“Over the hree months, you will be taught, trained, and evaluated in various areas. Many of you will bee officers; however, the primary focus is on a select group that will be chosen to bee Rangers. Because of this, pay attention. You will have to pass three of the followis.” e expined.

  The cadets had beeless just seds before, whispering about every detail regarding the professor and what to expe the uping weeks. With just a few words, the entire room came to a halt. Not a single breath could be heard.

  “There are three main types of missions that both Officers and Rangers participate in. The first is in Researd Reaissance, where we must find, develop, or iigate information, equipment, or location.” e tinued.

  In the ter of the room, various holograms of ps were dispyed. After a few moments, different ships from the Orks appeared, followed by some pieces of ons that the cadets couldn’t reize.

  “The sed type of mission is Defense. Currently, the h Army is spread across dozens of ps. After the third wave, we acquired enough teology to popute the sor system and nearby systems. However, most of those ps became targets for the Orks.” e walked between the holograms while expining.

  The ons' holograms disappeared, repced by projes of the Moon, Mars, and several other ps. Eae was briefly showcased with aerial images of its ies.

  “Finally, the third type of mission is Assault. Our armies have a hard time against the Orks in a frontal battle. However, there are special infiltration and assault missions that are carried out to undermihe oppo's position.”

  e tio walk between the pulpit and the front row of the bleachers. His arms were hidden behind his back as he analyzed the students with each step.

  “Therefore, each month of your training will focus on one of these types of missions, and at the end of the month, there will be a challenge. Although these are moments of evaluation for the Ranger Academy, every exercise, every training session, and every excursion will be sidered part of your evaluation as an officer.”

  The officer returo the pulpit and began typing on a transparent keyboard. After a few seds, the desks before the cadets started to move. The top of the desks opened sideways, revealing an item inside.

  “While the three missions are on to all of us, it doesn’t mean that you will specialize in all of them.”

  The item became visible to the cadets: it was a gau. Oliver reized the item; it was very simir to what the Ranger he had faced during the test used.

  “Each officer er has their specialty, which will not be different for you. In the ing days, you will undergo three types of training.” e stopped for a moment while the recruit's attention was still focused on the gau.

  “You will still have csses with me, where I will present important tent for each officer, ranging from tactid war strategies to the geography of exops.”

  The professor walked to the first roicked up one of the gaus.

  “You will also receive physical training. These will push your bodies to their limits, helping you develop your stats, boons, and skills. Finally, the third type will be bat specialty csses. For this reason, each of you will receive this gau.”

  e raised the gau for the entire room to see. Seeing the students’ eyes focused on him, he tinued expining.

  “Each of these tains a weaker artificial Z-Crystal, the same as that used in Artificial Ranger Armors; however, it is 100 times weaker than an Artificial Crystal. Just as an Artificial Crystal used in armor is 100 times weaker than an inal Crystal used in a Ranger Armor. Therefore, you will not be able to use it to wear an official Ranger Armor. But you access your Status Page to monitor your development.”

  The professor returo the room's front aurhe gauo the desk.

  “You will be responsible for yaus; you must never lose them. Besides the Status Page, it has other funs you will learn about in other csses. However, the most important thing right now is for you to explore your positions. Discover what’s best and worst about you to uand whibat specialty to choose.”

  Again, e typed on the keyboard at the pulpit, and more images appeared.

  “You will have four options. First, hand-to-hand bat. Sed, bat using Ranger ons. Third, bat using Energy, and finally, bat using Crystal ons.”

  The professor finally paused for a few seds, allowing the room to return to murmurs. Many students were already pnning where to focus their time and where they would fit best.

  “Any questions?” e asked the recruits.

  While some students asked questions of the professor, Oliver observed the gau. It wasn’t ored and appeared to be simply made of steel. However, it was light and fit easily on the boy’s arm. Ihe gau, padding made it fortable to wear. After putting it on, two buckles locked the equipment in pce.

  Besides Oliver, An was lost in thought. He knew what type of bat his family usually selected, but even so, the boy waher opinions and to explore what he could choose. Without thinking twice, the boy raised his hand.

  “Professor, among the four specialties, which characteristics do you sider essential for each of them?” An asked.

  e turo the young cadet. His face was serious as he pohe question. The professht one hand to his fad scratched his cheek.

  “That’s a good question, but it’s difficult. Eabat specialty fit any type of Boon. It depends on how you will utilize it. Instead, I’ll expin a bit more about the bes of eae, and I hope that helps you decide.”

  The room’s attentiouro the topic; even Oliver, who had been engrossed in his gau, looked back at the professor.

  “In hand-to-hand bat, the main characteristic is the short distao your oppo. You specialize in Strength ility. But if you durand take a hit from an Ork, you might be taken out of the fight after the first blow.”

  As he narrated, the captain moved to the ter of the room. He raised both arms to form a guard and executed several quid precise movements. Some students could follow along, as it was the standard martial art of the army, while others were simply amazed by the motions.

  An and Oliver had already discarded this specialty. While Oliver had agility, he remembered the pain of receiving an Ork’s attad didn’t want to experiehat again. As for An, agility and endurance were definitely his oints.

  “Except for this specialty, the others will somehow involve Energy. Ranger ons are maions of your e with your Boon, but they e the Energy your body produces to fun. They be short or le, and after good training, they tend to lower their energy ption.”

  As soon as the professor finished expining, he extended one hand, and quickly, small energy particles gathered. Moments ter, a rifle materialized in his hand. The on was almost as tall as the captain, with a long barrel and a sounted fh-precision, long-distance shots.

  An didn’t like his Ranger on; although it had a good bination with his Boon, he didn’t have the skills to wield it effectively. Oher hand, Oliver was leaning toward specializing in his Ranger on. Even though he was still a plete amateur in any form of bat, his Ranger on was the only thing that had saved him in the past.

  “Finally, the st two specialties are more restrictive. Energy bat utilizes the pure energy from your body to i with your oppos. It demands high trol and sometimes boons that match this bat style.”

  Quickly, the rifle in the captain's hand vanished. In its pce, several particles of energy began to gather, merging until small bursts of lightning burst out auro the professor's hand.

  “Crystal ons are by far the most restrictive. They are ons fed pletely using Z Crystals; no doubt they are one of the most powerful ons that be created; however, they are extremely rare and expensive.”

  The look iudents' eyes made it clear they were expeg some sort of demonstration, but the professor remained u the room’s ter.

  "I see the look in your eyes, but it's pointless. I don't have a Crystal on, and even recs of them are rare. This bat form is offered by default, but we rarely have students for it, as nowadays, only direct heirs of great Houses tend to have access to this type of on," e cluded his expnation.

  The clusion of the expnation took up the rest of the time they had for the first css.

  “Each of you will have until tomorrow to decide on your bat specialty,” e cluded the first day with the Sed Battalion. This was one of the csses he was most excited to teach; he could feel that this css had a rare gathering of talents.

  While several students had already left the room or were discussing their first css in the hallways, Oliver finally had some free time. With his new gau, he would finally uand what his Boon and Glitch were.

  ‘Status Page!’

  GCLopes