Re:Awakening with Ultimate Power as a Cosmic God-Chapter 37: Ch : Apply in Army- Part 2

The pair of soldiers took Anna and Nova through a winding alley, deeper into the quiet side of the city.

Nova didn’t need to be told where they were headed. The complete absence of aether signatures confirmed his suspicion—they were in an abandoned sector.

No lifeforms, no energy pulses. Just silence. This place hadn’t seen life in a long time.

He glanced sideways at Anna and gave her a small, deliberate gesture—a subtle flick of his fingers. She caught on immediately.

Anna blinked rapidly, adopting a hesitant posture as she clutched her arms around herself.

"Um... is this the right place? I—I thought the recruitment building was closer to the city center..."

She asked the soldiers in a soft voice, her words shaking slightly.

One of the soldiers grinned at her with forced reassurance.

"Nah, this is the right place. Just a special test site for new applicants."

"Yeah. You’ll be meeting the higher-ups soon. They want to see your skills up close."

The second chimed in, smirking, Nova said nothing. He let them believe he was going along with the plan.

They stepped through the crumbling gates of an abandoned shipyard. Metal creaked underfoot.

Rusted parts hung from skeletons of ships that had long since seen their last flight. The scent of oxidized steel filled the air.

The soldiers veered off to the side as they approached the first derelict docking station.

"Mechanics don’t need to take the physical trial. You can stay over here with us."

One said to Anna.

Anna hesitated but stepped forward, subtly glancing at Nova as she moved. He gave the faintest nod. Keep your guard up.

The pair now flanked her, standing closer than necessary. Their smiles didn’t reach their eyes.

"Alright. You—go into that bay on the far end. There’s a crate inside. Bring it back."

The taller of the two turned to Nova, voice almost taunting.

Nova’s gaze stayed steady.

"That’s it?"

"Yeah. Just a simple retrieval. If you’re as good as you say, this’ll be a breeze. Higher-ups are watching, you know."

The second soldier said.

Anna frowned.

"Is it safe in there?"

"Completely. Your friend just needs to prove himself. If he wants to join the Galactic Navel Force, he needs to start somewhere, right?"

One of them answered smoothly.

Nova didn’t reply. His expression didn’t change. Without another word, he stepped toward the bay.

The shadows thickened the farther he walked, the wreckage casting long jagged lines across the floor. He kept his senses wide open, tracking every motion, every breath of stale air.

Behind him, Anna shifted her stance slightly, subtly reaching toward her concealed weapon. Her eyes didn’t leave the soldiers.

They didn’t notice.

They were too busy watching Nova disappear into the dark.

Five minutes passed.

Anna shifted on her feet. The stillness around her was no longer quiet—it was heavy, oppressive.

She kept her arms crossed, pretending to stay calm, but her eyes darted toward the sealed doorway Nova had disappeared into.

"How long is this test supposed to take? It’s already been five minutes."

She asked, her voice deceptively casual.

One of the soldiers gave her a smirk.

"Don’t worry about it. These trials take time."

"Yeah. Your friend’ll be just fine... as long as he’s got what it takes to survive."

The other added, grinning wider, Anna’s brow furrowed.

The use of the word "survive" didn’t sit well with her. She clenched her fists at her side, resisting the urge to lash out.

______

Meanwhile, inside the chamber, the door sealed with a final clang behind Nova.

For a second, the room was still. Then, one by one, ten red lights flickered into life in the darkness—each mounted in the chest or head of a security unit.

The sound of servos whirring filled the air as metal limbs twitched and reset.

A mechanical voice echoed through the room:

[Combat test initiated. Intruder elimination in progress.]

The first unit lunged.

Nova stepped forward, catching the metal fist in one hand. The impact cracked the floor beneath his feet, but he didn’t move.

His other hand shot out, grabbing the robot by the neck joint. With a smooth twist, he tore the head free from its frame and flung it against the wall.

Sparks erupted as it crashed, twitching.

Two more rushed him—flanking on either side. Nova ducked low, sliding beneath one’s swinging arm, then drove his elbow up into its midsection.

The force crushed the internal casing. He spun, catching the second by the leg mid-kick, and used its own momentum to swing it around like a club, smashing it into another bot behind it.

Three down. Seven to go.

Nova’s eyes narrowed.

The remaining units adjusted. They switched formation, fanning out and surrounding him with practiced precision.

Blades extended from their arms. One fired a tethered net meant to immobilize.

Nova didn’t dodge.

He stepped into the chaos, meeting the first blade with a grab, the sharp edge slicing across his forearm without drawing blood. His skin shimmered faintly—too dense to pierce.

With a twist of his body, he yanked the bot forward and crushed its chest under his knee, breaking it in half.

The net shot forward. Nova caught it mid-air, pulled the cable taut, and yanked the launching bot off its feet. He hurled it like a boulder into the next wave, the impact taking out two more.

Now four remained. They recalibrated, retreating a few paces as they switched to ranged mode. Their arms split into rapid-fire pulse cannons and locked onto Nova’s position.

He cracked his knuckles.

The first volley tore through the air. Nova vanished from sight.

He reappeared behind the closest one.

Before the robot could turn, he struck—his fist slamming into its back like a piledriver.

The machine flew forward, colliding with the others. Nova dashed forward again, fists moving in a blur, a whirlwind of raw strikes and crushing blows.

Steel crumpled like paper. Limbs flew. Sparks rained.

Less than a minute later, the last bot fell with a crash, its head spinning across the floor.

Nova stood in the middle of the wreckage, breathing evenly. His clothes were torn, fists scorched from heated impact, but his expression didn’t change.

No trace of fatigue touched him. He hadn’t used aether at all—only raw, unfiltered strength.

He exhaled and looked toward the sealed door.

Time to go back. There was no box inside this room.

Back outside, Anna was starting to move toward the door when it hissed open with a sudden release of steam. She froze.

Nova stepped through, his coat torn at the sleeves, faint metallic smudges on his knuckles.

Behind him, the flicker of sparks and the broken frames of the ten destroyed robots could be seen just before the door sealed again.

The two soldiers stared, eyes wide.

Nova didn’t speak. He merely walked toward Anna, gaze locked on the pair.

Anna gave a small smirk.

"You took your time."

Nova gave a shrug.

"They were persistent."

The soldiers stepped back, suddenly aware of the tension in the air. Their instincts screamed danger.

But it was too late. Nova had turned toward them next with a not-so-happy look in his eyes and the two knew they were doomed.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢