With a shot of embarrassment due to his own foolishness, Cain walked down the long, symmetrical corridor.
His footsteps bounced through the metal walls before a rumble followed as all the doors lining each wall simultaneously opened.
Immediately, male cadets emerged, wearing the same uniform as Cain: black, tight-fitting clothes, a loose white shirt, and shorts.
"Good morning!"
"Hey, how did you sleep last night?"
"N-Nice to meet you."
The cadets who knew each other exchanged greetings. Even with small steps, downward glances, and fidgeting, some of them dared to greet their new colleagues.
The silence that enveloped Cain's morning was shattered at once by the strong current of this gathering of young men.
However, unlike the others, Cain walked straight with his gaze forward; none of them dared to greet him, and he, too, was reluctant to say hello.
Cain began to ponder, realizing that his aloof, unapproachable personality would only have a negative impact later.
'I have to do something! First of all, I'll try the person closest to me.'
He turned his gaze to the side and accidentally met a teenager slightly taller than him, which made him flinch.
Without a greeting, the man gave a slight nod while widening his lips.
His handsome face, short blonde hair, and sharp blue eyes, which seemed to see into the depths of the soul, almost melted Cain's heart.
'Damn, he's hot!'
"Good morning, nice to meet you."
Unexpectedly, the blonde stopped in his tracks and held out his hand, staring straight into Cain's frozen eyes.
"A-Ah, good morning, nice to meet you, my name is Cain, a cadet."
With a stuttering tone, Cain took the blonde's hand and gripped it tightly.
"Whoa, nice grip you have there. Oh, I almost forgot, my name is Abel. I'm also a cadet just like you."
Cain and Abel shook hands before releasing them, and Cain spoke.
"You, too, have a strong grip."
"Hehe, really? Thanks, man."
Nodding slightly, Cain and Abel walked side-by-side. They occasionally mingled with the other cadets, probably attracted to their combination.
Seen up close, Abel was an open person and easily got along with anyone. His handsome looks, combined with his polite behavior towards others, made him highly liked.
From the group that started as two, it's now turning into a swarm of bees clustering around a flower stem.
Cain shrugged his shoulders, slowly detaching himself from the crowd because it was stuffy. His lips lifted, and they continued their journey until they reached the front door of the dormitory.
'As expected of the main character traits.'
His footsteps halted, and the air was caught in his throat when he unconsciously muttered the term that should have appeared in books.
'W-What's wrong with me?'
Cain shook his head and moved his heavy feet to catch up with Abel's group.
Arriving at the dormitory entrance, he could see an elongated metal box filled with small lockers with names on them. Cain opened his section to find a pair of shoes.
'Hmph, nice!'
In his hand was a flexible shoe made of military-grade synthetic leather. The shoes blended agility and durability, making them cool to wear on outings and even for training.
As he stepped out of the building, Cain heard the automatic door close with a 'beep' sound and its green light turned to red. He shifted his attention forward.
Before him lay a vast yard; an asphalt road stretched out, then branched to form four lanes circling a white fountain.
The glittering light from the reflection of the continuously gushing water created a relaxing effect for the eyes. On each side was a neatly arranged flower garden that enhanced the environmental aesthetics in this grim world.
"Oi, look, the female cadets are coming out of their dorm."
One sentence that echoed in the group of boys instantly drew their attention to the right side, where the female cadets resided.
They wore the same uniform, but the sway of their hair and the exposed figures beneath their tight clothing kept the boy's gaze from leaving them.
All except Cain and Abel immediately walked away and took the left lane to go to the back of the dormitory.
Fortunately, his most recent memory was intact, so Cain could still recognize the surroundings around him, including the training ground.
"Oh, Rika, good morning."
Abel's voice instantly diverted Cain's gaze to the side. He saw a beautiful female cadet approaching. Her long red hair, tied in a ponytail, waved like a horse's tail.
The girl's red eyes softened their glint as she stood before Abel.
"Good morning, Abel. Who is he?"
The tone that came out of Rika's mouth was sharp like a knife. Her eyes sharpened as her personality turned one hundred and eighty when she glanced at Cain's side.
"Oh, he is."
Abel raised his hand and looked at Cain gently.
"My name is Cain, nice to meet you, Miss Rika."
Knowing that his presence was considered a thorn around Abel, Cain used formal language while extending his hand for a handshake.
The girl's red eyes narrowed, causing Cain to swallow his own saliva. He felt a cold breath on the back of his neck, making his hair stand on end.
'Must you be that wary of people, Miss?'
The boy was speechless, offering only a wry smile as the girl's soft hand touched his skin.
A feeling like an electric shock spread from his hand to his brain. His heart began to race, but it quickly subsided as Rika pulled her hand back and sauntered beside Abel.
The two of them walked past Cain, who was still standing, his mind still focused on the nerves in his palm.
'Insane, the girl's hand is so soft.'
Not long after, the cadets gathered in the open field. A gentle breeze provided a fresh breath on their first day of training, carrying the smell of dry soil.
All the cadets formed a line on the field, and from a distance, an instructor approached, followed by several others behind him.
He was a middle-aged man, wearing a green military uniform tucked under a white coat. Beneath his clothes, Cain could see the man's body enveloped in thick muscles, the result of years of dedication.
His tall, sturdy body looked like it could withstand a bullet. A fierce, lion-like face with a black and white mane coated his face.
Cain widened his eyes as he saw a red beret circling the man's black hair, tinged with grey. Four golden stars adorned the beret, which indicated his rank.
'A-A General!?'
A wave of murmurs spread through the shocked cadets. The presence of a high-ranking official brought a confusing disaster to the area.
"Silence!"
The old man's voice thundered like lightning in the sky, drowning out all the small whispers and making the world fall silent.
The general glanced left and right, seeing the cadets lined up neatly, waiting for orders from their superior. He gave a small nod as he cleared his throat.
"I won't talk long. I ask only one thing from you: show results! Show them, and go out there as a soldier to protect this city and eradicate those Virus Beasts or Corrupted out there for a better future."
Every cadet who heard this swallowed their saliva, realizing the heavy burden they must carry when they joined the team.
Some of them even trembled, shedding tears because they could be part of the group they admired.
However, of all the reactions, only Cain had a tense expression. His two hands clenched tightly behind his back.
His heart was pounding loudly, coupled with cold sweat flowing from his forehead, making him only able to bite his lip.
'Virus Beasts, Corrupted!?'
Cain closed his eyes for a moment, seeing a small fragment that evoked a vague memory, then it disappeared, as if it were out of reach.
No matter how hard he extended a hand, the memory he wanted moved further away and disappeared, sinking into the abyss.
He gritted his teeth, snapping his eyes open. Cain raised his eyebrows as he realized that the general was still in his speech mode, giving advice and a few jokes to lighten the tension in the place.
"Alright, before you start training, your seniors behind me will give you a smartwatch that will show you your potential level, your development in this training. The watch also automatically connected to your respective terminals."
The men and women behind the general stepped forward and stood in front of the front-row cadets.
"If you have received the item, put it on your wrist and raise your hand."
The general said, and the seniors at the front began handing out the smartwatches and passing them to the back.
Cain's position in the second-to-last row made him receive the smartwatch quickly.
'S-Smartwatch!?'
For some reason, the word did not sound unfamiliar in his mind, but thanks to the memory gap he was suffering from, Cain stopped like a robot with a burned circuit, lagging behind the others.
"Done!"
A loud shout from behind brought Cain's consciousness. In a dilemma, he immediately put the watch on, causing him to stifle in his breath.
As the square digital watch pressed against his upper arm, the two side edges began to emit nano-particles that circled his wrist and locked the watch in place.
"Done!"
Cain raised his hand high, but his eyes immediately widened, seeing a blue panel pop out before him.
[A substance is attempting to penetrate your body.]
[Detecting... Detection complete.]
[Nano-particles successfully penetrated the nervous system and established a telepathic communication network.]
[Null Sequence begins creating a defense system so that none of your personal data leaks.]
[Successfully blocked the attempt.]
[All systems clear.]
"Wha!?"
Cain's voice resonated in the silent field, drawing everyone's attention, including the seniors and the general, who immediately glared at him.
"Is there a problem, cadet?"
Cain choked, his body stiff with heavy tension upon receiving sharp, eagle-like gazes pointed at his body from all directions.
His black eyes swept through the perimeter, and he briefly saw a slight opportunity and spoke.
"Sorry, General, I put this smartwatch on my left hand while everyone else put it on their right."
Silence enveloped the field as the general blinked before sneering.
"Don't worry too much about it, because you're not the only one who did something like that."
Hearing that, Cain tilted his head sideways and listened to the man's final speech before they started their first training.
"First of all, I want you to circle this field fifty times."
"As you command."
The cadets shouted as they dropped their rest position and turned 90 degrees to the left, assuming their starting stance.
"Start!"