34 Test of strength.

A youth with golden hair could be seen surrounded by a group of 4 people as he writhe on the ground. Pain radiating through him, clogging his throat, throbbing in his eyes, bubbling in his veins. He tried to scream, but no sound could escape through the agony crawling up his windpipe.

"Haru, I think he's had enough" one spoke up, "We don't wanna get in trouble now, do we?"

Haru sneered and replied "Do you think anyone here cares about what happens to him? He's just a trashy outskirts rat. It's just one less burden to worry about"

"Yeah, but it's almost time for the test. Besides we were only told to rough him up a bit, the patrol team will be here any moment, so we have to leave. It's not worth getting caught over this." Another interjected.

Haru chuckled darkly "You're a lucky one, you know that? Well, as long as I'm around though, forget about living in peace." He laughed as he delivered one final blow.

The group eventually dispersed, leaving behind a broken and bloodied mess.

With great effort, Timeless Crawled up from the ground, his body ached in pain as he tried to get up on his feet. His face bloodied, and he struggled to focus his vision, which was hazy and disoriented. Desperately, he scanned his surroundings in search of something to hold onto for support and spotted a wall. He used it as a crutch, taking deep breaths as he tried to steady himself.

Timeless made a mental note of the group and despite his best efforts, he couldn't shake off the anger and frustration that has taken a hold of him, as his hands clenched into a fist, his nails digging into his skin until blood oozed out. The pain bringing a temporary sense of clarity but also intensifying his rage.

It had been 3 days since he returned to camp, and the prior days had been filled with relentless physical drills; being put through their paces, routine physical exercise, wilderness survival training against simulated monsters, and minimal rest. Despite being familiar with these demanding routines, the exhaustion had caused several of his peers to collapse. Today was meant to be the day they took the strength test to see how well they had improved, and at the moment, he was already at a disadvantage due to his current state. though he was used to these sorts of things happening, and it wasn't much of a bother anymore, he still hated it.

Although there were surveillance cameras everywhere in camp, he knew that they wouldn't be of much help to him as they were only meant for observation. Only when one is seriously injured or in a dangerous situation were they of some use, although on the surface, with all the monitoring gadgets it might seem like they care about the safety of the kids in camp, he knew firsthand how useless they were. It was all a facade meant to give the kids a sense of security, but never once when he was being bullied has it been of aid to him. The military encouraged such acts and unless caught in the act by the patrol team, hoping to be saved is just wishing thinking.

Timeless walked with unsteady steps along the path in search of a restroom. He soon found one and proceeded to freshen up, as he gazed deeply at the mirror at his bruised body. Despite his current state he was determined to make it through the strength test with a decent score. The punishment for being among the bottom rank was increased physical training and he wasn't really in the best shape for that. He made his way to the testing hall, determined to show that he was not just a weak outsider, but a survivor who would not be broken.

As he walked into the hall, he received a few odd stares but ignored them. It was a large hall filled to the brim with kids his age all here for a single purpose; to test their physical strength, and he was glad he made it in time. Timeless looked around for a seat and he spotted Haru and his gang snickering at him. He knew that Haru and his group will continue to make his life miserable and that he has to be prepared for their next attack.

Timeless soon found an open area and proceeded to take his seat as he watched on. Looking on stage as far as his eyes could see there were several weird contraptions placed there, and could guess it was none other than the strength testing machine. Humans in the Sanctuary weren't born with systems so don't have the means to see any stats. This machine was the closest to measuring strength they had.

The screens in the hall soon lit up as a youth got on stage to his confusion, as he was the only one on stage while they were several of such devices. Looking up at the screen as the cameras zoomed him on him walking up the stage, he suddenly recalled who it was. He was one of the well known figures in camp named Aman.

Aman was part of a unique group in camp known as legacy holders and was known for his martial skill, which were not allowed during the test. As he walked onto the stage and the cameras zoomed in on him, he suddenly remembered who he was. He stood in front of a strength-measuring device, took a deep breath, and gathered his strength before smashing his fist into the pressure board, displaying his strength

The pressure board was made up of a metal alloy with hydraulic machinery behind. Based on the different amount of strength delivered, the board would jerk back and produce a figure onscreen.

A series of numbers lit up on the display one after another only stopping on 5.

There was silence in the hall as everyone Jaws hung loosely, and soon after, a resounding applause broke out. Walking down from the stage with the cameras fully focused on him as his image is fully displayed on the screen. Timeless noticed a frown appeared on Aman's face as he grumbled within, seemingly unsatisfied with his result.

Timeless watched as the next batch of names appeared on the screen, observing the scores being displayed. Despite the new scores, Aman remained in the lead and kept his top position.