Chapter 33: The End Of Training (Part 2)

As the awakened sat and awaited Rek and the guards, a buzz of conversation filled the air. Having been Informed that this would be their final training session, a sense of relief washed over them.

"I'm starving… I can't wait until we go back."

"Starving? I'm so thirsty my throat is dry, even my voice sounds weird."

"My whole body aches. When are they going to remove these weights from us?"

With neither the guards nor Rek in sight, they all felt a rare freedom to speak openly. From his position against the wall, Dawn quietly observed their interactions.

Watching them speak, their bodies bruised and battered, stirred something within him. Their forced struggle for survival, with no one for support, eerily mirrored his own past.

Dawn remembered the loss of his family, the time he became an orphan amidst warfare. The bombing that claimed his family left him as the sole survivor, though not unscathed.

Covered in injuries and barely able to walk, with explosions surrounding him, he had been clueless about where to go next.

The measures he took to survive, merely thinking about them filled him with bitterness. Back then, he had only himself to depend on, he was utterly alone.

"...As long as I look out for myself, I'll always survive… that's how it's always been…"

Murmuring these words, he lowered his head, unable to bear the sight any longer. Unbeknownst to him, Aella was looking at him from the side.

She seemed to have caught his words but chose not to comment, instead returning her gaze to the dark veil.

A few moments after the shared sense of relief, an oppressive silence fell over the group as a tangible tension filled the air. Dawn slowly raised his head to look toward the Dark Veil and, as expected, saw Rek and the guards emerging.

Not a single injury was visible on them, nor did they show any signs of tiredness or exhaustion. It appeared they had effortlessly navigated the training challenge that had so thoroughly tested the others.

'They're here,' Dawn thought to himself, his gaze fixed on them. During this, he inadvertently made eye contact with Rek, causing Dawn to quickly look away.

'He didn't notice that my injuries are different, did he?' Dawn pondered, subtly concealing his arms.

Once all the guards had emerged from the Dark Veil, Rek, who stood at the forefront, addressed them, "You have all survived and completed today's training. As mentioned earlier, you will now be allowed to rest."

His words brought a wave of relief to the awakened. They would finally be granted the rest they had longed for.

"But-"

The group tensed, bracing for what would come next.

"From now on, you will all be subjected to this training every day. You will continue until the time for your trial arrives."

Although Dawn had braced for this news, it struck others hard. Many had felt fortunate to survive this time, but the prospect of enduring such training daily was daunting, with only a few believing in their skills to withstand repeated sessions.

"Head down that path, and eventually, you should reach the manor where you can rest," Rek instructed, pointing down a path that veered to the left at the room's opposite end.

Dawn's gaze followed the direction Rek pointed, noting the two other paths—one leading straight ahead and the other veering to the right. However, they were instructed to take the left path, which piqued his curiosity about the destinations of the other two.

"Tomorrow, another guard will escort you to the training site as they did today. You will be expected to complete the training on your own; we will not oversee it. However, those who fail to complete the training will be punished. That is all"

After delivering his message, Rek, along with the other guards, began to depart, apparently heading towards the path in the middle. Just as they were about to leave, Ayleth intervened, raising her hand. "May I ask two questions?"

Despite the sudden shift of attention towards her, she maintained her composure, meeting their gaze as she awaited permission.

"Speak," Rek commanded.

"Will these weights not be removed from us?" she asked, glancing at the steel ball weights attached to her limbs. "And… are we finally allowed to use our abilities?" she added, her eyes briefly meeting Penelope's, who was anxiously awaiting the response.

"...No, the weights must remain on all of you. As for your abilities, you are free to use them."

Penelope's eyes instantly brightened at his second statement, and she excitedly looked over at Dawn. However, Dawn, who caught her gleeful gaze, merely observed her quietly.

Normally, he might have offered her a forced smile in return, but at that moment, he seemed preoccupied, lost in deep thought.

'...That girl is kind. I'm sure she's aware that I only helped her because I had something to gain from it. Yet, she wants to help me even though there's nothing in it for her. She's too kind for her own good.'

Dawn averted his gaze, leading Penelope to tilt her head to the side in confusion.

"Is that all?" Rek asked, his attention focused on Ayleth.

"...I'd also like to know what you meant by 'trial'..." Ayleth inquired with a note of hesitation.

Like Ayleth, Dawn and the other awakened were curious about the trials but were mostly too intimidated to voice their questions.

"The first trial is a test that you'll undergo after completing the initial stage of your training. Once you've passed all the trials, you will be officially recognized as spies."

'Trials... If what we've been through is just training, I can't even begin to imagine how scary the trials will be.' Dawn thought to himself, feeling a shiver run down his spine.

"How many trials are there—"

Before she could finish, Rek interrupted her, turning away. "That is enough questions."

With that, Rek and the other guards departed. However, as they left, one guard cast a quick glare at Ayleth before silently looking away. 

This exchange went unnoticed by most, but not by Dawn, who watched intently. 

'That guy… is he holding a grudge?' He thought.

With the departure of Rek and the guards, the other awakened began to rise, making their way toward the left path as instructed. Exhausted, they longed to return to their quarters for much-needed rest.

As they made their way down the rocky passageway, they noticed that it bore a striking resemblance to the other corridors they had navigated through in the underground labyrinth. However, for some of the awakened, it evoked unsettling memories of the 'Death Run' passageway.

"This place isn't rigged with traps, is it?"

"He's not doing all of this just to get us to drop our guards, right?"

The air was thick with unease until Ayleth chimed in, her voice cutting through the tension.

"Don't worry. If they wanted to kill us, they could've easily done so back there. We're also allowed to use our abilities now, so there's nothing to fear. If anything happens, I'll erect a barrier before anyone can get hurt."

Her assurance brought a collective sigh of relief from the group.

Consequently, many of the awakened gravitated towards Ayleth, some expressing their gratitude while others sought comfort in her proximity due to their fear.

'I should probably get closer to her too, so I don't stand out—'

Dawn's train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a poke from his right side. Turning, he saw Penelope, her face lit up with a gleeful smile. 

"Penelope can finally heal you, hehe~"

Dawn pointed towards some of the other awakened and then leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Penelope, I don't think you should heal me right now. The others are also injured, and if they see you healing me, they're going to ask you to heal them too. If you attempt to heal everyone, you might not have enough energy to recover by tomorrow—"

"That's fine. Penelope already planned on healing everyone after Penelope healed you," she responded, her cheerful smile unwavering.

Hearing this, Dawn let out a sigh. 'This girl, she's truly too kind for her own good.'