When the transport vehicle stopped, Kai peered through the narrow observation window and gazed at the world beyond.
The world in his field of vision was a dynamic tapestry woven from a chaotic array of "colors."
Entering the capital city of the Ring Abyss Federation, Rock City, felt like transitioning seamlessly from a barren, monochromatic gray landscape to an even more oppressive, orderly, deeply somber, iron-gray one.
The massive alloy dome, resembling an inverted iron bowl, tightly enveloped the entire city, isolating it from the toxic sky outside filled with "foreign" pollutants.
Beneath the dome was an iron labyrinth of countless gray towers and narrow streets.
The air was permeated with the odor of ozone and a faint scent of disinfectant emanating from the cold, formulaic operation of the Recycling system.
Federal citizens hurried along the streets, most wearing standardized gray uniforms and displaying indifferent expressions.
In Kai's perception, each of them was shrouded in a thin, almost imperceptible, gray, mist-like "color," dull and lifeless.
Massive electronic screens run day and night on the towering exterior walls of the buildings, endlessly looping footage of Axis, the "Supreme Commander."
His blurred image exudes an air of authority and mystery.
The image itself radiates an awe-inspiring "authority color" composed of deep purple with icy gold borders. Official slogans such as "Discipline is the foundation of survival" are accompanied by a monotonous blue glow that attempts to penetrate the minds of passersby, repeatedly washing over their senses.
"Everyone off the bus! Hurry up!"
The cold command echoes as the bus doors open.
Kai slung his backpack over his shoulder and blended into the ranks of new recruits disembarking from the transport vehicle and stepping onto the training camp's drill field, located in the outer perimeter of Rock City.
A grim and oppressive atmosphere engulfed him.
Several charred metal training dummies, covered in scorch marks from energy beams and gashes from blades, were scattered along the edge of the field, silently testifying to the harshness of the training here.
The entire training camp was shrouded in an "iron gray" hue, symbolizing iron discipline and rigor.
Kai lowered his head slightly, trying to ignore the "colors" around him—
the restless "fiery red," tense "pale pink," and fearful "dark green" of the new recruits—
that constantly stimulated his temples like background noise.
This chaotic flood of emotions left him feeling exhausted and dizzy.
"Here, you can throw all your so-called 'common sense' and 'individuality' into the scrap yard!"
A hard, emotionless voice boomed through the loudspeaker above, instantly silencing the new recruits' whispers.
Kai raised his head and saw the owner of the voice.
A burly instructor wearing the standard deep gray uniform of the Dawn Barrier faction stood on the platform.
He exuded an aura as hard and cold as granite, tinged with an almost tangible air of battle-hardened ruthlessness. This caused all the new recruits to avert their gaze.
"From today onward, I, Gestalt, am your instructor! Your nightmare!"
His gaze swept over every youthful or feigned-calm face below like a cold spotlight.
"You only need to learn three things: obedience! Combat! And survival!"
When his gaze lingered on Kai for an extra fraction of a second,
Kai's heart sank, and he instinctively suppressed his faint, invisible "colorless" energy fluctuations even more thoroughly.
He disliked this feeling of being scrutinized.
Besides the routine examination, there seemed to be an additional, subtle, cold assessment in that gaze.
"Dismissed!"
As soon as the order was given, the previously silent ranks stirred immediately.
Kai blended into the crowd, remaining silent. He could sense the restless, "fiery red" energy emanating from the young man with striking red hair at the front of the formation.
The young man was brimming with impatience and aggression. That was Ryan Flame, the loudmouth who had caused a commotion on the transport vehicle.
Not far from him, a petite girl clutching a data pad emitted a faintly tense and anxious "pale pink" energy aura, like petals blooming after the rain.
She was Sakuraba Nadeshiko.
These two distinct "colors" contrasted sharply with the Gestalt instructor's "iron gray," which seemed almost tangible, and the "dominant gray tones" that permeated the entire Rock City, symbolizing suppression and order.
He remained that out-of-place, invisible "colorless" presence.