Without hesitatioruck the longsword with the dagger. The bde of the longsword splintered effortlessly uhe pressure. Kayvaan tinued sshing, and within moments, the once-pristine longsword was reduced to nothing but a hilt. He casually tossed it aside. “This dagger isn’t just a tool; it’s a masterpiece. In skilled hands, even a small on turide of battle. Imagine what such a on could do against unarmored flesh. Now, let me ask the soldier I hit earlier—what’s your name?”

  “Sir, my name is Hogel! Sir!” The young recruit’s voice was loud and resolute, but there was an unmistakable tension in his stance.

  “Very well, Hogel,” Kayvaan replied, casually spinning the dagger in his hand. “Now tell me—what would happen if I used this dagger on you, as I did with that sword?”

  Hogel’s face turned pale, the color draining as the memory of Kayvaan slig the iron sword like a potato repyed in his mind. He swallowed hard. “I… I’d die, sir.”

  “Correct. The armor you’re wearing might stop an ordinary bde, but it wouldn’t stand a ce against this dagger. Do you know why?” Kayvaan raised the on for all to see. “This dagger has been enhanced with monomolecur bde teology. You probably don’t fully uand what that means, so let me simplify: this dagger has been subjected to high-tech modifications, making it extraordinarily sharp. In the Middle Ages, something like this would be sidered a magical on.”

  Kayvaan walked back to the ter of the field, addressing the gathered soldiers. “Many of you will eventually be issued simirly advanced onry. You’ll also faemies wielding ons beyond your uanding. That’s why, starting today, you must master two key skills. First, trust your armor. Sed, learn to identify your enemy’s ons. Know what year resist and what you must avoid.”

  He gestured to a rack of ons nearby. “Now, each of you will take one of these standard legion swords. This is the basic cold on you’ll train with aually, use to defeat your enemies. Get familiar with it. Uand its weight, its bance, and its limitations. Partner up. Practice against each other. The wioday will receive rewards, and the losers will face punishment. Instructors, sort them into pairs!”

  The soldiers quickly divided into groups and began sparring. The air was soon filled with the g of swords, the dull thuds of armored bodies colliding, and occasional groans as recruits struggled to adjust to the weight of their armor and the awkwardness of their ons. It was clear that this was airely new experience for them. While some were profit in boxing or marksmanship, few had any idea how to wield a sword effectively, let alone while encased in heavy armor.

  The chaotic skirmishes cked structure or finesse, resembling little more than a brawl. Kayvaan stood on the sidelines, watg impassively. He didn’t interrupt; he khis was an essential part of the process. Skill would e ter. For now, they o familiarize themselves with the feel of holding a sword and moving in armor. “You there—Hogel!” Kayvaan suddenly called out. “Why aren’t you sparring?”

  “Sir, I’ve been assigned no partner.”

  “No parthat’s fine. I’ll spar with you myself.”

  Hogel’s heart leaped. On the surface, he feigement at the honor of sparring with his superior. Internally, though, his thoughts were venomous. ‘Perfect. This is my ce for payback.’ Hogel still fumed over being singled out earlier and humiliated in front of his rades. Now, with a legitimate reason to fight back, he was determio make Kayvaa it.“Why don’t you answer? Are you afraid to fight me?”“No, sir! It’s an honor and a privilege to spar with you, sir!”“Oh, no,” Kayvaan said, his tone almost pitying. “You’re an unlucky man, Hogel. Believe me.”

  Hogel, however, was brimming with fidence. pared to the burly soldiers around him, Kayvaan’s slender frame seemed unimposing. This guy doesn’t stand a ce, Hogel thought as he readied his on.

  Hogel quickly learned h he was. The first exge sted only moments. One sed, Hogel was advang, fident he had the upper hand. The , he was ft on his back, staring at the sky, his sword cttering to the ground. fused but uerred, he tried again. Then again. Each attempt ehe same way, with Hogel sprawled on the ground, pletely outmatched. His frustration mounted as he failed to uand how he kept losing.

  To drive the lesson home, Kayvaan began to toy with him. Eaent was calcuted, each strike precise. Hogel wasn’t just losing—he was being dismantled. By the time Kayvaan finally stepped back, Hogel was so battered he could barely stand. “Well,” Kayvaan said, shaking his head. “You wanted a sparring partner. gratutions. From now on, you’ll be practig with me.”

  For the first time, Hogel realized just how unlucky he truly was. The chaotic sparring matches among the rest of the soldiers tinued for another fifteen minutes. Eventually, all the victors and losers were determihe instructors took over, herding the exhausted recruits toward the raining site. There was no time for rest. The schedule was grueling, with barely a moment to catch their breath between drills. Meals had to be finished in five minutes; any unfinished food meant tinuing on ay stomach.

  The training was relentless. Alongside traditional physical ditioning, recruits were subjected to cross-try obstacle courses desigo mimibat ditions. Mae guns mounted above barbed wire unleashed bursts of simuted fire as soldiers crawled beh, the sound of bullets whizzing overhead adding a visceral sense of danger.

  Kayvaan observed it all with a critical eye. The training was designed not just to build physical strength but te discipline, resilience, and camaraderie. This wasn’t about individual survival; it was about creating warriors who could fun as a cohesive unit otlefield. “They’re rough,” Edward ented, stepping up beside Kayvaan. “Undisciplined. Green. Do you really think they’ll be ready?”

  “They have to be,” Kayvaan replied simply, his gaze fixed on the recruits. “This gaxy doesn’t wait for ao be ready.”

  The relentless day of high-iy training finally cluded as the sun dipped below the horizon. Dinner was greeted with a roar of cheers from the soldiers. Before them y a feast they couldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams—a spread far removed from the bnd rations they were aced to. Eveer, the usual time limit for meals was exteo a luxurious fifteen minutes. For a fleeting moment, the soldiers basked in a rare sense of te. But this was Kayvaan’s camp, and suents were never meant to st.

  After dihe soldiers were ushered into a dimly lit . Soft, tranquil music pyed in the background, the kind that might apany a soothing evening by the sea. Outside, the rhythmic murmur of waves added to the serene ambiance. Each soldier was given a sheet of paper and a pen and instructed to write an 800-word essay. The topic? Whatever they wahe only rule? Stay awake. Falling asleep would result in severe punishment.