As Anthony slept, other candidates chose to ditate, determined to be in peak condition for whatever the military had in store.
The hours passed in stillness, the silence broken only by the occasional soft rustle of movent.
The night wore on, and soon, morning arrived with swift certainty.
Then, a voice reverberated through their minds, cutting through the calm like a blade.
"Wake up to reality"
In an instant, eyelids snapped open, and bodies rose from their ditative positions.
The recruits were on their feet, their senses heightened, fully alert to whatever was coming next.
"Be at the previous location in ten minutes"
The voice echoed one last ti in their minds before fading into silence, leaving no trace.
There was no ti to bathe or freshen up, such tasks could be handled in re seconds through basic mana manipulation.
As the countdown began, a flurry of movent erupted across the building.
Every recruit knew the stakes.
The events of the previous day had made it clear: if they were even a second late, they would be eliminated.
There was no need for further explanation; the weight of the unspoken rule pressed heavily on them.
None of the recruits took the elevator.
Many leapt from their windows, shooting forward with astonishing speed, while others took the stairs, determined to waste no ti.
So even teleported directly to their destination.
As for Anthony, he casually opened a portal and stepped through it, his movent seamless and swift.
When he arrived, he noticed that a few others had already beaten him to the location.
He gave them a brief glance before turning away and walking to a quiet corner, where he simply stood and waited.
One by one, the recruits continued to arrive, their diverse thods of travel ranging from simple to extraordinary.
Within five minutes, everyone had gathered.
The man from yesterday, Daniel, a corporal ranked soldier, descended from above, his figure hovering slightly above the recruits.
"Good. It seems you are all here"
Without being told, everyone had instinctively ford a line, just as they had the day before.
None of them dared risk elimination.
Corporal Daniel landed softly in front of the group, his expression unreadable.
"We will begin soon"
As his words hung in the air, a new, commanding presence made itself known.
Colonel Vazeryth had arrived.
Colonel Vazeryth's indifferent, dragon-like eyes swept over the recruits, his gaze piercing and cold.
"Welco to Military Base Alpha-6"
His words reverberated in their minds, a subtle weight that made it feel as though he were speaking directly to their hearts.
"We in the Military only care about a few things: Loyalty. Power. Efficiency. Comrades. And, of course, our ultimate goal, the annihilation of the demons from our planet"
Vazeryth paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in, allowing the recruits to fully absorb the magnitude of what was expected of them.
"We only need strength and loyalty. Nothing else. Many of you are here to gain that strength. So of you are here for prestige. But at the end of the day, are you qualified to possess any of this? Hence, the test. Let us begin"
As Vazeryth finished speaking, Corporal Daniel stepped forward.
Thousands of bracelets materialized out of thin air, floating around him as he manipulated them with his mana.
Each bracelet shot forward, landing in the palm of every recruit.
Once the last bracelet had been distributed, Vazeryth spoke again, his tone steady.
"These are restriction bracelets. Their function is simple and straightforward: they restrict both mana and physical strength to any selected rank"
At his words, many recruits' faces contorted, understanding settling in like a cold shadow.
They already knew, whatever the test was, their power would be restricted.
"There are two tests. When you pass the first one, you will be told about the second"
Vazeryth continued, his voice unwavering and calm.
"For the details of the first test, you are to select the D rank on the bracelets. After that, all you have to do is survive for thirty minutes. Short, simple, and straightforward"
As his words hung in the air, the recruits' faces twisted with shock and unease.
D rank.
Many had forgotten such a rank even existed, let alone that they would be forced to reduce themselves to that level.
The weight of it settled heavily on them.
This wasn't just a test of endurance, it was a test of humility, one that required them to strip away their strength and face the harsh reality of their limitations.
They could feel the gravity of the challenge pressing down on them, knowing that their survival would depend on sothing far beyond raw power.
Now, they were ant to reduce themselves to this state.
Vazeryth gazed down, his sharp eyes observing their frowns, watching as their minds raced with the realization of what they had to endure.
Yet, so remained unperturbed.
Among them was Anthony.
To him, the restriction was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
With infinite mana at his disposal, even if he were forced to restrict himself to the F- rank, it made no difference.
His mana would flow boundlessly, unaffected by the limitations of the bracelet.
Moreover, the beginning of all things Physique granted him unparalleled physical strength.
Even when constrained, his physical prowess remained overwhelming, a silent testant to his extraordinary abilities.
As the others struggled with their anxiety, Anthony stood calmly, prepared for whatever ca next.
"I will give you all a minute to select D and set the thirty minute tir"
Vazeryth spoke again, his voice sharp and commanding.
The recruits quickly complied, selecting the D rank and activating the thirty minute tir.
None of them dared to even consider cheating by choosing a higher rank.
They knew how good their personal perception was, let alone challenge the being standing above them, Vazeryth, who watched over them with the cold indifference of a predator eyeing prey.
As the others completed the selection, Anthony felt the mana in his core suddenly sealed by an invisible force.
His physical strength also plumted, dropping far below what it usually was.
But Anthony wasn't bothered.
He knew this was nothing more than a temporary restraint.
With a single thought, he could lift the restriction and return to his full power.
It was just another test, one he had seen before and would easily overco.
A minute passed, and Vazeryth spoke once more, his voice cutting through the silence.
"As I said, the first test is simple. Survive for thirty minutes. If you feel like you can't keep up anymore, just destroy the bracelet, and you will be automatically teleported back to this place. Also, once the thirty minutes are up, you will be teleported back to this place. Healers are on standby to attend to you the mont you return, so if any of you die, that's your fault. We don't accept stupidity here. Any questions?"
His tone was clear, flat, and precise.
There was no room for misunderstanding.
The recruits listened with rapt attention, the weight of the situation pressing down on them.
Questions swirled in their minds.
Where were they going?
What were they supposed to face?
How many were there of whatever they were fighting?
But none of them dared to voice these questions.
They knew that if they hadn't been told, they weren't ant to know.
"Since there are no questions, I wish you good luck then"
Vazeryth said, his words almost cold in their finality.
With a simple snap of his fingers, the air twisted around them.
In an instant, they vanished, sent to the unknown, the first trial beginning in the blink of an eye.
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