GCLopes

Chapter 18 - First Battalion Battle

Oliver quickly recognized who he was up against as he stepped onto the platform. The girl in front of him had golden hair, and Oliver noticed a few freckles around her nose for the first time. However, the girl didn’t seem to recognize Oliver; at least, her eyes showed no sign of it.

The boy looked around and saw that in the other arenas, opponents were greeting each other. He thought it best to copy them.

"Ni-Nice to meet you, my name is Oliver. I’m from the Second Battalion....

Chapter 17 - Combat Class

"My best option would be Ranger Weapons. It’s already saved me twice. Also, I don’t know any other form of combat." Oliver explained.

Alan mulled over Oliver’s reasoning. It made sense, though he had secretly hoped Oliver would have chosen Energy Weapons. It was a selfish desire, but over the past few days, Oliver had become the closest thing to a friend Alan had.

“Makes sense. You seemed good with that Energy Pistol.” Alan remembered.

As the two talked, more and m...

Chapter 16 - Boons and Glitches

'Status Page!' Oliver thought.

In front of Oliver, a small screen slid out and stretched. Completely translucent, the boy could see what was behind it while still being able to read it. As he moved his head, the floating screen began to follow him.

With a childlike grin, the boy felt challenged to push the limits of the Status Page even further. Using his hands, he tried pinching the edges of the screen, performing a zoom-in and zoom-out motion.

“Welcome back, Oliver!" The...

Chapter 15 - The Status Page

“Over the next three months, you will be taught, trained, and evaluated in various areas. Many of you will become officers; however, the primary focus is on a select group that will be chosen to become Rangers. Because of this, pay attention. You will have to pass three of the following tests.” Caine explained.

The cadets had been restless just seconds before, whispering about every detail regarding the professor and what to expect in the upcoming weeks. With just a few words, the e...

Chapter 14 - The First Class

"To begin with, what is a Boon or a Glitch?" Oliver turned to look at Alan as he asked.

"Shit… it can't be. What are they teaching in schools?!” Alan's face went through a range of emotions all at once, but mostly disbelief at the question. “Hey, you’ve used a Ranger Armor. How didn’t you see it?"

"I don’t know. The first time, I was focused on not dying. The second time… well, I wasn’t paying attention." Oliver scratched his head, trying to remember the Ranger Arm...

Chapter 13 - The Late Snack

“A five-star hotel wouldn’t be a five-star hotel without one of the best restaurants you’ll ever have. So, since you were one of the last to arrive, let me take this opportunity to show you to the dining hall while I give you a tour of this pigsty.” Alan continued his sarcastic presentation about how the Academy worked.

Oliver had already understood how the boy liked flushing his disdain for the New Earth Army, but he could also use the moment to learn more about the place.

Chapter 12 - The First Battalion

Isabela was in a frenzy after being accepted into the First Battalion. She quickly moved on to the next hall. When she finally completed the entry process and received her equipment, the girl noticed that the two boys were no longer there with her.

She couldn’t find them anywhere in the dormitory of the First Battalion.

"Were they assigned to the Second Battalion?" she wondered. Oliver was likely, especially since he was nameless, and most still had a lingering prejudice against...

Chapter 11 - The Battalion

Oliver's eyes were struggling against the impending exhaustion that had accumulated in his body. Although there was a Major making announcements and offering congratulations, his brain could only pick up on a few scattered words.

"Each of you has been evaluated in four aspects, which are considered the foundation of NEA's assessment. Less than 20% of those who arrived on this island will remain. However, understand that this is only the first step of a long journey," the Major began to ...

Chapter 10 - The Blood Rose

Oliver was still leaving the arena, unaware of the impact his battle had on the other competitors. At that moment, everyone else thought, "I can use all my abilities in this fight. There are no rules that will disqualify me."

Although, like in the second challenge, using powers had been allowed, suspecting it was different from having it confirmed.

As Oliver stepped down from the arena, he was no longer as concerned with the upcoming fights but rather with his performance. The dis...

Chapter 9 - The Final Test

“Nicely done. None of you were eliminated in this test. That’s rare.” The old man commented while scratching his beard. "We will need to go to another facility; we will have the final test there."

The group continued advancing through the research and development building corridors, once again passing various closed rooms or some more with darkened windows.

As they walked, Oliver and Isabela moved closer to Alan.

"Amazing! Good work, Mr. Bishop," Oliver remarked. "Amaz...

Chapter 8 - The Nameless

What happens after a bombing? Refugees. But what if there are thousands of bombings? A chaotic number of refugees. After the first Waves, no government was prepared to receive more of them. Many survivors from Seoul fled to the US, hoping to find a better-prepared country.

However, a large portion of the survivors were simply children. Many of these kids were without a single penny, a profession, or even a last name. This was the case for Oliver and millions of other children. At first,...

Chapter 7 - Army's Reality

Alan felt more at ease upon seeing the other recruits' results. He knew this wasn't one of the tests where he would stand out, but it wouldn't be terrible. Therefore, it wasn't surprising that he was disqualified at the third level.

"Ouch! That hurt," Alan muttered quietly as he returned to the line.

As for Isabela, she entered the test with her hands trembling. The first levels were relatively simple, but she accidentally stepped on one of the shots at the third level, causing he...

Chapter 6 - The Agility Test

Oliver finally stood at the center of the room. The primary light in the arena shone directly above him, casting sharp shadows and allowing him to see his surroundings clearly. His eyes were locked on the far end of the arena, where the two machine guns would emerge.

[Level 1 initiated]

The announcement of the start of the test appeared floating in a hologram in front of him, but there was also a sound signal. Even so, the boy found it difficult to concentrate; his adrenaline was ...

Chapter 5 - The Academy

Finally, the three could see something out of the cargo plane through the truck's window. It was undoubtedly an impressive view, stretching to the horizon, an endless sea stretched, except for nine islands. Each one was more striking than the last. One had a dense forest, while another was filled with steel-and-glass buildings. Each island was composed of a completely different biome from the others.

Gradually, the trucks began approaching the landing area, a small clearing on one of th...

Chapter 4 - The Flight

Oliver started to feel his body swaying and trembling, his head pounding as if he’d been beaten… which, in a way, he had.

“Hey, hey! I think he’s waking up.” 

As he opened his eyes, Oliver saw the two companions that were heading toward the Academy. In front of him was a very slim boy with pale skin and brown hair, who was finally free from the gag in his mouth. Beside him was a girl with her hair in a ponytail and a bright smile on her face.

“Give him a bre...

Chapter 3 - The Red Ranger

The Ork looked bored as he watched Oliver, expecting a more challenging fight. However, that wasn’t what he got. Still, he intended to finish what he had started.

He quickly approached the boy lying on the asphalt. Oliver still had his armor on, but it wasn’t intact. His helmet was in pieces, and his chest plate was dented.

“Jiak wanted ve nak!” The Ork’s hoarse voice seemed to mock the boy.

‘I already told you we can't understand you, porky.’ Oliver thought. 2024-10-12 19:40:01 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 2 - Two Orks

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Oliver had seen the remains of several Orks but never two alive and so close. There weren't many people who had had this kind of experience and survived.

Several sirens were blaring, signaling a partial evacuation. 

It would take tens of minutes for any reinforcements to arrive. Oliver might not know much about this new world, but he knew what two Orks could do to a city in the meantime.

‘They've never made it past the barrier alive. It has to be m...

Chapter 1 - A New Day

New San Francisco

2155 - 4:30 PM

"How the hell is it so freaking hot!"

The workday was almost over, but the heavy uniform and sweat made the heat feel even worse. With a shovel, the boy continued to dig through the remains of the last Wave that had tried to invade New San Francisco.

Obviously, the Orks stood no chance. No bombardment had breached the city's defenses since installing a giant Z Crystal in the city's center. However, ...