Chapter 4 — Basic Training

“Hey, wake up, Morgan.”

“Why?”

“It’s been five days and you’ve stayed in bed the entire time. I think it’s time we learn how to use our skills.”

“What for?”

“Dude, I know you’re upset, but we can’t do anything. We have no air support, no weapons, no quick reaction force. We’re on our own.”

Morgan rolled over in his bunk onto his stomach.

“They didn’t mention it.”

“Mention what?”

“The Demon Lord.”

Silence.

Dre stared at him.

Morgan continued.

“I heard y’all talking that night. They were telling you stories about past battles they had, past summonings. In every one of those, they were told what they were up against.”

Morgan rolled over and looked at Dre.

“Not once was that mentioned when we were summoned.”

Dre sat down on the edge of Morgan’s bunk.

“So you think they’re hiding something?”

“Yeah.”

Morgan paused.

“And that Tanji kid knows something for sure.”

Dre nodded slowly.

“Well, let’s head to the training yard. I’ve already started figuring out some of my skills. You probably should too.”

Morgan sat up.

“Oh? What’s your rank, by the way? You sent that dude flying the other day.”

Dre stood up.

He smiled.

Then flexed his arm.

“SS, baby.”

Morgan stared at him.

“What the fuck?! I’m only S rank! That’s not fair!”

Dre laughed.

“Yeah, like we needed a white dude with an SS tattoo trying to start a world war.”

Morgan started laughing.

“Fine. Let’s go.”

Dre and Morgan walked out into the training yard.

The courtyard was already busy.

Some of the students were swinging swords with several knights. Others were meditating, while a few were firing arrows at targets set up along the far side of the field.

Morgan looked around.

It was strange seeing the students he'd watched get summoned only days ago already training like they belonged here.

Dre pointed toward the groups.

“You missed the lesson when they explained the stats and ranks, but basically, you can increase both.”

Morgan looked at him.

“Both what?”

“Stats and rank.”

Dre shrugged.

“Your skills are set in stone, but you might be able to unlock more as you progress.”

Morgan looked around the training yard again.

“So this is just like one of my son’s dumb-ass games.”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Morgan shook his head.

“How do I activate my skills?”

“You need to call it out like some sort of special move. But since you and I are high rank, you should be able to just say it mentally and it’ll activate.”

Dre pointed toward one of the students practicing with a sword.

“Some skills are always active, though. Like if you have mastery of a weapon or something like that.”

Morgan nodded.

He looked toward a training dummy standing several yards away.

“That’ll do.”

Morgan took a deep breath.

He focused on the dummy.

“Detonate.”

Nothing happened.

Morgan stared at it.

Dre waited.

Nothing.

Morgan frowned.

He bent down and picked up a nearby rock.

“I said fucking detonate!”

He threw the rock.

The moment it struck the dummy—

BOOM!

A massive fireball erupted around it.

The force sent dirt and debris across the training yard.

The dummy was left tattered and smoking.

Everyone in the yard stopped what they were doing and turned toward them.

One of the students stared at the smoking remains.

“Wow. Dude, was that a grenade?”

“Fuck if I know,” Morgan said. “I have a skill called Detonate. I wanted it to detonate and it didn’t, so I threw a rock at it. What the hell is this?”

A voice came from behind them.

“So the big, strong man doesn’t know how to use his skills, huh?”

Morgan and Dre turned around.

Sir Barnes was walking toward them.

He wasn't wearing his armor this time.

Just regular clothes, with his sword hanging from his hip. His boot had a slight bulge to it.

Possible dagger.

Morgan and Dre both shifted their stances.

Barnes noticed.

“Relax. I’m not here to fight.”

He stopped a few feet away.

“The king ordered me to instruct the kids on how to use their skills.”

Morgan looked him over.

“Aren’t you the one I sent flying the other day?”

“Yes, I am.”

Barnes pointed toward Morgan.

“And isn’t he the one who killed Captain John?”

Morgan stared at him.

Barnes smiled slightly.

“Don’t worry. He was in my way for a promotion, so you did me a favor.”

Dre raised an eyebrow.

“That’s cold.”

Barnes shrugged.

“In this world, it’s survival of the fittest. I guess he wasn’t the fittest.”

Dre folded his arms and relaxed slightly.

Morgan stared at Barnes for a moment.

“So about these skills?”

Barnes nodded.

“You used a skill called Detonate, right?”

“Yeah.”

“That skill detonates whatever is touched.”

Morgan looked toward the smoking training dummy.

Barnes continued.

“Very useful for breaking down fortifications.”