At dawn the next morning, the camp was filled with the sound of horns. After a heavy night, Cain, Roddy, and Tario walked into the training grounds with solemn expressions. The atmosphere in the camp was noticeably different—other trainees whispered among themselves, casting strange glances their way.
Soon, they were summoned to the training officer.
Standing in the middle of the grounds was Training Officer Diro, a burly man with sharp eyes that seemed to pierce through anyone who dared meet his gaze. His voice thundered across the training field as he addressed them.
"Cain, Roddy, Tario!" he roared, "You left the camp without permission, violating military regulations. According to military law, the lightest punishment would be immediate expulsion from training and removal from the camp!"
The three stood at attention, their faces stiff.
"Do you understand that your actions could have exposed critical information about the central army and the village, with disastrous consequences?"
"Yes, sir!" the three replied in low voices.
Diro's sharp gaze swept over them like a knife. "But—" his tone shifted, becoming slightly softer, "According to reports from the central army, you assisted the supporting troops in repelling the beastman leader's attack, successfully defending the village and saving many lives. Furthermore… someone demonstrated rare elemental affinity."
His eyes lingered on the three before settling on Roddy and Cain.
"Your merits offset your faults. You will not be expelled from the camp. But don't misunderstand—this is not a reward. As punishment, starting today, you three will undergo an additional three hours of training daily and be responsible for cleaning the entire training grounds and maintaining the equipment. This will continue until the central army selection begins."
Roddy exhaled lightly. "We understand. Thank you, sir."
"Don't be so quick to thank me," Diro snorted. "You should be grateful you still have a chance to stay here."
He turned and gestured for his assistant to bring out a holographic projection device. Images appeared mid-air—scenes of torn space, devoured land, and beastman armies pouring out from the rifts.
"This is our true enemy," the training officer said gravely. "They come from another world—Akaser. Once the cradle of human development, it is now occupied by those monsters. This war began long before you were born."
The trainees widened their eyes in shock, and the field fell silent.
"You think your mission is merely to defend this land? Wrong. This is a battle for the survival of two worlds. And the ones who initiated this catastrophe were those exiled by the elves—the Shadow Elves."
Cain clenched his fists tightly.
"The girl in your team, Eina, and that boy with wind elemental affinity, are among the rare 'Elemental Affinities,'" Diro continued, scanning the crowd. "These individuals are born with a natural resonance with the elemental energies of Elamia, possessing the potential to change the tide of battle. However, only the central army has the resources and environment necessary to train them."
With that, the projection shifted to scenes of elemental training within the central army: healing light, swirling wind blades, fire seeping through metal armor.
Diro turned his back to the three as he walked a few steps, then stopped and said, "You've faced beastmen, haven't you? Do you think they're too strong, impossible to harm?"
Cain hesitated before nodding. "Yes… our weapons couldn't even scratch them."
Diro turned back, his gaze sharp and heavy. "That's because you don't yet understand the true meaning of 'Elements.'"
He addressed the entire training field, drawing the attention of the other trainees, who unconsciously gathered closer to listen.
"Long ago, when we fled Akaser to Elamia, we discovered that some individuals resonated with the natural energy of this land. We call this energy—Elemental Spirits."
"Life, Wind, Earth, Water, Fire, Lightning, Ice, and the rarest of all—Shadow and Light. The affinity for these elements is a gift, but mastering them requires training and willpower."
Roddy's eyes widened. "So… I really have an affinity for Earth?"
Diro nodded. "According to the military medic's assessment, your body's recovery rate is abnormal, and your muscle density and reaction speed have changed. It's highly likely that your Earth element is beginning to awaken."
Tario asked eagerly, "Can we start training for this now?"
The training officer shook his head. "No. The application of elemental spirits requires the special resources and guidance of the central army. This training camp can only provide basic combat skills and mental conditioning. You must enter the central army to qualify for the true 'Elemental Application Course.'"
Cain clenched his fists. "We will get in."
Diro nodded but maintained his stern tone. "Then you'd better set aside your arrogance. You're still weak. The fact that you survived yesterday was luck, not skill."
With that, he turned and left, leaving the three under immense pressure.
In the days that followed, training resumed its normal rhythm, but Cain and the others were clearly distracted.
During spear drills, Cain made several mistakes, his thrusts misaligned; during physical training, Tario tripped while lost in thought; Roddy, still nursing old injuries, barely kept up.
"What are you thinking about?" the training instructor shouted. "Beastmen won't give you time to daydream!"
One day, after training ended, the three sought out the training officer.
"We… have questions," Cain spoke first.
Diro frowned. "Speak."
"The power in the beastmen… is it really related to the elements? Are we unable to harm them because… we lack elemental enhancement?" Tario asked.
Diro looked at them, silent for a moment, before answering. "Beastmen are products of genetic engineering, originally possessing only physical strength and combat instincts. But after absorbing Elamia's Shadow elements, they evolved. They're not just stronger—they've learned strategy and command."
"If you can't master the elements, the future battlefield… you won't survive."
The three's expressions grew heavy.
"You want to know how to become stronger, don't you?"
"Yes," they answered in unison.
Cain took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "What should we do?"
The training officer approached them and spoke in a low voice. "Starting tomorrow, besides daytime training, stay behind at night. I'll arrange extra basic training and elemental knowledge for you. If you want to enter the central army, you'll need more than willpower—you'll need strength."
"Survive first, then enter the central army," Diro sneered. "During this time, I'll personally train you."
"We'll endure it," Cain replied.
"Then we'll see."
The three exchanged glances, their eyes filled with unwavering determination.
As night fell, the camp grew silent, save for the faint footsteps of night guards in the distance. By the corner of the training grounds, a small campfire flickered weakly. Cain, Roddy, and Tario sat there, none of them willing to return to their tents to rest.
The firelight illuminated their faces, their contemplative expressions revealing unspoken desires.
"Do you think… these elements can really make us strong enough to fight the beastmen?" Tario asked, his tone unusually serious.
Roddy rubbed his wrist and spoke softly, "At least it gives us more hope than we have now. The beastmen's bodies are so tough, they're like monsters… but yesterday, those central army soldiers didn't rely on brute force—they used something… I can't quite describe."
He recalled the wind that accompanied Ze's sword strikes, and Eina's almost miraculous healing powers, momentarily lost in thought.
"You think you're Earth element…" Cain turned to him. "How would you want to use it?"
Roddy lifted his head, his eyes glimmering. "If it really is Earth, I'd want my body to be tougher, like a mountain—unmovable, able to withstand the beastmen's blows, and protect you both."
Tario chuckled. "You always talk cool, but deep down, you're just a soft-hearted guy."
"And you?" Roddy countered.
Tario paused, scratching his chin. "Me? I hope it's Lightning! That 'boom!' that sends enemies flying—sounds awesome! And it glows, super flashy!"
He grew more excited as he spoke, his words quickening. "And those lightning strikes from the sky, ending battles in an instant—how efficient would that be?"
Cain smiled faintly but didn't join in.
Roddy noticed his silence and asked, "What about you? Which element would you want?"
Cain stared at the fire for a long time before speaking softly. "I don't know… but if I could choose, I'd want something that lets me see the whole picture. Battles aren't won with brute force alone—I want to predict, to control, like a game of strategy…"
He looked up at the night sky, his gaze filled with rare determination and thought.
"If elements have wisdom, maybe I'd hope to resonate with Wind. Agile, free, able to quickly spot an enemy's weakness and protect my teammates."
Tario raised an eyebrow. "Wind, huh? Not bad—suits you."
Roddy nodded. "You definitely have that vibe—always finding solutions in crises."
Cain smiled lightly. "Whatever it is, I'll accept it, and make it my weapon."
The three fell silent for a moment, exchanging glances as if confirming an unspoken pact.
"I don't want to see anyone taken away again, and I don't want to hear people say 'we're too weak,'" Tario said with unprecedented steadiness.
"I want to see Eina again—and as a warrior, not someone who drags others down," Roddy said, gripping the green-glowing string bracelet tightly.
"Then starting tomorrow, we'll give it everything we've got," Cain said, standing, his gaze sharp.
"With our own strength, we'll break through—"
"Enter the central army—"
"And defeat the beastmen!"
Their voices intertwined—not loud, but filled with heart-shaking resolve.
The wind gently brushed across the camp, the firelight flickering in response. They didn't know what the future held or how brutal the trials awaiting them would be, but at this moment, they had taken their first step toward changing their fate.
Tomorrow would mark the beginning of their training.
But today was the birth of their conviction.