Chapter 5

Too much information was making my head dizzy. Turns out these Strains weren’t as simple as I thought. To put it bluntly, they were anomalies among humans. And their numbers kept decreasing, because ever since the Legendary Trinity was held, almost 80 percent of the participants were Strains.

Even though Ash explained everything in detail, I still didn’t understand. If I were part of the Strains, I should have at least one ability. But there had been absolutely no changes in my body.

“Look here.” Ash pointed at the chart explaining the Strains.

They were divided into three subs: Shifter. Channeler. Psyon.

“In short, shifters turn into animals. Channelers draw their powers from nature. And psyon, they work with the mind,” Ash explained. Her eyes were fixed on the hologram screen in the corner of the training room. “Which one do you fall under?”

My data didn’t show any sub; it just showed a negative mark.

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“Maybe you’re a shifter, Maddie. But you just haven’t been able to do it yet. Or probably a psyon.”

“What if I’m a channeler?”

Ash shook her head. “All channelers manifest their power when they pass their golden age. Mostly around six years old.”

Hmm, I guess I’m definitely not a channeler. But spending time trying to figure out what I might be felt like a waste of time. I’d rather learn self-defense.

“I’ll pick a weapon first,” I said.

In the training room, there were weapons I had never seen before. Without realizing it, I picked up a pair of batons that looked harmless, not as intimidating as a sword or spear.

“So, you choose to defend yourself?” A deep voice startled me.

I turned around and saw Kael already standing behind me. In an instant, I felt the air around me grow heavier. It was the first time I’d seen him without a hoodie.

His hair was short, slightly wavy, and light brown. A perfectly defined jawline. Pale gray eyes that looked piercing. I had never seen a man so beautiful yet so terrifying in my entire life.

“Radon only has forty-nine people left. I don’t want to burden the others when our team keeps shrinking,” I said.

Kael stared at me, then gave a brief nod. “Then defend yourself.”

“Can I ask you something?” I gathered my courage to speak. Funny enough, not long ago, Kael almost crushed my neck.

One of his eyebrows lifted. “About what?”

“When you became a shifter… when did it happen for you?”

But instead of answering, Kael’s gaze only grew sharper. Fear spread through my body. I was afraid my question had offended him.

“Just focus on not becoming a burden to the team,” he said coldly.

Then he walked away, leaving me with a spark of disappointment mixed with motivation. I was disappointed because I couldn’t do anything. Even though Kael’s words were a bit hurtful, I knew he meant well.

If I took the positive side, Kael wanted me to survive and win against teams from other areas.

I turned toward the weapon racks, where, of course, no one else was around. My hands picked up the pair of batons, which apparently had a trigger button. When I turned them on, I heard a buzzing sound, and the batons lit up with a white glow. When the batons touched each other, sparks of electricity crackled.

“Oh—wow, wow!” Even I was startled by the shockwave they generated. They looked scary after all.

“I don’t think you’re suited for close combat. Your profile is more for ranged combat,” Ash commented, apparently already standing not far from me.

“But I like these. They feel safer for me.”

I couldn’t use any other weapon, and I didn’t have much time to train. Besides, no one in this room was using weapons or practicing with them. Who was I supposed to ask to mentor me?

All I could do now was train my defense. And my only defense was with tools.

“Well, if that’s what you’re comfortable with. Go ahead and practice,” Ash said.

I watched Ash walk to the outdoor area, standing beside the pool and beginning to use her power, manipulating the pool water. For a moment, I just stood there watching her. Something felt off—if Ash claimed to be a healer, the way she moved, the way she controlled water… it was more like a fighter.

If I wanted to stay alive longer, I had to do something too. I couldn’t just stand around like an idiot.

I turned around and headed toward the training dummy to practice with the batons. All the eyes in the room were looking at me with curiosity. I felt like a Strain among Strains—Maddie the double-Strain.

Several hours of training left me drenched in sweat. My hands were sore, trembling as I walked out of the training hall. I made my way toward the dining hall, which wasn’t far from the training area.

The surroundings weren’t very bright, only dim lights spaced along the path. I didn’t hear anything—just the wind and rustling leaves—until suddenly I heard footsteps behind me.

I turned, but saw no one.

“Who’s there?” I asked.

Silence, as if the sound I heard was only the wind playing tricks. But I was sure it had been footsteps. The moment I turned back around, a hand clamped over my mouth from behind. I struggled and screamed as hard as I could. Unfortunately, the person grabbing me was far bigger.

I heard several voices before a cloth was pulled over my head. My breath grew tight, my legs scraped painfully against the ground as they dragged me.

“Check her! Strip her clothes off!”

“If she really is a spy, we should kill her!”

I roared, but my voice was muffled. Then I heard the sound of rushing water, and suddenly my body was dropped onto the ground. The cover on my head was ripped away, revealing three men standing above me, their expressions intimidating.

One of them clenched his fist, and flames wrapped around it. “Just admit it—you’re a government spy, aren’t you? We’ve heard about it. An infiltrator trying to exploit weaknesses in the Strains.”

I pushed myself back, dragging my body away. “No, you’ve got it wrong.”

“Really?” The man in the middle mocked. “How can a Strain have no powers at all? That’s odd.”

“We should have checked her! Strip her! I’m sure there’s a device attached somewhere. Or perhaps in her breast or her core!”

It was the same voice that had wanted me stripped from the start. I saw his face—he looked like a pervert, staring at me as if I were prey. Absolutely disgusting. He was using this as an excuse to assault me.

One of them yanked my arm to force me up. When another hand reached toward my chest, I slapped it away instantly.

“Don’t touch me!!” I shouted angrily.

Slap.

A hard slap landed across my face. “Shut up, bitch!”

Then I smelled it. That familiar scent—faint at first, then growing stronger. The leaves above us rustled unnaturally. When I looked up at the branches, a pair of glowing yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness.

A deep growl echoed.

The three men turned toward the tree trunk. Something leaped from above, landing with a heavy thud.

It was… Kael.