MIGHT AS WELL BE OP-Chapter 376: Reflex

The recruits returned to their quarters, their bodies heavy with fatigue from the brutal training.

Their steps were slow, as if each movement was a struggle against the weight of the vests and the toll of the day's trials.

Some made their way to the infirmary, seeking what relief they could.

The healers worked swiftly, mending their wounds and injuries, but the healing was far from complete.

It was a controlled process, allowing their bodies to mend naturally, to endure the strain and forge resilience in the process.

The pain, though lessened, would remain, a constant reminder of their limitations.

Afterward, they ate, though the food barely satisfied the gnawing hunger that clung to them.

Fatigue still pressed on their limbs, making every bite feel like an effort.

The recruits knew time was against them.

Sleep was their only respite, and even that felt insufficient.

The weight of the coming day, the return to training at 4AM sharp, loomed over them like an unrelenting shadow.

Rest was fleeting, and tomorrow would bring even more challenges.

They lay in their beds, eyes heavy, minds racing, but sleep eventually overtook them, knowing that in the morning, the cycle would begin anew.

The next day arrived with brutal inevitability.

Corporal Samuel was already waiting, his presence as gallant as the mountain that stood before them.

Without so much as a word, the drill began once more.

Climbing. Straining. Climbing. Failing. Climbing. Bleeding. Reaching the peak.

And then, the cycle repeated.

There were no breaks.

No moments of respite.

Every step was a battle, a war against their own bodies, their own exhaustion.

The weight of the vests pressed down with each movement, the mountain's rocky surface unforgiving beneath their feet.

Every slip, every stumble, every mistake cost them.

And there was no mercy.

If any recruit faltered, if they slowed or showed signs of weakness, Corporal Samuel was already there, watching, judging, relentless.

Without hesitation, he'd order them to start over, forcing them to climb again, as though the last attempt had never happened.

The training was unending.

It was a test not only of strength, but of willpower.

Every inch gained felt like a victory, but there was no time to savor it.

The climb was a constant struggle, each peak conquered only to be replaced by the next, just as impossible as the last.

And so, the recruits climbed.

Endlessly.

Relentlessly.

Some races, like the vampires, had a distinct advantage.

While others struggled through their injuries, vampires could heal almost instantly, their natural regenerative abilities unaffected by the suppressive force.

Their blood, not reliant on mana, allowed them to recover from wounds that would have crippled others.

They didn't need to endure some the agony, but they did suffer the same physical toll.

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The force might suppress their mana and physical strength, but it couldn't touch what lay within their blood.

And so, the days dragged on, each one bleeding into the next.

The climb, the injuries, the exhaustion, it all became a part of them.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Today, the recruits gathered at a different location, summoned by Corporal Samuel's stern command.

The place was unfamiliar, but the air was thick with the same oppressive intensity.

No one spoke.

They knew better.

While the changes were subtle, they were there.

The recruits had grown tougher, more resilient.

The physical toll had left its mark on their bodies, but also on their spirits.

They could endure more.

Push themselves further.

Their movements were sharper, their resolve harder.

They were not the same as they had been when they first arrived.

"A month has passed since you began your climb"

Corporal Samuel's voice cut through the morning stillness, calm yet laced with the weight of command, a voice none dared to ignore.

"Today marks the beginning of your next phase of training, speed and reflex"

His words echoed across the assembled recruits, heavy like the mountains they had climbed.

He paused for a brief moment, allowing his statement to settle within their minds.

"I won't waste words. This is an obstacle course designed to sharpen your speed, heighten your reflexes, and push your reaction time to its very limit"

He raised his hand, gesturing towards the forest that loomed before them, dense, wild, and unforgiving.

"This forest... will be your opponent"

At Corporal Samuel's words, the tension in the air became palpable.

"As always... at my signal, you begin"

The recruits eyes shifted to their new battlefield.

The forest stood as a sentinel of nature's unpredictability, its dense canopy weaving a tapestry of light and shadow that dappled the forest floor.

Anthony approached the threshold of this arboreal labyrinth, his demeanor calm, exuding an air of quiet confidence.

This was no ordinary woodland; it had been meticulously transformed into a gauntlet designed to test and refine the reflexes of those who dared to enter.

A distant horn's mournful wail signaled the commencement.

Without hesitation, Anthony stepped forward, his movements fluid and unhurried.

The underbrush parted effortlessly before him as he navigated the maze of towering trees and tangled foliage.

Each step was deliberate, each motion a testament to his heightened awareness and physical prowess.

The first challenge emerged subtly, a nearly invisible tripwire stretched taut across the path, cunningly concealed beneath a layer of fallen leaves.

Anthony's keen eyes detected the faint glint of the wire in the dappled sunlight.

With a graceful leap, he cleared the obstacle, landing softly on the balls of his feet, his balance unwavering.

As he continued, the forest responded with escalating complexity.

From his periphery, a blur signaled the release of a wooden pendulum, its trajectory aimed directly at his midsection.

Anthony's instincts guided him; he sidestepped effortlessly, allowing the pendulum to whoosh past harmlessly, its momentum carrying it back into the shadows.

The terrain underfoot shifted, presenting a bed of moss-covered stones slick with moisture.

An average individual might have faltered, but Anthony adapted seamlessly.

His steps became lighter, more calculated, as he traversed the treacherous ground with the agility of a seasoned predator.

A net concealed in the canopy above suddenly descended, aiming to ensnare him.

Sensing the subtle shift in air pressure, Anthony pivoted smoothly, stepping just beyond the net's reach as it collapsed onto the spot he had occupied mere moments before.

The orchestrators of this gauntlet had devised a series of dynamic targets ahead, each adorned with cryptic symbols.

Triggering these symbols unleashed a barrage of blunted arrows, their paths intersecting in a complex web of potential impact points.

Anthony's analytical mind processed the patterns instantaneously.

He moved through the onslaught with a dancer's grace, his body weaving between the projectiles with an ease that bordered on the preternatural.

His senses, honed to a razor's edge, attuned to the subtlest cues, the faint creak of a drawn bowstring, the nearly imperceptible rustle of leaves betraying hidden pitfalls.

Each challenge was met not with trepidation but with a serene confidence that underscored his mastery over his environment.

The forest, as if acknowledging his prowess, presented its final trial.

A chasm yawned before him, spanned by a narrow bridge that swayed precariously with the whispering wind.

Anthony approached without breaking stride, his gaze steady.

Midway across, the ropes anchoring the bridge snapped, a calculated sabotage.

Yet, Anthony remained unperturbed.

As the bridge collapsed beneath him, he propelled himself forward with a powerful leap, arms outstretched.

His fingers found purchase on the opposite ledge, and with a controlled exhale, he hoisted himself up, his muscles engaging in harmonious concert.

Emerging from the forest's grasp, Anthony's composure remained intact, his breathing steady, as if the gauntlet had been a mere formality.

The challenges that would have ensnared or overwhelmed others had been navigated with a finesse that spoke of innate talent and relentless training.

The forest had sought to test him, but he had moved through its trials as a maestro conducts a symphony, each movement deliberate, each response precise.

In the aftermath, there were no exultant shouts or displays of triumph.

Anthony simply continued forward, his demeanor unchanged, embodying the essence of true mastery.

And just like that, two month passed in the blink of an eye.