Edners

"Okay, that's enough. Let's take a break," Grim said, grabbing his water bottle.

Seon flopped onto the floor, reaching for his own water bottle before pulling up his status window.

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STATUS WINDOW

[Name ]: Seon-woo

[Age]: 15

[Rank [Level]: 15 → 21 (+6)

[Title]: The Relentless

[Class]: Combat Strategist (Evolving...)

[Affinity]: ???

Attributes:

Strength: 28 → 38 (+10)

Agility: 20 → 30 (+10)

Endurance: 22 → 35 (+13)

Intelligence: 70 → 75 (+5)

Perception: 30 → 38 (+8)

Willpower: 38 → 55 (+17)

{Stellar energy}: 30/30

{Resonance level}: 3

Skills Gained/Improved:

Dominance Aura (LVL 1 → LVL 2) – Aura now affects a wider range, and enemies with weak willpower struggle to resist commands.

Combat Awareness (LVL 1 → LVL 3) – Enhanced ability to predict enemy movements, react faster, and maintain control in chaotic battle situations.

Tactical Evasion (LVL 1 → LVL 2) – Improved ability to dodge and reposition, allowing Seon to avoid fatal attacks with better efficiency.

Endurance Training (NEW) – Seon can push past normal limits, allowing him to fight longer with reduced fatigue.

Controlled Burst (NEW) – Short bursts of extreme speed and strength at the cost of high stamina.

Pain Resistance (NEW) – Increased tolerance to pain and mental resistance against stress and fear.

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After his first mission, Seon had asked Grim to train him. However, Grim refused, saying Seon was too weak. Determined, Seon started copying everything Grim did after figuring out where he trained. At first, he fainted multiple times. He could barely eat for the first two days, his any was falling apart, he experienced alot of consequences of over using his abilities and he couldn't focus in class. But on the third day, his system suddenly underwent an upgrade, and his body adapted faster.

It had been a week, and his improvement was unbelievable. His weaker skills no longer needed to be consciously activated, and during battles, his body moved almost instinctively. He also got taller and had developed a more muscular toned body. He no longer looked like a malnutritioned 10 year old, he's hair was less messy and his skin was no longer as pale since some of his new abilities required him in he sun.

His unit was also improving. Though they hadn't received another mission since the first one, he had joined their practices and lessons twice during the week. He did it mostly to used domain Aura but he was able to get more information on his unit information the system couldn't give him.

"You know exams for captains are next week, right?" Grim said, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. During this week they'd gotten a bit closer than they were when they ment. Instead of a recruit Seon now felt that Grim was an uncle of some kind.

Seon let out a sigh. He had only been here a week, and now he had to take exams? X had run them through a practice exam yesterday—a mock battle using the holoV against the unit leaders. He had to choose 30 people from his unit to lead during the exam.

The problem? It had nothing to do with strength. He had to pick soldiers who were intelligent, capable of utilizing military technology, and disciplined enough to follow his commands. The biggest problem was that the technology itself was fairly knew even to the military. He sighed and got up.

"Will I be battling you?" Seon asked.

Grim shook his head. "No, but you will if you lose," he said before closing the door. Seon shivered at the treat he had duelled Grim once this past week. He had a blind fold on with both his hands tied and he still lost somehow.

Seon pulled up his list of candidates. He hadn't checked their scores yet. Earlier, he had designed a test for his entire unit, focusing on military protocols, prototype technology, and battlefield tactics.

He left the training room and headed to his quarters, reviewing the scores and their responses along the way. He already had 19 solid candidates—people from his old school, ones he knew had the drive to prove themselves.

After taking a quick shower, he made himself dinner and sat down to finalize the remaining candidates. If he wasn't mistaken, this group would be assigned to the Edners of Unit Z.

Edners were a specialized division within the military responsible for controlling drones, tanks, weapons, and communication during missions. X had shown them the military's core Edners as an example. Ever since that day, Seon had been analyzing all available data on the new recruits before designing his test.

He needed to evaluate their judgment, moral standing, and knowledge of the system in use. He had no intention of losing—not in battle, and certainly not in strategy.

"I believe you all submitted your lists," X said, placing his tablet on the table.

All the captains nodded. Seon included. He had stayed up all night looking through the tests. He chose the smartest yet physically weaker ones. There was no reason to put someone who couldn't run on the front lines. There were still weaker ones in combat roles, but they could be trained. X nodded.

"Get ready because from today on, you'll be studying for the exam," X said and sent them locations where they would be training.

The captains got up and began moving. Seon summoned everyone on the list to the location. His unit was used to receiving orders from their crimons, so he decided to leave it be.

When he arrived, everyone was present. They didn't look like much, and most of them had performed terribly in their previous physical examinations.

"You all have been chosen by me to be Unit Z's Edners. For the next week, we will train for an exam. We will eat here, train here, and sleep here. You are now this team's Edners. If you slip up, you will be sent to the lower ranks," Seon said before opening the door and walking in.

He led the team to the control room, where they would probably spend most of their time. The room was dark with no windows; the only source of light was the holoV that broadcasted live footage from the field.

Seon had connected their entire system to his own after the upgrade. He displayed the seating arrangements, and everyone stood up and took their assigned seats. He turned and observed the room. Everyone was inspecting their equipment.

"From now on, we will be practicing various plays. I have prepared 100. Each and every one of you will have them all memorized by the fifth day. I handpicked each and every one of you, so I will not tolerate mistakes. Remember, if an Edner makes a mistake, someone on the field dies. Let's start the first play," Seon said before pulling up the first play.

After hours of practice, Seon finally dismissed the team for lunch. They had already completed 25 plays with combinations. They caught on quickly, even adjusting the plays to produce better results. Seon used the system to generate plays for the best possible outcomes. He wanted to win—and by a margin.

He took out a sandwich from his inventory and started eating while going through the plays they had already done, comparing the results to his predictions. He used the system and test results to run which positions suited who by placing them in all kinds of different seats.

"What is it, Felix?" Seon asked without looking up.

His celestial insight was now able to detect not just celestial power but also body heat. He was proud that all his hard work was paying off. He also knew how helpful it was doing to be in the future.

"Why... why did you put me in charge of the Edners?" Felix asked awkwardly.

Seon looked up at him. He had his head down, fiddling with his fingers. Truthfully, Felix was the first one to make it on the list. Even though he was physically strong, Seon couldn't find anyone else capable enough to take the position. Felix was smart, strong, and had extremely high morals. The position needed someone close to perfection, and that was exactly what Felix was.

"Because back in the slums, you were the only person I believed had a 100% chance of making it out. If lives are on the line, I want you making the decisions. Also, everyone I picked for this team is someone I believe deserves a better life than we had," Seon answered truthfully.

Felix looked taken aback by the answer but nodded, muttered a quick thanks, and left. Seon took another bite of his sandwich and began reviewing the replay of the plays. He wanted to identify awkward movements and bad habits early on before it was too late.

After lunch, the Edners appeared more focused, as if they had just grasped the true weight of their roles. They corrected the mistakes Seon had pointed out in the replays, and, unsurprisingly, Felix was quick to call out anyone on the verge of an error. By the time they had worked through nearly fifty plays, Seon dismissed them and went to train.

Later, when he returned to his temporary room for the next seven days, he was surprised to find that no one was asleep. Instead, small groups gathered in the bedrooms and common areas, analyzing plays, making edits, and discussing adjustments with Felix. Seon recognized the emotion in their eyes—desperation. It was the same feeling that had consumed him just a week ago, sitting on that bus, heading home.