Arriving in the summer heat, I expected a well-designed training camp with moments of relaxation by the beach. But expectation and reality are very different things. All I see are two tall rocks standing before me.
Is this supposed to be the place? Am I even in the right location?
Looking around, nothing seems particularly special, but I approach the rocks anyway. Feeling along their surfaces, I notice a narrow gap. It looks like it could be an entrance, but it's far too small for someone to fit through.
What exactly am I supposed to do here?
As I gather my thoughts, the rocks begin to shake violently. Instinctively, I raise my guard. My jaw drops at the sight that unfolds.
The rocks part like a door—and not because of some hidden mechanism. No, a man, looking like the real-life version of Rambo, uses his bare arms to push apart the massive, hill-sized rocks like they were made of foam.
"Is he even human?"
We lock eyes, and I feel the overwhelming urge to run.
"OH! THIS IS THE KID I WAS SUPPOSED TO MEET!" he bellows, inspecting me with little to no subtlety. "I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE SCRAWNY BRATS, BUT THEY BROUGHT ME THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE! EDEN REALLY LOVES GIVING ME OUT-OF-SHAPE KIDS!" He laughs like a cartoon villain brought to life.
Man, this guy is so loud. Can someone tell him to shut up already? Still, with the way he carries himself, I guess he fits the typical trainer archetype.
"OH, SORRY! You must be overwhelmed with my energy."
You think?
"Anyway, I'm Terah Forest. Starting today, I'm your trainer. I heard you're a special case in Eden Corp, so now that you're here, you better show me what all the hype is about."
"Please don't overestimate me, sir. I'm very new to all of this."
He squints and gives me a second look.
"To be honest, with a body like that, I doubt you can handle Bia properly."
Bia—the power wielded by individuals to fight
Psytonoids. I wonder what kind of weapon mine will manifest as.
"Come inside. I want to assess you with some weapons."
"Yes, sir."
"ENOUGH WITH THE FORMALITIES! JUST CALL ME FOREST!"
Got it. No need to shout again.
We enter his humble bahay kubo. It's surprisingly cozy. Forest presses a button on the floor, revealing a hidden panel. A table rises from below, filled with a wide array of weapons. My entire impression of this place changes.
"These are conceptual replicas of the weapons Bia users typically manifest. They're not real Bia weapons, but they help identify compatibility."
Laid out on the table are a katana, doru (spear), jambiya (daggers), war hammer, halberd, shield, compound bow, and surprisingly, a pair of M1911 pistols.
Wow, quite the selection. Thankfully, my reading habits prepared me for moments like this—I recognize each one.
Forest snaps me back to attention.
"From the looks of it, I'd say you've got a decent understanding. So here's the drill. You're going to determine which of these weapons your Bia chooses."
"How do I do that?"
He points to his chest. "Bia comes from the heart. Same with your weapon. Close your eyes, focus on your heart, and then open them."
"Got it. Unlock my heart."
I shut my eyes and direct my thoughts inward. What should I see? What should I feel?
"If you lack imagination," Forest says, "think of something meaningful. It can be elemental like fire or water, or something literal like numbers or letters."
Something meaningful...
Books. They've always been my escape. Even when my so-called friends abandoned me, reading gave me life. Writing down my thoughts, learning from novels and history... it kept me grounded. And what do you use to write?
A quill. Paired with ink.
This is what my Bia takes the form of.
I open my eyes to see ink swirling around me, and in front of me floats a glowing quill.
"Whoa. This is amazing."
"YES, ESPECIALLY FOR A FIRST TIMER!" Forest cheers. "Now let that Bia choose a weapon."
"Right."
I focus on the table. I'm partial to the spear—distance has its advantages. Still, this could go any direction.
The quill darts toward the weapons. It circles, hesitates, circles again. Suddenly, all the weapons glow simultaneously.
"Umm, Forest? Can I ask a question?"
"What's up?"
"What does it mean if... all the weapons are glowing?"
He pauses. "It means you can use all of them...
WAIT, WHAT?!"
Before us, the Bia surrounds every weapon and writes in the air: [ALL OF THESE].
Four hours later.
Since then, I've been thrown into a brutal training regimen: sprints, push-ups, pull-ups, more sprints. I'm exhausted. But can I complain? Not with this guy yelling in my ear.
"COME ON! HAVING TALENT MEANS YOU'VE GOT TO ENDURE THE PAIN TO USE IT!"
"Puto po..."
Yeah, that's his nickname for my body—because it's soft like rice cake. Still, I'm enduring it. I have to.
[Forest's Thoughts]
'Incredible. This kid can use every Bia weapon. Training him properly could unlock something special. We'll burn the fat, rebuild his strength, and prep his body. He's got potential, just like I did. Maybe even more.'
Training continues well into the evening. I'm sore all over. After settling into my room, I unpack my clothes and set up my makeshift bed.
Later, over dinner, I notice scars across Forest's face. He's been through a lot.
He notices me staring. "Hey kid, you got a problem with my face?"
"Ah, no, sorry. I was just curious what kind of battles caused those."
Silence.
"Sorry if I brought up something painful."
"Don't worry. I just got lost in thought." He straightens up. "Let me ask you something—why do you fight?"
I think back to what I told Lunes. I wanted to protect others... but really, it was the thrill of battle that got me fired up.
"I wanted to say it's to protect people from Psytonoids... but it's really the adrenaline that drives me."
"HAHAHA! You're just like me when I was younger, Felix! The thrill, the rush of danger—it's addictive. But you do want to protect people, don't you?"
"Yeah. I just don't feel emotionally attached to that goal yet."
"You don't need a noble reason to fight. Good, evil—it doesn't matter. Fighting is simply the will of the weak to face the strong."
His words settle deep inside me. I don't need a heroic reason not yet. One day, maybe. But for now, I'll keep moving forward.
Two months later.
Incredible progress. I've shed weight and built muscle I look like an athlete now. My strength and speed have skyrocketed. Carrying boulders is easy. Running in the sand? Second nature.
And the weapons—I've learned them all. Each one taught me something vital. The spear, for instance:
"A man who never feared a spear should never wield one. Understand its terror before claiming its power."
Through training, I internalized that lesson. I now know where to strike, where to defend.
"HEY FELIX! LAST DAY OF TRAINING! SPECIAL SURPRISE TODAY!"
Oh boy. Now what?
I enter Forest's house. He's looking at a hologram panel.
"Today's your first field mission—on-the-job experience."
A mission panel pops up:
^Psytonoid Appeared in Ubay Town
Class C
Mission: Terminate "The Rabbit of the Concrete"
Time Limit: 18 Hours
"Whoa, there's a job system?"
"This is just one part of being an Eden agent," Forest says. "Most of our duties involve eliminating Psytonoids—these missions pay money too."
Money... MONEY...
"STOP DROOLING, FELIX!"
You were drooling too.
"We head out this afternoon. Let's bag that rabbit."
Arriving at the scene, I expected a cute, bunny-like creature. Nope. A massive, rampaging metallic rabbit is tearing apart a basketball court.
"WHAT A FIESTY BEAST FOR A C-CLASS! FELIX, HARNESS YOUR BIA! CONNECT IT TO YOUR STINGER!"
Ink flows from my quill into the stinger. It pulses with power.
"Ready."
We rush the rabbit. Inside the gym, three people are trapped. The rabbit's size is a disadvantage here—it can strike from anywhere.
"FELIX! I'LL DISTRACT IT—YOU HANDLE THE
RESCUE!"
"ROGER!"
Forest smashes the creature's side with a tree hammer, clearing a path.
Inside, I see three grown men. Big ones. No way I can carry all at once.
A chunk of the roof collapses beside me. Close call.
I grab the debris and make a makeshift sled. "Get on!"
They obey. I charge out like a human battering ram, drop them off at the evacuation site, and start heading back—
"WAIT! MY NIECE! SHE'S STILL IN THERE!"
WHAT.
"Where is she?!"
"Restroom—she said she needed to pee."
Unbelievable. But no time to argue.
Back inside. Found the restroom. There she is.
"I'm here to get you out—"
BOOM.
The wall collapses. Darkness. Pain. Rubble.
'The kid!'
I burst out and search desperately.
There she is. Alive but her leg...
Too late. Too slow. Too weak.
My quill forms a shelter dome over her. Tears well up.
"FEEEELIIIX!" Forest shouts. "FOCUS ON THE MISSION!"
Right.
I wipe my tears. Stinger becomes a spear. I do something reckless, throwing it with all my might.
It pierces the rabbit's thigh. A rope unravels from the hilt. Forest grabs it, binds the creature's legs, and we finish it in one final strike.
We return the girl to her family. They're crying. She's injured. I failed them.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
A firm slap.
"Stop overthinking," Forest says. "Look at them."
They thank me. Despite the tears, no one blames me.
Later, in the car, I ask, "Did I really do the right thing?"
Forest smiles. "You did. Remember: those who blame the ones who tried their best are the ones truly at fault."
At his house, he says something that catches me off guard:
"Felix, you finally found your reason to protect someone. You became the weak who can stand against the strong."
I smile.
And with that, The learning ends.
End -