As we walked toward the cafeteria, I glanced at North and asked.
"Want to call your friends?"
She hesitated, just for a fraction of a second, before shaking her head.
"No, it's fine."
Something about her response felt a little off, but I didn't push.
Instead, I nodded.
"Alright."
The cafeteria was bigger than I expected: clean, spacious, and a bit more advanced than the one at my academy. The ceiling had sleek lighting panels, and the food counters had screens displaying menu options.
As we stepped inside, a noticeable shift in the atmosphere occurred. Conversations dipped, eyes turned, and whispers followed in our wake. It wasn't subtle, people stared. Some looked curious, others wary, but the attention was undeniable.
I had no doubt about the reason.
At level 25, I was the highest-ranked and strongest probationary here, and my name had already made the rounds. Steve, walking beside me, let out a low chuckle.
"Damn, man. You're a celebrity now."
I ignored the looks and kept moving.
I ordered something simple—grilled meat, rice, and a high-calorie protein shake. Steve, true to form, picked the largest meal available, something labeled "Combat Fuel Special," and muttered about needing to bulk up.
North took her time, eventually settling on the same meal as Steve.
Once our orders were placed, we carried our trays to an empty table and sat down.
I exhaled, glancing around.
"This place is huge. If they have this many facilities just for us, I wonder what kind of setup the official soldiers get."
North shrugged.
"Not much different, actually, just bigger. Though there are some restricted areas and classified stuff I don't know about. Otherwise, it's mostly the same."
I nodded, then suddenly remembered something and aske.
"Hey, did you guys get your rewards for the mission yet?"
Steve shook his head.
"Haven't heard anything so far. I'm actually looking forward to it."
The cafeteria buzzed with quiet chatter as we waited for our food. A few minutes later, a notification appeared on the order panel, flashing that our meals were ready for pickup.
"I'll get them," I said, standing up.
Steve lazily waved me off.
"Good man."
North gave a small smile.
"Thanks."
I walked over to the counter, where a cafeteria worker handed me the trays. The meals were neatly arranged. I carried them back carefully and placed each tray in front of them before sitting down.
"Enjoy."
Steve dug in immediately, while North took a more measured approach, but her meal was as heavy as Steve's.
As we ate, North turned to me.
"So, when are you going to unlock your class?"
"Tonight," I replied between bites. "Figured I'd take care of everything else first."
Steve whistled.
"Damn, you're patient. I'd have done it the second I got the chance."
I shrugged.
"Wanted to clear my head first. Plus, I had other things to handle."
North tilted her head slightly.
"Like what?"
I tapped the table.
"Skill upgrade. Giving you the core. Eating good food instead of passing out right after evolving a skill."
She chuckled.
"Fair enough."
Steve smirked.
"What he's not saying is that he was probably agonizing over what kind of class he'll get."
I shot him a look.
"I wasn't agonizing."
He snorted.
"Yeah, yeah."
We continued eating, the conversation flowing casually.
After finishing the food we beelined toward the library.
The library building was part of the research wing. The entrance had security scanners, but we walked through without issue. Inside, rows upon rows of neatly arranged shelves stretched out in every direction.
Holographic displays hovered over different sections, marking subjects like Tactics & Strategy, Abomination Studies, Weapon Specialization, Essence Theory, Military History and so on.
A few other soldiers were scattered around, either reading physical books or scrolling through digital archives on sleek touchscreen panels. The atmosphere was quiet.
"Looks like you know where you're going," Steve said as I beelined straight for the Essence section.
"I have some things I want to check," I said, scanning the shelves.
North glanced around.
"I will go and look for some archery related stuff."
Steve stretched.
"I'll see if they have anything interesting on sword techniques. Maybe I can find something cool to try."
I pulled out a book titled The Fundamentals of Essence and settled into one of the nearby reading stations.
The book delved deep into the nature of Essence, describing it as the fundamental building block of reality. It detailed how elements interacted with Essence, the underlying principles governing its flow, and even touched on certain laws that dictated its behavior.
I lost myself in the pages, absorbing every bit of information, until a hand suddenly rested on my shoulder, pulling me back to the present.
I turned my head to see who it was—Arkas. I immediately stood up and saluted.
"Commander."
At my shout, the other soldiers around me quickly stood up as well.
Arkas gave a small nod. "At ease."
I lowered my hand and asked, "Commander, how can I help?"
His expression was serious, his brows furrowed.
"Meet me at my office in ten minutes."
With that, his body blurred, and he was gone.
I swallowed hard.
'Did I mess something up?'
But then I remembered my conversation with Steve, the one about asking Arkas for help.
Wasting no time, I grabbed the book and placed it back on the shelf before sprinting through the library in search of Steve.
When I found him, I quickly told him that Arkas had called for me and I wanted him to tag along. His expression turned serious, and he nodded.
That left North. It didn't feel right to just leave after bringing her here. I hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell her the truth.
"The Commander called me. I have to go."
She took it in stride, nodding.
"I'll come with you. I need to talk to June anyway."
That settled it. The three of us left the library together and made our way toward the Commander's office.
North left us midway, heading toward June's office while Steve and I continued toward Arkas' office.
We stopped in front of the closed door. Just as I was about to knock, Steve grabbed my wrist.
"Wait," he said. "How should I even bring this up? Should I just go straight in and say I'm volunteering to be trained along you?"
I shook my head.
"That might work, but I'm sure plenty of people have already volunteered. Some of them are probably willing to go through heaven and hell just to get Arkas' favor."
Steve frowned.
"Then what?"
I smirked.
"We blackmail."
He blinked.
"Huh?"
I leaned in slightly, keeping my voice low. "I'll tell him that if you're around, I'll put in even more effort. But if you're not, well… my results might not be as good."
Steve stared at me for a few seconds before a grin stretched across his face.
"Yeah, we blackmail. Man, I'm so glad I made you my best friend."
I elbowed him.
"No, you didn't. I did."
He shrugged.
"Same thing."
Rolling my eyes, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Come in." Arkas' deep voice rumbled from inside.
Steve and I stepped inside, and the door shut behind us with a soft click.
Arkas' office was minimal. The walls were bare except for one, where a massive map of the entire empire stretched across, detailed down to the smallest cities and roads.
On another wall, a few large screens displayed live footage of different sections of the training compound. I recognized a few areas, combat fields, dormitory corridors, even the cafeteria.
The centerpiece of the room was Arkas' desk, a sleek, metallic surface cluttered with tablets. Lines of data scrolled across their screens.
Arkas sat behind the desk, his expression unreadable as his sharp eyes flicked toward us.
Then Arkas spoke.
"I recall calling only you, Mr. Ironhart."
My eyes narrowed slightly. The last time we spoke inside the volcano, he had been much more relaxed, almost friendly. But now, his tone was sharper, more formal.
I decided to match it.
"Commander, we have something to discuss with you."
Arkas leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. His next words came flat and unreadable.
"Like blackmailing me to get what you want?"
I kept my expression steady, but beside me, Steve swallowed so loudly it echoed through the entire room.