Chapter 36: Start Of Training

"Attention, recruits!"

Rest.

The new recruits have already forgotten what rest is, and it hasn't even been a full day since they entered the Underworld Corps. No, perhaps rest doesn't exist in the Underworld Corps in the first place.

For 20 hours, they have been jumping up and down the Hole without pause. They were handed rations, but they had to eat them while falling. Some thought that by fainting during the fall, they would be able to rest…but they ended up even more exhausted than they already are. They haven't seen a bed, or even the rooms where they are supposed to be staying in if they existed in the first place.

And so, suffice it to say—most of them didn't even know what they were doing as they just instinctively gathered in front of a superior officer they hadn't seen before.

And of course, this superior officer noticed how exhausted everyone was, it was a sight he has been used to for the past 20 years.

"My name is Staff Sergeant Millis! For 24 hours, my voice will be the only one you will be hearing!" The man said; his twirling mustache, almost bouncing as he stomped his foot on the ground.

Millis was a Commoner, but he considered himself to be at the top. After all, Commoners are not created equal. Technically, for one to be considered a Noble, the blood of god that runs through your veins has to be one of the Twelve Olympians.

Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, Ares, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, Apollo, and lastly, Hephaestus.

But just having the blood of the Twelve Olympians is not enough—if it was, then there would be more Nobles walking around the planet than Commoners.

47%.

The Olympian blood that runs through one's veins has to be at least 47% for one to be fully recognized as a Noble.

There are some extremely rare cases that an Olympian blood will be so strong, that even if one's other half was a Commoner, it would completely overpower the weaker blood—making one's offspring a Noble.

Staff Sergeant Millis… was not one of those people. But he was close, too close.

46.8%. Just a tiny bit more, and he could have been a Noble—but sadly, it didn't work like that. The difference between just a single decimal percent; the difference between 46.9% and 47% was almost night and day. There was a barrier between the two, a barrier that has always mocked Millis in each of his waking days.

A barrier that Millis will never be able to break. But still, he worked hard. Harder than most.

But then, he hears that a Lowborn managed to sneak in with the recruits, and was even named and called by Commander Ayesha personally. What sort of connection does one need to have in order for that to happen?

A wealthy Lowborn? That should not be made possible. If Millis, someone who was almost a Noble, needed to work hard for what he has, then a Lowborn should work a million times harder.

Unforgivable, truly unforgivable.

"There is only one thing you will learn here," Millis started scanning the recruits to try and find the famous Lowborn, "And that is how to kill beasts! Your knowledge will be trained and tested, your fitness, combat abilities, marksmanship, morality…"

Millis continued his introduction while his eyes were completely like that of a hawk's, trying to single out his prey. But no matter how hard he tries, everyone's eyes are just as dead as the recruit next to them.

He squinted his eyes to try and see who has the darkest hair amongst the lot, as Lowborns tend to have black hair—and it didn't take long to find one, as the young man towered amongst his peers.

But surely, it couldn't be him.

Out of all the recruits here, the tall black-haired young man was probably the only one that didn't have dark circles around his eyes. In fact, he didn't just stand out because he was tall, he stood out because he was the only one standing straight in the first place.

"...And lastly, there is no such thing as giving up in this place. You will not rest, and you will not eat until you have finished this day's training. Understood!?"

"Sir, yes, Sir!"

The voices of the recruits were weak, but Millis did not really bother making them repeat themselves; just shaking his head and letting out a small scoff as he started running.

"Now, keep up and repeat what I say, and how I say it!" Millis then said as he raised his voice even louder,

"I left my home!"

"...I left my home!"

"To join the Suicide Squad!"

"...To join the Suicide Squad!"

And as the Millis began jogging in rhythm, most of the recruits were trying their best not to burst out in tears there and then. Some because of his depressing marching song, and some because they knew they wouldn't be able to eat and rest tonight as their legs were already giving up.

"We will die… to keep everyone safe!"

"...To keep everyone safe!"

And while they continued to march on through the base, Rhys could not help but think how hellish the training is. It almost made him feel bad that he couldn't really get tired because of his [Arise] skill.

But of course, something Rhys learned hard and early on was that life is just unfair—he would hide his abilities, sure. But he will use and abuse it as much as he could…

…no one else matters.

And so, Rhys just continued to run, even running ahead of everyone that was already getting tired. No one could really get mad at Rhys's actions yet, however, as they were all just truly exhausted…

…and it didn't help that something happened which truly made them all almost give up there and then.

They thought they were finally going to be able to rest now that they reached a wall. But then… the wall suddenly slid open as Staff Sergeant Millis just continued running without even looking back or checking on them.

"Warm up's over, boys and girls!" Staff Sergeant Millis roared,

"Welcome to the Underworld Corps!"

***

"...Oh?"

And while Rhys was currently undergoing basic training with the Underworld Corps, a large arachne from thousands of kilometers away dropped its prey; her nose, sniffing the air around her.

The arachne started walking as she continued sniffing; her large breasts, swaying as her sharp spider legs penetrated the mountain of corpses of beasts and humans beneath her.

"Well, well…" And if Rhys was here, then he would surely recognize the owner of the voice and the beautiful face---Arachnea.

"...Look who came back to play."