By the time we reached the river, the sun was higher, casting its light over the flowing water.
I dropped my bag near the shore, cracked my neck, and waded in without hesitation.
The river was cold, but after everything I had been through, it felt refreshing. I ran my fingers through my hair, scrubbing off the dried blood and grime.
Logan sat on the bank, fiddling with the glass core, turning it over in his hands.
"So," Logan said, tossing the core up and catching it. "Any idea what this thing actually does?"
I shook my head, dunking myself underwater for a moment before resurfacing.
"Nope. I tried knocking on it, shaking it, even shouting random activation words. Nothing."
I swam to the shore and rested my arms on a rock.
"Maybe it needs a password or some special trigger. Could be linked to some ability or item we don't have yet."
"Or," Logan said, dramatically holding it up, "it's just a glowing paperweight, and old man Arkas put it there to mess with us."
"Wouldn't put it past him."
I pulled myself out of the river, water dripping down my body. As I moved, I felt the difference.
My body had changed. The increased stats were subtle but noticeable, my muscles felt more defined, my movements more fluid.
I clenched my fists, feeling the enhanced strength in my grip. Even my skin seemed tougher, like my body was adapting to the sheer punishment I had put it through.
Rolling my shoulders, I grabbed my tattered pants and rinsed them in the river, wrung them out, and slipped them back on. They were still tattered, but at least they were clean.
Logan eyed me as I sat beside him, drying my hair with my hands.
"Torn to shreds. Unless you wanna lend me yours?"
"Yeah, no. I don't feel like getting outmuscled in my own clothes."
I smirked, grabbing some rations from my bag. We sat down, munching on whatever we had left. It wasn't anything fancy but it was enough.
Unfolding the map, I traced our location.
"Looks like we're at checkpoint thirteen."
Logan leaned over, chewing thoughtfully.
"Seventeen is the closest, right? Shouldn't take us too long if we move now."
"Yeah. We'll head there next."
"Yeah, but do we even know what's waiting for us?" Logan asked. "This whole checkpoint hunt—we've to run around, clear them, fight abominations. What do you think it's all for?"
I leaned back on my hands, thinking.
"The way I see it, the hunt is a filter."
"It forces people to fight. To move.
You clear a checkpoint, you're bound to run into abominations, it's a risk. The ones who take that risk? They're the ones who stand out. They're the ones pushing forward."
"So, it's about seeing who's got the guts to actually fight and survive."
"Pretty much. The people who play it safe will lag behind. The ones who take risks and keep moving? They're the real contenders."
I finished my food, dusted off my hands, and waited for Logan to finish his bath.
Lying back on the grass, I folded my hands behind my head and stared up at the clear sky.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and for a moment, I just let myself enjoy the peace.
Surprisingly, I wasn't missing my home in the city.
This forest training, despite the abominations and constant fights, felt oddly enjoyable. Maybe it was the freedom, the challenge, or just the sheer difference from everyday life.
But I did miss my grandma.
I was sure she was busy, doing whatever it was she did.
It wasn't my first time being away from her for months. Her work often took her to different worlds, and I had long gotten used to her absences.
I'd read about many of the powerful civilizations scattered across our universe, the ones leading the charge at the frontlines, crafting strategies to break us free from the Eternals' grip.
Before the Eternals came, our universe didn't even have a name.
It was just the universe. But the Eternals named their domain the Eternal Universe, as if it was the only one that mattered.
That forced us to come up with a name of our own. The brightest minds of our universe decided on The Prime Universe, named after its mightiest galaxy—Prime Galaxy.
My homeworld, Vaythos, was part of the Blue Spire Galaxy. Compared to some of the superpowers in the Prime Universe, it wasn't anything extraordinary.
But right now, none of that mattered. My goal was simple: survive, get stronger, and push forward.
Soon Logan got ready as well and we decided to move towards the next checkpoint.
I looked up once at the floating rankings and found myself at top and no change in the ranks below me.
'Come on Steve put some back into it.' I smirked and thought.
Logan and I moved through the dense forest valley, through the mountain range, keeping a steady pace toward the 17th checkpoint.
The journey wasn't quiet, straggler abominations lurked between the trees, forcing us into short bursts of combat every now and then.
"This is getting repetitive," Logan huffed, wiping some black blood from his shirt..
"Better than getting lazy," I said, rolling my shoulder. "At least we're warming up."
We kept going, taking down more abominations along the way, until the sun hung lower in the sky.
Around four in the afternoon, we reached a clearing and there, standing near a broken tree, was another person from our unit.
"Hey, look. We're not the only ones out here."
I narrowed my eyes, getting a better look at the figure. Whoever it was, they weren't an abomination. That was a good start.
The new guy looked at us and narrowed his eyes.
Logan stepped forward and called out, "Hey man, how have you been? Did you meet anyone else?"
The guy stared at Logan for a few seconds, then shifted his gaze to me, before suddenly turning around and sprinting away.
Logan and I stood there, wide-eyed.
Logan slowly turned to me, confusion written all over his face.
"Don't look at me, dude. Maybe he just didn't like your face."
"What the hell is wrong with that guy?"
I chuckled, pulled some food from my bag, and took a bite.
"Who knows? Maybe he just doesn't like people."
Logan sat down, leaning his back against a tree.
"Hey Billion, do you think I should use a weapon?"
"Did you use one in your academy training?"
"Then you should stick with it. That way, you can get a class that complements it."
"Hmm… I did bring my spear, but I, uh… dropped it from the parachute."
I pointed at a thick tree nearby.
Suddenly, the communicator's ringing broke the silence.
"I think it's yours."
I stood up and pulled the communicator from my bag.
"Weird... why would they only call me?" I muttered, answering the call.
"Hello Billion, this is your vice commander June speaking."
I straightened instinctively.
"Hello, Vice Commander. Billion Ironhart reporting."
A soft chuckle echoed through the communicator.
"Oh, so disciplined."
I heard Logan snort from behind, trying to hold back his laughter.
"Anyway, congratulations on your current ranking. You're doing better than expected."
"The commander is impressed after watching your fight at the first checkpoint," she continued.
"So, when the next command is given on the 13th, the danger level will be increased... for your entire unit. Thanks to you."
I froze, my smirk fading.
"And..." she added, almost teasingly, "he's preparing something unique for the next command."
I glanced at Logan, who was mouthing silently, 'this bitch is crazy.'
I ignored him, my grip tightening on the communicator.
June's voice grew more serious.
"I called to inform you of something on behalf of the commander.
Your best friend, Steve Harper, is in danger. You might want to hurry if you want to help him out. He's near checkpoint 22... surrounded by two different types of Abominations."
'Steve is in danger.'