The rest period passed in silence.
Some children slept where they had collapsed, and their bodies were even twitching from some phantom shocks due to their experience just now…
The others, on the other hand, just stared blankly at the ceiling… They were too tired, but they could not calmly sleep after that experience.
Alexis just forced himself to sit against the cold wall. His muscles were still trembling and his lungs still remembering the taste of steam… He didn't want to experience that again.
When the two hours or so had ended, the doors finally opened…
'Not even free food, huh,' Alexis thought bitterly, noticing how the recruiters didn't bother with nourishment. Just water.
"On your feet…" The officer's voice commanded.
Those who could still move obeyed. Some had to be dragged up by the others.
The officer, silver jaw gleaming beneath the light, scanned the weary group.
"The first trial measured your instincts. The second is your ability to endure stress. Now begins the third. Compatibility. From this point forward, your bodies will decide your futures."
Still, he looked at the other children.
"As for the others who fell unconscious… they've already passed enough to qualify for bottom-tier augmentation. Their strain is cheap and common, the most basic reinforcement available."
Apparently, the third test costs a lot of money. As much as they wanted to test everyone, they couldn't just waste their resources.
With that in consideration, they had created the first two trials to at least save some money.
Soon, the other nine were taken to a different room to get their enhancements.
As for the eleven, they entered a more high-tech room. It was something they had never seen before.
Rows of augmentation pods lined the space. They were like coffins laid upright against the wall. Each was a transparent capsule wrapped in a special container…
Inside, faint light pulsed as if it was waiting for their next target.
One by one, the children were herded inside.
Whooah~
The hiss of hydraulics filled the room as the pods swung open.
"Enter."
Alexis hesitated, then stepped into his assigned pod.
Cold metal immediately tapped on his spine as restraints snapped around his wrists and ankles.
Then, a band locked around his neck.
He could move, but only barely.
Thud!
Just like that, the pod sealed shut with a thud…
'It's really happening…'
For a heartbeat, there was only silence. Then…
Whirrrrrr.
A swarm of fine red beams scanned his body, crawling from head to toe. The band around his neck tightened, and there was a faint prickling like static coursing down his nerves.
Then, it calmed down and someone spoke. It was the voice of the system within the pod. It was flat, synthetic, but sounded female.
"Name…"
It was asking for his name, so after a few moments, he replied.
"Alexis."
"Subject Alexis. Neural pathways: Intact. Pain Resistance: Above Average. Cortisol Regulation: Elevated. Compatibility scan beginning..."
Symbols and graphs flickered across the glass in front of his face.
Alexis had no idea what most of them meant, only that they seemed to measure every corner of him. This includes his blood, his bones, his mind.
Then, a line of text appeared:
[ Detected Genetic Compatibility: 92%
Category: Adaptive Neuromuscular Response ]
The words rippled outward, reshaping into something more legible.
[ Candidate pathways available:
Specter Protocol: High Compatibility
Catalyst Protocol: Moderate Compatibility
Titan Protocol: Low Compatibility ]
Alexis stared, chest tight. He didn't know what those names meant yet, but the officer had said this test decided their futures.
He forced the terms into memory. Specter. Catalyst. Titan.
He wasn't the only one. Across the room, other pods lit up one by one. Children pressed their faces against the glass, trying to glimpse their own results.
"Observe…" the officer's voice echoed through hidden speakers.
"Each of you is a blueprint. Your flesh, your marrow, your synapses… they decide what strain you can bear. Some will strengthen your bodies, some your minds, some your instincts. A few may open more than one path. But do not be mistaken… Compatibility is everything. Even the most talented fighter dies when the wrong strain rejects them."
Soon, one pod slid open. A display shimmered above it…
[ Subject Darius ]
It was the black-haired boy who had wielded the pipe in the first trial. He stepped out, body still shaking but standing tall. His screen showed his results. It was the same thing he had seen inside his pod.
'So, pipe boy was Darius.' Alexis thought…
Then, the silver-jawed officer's eyes gleamed as he read Darius' results.
[ Subject Darius ]
[ Detected Genetic Compatibility: 71%
Category: Musculoskeletal Fortification ]
[ Candidate pathways available:
Titan Protocol: High Compatibility
Giant Protocol: Moderate Compatibility
Dwarven Protocol: Low Compatibility ]
"Seventy-one percent… hm. That is rare." His silver jaw clicked faintly as he adjusted his stance.
Seeing Darius's clueless face, he explained.
"Titan Protocol favors raw durability. Dense muscle fibers, accelerated healing, reinforced bones... You will endure where others break. If you survive the injections, your body will become a weapon in itself."
He then paused for a moment to confirm that he understood before he continued.
"Few candidates breach seventy percent compatibility. Those who do… they do not remain nameless for long."
Darius finally smiled after hearing this. He didn't want to be ordinary after all.
Then, the next pod hissed open, and the sharp-eyed girl stepped forward.
[ Subject Hale ]
[ Detected Genetic Compatibility: 72%
Category: Cognitive-Augment Pathways ]