"Run! Keep running!"
"Haven't you eaten yet?! Food is precious nowadays—you idiots are just wasting it!"
"The last ten today are all eliminated and sent back to the Underground!"
"What are you looking at?! Either keep running or give up right now—I'll personally send you back!"
Inside the Training Corps base, a group of recruits was being driven to their limits by Lock. Their legs trembled, their lungs burned, and yet they didn't dare to stop. Deep down, every one of them carried the same fear:
They refused to return to the dark Underground, where there was no sunlight, no future, and no hope.
On top of that, Lock was a man none of them could oppose. If they somehow managed to complete their training, he would simply double it the next day. Resistance wasn't an option—they could only blame their own weakness.
And this was no place for rebellion. Fully armed Garrison soldiers stood guard around the perimeter. Any sign of unrest, and these untrained recruits would be crushed before they could take a step.
Ding — The host displays the qualities of an iron-blooded commander. Leadership +1!
Lock smirked faintly at the sound only he could hear and continued to bark orders at the recruits. Across the field, cadets from the regular Training Corps were stunned at the scene unfolding before them.
Many of them knew who Lock was.
His reputation lingered long after his early graduation. Lock was the first recruit in the Corps' history to graduate ahead of schedule and immediately join the Survey Corps, heading straight to the frontlines against the Titans.
"Is that… Lock?" one recruit whispered. "Why does he seem like a completely different person now?"
"Of course," another replied. "He was the first to graduate early, joined the Survey Corps, and actually survived fighting Titans. Anyone would change after that."
"Did you see his uniform? He's already a captain. It hasn't even been that long… he's risen so fast."
"We trained alongside him once. Compared to him, we're nothing but fodder."
Their conversations carried through the wind, reaching Keith Shadis, the stern instructor who stood with arms crossed. His usually sharp expression softened for a moment as he watched Lock drill his recruits mercilessly.
The young man who once stood on this very field had grown into a leader capable of shaping soldiers. Keith exhaled quietly.
"The future's in your hands now… It's our turn to stay out of the way."
Lock remained unaware of Keith's silent thoughts. His entire focus was on the raw group before him—his first generation of subordinates. These recruits would one day march under his command, and he demanded nothing less than perfection.
His training regimen was simple but brutal: run, endure, and never be last.
Weak-willed recruits would be eliminated immediately.
For several days, the training consisted solely of physical endurance—running from dawn until dusk. Lock fully expected mass dropouts within the first week.
But reality surprised even him. These were not ordinary cadets. Every one of them had clawed their way out of the Underground, selected from tens of thousands. Their combat ability might have been lacking, but their willpower was unmatched, and most were under twenty-two, brimming with potential.
By the end of the physical training phase, only 60 of the original 280 had been eliminated.
The key lay in Lock's rule: "The last ten every day are eliminated." Without that rule, these maniacs might have run until they collapsed, refusing to yield.
Lock surveyed the remaining recruits standing in formation. Their postures were upright, their gazes firm—nothing like the desperate group he'd seen on day one.
Satisfied, he gave Oruo Bozad, who stood nearby, a subtle nod. Oruo immediately signaled for soldiers to haul training equipment onto the field.
"Physical training's over—for now," Lock announced, his voice carrying across the field like a whip. "But don't relax. We'll still run mornings and nights. From today, we add new drills. The rule remains the same: the last ten are eliminated. If you want to stay—then fight for it."
"Yes, Captain!" the recruits shouted in unison.
By now, Lock carried several labels, among them: Devil, Monster, Unyielding. But none questioned his right to command.
He trained harder than anyone, demonstrating every drill personally. He didn't just order them—he outperformed them. In the military, strength is the only language that matters.
And Lock was the strongest among them.
The recruits watched curiously as the equipment arrived. The items were unlike anything they had used during regular Training Corps drills. With the Survey Corps' backing, Lock's unit had access to upgraded vertical maneuvering gear, modified pistols, and even lightning spears.
This wasn't just a unit to fight Titans—it was a strike force capable of operating against human threats within the Walls as well.
Levi, the Survey Corps' ace captain, had no objections. In fact, seeing Lock's new unit inspired other branches of the military to consider their own equipment upgrades. The world within and beyond the Walls was changing, and the military needed to keep pace.
With Lock's arrival and the establishment of his unit, the overall combat readiness within the Walls began to shift.
Small changes in equipment and training could ripple outward, reshaping the future entirely.
But Lock understood one thing with absolute clarity:
Their real enemy wasn't just the corrupt royal government within the Walls—
It was the world outside Paradis Island.
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A/N: New Fanfic Is Out " Naruto: I'm Boruto Uzumaki"
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
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