meeting

After almost two hours of intense training, Orin felt his hunger gnawing at him, so he made his way to the cafeteria. The place was empty, and he sat down at one of the steel tables. A screen lit up in front of him, displaying several different meal options, ranging from simple vegetables to high-protein meats. He barely glanced at the options before muttering to himself, "Vegetables won't do the job. Let's start with some meat."

He selected a seafood dish, curious about how it would taste. The moment he took a bite, his eyes lit up with surprise. "Delicious," he murmured. The taste was different from the raw meat he usually ate

. But despite how good it was, he knew food was limited. The supply in the base was only meant to last 70 people for three days. Now that more than half had been disqualified, it could probably last six days at most.

A notification popped up on the screen, reminding him that each hunter was only allowed three meals per day unless they contributed to the kitchen by hunting monsters. Orin sighed and took out a chunk of raw meat from his storage belt. He bit into it without hesitation. His fast regeneration would handle any issues that came from eating raw flesh, and the extra nutrients would help his muscles recover faster.

Once he finished eating, he returned to the training grounds and resumed his plan to adapt to the heavy suit. He steadily increased the weight setting, pushing his body bit by bit until he could walk normally under the pressure.

Only a few minutes later, two girls entered the training area. One had long purple hair styled in an emo fashion, wearing a purple jacket over black sweatpants. The other wore a strict military-style outfit, her posture straight and disciplined.

As they walked in, their eyes immediately fell on an astonishing sight.

At the center of the training grounds, an extremely muscular figure was performing deep squats, his back broad and defined. Every movement was controlled, his muscles straining under the weight, yet he refused to stop.

The girls only glanced at him briefly before settling into a corner to observe.

Orin ignored their presence. His focus remained entirely on his training. Every movement he made seemed weightless, as if he were manipulating gravity itself. Even under immense pressure, he moved without making a sound. To the point that people who see him will think it's just normal training instead of heavy training.

Before long, others began arriving one by one. Eventually, nearly all the remaining hunters had gathered. But Orin continued training, pushing himself to his limits like a madman.

Finally, when the last person entered the training grounds, Orin broke his rhythm and turned his attention to the figure at the center of the gathering.

Rael had arrived.

like before, he was dressed smartly, exuding an air of confidence. He strode to the center of the training grounds and projected a holographic map in the air. Over 50 locations were marked in different colors. green, yellow, and red, each representing a different difficulty level.

"Everyone, thank you for coming," Rael began. "Tomorrow, we begin our missions. But before that, we need to understand our strengths and weaknesses."

Orin silently stepped forward like a ghost, blending into the group as he listened.

Rael continued, his voice clear and composed. "We currently have only nine attackers. The rest were too uncooperative and ended up disqualified. The remaining group consists of four strategists, five speedsters useful for scouting, one sniper, and seven healers."

Liza, one of the strategists, nodded in admiration. She enjoyed listening to Rael speak everytime.

The girl in the military outfit, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "How do we divide the teams? Nine attackers aren't enough to split up effectively."

Rael thought for a moment before answering. "We'll form one strong team instead of spreading our forces thin. This will allow us to annihilate most monsters in the designated zones."

Then, a sly smile crossed his face. "But… I've hacked into the base's inner records and discovered something interesting. We have two potential level three attackers among us."

The entire group reacted in shock. Even Orin raised an eyebrow. Level 3 in an entery exam?

The girl in the military outfit immediately questioned him. "Who are they?"

Rael's gaze landed on the emo girl in purple. "Zera," he announced. "Your records indicate untapped potential, but there's an issue with control. Would you mind showing us your ability?"

Zera stiffened. "There must be a mistake," she muttered. "I barely know how to generate electricity, and it's useless anyway."

Rael smiled encouragingly. "Just try."

Reluctantly, Zera raised her hand and summoned a small spark of electricity. It was weak, flickering unsteadily before vanishing.

Some of the hunters scoffed. "That's it?" But Rael remained unfazed. "Try again," he urged.

She hesitated, then focused harder. This time, the spark grew slightly stronger, crackling in her palm.

Again, Rael had her repeat the process. With each attempt, the electricity fluctuated, sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker.

The girl in the military outfit finally cut in. "That's enough. No need to waste her energy." She then turned to Rael. "Who's the second person?"

Rael adjusted his glasses and pointed at Orin.

All eyes turned toward him.

Orin, still deep in thought about Zera's unstable power, was caught off guard. "The energy core is dangerous," he mused internally. "Even with just a spark, it's clear something is blocking her… But can I compete with that kind of thing?"

The mention of his name snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Hey, Orin," Rael called out. "Care to show us what you're capable of?"

Orin remained silent.

He could feel the weight of everyone's expectations pressing down on him. Unlike Zera, he had no energy core. His strength was purely physical, the result of relentless training and his unnatural regeneration. his expression calm. There was only one way to prove himself.