Chapter 10 (Warden Training Begins)

The piercing sound of the bell shattered the pre-dawn silence, jolting Ethan and the other recruits awake. Groaning, they stumbled out of their bunks, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. It was 4:30 AM, and they were all too familiar with the harsh wake-up call.

"Up and at 'em!" a voice barked from outside, urgency lacing every word. Ethan recognized the voice of their instructor, a harsh and no-nonsense man named Sergeant Kane.They quickly dressed in their training gear and hurried outside, forming a ragged line in the cold morning air.

Sergeant Kane, a burly man with a perpetual scowl, stood before them, his voice cutting through the stillness like a knife. "Listen up!" he barked. "I'm Sergeant Kane, and I'm going to be your worst nightmare! Today, I'll be taking you through basic physical training. And let me tell you something—you ever think this is tough, then you don't belong here!" "This is nothing compared to what's coming. You'll be begging for my training when you meet the other instructors."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "You all look like a bunch of slobs. Lazy, undisciplined, and soft. Well, that's about to change. Fall into formation!" "Start jogging! Move it!"

The recruits started jogging in formation around the training grounds, the path winding through patches of dense forest and up slight inclines. Their breaths formed misty clouds in the cold air, and the rugged terrain made the jog even more grueling. Ethan's legs burned with each step, but he forced himself to keep up.

"Come on, Kid! Pick up the pace!" Kane's voice boomed from behind.

Ethan exchanged weary glances with a fellow recruit, a lanky guy named Mark, who was struggling to keep up. "This is insane," Mark panted. "I didn't sign up for this kind of torture."

"Tell me about it," Ethan replied, sweat pouring down his face. "Just keep going. We have to make it through."

After what felt like an eternity, they returned to the courtyard, a vast open area with patches of dirt and grass, lined with various training equipment. "Push-ups! Down and give me fifty!" Kane shouted.

Ethan dropped to the ground, his arms trembling as he pushed himself up and down. Sergeant Kane paced among them, eyes sharp and critical. "Hurry up, you weaklings! Is this the best you've got?"

Next came sit-ups, jumping jacks, and holding planks for what felt like an eternity. The exercises seemed endless. Ethan's muscles screamed in protest, but he pushed on, determined not to give up. Every time he faltered, Kane was there with a biting remark. "Keep those legs up, Ethan! My grandmother could do better than you!"

As they ran in place with high knees, Mark muttered through gritted teeth, "This guy's a nightmare."

Ethan nodded, trying to catch his breath. "Just... keep... moving," he managed to say between gasps.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Kane called for a break. The recruits staggered towards the showers, a set of open-air stalls with icy water. Ethan shivered as the cold water hit his skin, but it also helped wake him up fully. They changed into fresh clothes and headed to the eatery, a large hall with rustic wooden beams and large windows.

The aroma of food was overwhelming, and Ethan's stomach growled. The food was infused with Hikari energy, and as he ate, he felt a surge of vitality. "This is actually pretty good," Mark said, between bites. "Almost makes up for the torture."

"Yeah, almost," Ethan replied, feeling re-energized.

After the meal, they headed back out for more training. Kane wasn't done with them yet. "Time for laps around the mountain!" he ordered, pointing towards a rugged, forested mountain at the edge of the training grounds.

A collective groan rose from the group. "Are you serious?" one recruit, a petite girl named Lily, exclaimed. "We just did all that, and now we're supposed to run up a mountain?"

Kane's eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer to Lily. "Did I stutter? You heard me. Laps around the mountain. Now move!"

Ethan pushed himself to keep up as they ran up steep inclines, splashed through streams, and clambered over rocks. His legs felt like lead, but he kept moving, driven by sheer determination.

After the mountain run, they practiced various physically challenging exercises in different locations: lifting heavy logs in a clearing, carrying each other on their backs through a muddy obstacle course, and climbing ropes strung between tall trees. Every task pushed Ethan to his limits, and Kane's sharp criticisms never ceased.

"I can't feel my legs," someone groaned as he lifted another log.

"Join the club," Ethan replied, sweat dripping from his brow. "But we have to keep going."

They had to climb a steep hill with heavy backpacks filled with sand, crawl under barbed wire while being sprayed with cold water, and balance on narrow beams high above the ground. Every failure was met with a harsh rebuke from Kane. "This isn't a playground, Get it together or get out!"

By the end of the day, Ethan was utterly spent. His body ached in places he didn't know could ache, and his mind was foggy with exhaustion. Yet, he had survived the brutal training session, and there was a small sense of accomplishment in that.

As he lay in bed that night, muscles throbbing, Ethan thought about the days ahead. The training was only going to get tougher, and he knew he would have to dig deep to keep up. But for now, he let sleep claim him, knowing that the harsh reality of Sergeant Kane's training would greet him again at dawn.