Ordinary cook

Niard felt like his soul was about to leave his body, he took the chance and quickly distanced himself from her when a young man joined them.

"What do I see here, Tala with her flesh and blood. I thought you'd join the Special Missions Army. I didn't expect to see you here," the boy said in a mocking voice.

He didn't know when he had received a punch to his midsection that made him fall to the ground, writhing in pain. Niard watched how she punched him without even a strand of her hair moving.

"Is my vision distorted, or am I seeing her movements in slow motion?" he wondered. Despite the speed of her punch, he managed to see it clearly. Tala stood beside the exit leading to the dining hall.

"If you don't catch up with me, I'll make you catch up with him," she said, pointing to the boy lying on the ground.

Niard blinked twice, his feet moved involuntarily as they went to the dining hall. He was surprised at not feeling hungry at all, as if his appetite were shut down. The dining hall looked like it came from the past where he used to live.

"The style of this military academy is old. It's General's orders, and everyone has to get used to the tough life," Tala said when she saw Niard staring at all parts of the room in a strange way mixed with astonishing face. All three sat at the same a table. 

Niard swallowed hard when they stood before the cook who look like a bad man, unsure of what he wanted. He stared at the food presented to him, and a system window appeared.

"This food is not suitable. You don't need to eat right now. Your energy reserves are still above average,"

He read the system message. It seems he was the only one who saw this blue screen. He furrowed his brows in annoyance.

"What does this stupid system mean? Inedible food," he said the last two words of his speech loudly, causing everyone in the dining hall to look at him with their mouths agape.

Niard noticed the anger on the cook's face. He didn't realize when he hit him with the food tray, making him stick to the wall ten meters away. Tala took her plate and sat watching the spectacle unfold before them.

"It's okay for him to be hit a little," she said, her smile growing as she watched the cook leave his post and head towards Niard, who remained motionless, looking like a lifeless body.

Niard felt his body immobilized, every bone screaming with pain, his breath becoming labored as if his insides were shattered. He remembered always being hit like this, but this cook's grip was fierce.

"I've been working here for sixty years, and never has my food been tainted by any bug, you old cockroach," the cook said, his breath rising and falling like a raging bull. Many soldiers gathered around, watching the altercation about to unfold, but Niard didn't move from his spot.

"Damn," Niard moved his lips without making a sound, the hall becoming noisy with the soldiers' loud whispers. He caught Tala's gaze, who seemed unfazed by what was happening, as if his life or death didn't matter to her.

"Alright, O people, the farce is over, disperse," the trainer spoke loudly, and the soldiers began returning to their seats while some left the hall.

"And as for you, Niard, you'll be deprived of dinner today. Now, go to the training hall," the tall trainer said, casting sharp glances at everyone in the dining hall.

"Why am I so weak? Even after obtaining a galaxy wars system, I fell with the first blow, defeated by a mere ordinary cook in less than two seconds," Niard pondered to himself as he felt someone dragging him across the floor.

He found himself in the training room again, the lights dim. "Luckily, he's still alive. No one has ever survived the cook's grasp before. This boy is strange," Tala thought to herself as she tossed his body aside the treadmill. She watched him, reminding her of someone she knew for sure.

"No, there's no comparison between this kid and my ex-lover Veetrant. It took four hours for the Assessors from the Reserve Army to arrive. It's their turn to use the training arena to showcase their physical skills," Tala whispered softly, but Niard paid her no attention, starting to run with tears filling his eyes.

"I won't allow them to humiliate me. I will become the strongest," Niard said, falling multiple times, yet each time he rose and resumed running.

Tala smiled and shook her head. He amazed her and angered her at the same time. Suddenly, her digital watch flashed, reminding her of the message she needed to attend to immediately. She glanced at Niard, pitifully struggling.

"A person in such a state won't budge from their place. I'll be back before the Assessors begin their fights," she said, then left the room, leaving Niard alone. He didn't know how much time had passed as he ran, feeling only one thing besides the pain: a single thought repeating in his mind, "Be the strongest."

Of course, there was an immense amount of pain coursing through his body, his breath as if it would cut off, his lungs on the verge of bursting, his feet screaming for mercy, but he ignored all of it, staring at the timer indicating four hours had passed.

"System Reward: You earned 10 level points for completing today's running mission.

 You earned an additional 20 level points," Niard read the system window that appeared before him, then collapsed to the ground, his breaths was rising.

"Did I really run for four hours? I can't feel my legs," he said, raising his hand above, staring at it, his goal of obtaining strength seeming distant.

He closed his eyes, overcome by drowsiness, sounds of cheers raised.