Chapter 177: Shameless Boys
Chapter 175
A few minutes passed in tense silence as groans escaped the lips of the Aspirants gathered there due to the scorching heat.
They were waiting for the remaining students who had yet to make it through the gate.
Finally, after thirty excruciating minutes, the bulky instructor walked out last, and with Sony’s help, they conducted a rough headcount of the group.
With a nod of satisfaction, the instructors also let out groans of agony from the sun’s intensity.
’And they haven’t even been here for five minutes yet. Kek! This will be fun,’ Ray chuckled inwardly at the instructors’ clear discomfort.
Captain Jake, on the other hand, didn’t even look affected one bit as he just stood there like a motionless statue.
Compared to when he was in the classroom, this was a completely different man, and Ray still didn’t know why his demeanor had changed so abruptly.
"Ugh... guess all of you are finally here," Sony began as he scanned the teens in front of him.
Captain Jake walked forward with a militant trailing behind him.
"We will be shown our rooms in the barracks where we will be staying for a week; the established time limit of our expedition," Jake interjected as he stared at all the Aspirants.
"... Due to the shortage of space, you all will have to share. Five per room. Which means one squad per room."
There were groans and murmurs of disagreement, especially from the legacies in the group.
Some of these high-born students had weak, not-so-legacy teammates in their squads, so sharing a dormitory with those kinds of people didn’t sit right with them.
Unfortunately, Jake didn’t even act like he heard their complaints as he continued his speech.
"We will be resting up today while you all get used to the weather because the rotation on this planet is different compared to back home.
Palatine experiences forty-eight hours of sunlight and twenty-four hours of nighttime, and according to what I’m being told, we are currently in the first day.
Which means tomorrow will still be as sunny as today is. Rest up, get whatever equipment you might need from the shops around. Just do whatever you wish as long as you don’t leave the shelter to try and explore the world."
Jake paused, staring to see if his words truly got through to everyone.
"... I’m out. The militants will show you your rooms."
Without another word, Jake walked off, and before their eyes, it looked like the man vanished into thin air, leaving them all behind.
The instructors stared for a few seconds in confusion, but then, just as he was asked, the militant began leading the group further into the barracks.
***
A few minutes passed, and the Aspirants were finally out of the sun.
They couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of immense relief as they were led deeper into the complex.
As they walked, they passed by some occupants of the planet who didn’t even bat an eyelid at the new arrivals.
’What’s up with them?’
Van stuck close to Ray as they walked side by side.
The backpack containing all the equipment they would be needing was with Kai, who was slightly out front.
’... Come to think of it, I haven’t sighted Felix yet. I can smell him, but I can’t see him. Where is he?’
Finally, the militant led them to different rooms in the facility, with everybody occupying their own designated space.
Squad Kai was led to their own quarters, and upon walking into it, there was a visible look of disgust on Trisha’s face for a fleeting moment, which was immediately replaced by a neutral expression the next second.
First sharing a room with three boys... and another girl, and now this?
The room was plain and functional, built with practicality in mind rather than comfort.
It was spacious enough to hold five single beds without feeling cramped, yet it still carried that empty, echoing quality of a temporary lodging.
The walls were bare and slightly rough, painted in a dull neutral color that had begun to fade in certain corners.
There was nothing to distract from the mission at hand, no decorations to soften the harsh military aesthetic of the outpost.
Each bunk was narrow with thin mattresses, and a single metal locker stood at the foot of every bed to secure their belongings.
Despite the lack of luxury, the air inside was significantly cooler, allowing the squad to finally drop their guard and their gear.
They had moved from the open fire of the planet’s surface into a cold, metallic sanctuary that felt like a different world entirely.
Ray sat on the edge of his bed, testing the springs as he looked around at his teammates, wondering how this week of forced proximity would actually play out.
A single rectangular window sat high on one side of the wall, allowing harsh, natural light to spill into the room during the day and casting long, sharp shadows across the floor when evening finally arrived.
The five beds were arranged neatly along the perimeter, spaced evenly apart to provide at least a semblance of personal space.
Each one featured a simple, rigid metal frame and a thin mattress covered in plain, utilitarian sheets.
No decorations were present. No personal touches softened the environment.
These were just identical sleeping spaces meant for recovery and nothing more.
In one corner of the room stood a lone wooden chair.
It wasn’t polished or particularly sturdy-looking; it was just an average chair with straight legs and a slightly worn seat.
It sat quietly against the cold wall, as if placed there out of sheer necessity rather than intentional design.
The floor was made of smooth concrete, cool to the touch, and the air inside carried the faint, lingering scent of metallic tang and settled dust.
Ray didn’t even mind the lack of amenities; he just shrugged and sauntered forward.
As long as he was shielded from that volcanic sun, he was perfectly content.
Claiming one of the beds nearest the corner, he dropped his backpack with a heavy thud and then collapsed onto the mattress.
The others followed suit, claiming their own beds, with Trisha lingering for a few moments before walking over and dropping her bag on the last available spot.
"Ah... it’s so hot," Kai uttered, the heat clearly getting to him.
He proceeded to pull off his tactical jacket, followed by his white shirt in one smooth, practiced motion, leaving his upper body completely bare.
"AHHHH! What the hell are you doing?! Put your shirt back on this instant!" Chloe thundered, her face heating up instantly as she glared daggers at the blonde-haired boy.
"I agree," Ray added, rising from his bed with a solemn nod.
Chloe heaved a heavy sigh of relief, thinking she had found an ally.
"Thank you, Ray. At least someone here is more sen..."
"... It’s too damn hot!" Ray screamed, interrupting her as he also pulled his own shirt over his head, leaving his torso bare to the air.
Chloe’s face turned a deep shade of beet red in an instant as she furiously glared at the boys, her embarrassment warring with her irritation.
Turning to face Van—who she technically considered more sensible than the others—she looked to him for support.
However, the next moment, the boy too joined the others, peeling off his sweat-soaked layer to escape the stifling humidity of the room.
The boys seemed completely oblivious to the girls’ presence as they enjoyed the minor relief of the cooler indoor air.
They were halfway to making themselves entirely at home when someone finally reached their breaking point.
"Put your damn clothes back on."
Trisha’s cold voice slithered through the room like an icy blade, carrying a lethal edge that caused the boys to shudder for a moment.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees, and for a second, the heat of Palatine was the last thing on their minds.