Days passed and the friction among the students decreased significantly; the focus shifted to the upcoming exam. First-year students were usually quite inexperienced and immature, so gaining experience and tempering their character involved field practices.

Education had changed enormously in the last few decades. The war that had started early in 2020 and continued to the present day had led to the militarization of state agencies and governments. Every civilian over the age of 15 was required to enter military school and receive professional training for 5 years. Upon completion, they were fit to serve in the army or various official bodies. The current situation led to the creation of a world government and the abolition of countries as such, thus regional division was at a continental level.

A group of girls who were talking animatedly gathered around a young woman with long, blond hair, who had a fairly infantile and soft face. "Lina, I'm sure you'll pass this exam without any problems unlike us," said one of the girls.

"I don't think it will be that easy, Carla. The exam is at a regional level, so the competition and criteria will be much higher. There are too many students this time," replied Lina, scratching her head thoughtfully as the other girls refuted her words by praising her on every occasion.

"Lina, you're a genius, don't be so humble," another girl with a pale complexion, resembling a ghost, interjected.

"Enough, Camila, you make me feel uncomfortable," Lina said, smiling from ear to ear and swelling with pride as she looked at her friends.

In a corner of the classroom, a group of boys watched jealously as Lina was being praised.

"That Lina clearly loves compliments, she's just pretending to be humble," one of the boys remarked.

"She's an attention-seeking snob," another one added.

"Don't even get me started, I can't stand her, but her talent and ability are real. Barely two people in this school can compete with her," the boys turned to look at Luis at his desk, staring intently at a book he held in his hands. Lowering their voices, the boys began to whisper among themselves.

"Luis and Raisa could put a stop to her arrogance, but you know how Luis is, better not even mention him."

"And that Raisa, she's so carefree and foolish, I don't see her having any chance against Lina."

"Speaking of that, I saw a webpage and inputted some classmates' data to simulate who would win between them."

"Really?" The excited boys started to look at the supposed webpage and simulate among themselves.

Kaller looked from behind at the lively class. Today they would deliver the results, and the kids were talking nonsense as usual. On the other hand, the girls gathered around Lina and enjoyed each other's company.

"I wonder if I was ever like that," he thought, recalling the lively and happy scene from his dream, reflecting on himself.

After a while, the teacher came in with a bunch of papers in hand, the results of the groups for the final exam.

"As you know, today we will deliver the results for the final exam. I hope there are no complaints, and you accept the decision of the headquarters. Otherwise, you can request a meeting and appeal, of course, if you are willing to deal with impatient military personnel," the teacher teased the students with a mischievous smile.

Everyone looked uncomfortable at the thought of dealing with people like General Riskgood, a cold sweat running down their spines, and decided to accept their fate without complaints.

"Well, today I will be quite busy with meetings and paperwork, so I will only have this time for questions and consultations, but first, I will announce the results, so come and get them," the teacher, who was sorting the sheets of paper in her hands, began to call out the students one by one.

The documents handed out briefly explained the aptitudes, abilities, and assigned roles of each student, as well as information about their squad and the location of the exam. After distributing each document and clarifying some doubts, the teacher stood up and presented a PowerPoint detailing the beginning of everything.

"As you know, the war against the invaders resulted in the deaths of many humans to the point that humanity now stands at around 1 billion people. But most importantly, the majority of these deaths were not caused by the invaders but by the appearance of the ether," some students were surprised, but the rest were aware of this event. It was well known that most deaths were caused by the ether itself.

"Long ago, the scientific community believed this substance did not exist. However, it suddenly appeared and flooded the earth in a metaphorical sense. These alien beings wanted to make us succumb without a fight, so they created interdimensional portals that transported the ether in immense quantities from who knows where. The ether acted as a fast-acting poison. This caused the death of life on earth and the mutation of various organisms. Humans were the most affected due to their low adaptability. Those who managed to overcome this adaptation were left in a state of physical and mental overload. Over time, this delicate balance achieved was broken, leading to mental corruption and plunging thousands into madness. Therefore, most humans either died from mutations or went insane and lost all reasoning," the teacher paused to take a sip of water, observing how many of the students opened their eyes in surprise.

"Then comes the next generation, that's you. Most of today's adolescents were born with the ability to withstand and use the ether, so adaptation was nonexistent in their cases. It could be said that they are the new humanity blessed by the ether... unlike the old one that had to fight against this forced evolution."

Kaller looked at the blackboard with his usual expressionless face. As expected, there was no new information provided about these alien beings or the ether. Lina's grandfather had told him this story some time ago, so hearing it again didn't surprise him at all.

"After this introduction to explain your origins, we move on to the present time. Since you are a new humanity blessed by the ether, you need to train and gain experience. Therefore, the army organizes special exams to put you to the test and measure your capabilities. The war continues to this day, so every pair of extra hands is of great importance to the cause."

"Is this year's exam just patrolling?" a group of boys thought the same upon hearing this question.

"Yes and no. Patrolling is the basic task you must perform. What's important is teamwork, coexistence, and the ability to adapt to unexpected situations."

"Unexpected situations?"

"Think of it as surprise exams, hehehe. Well, that's all for today. Check your files and get ready," the teacher began to tidy up her things and quickly left through the door.

Kaller, seeing that the talk was over, picked up his file and stared at it for a few seconds.

Name: Kaller

Age: 20 years

Affiliation: None

Class: Fighter Phase 1

Ability: Emotion Replicator (unknown rank)

Without finishing reading the file, Kaller set it aside and stared at the ceiling for a while.

"The South American headquarters doesn't even know what kind of ability this is... Lina's grandfather was right. Focusing on strengthening my body is the right path for now," he thought to himself.

As he was lost in his thoughts, someone burst

into the room with a military salute.

"SOLDIERS, I EXPECT YOU AT 7 AM ON SATURDAY, BRING YOUR EQUIPMENT AND DON'T BE LATE," the person, scanning each student with a threatening gaze, quickly said their piece and left. The students who had stood up sat down slowly as they heard General Riskgood marching away.

Saturday, 6:00 AM, outside Military School 101.

A lively crowd could be seen walking around the area. Dozens of students were dressed in traditional military attire, consisting of black boots, olive green shirts, pants, and caps with green spots. Some wore a green jacket with spots.

"I was assigned as a Phase 1 warrior. What rank did they give you?" said a scruffy-looking teenager with a mischievous smile.

"I was also classified as Phase 1, but... I'm a wizard," a visible disappointment could be seen on the second boy's face.

"Well, at least you can aspire to be a magician and perform tricks at a traffic light while I throw you some coins."

BOOM

A loud thud deformed the ground as the scruffy boy jumped back quickly, laughing all the while.

"I'm going to wipe that idiotic smile off your face," responded an angry teenager of medium height but fierce appearance.

Through the prolonged struggle against the enemy, humans learned about the paths, which were the means by which an individual develops and grows in power. Currently, only three paths are known: the path of the warrior, the path of the fighter, and the path of the wizard. Each one consists of different phases through which the individual advances.

"They look lively at least, isn't that a good thing?" Kaller said, watching the other students battling each other.

"Well, yeah, at least they're making an effort," Luis replied with a serious expression.

"You're too serious, Luis, don't be such a killjoy and enjoy the experience."

"But, Kaller, we're going to an official bronze rank exam supervised by the army. We're not here to play."

"Do you see any army personnel here? The exam hasn't started yet. I don't see the problem with them fooling around and talking with their friends. Being tense and focused all the time will wear out your body and mind. Rest is also part of the routine."

"... "

"Don't make that face and cheer up." Kaller stood up and patted Luis on the back as he walked towards a blond-haired girl who was approaching.

"Did you finally deign to speak to me? You've left me abandoned all morning," said a girl with a sweet face and childish attitude.

"Luis is very tense, I think talking for a while will ease the tension."

"It's not li..." Before he could finish his sentence, Luis watched as Lina laughed at him.

"You're such a baby, Luis. To be a Phase 2 warrior, you should be more imposing, but you're sticking around with Kaller," a slightly shorter than Lina but annoyed Luis pointed out.

"Ah? Seriously, Lina? You're the first one to stick to him like a tick. Where's your dignity as a Phase 2 wizard?" pointing at her, Luis watched as the young blond girl had her arm around Kaller's.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." pretending not to care, she stuck her tongue out at Luis and squeezed Kaller's arm tighter.

"Forget it, by the way, where are your lackeys?"

"They're not my lackeys; they're my friends, and they went for a walk, so I decided to come see what you two were up to."

"Ha... you seem a bit tense without your lackeys; that's why you came to annoy us," Luis said, putting a mischievous smile on his face.

Lina got angry at seeing that boy a little shorter than her making fun of her, so she let go of Kaller's arm and gave him a slap, which made Luis annoyed, and he slapped her back.

"Well, a little sparring might ease the tension and calm the nerves from my point of view," Kaller suddenly said as he watched the two fools slap each other.

"Are you serious? Me against this little girl..."

"You're smaller than me, you stupid dwarf," an angry Lina replied.

After a while, a large crowd gathered around a place that was somewhat away from the main entrance to the school. A young boy with brown hair could be seen; his childlike face and small stature made him look quite cute, but unlike his appearance, a flame of determination could be seen in his eyes, creating a strong contrast. In front of him stood a beautiful girl with long, blond hair; her face radiated a unique charm that attracted the gazes of the young people, her eyes shining with mischief as she curved her mouth upwards in a triumphant smile.

"I can't believe it."

"Neither can I, the best of the first year are going to fight."

"Place your bets! Place your bets! 2 to 1 in favor of Luis!"

"GO, LINA!"

"YOU CAN DO IT, LINA!"

In just a few minutes, the news spread about what was happening, causing chaos among the students. They quickly gathered expectantly to see what was about to happen. Kaller stood in the middle, ready to start the sparring at any moment. Lina's friends screamed at the top of their lungs to support her; some young followers of Lina also joined in, while the support for Luis was minimal due to his lousy attitude. But still, some cheered for his victory, most of whom were bettors hoping to make a profit.

"Begin!" a loud shout echoed in the improvised arena.