Chapter 18

When they first heard about the test they thought it would be a simple and standard endurance test. Instead, they quickly found that the tests Cassius had in mind for them were anything but ordinary.

Leon found himself alone in a forest. He could feel the chill in the wind, smell the trees, he could even feel the dirt under his feet. For a moment he believed he'd been teleported. He looked around confused until he could faintly hear shouting. The instincts he'd built up as one of the bases' guards caused him to hurriedly move toward the source of the shouting.

Leon was not the only one confused about the sudden and drastic change in scenery. The woman who had asked Cassius if the volunteers would be free after the project was currently running through the forest at breakneck speeds. Unlike the others, she seemed at home in the forest, she had only looked around for a moment and immediately took off like a bat out of hell.

Leon and the woman represented two outliers and an extreme. Leon heard shouting and ran towards it, other subjects ran away from it or they shouted in response. The woman on the other hand represented an extreme, she was so at home in the forest as if she lived there her whole life, she had seemingly unknowingly advanced directly towards the first milestone event Cassius had planned. Others also seemed very at home in this environment but none of them like her. Some searched for water, others marked out their territory or began to improvise traps.

Leon had been running toward the source of the shouts for some time yet the shouting didn't become any louder. No matter how far and fast he sprinted the shout always sounded as if he was at the edge of its range. It was a disheartening experience for anyone, to feel unsure if you're moving forward, to have a goal always just out of reach. Leon however distinguished himself from others with his abominable perseverance.

Leon launched forward even faster even the monitoring gear was having a hard time rendering his movements. Leon's renewed vigor and stalwart determination came as a surprise to the monitoring team including Cassius. Leon burst into a clearing like a typhoon, even when coming to a stop the tailwind carried on ripping through the clearing.

On the other side of the clearing, the woman who questioned Cassius earlier was just exiting the treeline with firewood in hand. She was unprepared for the strong gust of wind that suddenly assaulted her. It knocked the firewood out of her hands and pushed her back a few steps. She quickly regained herself and upon looking up seen someone running at her.

After quickly observing the clearing Leon spotted the woman amidst what to him seemed to be falling branches. Leon quickly raced over to the woman, likely in an attempt to save her. Though once he had gotten roughly two meters, both he and the monitor team failed to see what caused it but he was flying through the air in the direction he originally came from. Then to add to this he was impossibly slammed into the ground. The monitor team and Leon were stunned silent, neither side knew what happened. The team had to playback the entire encounter in slow motion to realize what happened, while Leon only had to look at the person crouching over him.

"Who are you and why have you attacked me," she asked, her hand was straight and shape as a knife pressed against Leon's throat.

Leon stared blankly for a moment. Although he could guess what happened, he had a hard time processing it. Then before he could even begin to do that he had fallen into a different kind of crisis. His face displayed his state even better than the monitors pasted on his body. He was afraid, he felt his life was truly endangered.

"I didn't attack anyone, I heard shouting and I've been running to it ever since. When I got here the shouting stopped and I saw those branches falling above you," he finally stabilized himself enough to answer.

"And? What about the strong wind was that not an attack?"

"I don't know, like I said I've only been running toward that shouting."

"Yes, about that, what shouting are you talking about? There is no one else around here but me," the woman replied. She had finally removed her hand from Leon's neck and stood up, she offered him a hand lifting him.

Leon accepted the help and stood face to face with her. Without the terrifying threat of having his throat pierced or crushed he could clearly observe her now.

She was a rather tall woman standing just a few inches below himself who was 6ft (1.8m). She had inky black hair tied up in a high ponytail, ever so slightly tanned skin giving her a complexion infinitely close to gold, and a delicate face. But remembering the feel of her rough callused hands and the power of that hit from earlier, he knew better than to think she was as delicate as her face. The smoothness and natural nature of her attack and interrogation were more than enough danger for him. Instead of a beautiful woman to be protected what he saw was a wild animal ready to pounce at the slightest misgiving.

"Yes I am rather beautiful aren't I," she teased flashing a smile revealing a rather sharp canine tooth and her eyes an especially captivating glint, "Now if you've indulged yourself enough, tell me about that shouting."

"Ah, yes, right when I first got here I was confused and looked around a bit before I heard some shouting. I am a guard in the base so it's been conditioned into me to run towards the shouting. I think I ran for around half an hour before getting here and then- It stopped," he hadn't noticed it before with everything going on but the shouting had stopped. Leon had to think, just when did the shouting stop, "I'm not sure why but I think it stopped once I got here."

Leon was stunned and fell into heavy contemplation in a very animated manner. The woman who never heard the shouting went back to the treeline to collect her firewood. While the two were doing their things, a group of three entered the clearing. Without waiting the burly man leading the group stormed toward Leon roaring.

"What have you done to that woman, why was she shouting!"

With no hesitation, the burly man like a runaway train barreled into Leon knocking him to the ground.