I stood in place, silent, my mind filled with thoughts I couldn't sort out.
I was pulled out of it when Steve spoke.
"You're thinking too much."
"Huh?" I turned to look at him.
He shook his head.
"Come on, let's sit and talk."
He grabbed two water bottles, tossed one to me, and then sat down, leaning against a tree trunk. After taking a sip, he spoke again.
"So, what's on your mind? You don't seem angry." He asked.
I exhaled.
"I'm not sure who to be mad at—myself, for not being able to talk to her properly? Mark, since he's a jerk? Or North, for just leaving like that?"
Steve chuckled.
"You can't be mad at North. Those three have been her friends for years. You just met her a few days ago. You can't expect her to leave them and stick with you."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." I snorted.
Steve took another sip of water before speaking.
"You're really bothered by this, huh?"
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"It's not just that she left. It's Mark. He's only level nine, but the way he talks, you'd think he was leagues ahead of us."
Steve scoffed.
"Capital kids, man. They're all like that. They grow up thinking they're special just because of their families.
They get the best training, best resources, best everything. Even if they're weaker, they act like they're the strongest in the room."
I frowned.
"It's annoying. He wasn't even subtle about it. He wanted North to leave us. And she… she went."
Steve raised an eyebrow.
"Did you expect her to stay?"
I hesitated before answering.
"...Yeah. Maybe."
Steve gave me a knowing look.
"I think you're forgetting something important. North is from the capital too."
I shrugged.
"She's not like them."
"Maybe not, but that's still where she's from. You can't blame her for wanting to be with people she's known for years."
I didn't answer right away. I knew he was right, but it didn't make me feel any better.
Steve smirked.
"You're sulking."
"I'm not."
"You are."
I exhaled sharply.
"I just don't like how he acts like he owns her."
Steve's smirk faded a little.
"Yeah, I noticed that too. He didn't even hide it. He probably sees you as competition."
I let out a dry chuckle.
"Then he's an idiot. I'm not even…" I trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.
Steve grinned.
"Not even what? Interested? Because, man, you are so obvious."
I glared at him, but he just laughed.
"Look," he said, leaning back, "Mark's arrogant, yeah. But in the end, levels don't lie. He can talk all he wants, but if he can't back it up, it won't matter."
I nodded slowly.
"You're right. Now, there's only one thing left to do, smash some monsters right in front of his face. Let's see if he can keep that smirk then."
Twisting the cap off my bottle, I downed the entire thing in one go before exhaling.
"Anyway, I've got the rest of the month to get North back to our camp."
Steve nodded, leaning back.
I continued, "That aside, how should we approach the fight tomorrow?"
Steve stayed silent for a few seconds before answering.
"Well, what kind of future do you see for yourself?
If you want to lead an army, then tomorrow's your chance to start.
Take charge, lead everyone. But if you're set on being a lone wolf, then you should fight alone."
That made me pause. I hadn't really thought that far ahead.
But the truth was, there wasn't much to think about.
I was, and always would be, a lone wolf rushing ahead.
Even the entire Unit 02 wouldn't be able to keep up with me.
The empire's army? Even less so. I wasn't built to stay in formation, to lead from within the ranks. And my talent only reinforced that.
I wasn't the kind of leader who stood in the middle of his people, giving orders. I was the one who carved the path forward, forcing everyone else to try and catch up.
I wouldn't be staying in this world forever.
There were stronger worlds out there, and I wanted to go. Explore. Maybe even conquer them.
I smirked and looked at Steve.
"I think you already know what kind of future I'll have."
Steve chuckled.
"Yeah, I know. And I like that. I'm not exactly social enough to follow you if you start playing commander. I'd rather go around slashing things alone."
I laughed.
"Hell yeah."
I stood up, stretched, and said.
"Alright, let's spar for the rest of the day. There are a few things I want to try."
Steve nodded, grabbed his sword, and got to his feet.
Moving a short distance away from our camp, we began sparring.
****
Arkas Rayleigh (The Commander) PoV:
I flew high above the sky, arms crossed, watching the members of Unit 02 rush toward the volcano.
For the past two weeks, I had observed every fight, every decision, and every mistake they made. They had been thrown into the fire, and while they weren't perfect, they hadn't broken yet.
That was good. It meant they had potential.
What I hated most was complaints.
We didn't have the luxury for that.
Whatever was thrown at us, we fought through it. Simple. And I was pleased that, out of the hundred members, only about twenty were still wasting time whining.
The rest had understood either adapt or fall behind.
My gaze shifted and settled on Billion Ironhart, the anomaly.
He was raw, wild, and far stronger than anyone else in the unit.
He tore through obstacles instead of maneuvering around them. I liked that. He was like me in that way: no nonsense, just smashing through problems.
His growth rate was absurd. In just two weeks, he had gone from promising to outright dangerous.
His current progress already matched the best of Unit 01. And that was good for me. No, actually, it would be even better if he grew far stronger than them.
The members of Unit 01 needed a reality check. They needed to realize they weren't untouchable.
Billion was also one of the few who truly understood my words when I told them that no one would die in the first month.
It was a direct message that throw yourselves into danger, grow as much and as fast as possible while you still have a safety net.
I had seen all his fights at the checkpoints, and my favorite was when he went to save Steve. The way he sprinted for hours without hesitation to reach his best friend, that kind of loyalty was admirable.
I had also heard his discussion with Steve about the kind of warrior he wanted to be.
And I approved. We needed men like that. Men who could stand at the front, not just as leaders, but as symbols as guardians of our world.
We had plenty of commanders. Plenty of strategists.
What we needed was a king. An ace we could throw against the Eternals and the threats lurking within our own empire.
I narrowed my eyes.
The internal threats.
Even though we were at war with the Eternals, greed still thrived.
There were always people looking to take advantage of the chaos, always scheming to gain power for themselves.
My world wasn't strong enough to fend off all these dangers, not yet.
It wasn't just the Eternals we had to worry about.
There were factions within our own world, backed by other powerful worlds, that sought to overthrow the Rayleigh royal family and seize control.
They hid behind diplomacy and trade agreements, but we all knew the truth. They weren't allies they were waiting, circling like vultures, ready to strike the moment we showed weakness.
I clenched my fists.
We weren't strong enough to cast them out, not yet.
So we had to play their game, act courteous, and fight on their terms. It was frustrating, but until we had the power to push them out completely, we had no choice.
And because of them, the Elite Units suffered.
The casualty rate of our best warriors was no coincidence. We knew what was happening.
These factions were pulling strings, manipulating events, making sure our strongest soldiers were sent to die in battles they had no business fighting.
They wanted to weaken us, to bleed us dry until we had no elites left.
Once that happened, our world would fall into their hands without a single war.
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to relax.
That was why I needed warriors like Billion Ironhart. If we couldn't win by playing their game, then we needed someone who could break the board entirely.
"Tomorrow, when the Volcano Abomination awakens, your real trial will begin, Billion," I murmured.
"Prove to me that you're different, and I'll have your back."