Military Drills

The chain is only as strong as its weakest link, for if that fails the chain fails and the object that it has been holding up falls to the ground." Thomas Reid

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Skyler woke up with a burst of excitement, his heart racing with anticipation. The runewatch on his wrist vibrated softly, signaling the start of a new day. He then pulled the journal app from his watch into the air in front of him in a smooth motion as if he had done it thousands of times before and began typing his thoughts on the holographic journal that was in front of him, reflecting on the connections he had made and those that still needed to be forged.

Last night's introductions replayed in his mind as he laced up his shoes for a morning run. The telepathic link among his team was already proving to be both a boon and a burden. The ability to sense each other's thoughts and emotions without speaking was astonishing, but it also meant an overwhelming influx of feelings and judgments.

As he jogged through the corridors, Skyler couldn't help but assess his team. Aria, with her fiery temperament, seemed trustworthy but unpredictable. Her passion for pushing limits was admirable, but it also hinted at a potential for recklessness. Jaxon, the warrior, exuded confidence and strength, a reliable protector yet possibly too rigid in his ways.

Leo, the intellectual from Misty Institute of Technology, was brilliant but often distracted by his thoughts. His military cultivation was basic, a fact that might make him vulnerable in direct combat. 

Elara, with her striking blue hair, projected calm and composure, yet Skyler sensed an underlying anxiety about the upcoming challenges.

Nyssa's confident demeanor masked a deep-seated fear of failure. She had a fierce determination, but Skyler wondered if she might crumble under the pressure. 

Zara, the robotics expert, was eager but inexperienced in combat, her enthusiasm potentially a double-edged sword. 

Marcus, the calm energy systems specialist, seemed dependable but lacked a sense of urgency. 

Lila, with her shy smile and green hair, was perhaps the most enigmatic, her expertise in nanotechnology promising yet untested in high-stakes scenarios.

He ran until he saw a door that said "RESTRICTED ACCESS" with 4 gauds standing right outside of the door which told him it was probably time to head back to the dorms. By the time Skyler got back he felt more attuned to his team's dynamics. 

As he showered and dressed, he contemplated the day ahead. The schedule was packed: fitness drills, simulations, and a debriefing. He wasnt quite sure what to expect of the training other than that its intensity would likely test their newfound bond and push them to their limits.

At breakfast, the air buzzed with nervous energy but it was also better than Skyler expected. Due to it having sliced starfruit, moonberries, sun-citrus, poached mist eel eggs making it not only very nutritious but also very delicious. 

As he ate he noticed the diverse reactions among his team. Aria's excitement was palpable, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. Jaxon, ever the stoic warrior, ate in focused silence. Leo's hands trembled slightly as he sipped his coffee, his mind likely racing with calculations and strategies.

Elara's calm exterior showed cracks, her fingers drumming lightly on the table. 

Nyssa's usual bravado was tempered with a hint of trepidation. 

Zara and Marcus exchanged quiet words, a mix of curiosity and concern in their expressions. 

Lila, as always, remained an enigma, her thoughts guarded behind a serene smile.

As they finished their meal, Skyler decided to address the group. "Today's schedule is intense, but I believe we can handle it. 

The telepathic link is new for all of us, but it should be our greatest asset due to just meeting each other. Let's focus on using it to enhance our coordination."

Jaxon nodded. "I've been through rigorous training before, but this is different. We need to adapt quickly."

Aria added, "Phoenix Mist Academy emphasized individual strength, but we can leverage our connection to become a cohesive unit."

Leo adjusted his glasses, looking thoughtful. "Our simulations at Misty Institute were more problem-solving oriented. This will be a new challenge, but I'm ready to learn."

Elara, Nyssa, Zara, Marcus, and Lila echoed similar sentiments, their determination blending with the uncertainty they all felt.

As they left the mess hall and followed the directions given to them through the telepathic bond, they all made small chit-chat telepathically until they arrived at the first workout area.

Upon arrival, they were greeted by the sight of thousands of other people already engaged in their own exercises, creating a cacophony of effort and determination. 

A stern-looking person in a military outfit approached them, barking out instructions. 

"Welcome to your first set of drills," the officer announced. "Today, you'll be pushed to your limits. Follow the instructions and give it your all."

The mood shifted abruptly as they faced their first set of drills. The initial exercises felt almost pointless—a grueling combination of obstacle courses and endurance tests that seemed designed more to break their spirits than to build their skills. 

Skyler pushed through, feeling the collective frustration of his team. Despite the telepathic link enhancing their coordination, the exercises seemed repetitive and uninspired, sapping their morale rather than boosting it.

By mid-morning, they finally got their first break. Aria was complaining to anyone that would listen about the redundancy of the drills. "What the hell is this!? We're not learning anything new, just exhausting ourselves on POINTLESS EXERCISES!"

"What is the point of running up a mountain for 45 minutes only to be told at the top that you went up the WRONG mountain and you need to do it to the mountain next to this one. THEN DO THAT AGAIN, AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!" 

Her frustration was echoed by a few others in the group. "Yeah, this is ridiculous," one of them muttered. "I thought we were here to become stronger, not just to be worn down."

Skyler sensed the rising tension and decided to intervene. "I know it's tough, but we need to stay focused," he said, projecting calm and reassurance through their telepathic link. 

"These drills might seem pointless now, but they're testing our resilience and unity. If we can get through this together, we'll be stronger for it."

Another teammate, Lynn, nodded in agreement. "Skyler's right. Let's keep pushing through and support each other. Complaining won't help us get through this any faster."

The group's spirits began to lift slightly as they took a few moments to rest and hydrate. Skyler could feel the bond between them strengthening, but he knew that everyone was not at 100% anymore even with Skyler and Lynn's words calming the group down.

After the break they headed back to the room they trained in all morning but instead of the workout area they were expecting it was a seemingly bottomless pool that now stood in front of us as well as close to 100,000 other people. 

It took another 5-10 minutes for everyone else to arrive which in that time a lot of people including himself inspected the pool edge and luckily there did seem to be a bottom but it had to be at least 1,000 meters deep but was perfectly clear except for a black form that seemed to appear and vanish at will deep within the pool. 

When the last of us arrived a much more decorated soldier than this mornings training suddenly appeared in a cloud of mist in the center of this giant pool and gave us our instructions 

"Your mission is to retrieve the gear of a fallen teammate, which includes a highly important scientific sample of the planet's organisms which you need to study if you want to stay alive on this unknown planet."

"You do not know what type of aquatic beast killed your friend but you know that it is powerful. You are also aware that the water is type 4 ice changed into a liquid form meaning it is substantially denser than regular water. " 

"This is all the information you have and the success of this mission determines your future on the planet you arrived on in the Tachyon galaxy. Good Luck"

Before he vanished again in a puff of mist again. Which caused a lot of groups to look at eachother and wonder what they should do. 

As Skyler asked this question through their telepathic bond, talking erupted throughout the pool area. 

Which caused everyone in their group to look a little bit more relieved since it was very much apparent that not every group was able to telepathically communicate with each other yet which gave their group a much bigger head start compared to groups that could not communicate. 

As Skyler asked "so what should our gameplan…" he was interrupted by Aria saying "look a lot of people are jumping in!"

Which caused everyone to turn as they heard "thud, thud, thud, thud, thud" as hundreds of people face planted into the extremely dense liquid water while some were able to effortlessly dive through it it appeared that many did not take the soldiers warning seriously when he said that it was type 4 ice converted into liquid form which caused this pretty hysterical event.

Skyler then followed up saying "well that looks like it changes some things."