I woke up in a room.
Next to me were three bunk beds — I was on the bottom. My vision was still blurry.
I heard voices. Familiar ones.
It was Giel and Kad.
"Hey," Giel said, "so you actually survived. Man, I totally embarrassed myself out there. That could've been our end… But you're really strong. I wonder what rank you might be…"
"Anyway, today's our first official day in the base," he added.
I rubbed my eyes and asked,
"What happened after I passed out?"
Kad answered, "Commander Zoio found us. She's really nice. Said she has a few questions for us later, okay? But first, there's a big meeting in the cafeteria. It's at 8 AM, and right now it's just 7, so we've got an hour to look around."
"Alright," I said. "Wait, give me a second — I'm going to the bathroom first."
As I entered the small washroom, a message popped up in front of me:
[1 New Message]
Open? → Yes
Congratulations. You have won.
Both rewards have been claimed.
Level 4 Reached.
Two new abilities have been unlocked.
Skill 1 – "Life Sense"
You can now see the HP of allies and enemies.
Skill 2 – "Inventory"
You have gained access to an inventory system with 20 slots.
Slots used: 1/20
19 slots remaining.
Mike opened his system menu.
Mike Tyl – Stats:
Level: 4
Free Stat Points: 0 (all distributed)
Health (HP): 110
Strength: 40
Stamina: 40
Magic: 10 (unused)
Mike grinned. He felt stronger than ever.
"Time to move," he muttered as he stepped out of the bathroom.
"Alright, guys, let's head to the assembly," he said.
The trio — Mike, Giel, and Kad — walked through the base toward the cafeteria. As they entered the large hall, Mike immediately spotted someone: Julius, the bully from the ship. Their eyes met for a second, but Julius quickly looked away.
Mike thought to himself,
"You remember what happened. You know what I'm capable of."
Suddenly, a loud voice boomed across the room.
"Silence!"
All talking stopped at once.
"My name is Commander Glus. Starting today, I'll be your instructor.
For the next three years, I will train you, test you, and push you until you either fail—or become true Sals."
Commander Glus spoke clearly and with authority.
"I'll now tell you the plan for the coming week."
"Day 1 — Today: You'll be given a full tour of the base."
"Day 2 — Your abilities will be officially measured and ranked. Some of you already received a preliminary rank, but our mana scanners are the best in the world. Everyone will go through the test again."
"Day 3 — Your training begins."
"Days 4, 5, and 6 — You will be sent on your very first mission. It will last three days."
"Day 7 — A friendly battle tournament will be held."
He paused as the murmurs started to rise, then clapped loudly once. Silence returned.
"Now, I will introduce all the Commandants you'll be working with."
"First — myself: Glus, your main instructor."
"Zoio — hand-to-hand combat specialist."
"Fas — stealth and reconnaissance."
"Cono — magic and spell training."
"Dasus — tournament coordinator and arena judge."
"And now, your two head chefs: Risus and Nisus. They are master chefs — treat them with respect."
"The medical team: Tailis and Haul — and the head doctor, Master Healer Ilius, who is powerful enough to heal even an A-rank Sal."
"Remember, Sals fight for good. Always. That is our mission and our honor."
He took a step back, then raised his hand and nodded.
"Dismissed. The tour begins shortly."
The tour had begun. Commander Glus walked ahead with steady steps.
"Here is the cafeteria," he said. "Every Wednesday, a general meeting will take place here. If you go up these stairs, you'll reach the observation balcony."
"Come on, this way."
They walked through a long hallway.
"This corridor leads to the training hall. You'll be spending a lot of time here, so get used to it."
They moved on.
"These are the restrooms. Boys and girls are separated, obviously."
Suddenly, a girl's voice called out,
"Aww, the girls' bathrooms are so cute!"
A boy shouted from the other side,
"What?! Why don't we get something like that?"
Before anyone could react, he crossed over to the girls' area.
"Don't get too excited," he said, grabbing one of the girls by the arm.
"Hey, we have to help her!" Kad said urgently.
But Mike froze in place.
Lasa?
It was her.
Why had she applied to become a Sal? He couldn't understand it.
"Lasa!" he finally shouted.
"Mike! Help me!" she cried.
Mike stepped forward, firm and controlled.
"Don't touch her. Let go and walk away."
Surprisingly, the boy did let go—but then he pulled back his fist to punch Mike.
Mike didn't dodge.
He had to hide his true strength. He still didn't know what his wolf ability fully meant. If he reacted too fast, or too strong, he might reveal something he couldn't explain.
So he took the hit.
HP: 130
Enemy HP: 100
(Note: Wolf Strike deals exactly 100 HP damage.)
The boy didn't stop. He started kicking Mike while he was down.
Then Giel stepped in, furious.
He used his magic to throw the attacker across the hallway like a ragdoll.
"Mike! Are you alright?" Lasa rushed over, worried.
Mike stood up slowly and said,
"Yeah… I'm okay."
A day had passed, and today was the day everyone's abilities would be measured by their instructors.
Mike still had a bit of time, so he decided to complete his daily tasks. They had gotten a little tougher:
50 push-ups
10 minutes of moon observation
Unfortunately, the moon wasn't visible—it was still morning.
So he focused on what he could do.
50 push-ups, completed.
Kad and Giel were still fast asleep, lost in deep dreams.
Mike stepped outside for a quiet walk.
The morning air was cool, and a light breeze stirred the leaves.
"System, open."
The familiar blue interface appeared in front of his eyes.
[System Opened]
Level: 4
"Hm. Already Level 4…" he thought to himself, feeling a quiet sense of progress.
Then something caught his attention.
[1 New Message]
[Quest Received]
Bite a Human
Note: If not completed by tomorrow, 00:00, a penalty will be issued to Player: Wolf.
Mike's expression froze.
"Bite… a human?"
He stared at the glowing text.
His fingers clenched into fists.
What kind of quest is this…?
He looked up at the sky. The sun had only just risen, casting gold across the treetops.
And something in his chest… shifted.