time to time, the sergeant would turn and start running backwards so he could check if we had messed up the order.
I turned my head back to see the others. Ben was yawning, Tom was pushing his glasses up on his face. I met eyes with the sergeant in the back and turned forward immediately before he could say anything.
We ran and ran until the sun came up, and we were still running.
I was not tired at the start, but it went on for a long time and I started getting tired. It looked like it was never going to end, but it finally did, and we went back to the base.
It was our first run, but the others had been here before us, already running like that every morning for more than a week. That was why the run stayed in order and no one got punished.
"Nice work, newcomers. This first time, no new soldier got punished," the sergeant said. "Go shower, then eat breakfast. Most of you know what to do after that, but for the newcomers who came yesterday, you're in my class. I showed you the place when we started running. I want you all there at 8 a.m. If even one of you is not there on time, you're all gonna be punished. Now run!"
There were about thirty of us newcomers, the same ones who had come from the plane yesterday. We followed the others to the bathrooms. We took showers, dried ourselves, put back on our military clothes—which were already covered with sweat—and learned from the others that we had to wash them ourselves every night.
We ran to eat breakfast because there was not enough time.
We ate fast and started running toward the class. We were lucky and made it in time.
I took a seat with Tom and Ben beside each other.
The sergeant was there, and with him was a female doctor wearing a white lab coat. She was beautiful. She was preparing something.
On the desk there were a lot of small black boxes. The sergeant took one, opened it, and showed us a black smartwatch like the one he was wearing.
"This watch is very important here. Just wear it like this and it will tighten on your wrist," the sergeant said. "You can't take it off until the end of your military service. If you're already awakened, it will tell other people your level. It will measure your health. It will let us know your progress, your position, and help with a lot of things."
The sergeant clicked the watch and a transparent blue screen popped out from it in front of him, like my system screen, but this one came from the watch and was visible to everyone.
"Some of you already awakened have a system from the tower, but the military compound doesn't come with a system. Don't worry, the tower can still choose you.
"We have our own system in these watches, so you will use this system even if you have a tower system. And this system will help you a lot. Not only does it show your levels and abilities, it also has a map and a lot of features. You can contact each other with it and do a lot of things better than phones.
"So come, every one of you take one of these boxes and wear your watches."
We went and took our boxes, went back to our seats, and opened them.
I looked at Ben. He put the watch on his wrist and it tightened automatically.
"I can't get it out," he said.
"Bro, the sergeant just said you can't get it out until we end our military service," Tom said, already wearing his.
I put on my watch too, then touched it. The system screen appeared right away.
[Loading…] was written on it.
[This can take some time.]
"So for you awakeners," the sergeant said, "after the loading is complete, you have to fill in your information yourselves. Your level, name, abilities, and everything it asks for so it can help you. And don't lie or hide anything, of course.
"The watch can only measure your level, so you will have to constantly update your abilities when you level up so we know what you're capable of.
"For the others who are still not awakened, you will take your compounds now and you will receive your powers instantly. And you don't need to feel for your system or anything. It will update on its own.
"When I call your name, come here. After you get the compound from the doctor, this big screen will show us what you got and what your abilities are.
"After we awaken the new ones, those who have already awakened will come here and show the others their abilities. So, those who already awakened, when the loading ends, fill out your system with your information."
I exchanged glances with Ben and Tom. The screen was still loading.
The sergeant called the first one. It was the guy who got beat by the snake from that long-blonde-haired guy.
He went and took a seat. The female doctor started injecting him with the compound.
After only seconds, the big screen on the classroom wall lit up.
[Beast: Mongoose Family, The Snake Hunter, A tier.]
[Abilities:]
[Immunity to Poison, Level 1]
[Fast Reflexes, Level 1]
[Needle Armor, Level 1]
[Needle Shots, Level 1]
"Damn," Tom said. "The lucky motherfucker. He got the best abilities against snakes."
"Holy shit," Ben said.
We all looked toward the guy with the long blonde hair. He was smiling.