Three days passed like mist. Quick, hazy, and leaving an uncomfortable feeling.
Rin spent that time doing two things:reading old expedition reports at the public terminal, and checking her palm every morning. The spore that appeared that night never came again. But its scent. The scent of fresh fungi. sometimes still lingered when she was almost asleep.
She didn't tell Akira anything.
On the morning of the third day, the two of them walked towards the Frontliner Training Facility in Sector 3. The streets were busier than usual. Hundreds of teenagers from various sectors moved in the same direction.
"You sure you want this?"Akira asked for the umpteenth time.
"It's too late to back out,"Rin replied flatly.
"That's not an answer."
Rin glanced at Akira."Why are you joining yourself?"
Akira was silent for a moment,then smiled bitterly. "Because if you die, I don't want to be the one who has to tell your grave. 'I didn't go with you.'"
Rin smiled faintly.A rare thing. "Idiot."
"You too."
The Frontliner Training Facility was much larger than Rin imagined.
A building shaped like a giant dome with transparent glass walls displaying the holographic logo of the Dome Defense Council.In front of the gate, hundreds of teenagers were already queuing. Some looked confident, others pale as if about to faint.
Rin and Akira took queue numbers from an automatic terminal.
Rin's number:237
Akira's number:238
"Pretty far back,"Akira muttered.
"Means we have time to observe the other participants,"Rin answered, her eyes already scanning the crowd.
There were various types here:burly athletes from military families, intellectual kids with data tablets, and people like them. From Sector 7, with empty stares and thin hope.
Then Rin saw someone who caught her attention.
A girl with straight shoulder-length black hair,standing alone in a corner with an upright posture. Her eyes were dark red. A rare color that usually indicated mild spore exposure as an infant.
The girl felt Rin's gaze and turned.
Their eyes met briefly.
Then the girl looked away again.But not before she frowned slightly, as if... appraising something.
"You know her?"Akira asked, following Rin's gaze.
"No."
"Why keep looking at her?"
"Because...she doesn't look afraid."
Akira frowned."Meaning?"
"Everyone here is afraid.They try to hide it, but it shows. Nervous. Restless. But she..." Rin paused for a moment. "She seems to already know what will happen."
"Maybe she's some official's kid.Got insider info."
Maybe.But Rin felt something different.
An hour later, an announcement echoed from the speakers:
"All participants,attention. Selection will be conducted in THREE STAGES."
The crowd began to murmur.
"FIRST STAGE:Physical & Reflex Test. SECOND STAGE: Mental Endurance Test. THIRD STAGE: Survival Simulation Test. Only participants who pass all three stages will be accepted as Frontliners."
Akira drew a sharp breath."Three stages? They're serious about killing us slowly."
Rin didn't answer.She just stared at the large screen displaying the schedule.
"Numbers 1 through 50,enter Arena-A for the First Stage. Other participants, please wait."
Two hours later, Rin's number was called.
"Numbers 200 through 250,enter Arena-A."
Rin stood up,taking a deep breath. Akira patted her shoulder.
"Be careful."
"You too."
Rin walked through the automatic gate that opened with a pneumatic hiss.
Inside was Arena-A.A vast room with a metal floor, transparent walls, and a high ceiling. In the center of the arena were various obstacles: a climbing wall, a metal net, a pool of murky water, and a zone labeled "REFLEX TEST" with moving targets and laser sensors.
At the far end of the room,there was a large glass cage.
Rin squinted.Inside that cage, something was moving. but not clearly visible yet.
"Welcome,participant." A woman's voice echoed from the speaker. Rin recognized that voice. Commissioner Lian Shu.
Above the arena,there was an observation room with dark glass. Rin couldn't see who was inside, but she knew they were watching her.
"The First Stage consists of two parts."Commissioner Lian continued. "First, you will navigate the obstacles within five minutes. Second, you will face one Class-D creature for three minutes. Your goal is not to kill. but to survive."
Rin swallowed.
"You will be given one weapon of choice.Choose now."
A holographic panel appeared in front of Rin:
Combat Knife.Light, fast, close range.
Stun Rod.Medium range, can temporarily incapacitate.
Small Crossbow.Long range, limited ammunition (3 arrows).
Rin thought quickly.She didn't know what monster she would face. A knife was too risky. The crossbow was limited. The rod... balance.
"Stun rod,"Rin said.
The panel blinked.A one-meter-long metal rod emerged from a slot in the floor. Rin took it. It felt heavy, but balanced. Its tip glowed blue. A sign it still had an electrical charge.
"First Stage.Part One: BEGIN."
FIRST OBSTACLE:CLIMBING WALL
Rin ran quickly,jumped onto the wall, gripping the slippery metal holds. Her hand almost slipped; she had to focus completely. She climbed fast, reaching the top in twenty seconds.
SECOND OBSTACLE:METAL NET
Rin jumped onto the net,her body dangling. She crawled quickly, but the net swayed hard. As if deliberately made unstable. She almost fell twice, but made it to the end.
THIRD OBSTACLE:MURKY WATER POOL
Rin dove into the pool.The water was cold and murky; she couldn't see anything. She swam quickly to the other side. But something touched her leg. An automatic sensor mimicking a creature's touch. Her heart pounded hard, but she kept swimming.
She emerged from the pool,soaking wet, gasping for breath.
FOURTH OBSTACLE:REFLEX ZONE
Small targets emerged from the walls,moving quickly. Rin had to touch as many as possible within thirty seconds. She moved fast, but some targets were too high. She had to jump, almost losing her balance.
TIME:4 MINUTES 48 SECONDS.
"First Stage.Part One: COMPLETE. Participant 237. PASSED."
Rin fell to her knees briefly,breathing heavily. But it wasn't over.
The glass cage at the far end of the room opened.
Out came a Fungal Hound.A Class-D monster, like a large dog with a body covered in hard, dark green fungi. Its eyes glowed red, and from its mouth came a thin spore mist every time it breathed.
"First Stage.Part Two: SURVIVE FOR THREE MINUTES. BEGIN."
The Hound stood still for a moment,sniffing the air.
Then it lunged.
Incredibly fast.
Rin instinctively jumped to the side.The Hound slid past her, its claws scraping the metal floor with a loud screech.
Rin got up quickly,holding the rod with both hands. She swung. But the Hound was too fast; she only grazed the tip of the monster's tail.
ZZZTTT!
Electricity sparked lightly.The Hound howled, but didn't fall.
Rin retreated,keeping her distance. But the Hound attacked again. This time from the side.
Rin reacted too late.The Hound's claw slashed her arm. A shallow tear, but it felt hot like a burn.
"Damn,"Rin muttered, suppressing the pain.
TWO MINUTES LEFT.
The Hound gave no respite.It attacked again, jumping high, charging from above.
Rin rolled her body backward,almost being crushed. The Hound's claw struck the floor hard, leaving a small crack.
Rin got up,her breathing becoming labored. The spore mist in the arena made her chest tight. A mild effect of direct exposure.
She had to think fast.
But how could she defeat something faster than her?
The Hound approached again,its body low, ready to attack.
Rin stared into its eyes.And for a moment…
She felt something.
A small vibration.
Like…a frequency. Like a low hum that only she could "hear" inside her head.
The Hound will attack from the left.
Rin didn't know how she knew that.But she was sure.
She moved to the right.Just as the Hound jumped to the left.
The monster missed.
Rin counterattacked,the rod hitting the Hound's neck perfectly.
ZZZTTT!
This time stronger.The Hound fell, its body convulsing violently.
But not dead.
The Hound got up again,more aggressive. But Rin already felt its pattern.
She dodged the next two attacks with precise movements.As if she knew where the monster would move before it moved.
TIME:THREE MINUTES.
"First Stage.Part Two: COMPLETE. Participant 237. PASSED."
The Hound suddenly stopped moving.As if forcibly deactivated by the system.
Rin fell to her knees,the rod dropping from her hand. She gasped for breath. Her arm still throbbed from the earlier clawing.
But what bothered her most wasn't that.
What bothered her was how she could"feel" the monster's attack pattern.
In the observation room, Commissioner Lian stared at the screen with a serious expression.
Dr.Hayato Gin stood beside her, noting data on a tablet.
"She felt its attack pattern,"Dr. Gin muttered.
"Not just that."Lian zoomed in on the final seconds of the recording. "Look at her eyes. When she stared at the Hound… her pupils changed."
Dr.Gin leaned closer, examining the screen more carefully.
In the recording,Rin's pupils. For a fraction of a second. Appeared to glow faintly, like a green light that quickly faded.
"Partial synchronization,"Dr. Gin said softly. "Her body is starting to react."
"How long before full synchronization?"asked Lian.
"Don't know.But the more she's exposed to spores or monsters… the faster the process."
Lian closed the screen."Add her to the priority list. I want to know everything about Rin Asakura. And make sure she doesn't know what's happening to her body. Until the time comes."
Rin left Arena-A with unsteady steps.
She walked towards the waiting area.An open room with long benches and an automatic drink machine. Some other participants were already there, some looking relieved, others traumatized.
Akira hadn't come out yet.Rin sat on a corner bench, leaning her head against the wall. Her arm still throbbed. She examined her wound. A shallow scratch, but hot like a burn.
"You're not treating that?"
Rin turned.
The girl with black hair and dark red eyes.The one Rin had noticed earlier. Now stood a few meters away from her, arms folded across her chest.
"The wound is small,"Rin replied flatly.
"But it's not a normal wound,"the girl said, walking closer. Not too close, keeping her distance. "Fungal Hound claws contain residual spores. If left untreated, your skin will be irritated until tomorrow."
Rin looked at her suspiciously."You… who are you?"
"Kurohana Mei,"the girl answered curtly. "Number 198. I passed twenty minutes ago."
Rin didn't answer.
Mei pulled something from her jacket pocket.A small tube containing green ointment. She tossed it towards Rin.
Rin caught it,looking at the tube confusedly.
"That's topical anti-spore ointment,"Mei said. "Apply it before the infection spreads."
"Why are you helping me?"
Mei was silent for a moment,then answered in a flat tone. But there was something behind her eyes. "Because we… might need each other later."
Before Rin could ask further,Mei turned and walked away.
Rin watched her back until it disappeared down the corridor.
"Might need each other…"
What did she mean?