Sudden Attack

Praeter, whose existence might sound unbelievable to describe, revealed their true nature as Kaiden observed the overwhelming scene.

The ground beneath their feet was perplexing, shifting between firm like mud and solid enough to walk on easily.

At times, it seemed to combine seemingly opposite traits, yielding a springy effect to each step, akin to a trampoline. Yet, the future Academy soldiers had been cautioned about hollow, unstable areas leading into the planet's unfathomable depths.

Once you entered such a spot, certain death awaited, as no one would dare to search for a lost soul.

As the Sergeant delivered this warning, the playful expressions on the faces of the once carefree youngsters faded. They now treaded cautiously. Each one paid careful attention to their steps, and the pace of their march slowed.

However, the deceleration seemed to agitate the Sergeant, and he bellowed,

"Get a move on, damn it!"

His words held the force of an irrefutable command, one that none could resist, and suddenly they quickened their pace despite their fears.

It was as if this command possessed an irresistible power. While they still kept their eyes on the ground, Kaiden noticed some ahead of them veering around certain spots that they seemed intent on avoiding.

Kaiden decided to stay at the rear, observing the crowd. This way, he would notice early if a precarious spot lay ahead.

It might not have been the most moral decision, but unquestionably the wisest in this situation.

As he focused on his observation, he also saw others attempting to stay in the background. Among them was the peculiar redhead, seemingly lingering at the end of the group.

He stared at Kaiden with a serious gaze from behind, sending a slight shiver down his spine.

Yet, he remained unfazed and continued to analyze the surroundings and the other recruits.

His white and black shoes glided over the sticky, red ground, which seemed to shift with each step. His eyes took in the enormous, ruin-like rocks and the narrowing passages.

Previously, they had walked on a vast expanse with nothing but this red and white ground.

Now, they moved in one direction, flanked by huge, unnaturally shaped rocks. The passages grew tighter and seemed to constrict from behind, as if squeezing shut before them.

The passage was still wide enough to pass through, but eventually they reached a room that was slightly larger. Here, the Sergeant explained that they were on their own.

To reach the Academy, they had to navigate the labyrinthine cave system. Most of the youngsters were perplexed, but Kaiden realized that it was wiser to stay in the background and watch attentively.

Kaiden was among the last to descend the cliff. He leaned firmly against the soft rock wall and reached the ground safely.

As he touched the craters caused by the jumps of others, he felt the ground beneath his fingers solidify. It was as if he was experiencing a strange, yet fascinating natural phenomenon.

While most students hurriedly reached the room and were puzzled to find the passage either blocked or never existed, Kaiden realized that the world they were in didn't necessarily follow the laws of physics.

They had to learn to adapt to the unpredictable environment.

Some of the students frantically searched for branches and followed them, while others, like the Sergeant, leaped down the cliff, leaving craters in the ground.

Some used their abilities to move through the ground or fly. As most rushed in haste towards the Sergeant, they found the path before them blocked or never existed.

Confused and slightly worried, just over a hundred aspiring soldiers stood in this unexpected place.

The environment was warm, though they were in a dark cave, which should have been colder. But Kaiden remembered that in this world, physical laws didn't necessarily apply.

While some students desperately sought out turns and followed them, others were overwhelmed by the fact that the path to the Academy wasn't as straightforward as they had thought.

And so, they began to adapt to the new reality and prepare for the challenges ahead.

Only after about a minute did the ground seem to soften again, causing the traces of the craters to disappear, just like the indentations he had created with his fingers before.

****

Meanwhile, as he observed all of this, another significant transformation suddenly began, creating new passages. The ground also seemed to move slightly, causing them to abruptly descend from nowhere.

Kaiden, now in free fall, waved his hands frantically in an attempt to somehow reach the soft wall and insert his prosthetic hand to gain purchase and thus reduce his falling speed.

Somewhat desperately, he tried to strike into the larger radius of the hole in the wall, but now it was suddenly as hard as metal.

"Damn it!"

he cried out and tried again, but it just wouldn't work.

Just before impact, he realized his mistake. The material seemed soft when entered slowly and gently, but hard when done swiftly and forcefully. The free fall sent a rush of hot, almost scorching air through Kaiden.

His short hair still floated in the air, accompanied by the expensive bright clothes that grew even hotter, especially his back.

He tried to pull himself up, but his right arm seemed stuck. He had to wait a few minutes for it to loosen.

With the loosening, he gradually felt he could move his arms more freely and pulled himself up with slow strokes, carefully penetrating the yielding walls with his arms and legs.

But just before he could see the goal, the upper cave, it too closed, and everything moved and reshaped again.

Echoing, rumbling sounds reverberated, and the wall pushed Kaiden's intruding legs and arms away, causing him to fall again. This time, however, only a few meters, as a new floor formed and caught Kaiden.

Yet, not gently, on the contrary, as the mass collided with the ground at high speed, his back seemed to break and he struggled to breathe.

Kaiden desperately gasped for air, but the only sound he heard was the moaning of his exhausted lungs, which initially felt paralyzed.

The fluid, rapidly flowing from his back, gradually calmed, and after a short rest, he managed to rise again.

But just as he stood up and finally took a breath, an unknown figure rushed towards him and threw a knife into Kaiden's leg. However, the knife quickly bounced off due to the hard material his leg was made of.

It seemed like the assailant was someone like him, but why was he attacking?

With these thoughts, the stranger immediately lunged at Kaiden and drew an even larger sword, which he aimed at Kaiden and thrust down.

Blood splattered over the blue-black floor, creating a dark purple pattern. But it wasn't much, as the cut only grazed Kaiden's left shoulder. Kaiden grabbed the wound with his right hand and examined it to check if the bleeding was severe.

Fortunately, the assailant narrowly missed his target by a few centimeters.

The atmospheree grew slightly cooler, but remained warm and tense. The two men – one bewildered, the other nervous but determined to kill – stared at each other with serious looks.

The assailant seemed to be losing blood from his arm, but shortly after, he produced a sword, this time a katana, seemingly out of thin air.

With a powerful sprint, he impulsively charged towards Kaiden through the narrowing gap.

Kaiden stood ready, prepared to defend against the attack with his right prosthesis. But just before it could happen, the cave seemed to move again, and the tight space transformed into a barrier between them.

Kaiden, weakened and waiting, stood there. But the only sound he heard was the scream of pain as the assailant was crushed by the narrowed gap.

Blood sprayed towards Kaiden's body, once again staining the bluish surface a violet hue.

For inexplicable reasons, Kaiden seemed to be growing weaker. He began to produce cold sweat and felt his shoulder throbbing and swelling.

With this realization, even his weakened eyelids seemed to struggle against closing, but it was futile.

After only a few seconds of fluctuating eyelids, they closed completely. Just before it happened, he saw a spongy white text on a bright sky-blue background.

[ Synchronization in progress… ]

[ Successful ]

[ Identifying inorganic substances as foreign bodies ]

[ Eradication complete, Karma points credited ]

[ +1 Karma points ]

****