Chapter 5 – Applause and Sarcasm

The morning sky in the residential district was filled with the soft light of the newly risen sun. Fresh air hit Cain's face as he stood in his front yard, feeling the silence he had just experienced. After a long night of reflection, his body felt a little more refreshed, although his mind was still filled with questions.

Today was the first day of his training with Rin, but he still had a lot of time before she came to pick him up. Rather than just staying idle, Cain decided to take a walk around the neighborhood, getting to know his new place better.

As he walked along the clean and orderly cobblestone streets, he noticed that the residential district felt much more peaceful than the busy city center. The houses here were simple but comfortable, with small gardens in the front yards. A few residents were seen out doing their morning activities, but Cain didn't attract much attention from them.

It didn't take long before his footsteps led him to a small park near the residential area. The park was filled with shady trees, wooden benches, and a play area with slides and swings.

There, in a shady corner of the park, Cain saw a girl sitting on a swing.

The girl had long, soft black hair, with purple eyes that looked innocent and a little sad. She wore a simple blue dress, with a light white cloak draped over her shoulders, and a wide white hat that gave her an elegant impression but protected her face from the sun.

Cain noticed that she was not playing, but was just sitting quietly on the swing, staring blankly at the sky as if she was daydreaming. Every now and then the wind would blow, making the strands of her hair sway gently.

There was something about the girl's gaze that attracted Cain. Loneliness.

She looked so calm, but there was a sense of loneliness in the way she stared at the sky.

Unconsciously, Cain stepped closer, but before he could say anything, the girl moved slightly on the swing and suddenly lost her balance.

"A-agh!"

Cain's reflexes kicked in. He darted forward and caught her just before her body hit the ground.

The girl was shocked, her eyes widening as she realized that someone had caught her. Cain himself was also a little surprised by his quick reflexes, but right now he was more focused on making sure the girl was okay.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he helped her up.

The girl looked down with a blush. "I-I... um... sorry..." her voice sounded soft and shy.

Cain noticed that she seemed to be the shy type, and was a little confused about how to react, the atmosphere felt awkward and he quickly tried to lighten it up.

"I should be the one asking, you're not hurt, right?" he continued.

The girl shook her head slowly. "N-no... just surprised..."

Cain let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. But you should be more careful when you sit on the swing."

The girl looked down even deeper, her fingers clasped together awkwardly. "I... am not used to talking to other people... so I just sat on a lonely swing... staring at the sky and fell," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Cain raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then I should be honored to be able to talk to you now?"

The girl looked surprised, then shook her head hurriedly. "It's not like that... it's just... um..."

Cain chuckled softly. "Relax. I was just kidding."

Cain was silent for a moment, he felt like screaming because he was embarrassed. So embarrassing! He just wanted to lighten the mood, but for some reason a feeling of embarrassment spread throughout his body and he got goosebumps, he had also only communicated with a few people, the girl in front of him was the third.

He took a deep breath, looking at the girl. The girl seemed unused to socializing, and so did he, the atmosphere became awkward again.

Before Cain could lighten the mood, footsteps were heard from behind him.

"Cain! I finally found you!"

Cain turned his head and saw Rin standing with her hands on her hips, her face showing an impatient expression. "We should start training now. Don't waste your time wandering around."

Cain sighed. "I'm just taking a short walk."

Rin's eyes turned to the black-haired girl, and her eyebrows raised slightly. "Your friend?" he asked.

Cain turned to the girl, who seemed hesitant, but eventually answered in a soft voice.

"I'm... Yuna."

Cain smiled faintly. "Yuna, huh? That's a nice name."

Yuna lowered her face slightly, as if she wasn't used to receiving compliments.

Rin, on the other hand, just sighed. "Come on, we should get started now before the sun gets any higher."

Cain looked at Yuna once more. "Maybe we can talk again later?"

The girl was a little surprised, but then nodded slightly. "U-um... yes."

Cain smiled before finally following Rin out of the park, leaving Yuna still standing in her place, holding the edge of her white robe with an expression that was hard to guess.

---

In the Xeno-Car.

The Xeno-Car's engine vibrated smoothly as it glided over the energy track, leaving the residential district behind. The vehicle had a fairly spacious interior, with soft seats and a Xenova-tech control panel.

Cain sat next to Rin, leaning his head back.

"I'm still wondering," he muttered, "why did you bother helping me like this?"

Rin stared forward, her hands still on the controls. "Don't get me wrong. I just don't want you to die stupidly during the test later."

Cain snorted softly. "Wow, you really care."

Rin sighed and turned to him. "Listen, Cain. I can't interfere in the Arkaneum test."

Cain raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Rin adjusted her seat before continuing. "The test to become a member of the Arkaneum changes every year. There is no single predictable pattern. How they test each participant is unknown, but what is certain is that the test consists of physical endurance, intelligence, and there are also some that have to do with adapting to extreme conditions."

Cain pondered for a moment. "So... you yourself don't know what method they will use this year?"

Rin nodded. "That's right. That's why I can't give you a specific strategy. But, I can assure you that you won't go in there completely blind."

He tapped the small screen on the car's control panel, bringing up several archives of previous Arkaneum tests.

"The Arkaneum test isn't just about fighting or using Xenova. They're looking for someone who has the ability to think quickly, high endurance, and most importantly, doesn't panic easily under pressure."

Cain skimmed the data that appeared on the screen. "So, it's not just about strength?"

"Exactly." Rin looked at him seriously. "Many talented people fail because they are too arrogant. Some even die because they underestimate the challenge given."

Cain leaned his head back against the seat. "That sounds... difficult."

"It is," Rin replied without hesitation. "And that's why I wanted to make sure you were at least prepared for the worst."

Cain was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Alright then. So what are we going to train today?"

Rin smiled faintly, her eyes slightly sharp. "Today? We're going to test your physical and mental limits."

Cain frowned. "That doesn't sound fun..."

"It doesn't," Rin pressed a few buttons on the Xeno-Car's controls, increasing their speed. "So get ready."

Cain could only guess what was in store for him in today's training.

Time passed quickly, Cain got out of the Xeno-Car, raising his head to look at the sight before him, a giant training facility with various zones designed to test humanity's ability to withstand the effects of Xenova.

From the outside, the building looked futuristic with towering pillars of energy, but the inside was more like a small city filled with various training fields.

As soon as he and Rin entered, an intimidating atmosphere immediately enveloped him.

The battle field on the right side was filled with people practicing fighting with energy swords, Xenova-based firearms, and pure martial arts techniques.

In the gravity zone covered in thick glass, several participants could be seen moving under the pressure of the doubled gravity, their bodies trembling as they tried to maintain their balance.

And the strangest thing to Cain was the simulation room, where one could enter a virtual world created with Xenova to train reflexes and battle strategies.

Cain looked at the people training around him, some looked very young, maybe only 12 years old, but had impressive control of Xenova. There were also older ones with large builds, but showed no signs of using Xenova at all.

He saw a man with a muscular body who jumped into the air and destroyed a metal pillar with a single punch.

"So there are people who can't use Xenova, but still have incredible power..." Cain thought.

Everyone has their own unique qualities, making Cain feel like an outsider who doesn't belong here.

Rin, noticing his expression, nudged his arm. "Don't think too much about it. Everyone starts from zero. Besides, we're not here to compare ourselves to them, but to find out your own potential."

Cain sighed softly. "Then… where do we start?"

Rin walked to one of the basic training zones, an open space with an energy circle in the center.

"Meditation," she replied.

Cain frowned. "Seriously? With all this advanced technology, You're telling me to meditate?"

Rin folded her arms. "If you can't feel Xenova in your body, how can you use her?"

Cain couldn't argue with that logic, so he sat cross-legged in the center of the energy circle.

"Take a deep breath," Rin said firmly. "Focus on your body, feel the flow of energy within you."

Cain closed his eyes, trying to follow Rin's instructions.

He heard his own breathing, felt his heartbeat slowly slowing. But… nothing felt different.

He tried harder, imagining something flowing through him, like warming blood, but… still no reaction.

Rin watched from the side, her eyes narrowed. "You're too stiff, Cain. Don't force yourself to search for something you don't understand. Let Xenova find you."

Cain growled softly, frustrated with himself.

After a few minutes of trying, he began to feel something faint, like a small spark of energy within his body.

However, when he tried to direct it... the sensation simply disappeared.

He opened his eyes and took a deep breath. "I can't..."

Rin stared at him for a moment before smiling slightly. "You can. It's just that you're not used to it. It's only natural, it took me a few weeks before I could finally control it."

Cain felt frustration wash over him. If even the basics were this difficult, how was he supposed to face the Arkaneum test in three days? The chances of failing were very high.

Rin walked up to him, patting his shoulder lightly. "Relax. This is just the beginning. You just need time."

Cain clenched his fists. He couldn't fail here. Not now. Not after he had decided to move forward.

"Alright," he said, looking at Rin with renewed determination. "What's next?"

Rin smiled. "Now, let's start the physical training."

After the meditation session, Rin immediately dragged him to the gravity zone, a place designed to increase physical endurance and body control.

As soon as Cain stepped inside, he immediately felt a strange weight on his entire body. The gravity in this room was at least twice the normal.

"You'll be here for an hour," Rin said flatly.

Cain's eyes widened. "An hour?! I can't even stand up straight here yet!" Cain said, showing his shaking legs.

"That's exactly the point," Rin grinned. "The higher gravity will help you understand balance and body control, which will then help you control Xenova."

Cain gritted his teeth and didn't answer. If I can survive here, maybe I can increase my endurance.

He started with a simple walk, then a jog. But each step felt twice as hard, like trying to run through thick mud.

Within minutes, his muscles were already burning. Still, he refused to stop.

Half an hour passed.

Cain fell to his knees, breathing heavily. "I… can't…"

Rin stared at him for a moment, then crouched down beside him. "Stand up."

Cain lifted his head. "What?"

Rin smiled faintly. "I don't care how slow you are. I don't care how hard this is for you. I just want to see you stand up again."

Cain stared at her, silent for a moment.

Then, with all his strength, he began to push himself up.

His knees were shaking.

His breath was labored.

But eventually, he managed to stand up again.

Rin nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now continue."

Several hours later…

Cain was lying on the floor of the training facility, his body completely drained of energy. His legs felt numb, his muscles throbbed, and his lungs were still gasping for air.

He tried to calm himself down, then he overheard the conversation of several participants who were also going to take the Arkaneum test.

"I heard that this year there's something different..."

"Yeah, they said that it's not just a physical and intelligence test, but also a survival test?"

"Tch, that's just a rumor. But if it's true, there might be a surprise we didn't expect."

Cain only heard a snippet of the conversation before they walked away. He didn't think much of it, but an uncomfortable feeling rose in his chest.

The sound of clapping snapped Cain out of his reverie, and he looked for the source of the sound.

Rin clapped her hands casually when she saw Cain lying limply in the gravity zone and said, "I've never seen anyone lying in a gravity zone this long. You're really unique."

The atmosphere inside the gravity zone was quite quiet even though there were many people practicing, even the thick glass couldn't block the sound from outside so he could hear Rin's applause and sarcastic words.

But he smiled a little. Even though every part of his body was screaming in protest, he was glad he had made it through today.

Just… two more days.

Just two more days, and he would face the Arkaneum test.

Cain clenched his fists, staring at the ceiling above him.

I just have to hold on…

Two more days.