Nicholas woke up, his mind in deep thought as he began to mull over his plan for the day, deciding that he would begin with training to increase his stats before exploring any further as he remembered his days back on Reach. The drills they went over in the UNSC boot camp were strict and harsh. The exact training methods used those many years ago still ingrained in his mind as he prepared to begin. He would aim to get his stats all to at least 20, well, the physical ones at least, as he began to reminisce back to the old days, both good and bad.

*16 years ago*

After having enlisted into the spartan program he was quickly taken into an institute with another batch of children, all ranging from around the age of 5 to 6. Their bodies covered in only gray basic garments supplied by the UNSC as they walked down the cold corridors barefoot. Their heads were shaved, incision vectors lasered into the back of their heads. Soldiers standing by them side by side as they escorted them towards what seemed to be a multitude of tables. This being where they would proceed through a few more safety measures before being sent off to start the augmentation procedure.

At the front of the mass of people stood two people covered in white lab coats, discussing about the new batch and the potential a few of them held, their eyes lighting up upon the discussion of such a subject they were fond of. The holographic clipboards they held, displaying information too intricate and complicated for the likes of the people from basic and poor backgrounds and even from off the streets to even understand.

As they neared their destination which were the medical tables lined in front of them, the people were sorted out to the designated tables. Among them was Nicholas, as he was laid down upon the cold metal material. Near the table was a holographic interface at which a woman covered in the same white lab coat as the 2 leading their group, began tapping away at the interface facing her.

She then faced Nicholas as she proceeded to place a drip into the subjects arm, an anesthetic shortly after being administered, gradually easing Nicholas into a dark abyss of unconsciousness. Afterwards he was moved to another area of the building where he then underwent surgery, where his bones were strengthened with a ceramic carbide as it grafted into his bones. Increasing their strength so they were practically indestructible.

Then a protein complex was injected increasing the tissue density and decreasing the lactase recovery time. Doubling their strength.

Afterwards, a platinum pellet (chip) is implanted into the left thyroid gland where a hormone is released which increases growth rate of both skeletal and muscle tissues within the body. The pellet then dissolves and gets absorbed into the body shortly afterwards, whilst releasing that very hormone as it begins to stimulate the twitch muscle fibers, increasing the amount of muscle mass grown. The hormone also aiding in the formation of bone tissue, increasing their durability.

They then performed surgery on his occipital lobe of the left cerebral hemisphere, where they began to redistribute blood vessels in order to increase the blood flow beneath the retina. Increasing the overall perception at which he perceived colour and light, and the speed at which the information was relayed back and forth from the brain. Giving his eyes a dark blue colour.

Lastly, his nervous system was then altered to provide a 300% increase to their reflexes before adding the limiter he so dreaded through an incision made at the back of his head, placing it near his brain.

Only half survived.

*6 years after*

“RISE AND SHINE SOLDIERS!”

“AT-TEN-TION!”

The sounds of people clambering out of bed sounded throughout the stronghold. 40 people of the age of 12 straightened out in a line composed of both boys and girls alike. Their bodies strengthened by the Spartan II Augmentation procedure and the strict and rigorous training that went for 6 years.

The training had developed their teamwork, strength, agility, constitution, and mastery of weapons. Going through at least a 100 reps of each exercise a day before running a mile from their outpost to another, day in day out. Afterwards going through a lesson with an automated AI which began to teach them mathematics, history, science, and numerous other subjects.

The Spartans then began at the age of 12, as of now, participating in wargames with other companies. More specifically, companies possessing normal soldiers, or as others call them, ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers), as they were higher in numbers. Although, this resulted in the Spartans winning, time and time again.

The ODSTs having had enough after having their resources, power, and their respect taken from them and the fact that the Spartans possessed overwhelming power that normal people could not attain. As a form of hatred and disdain towards the Spartans, they began to resort to brutality, and eventually, some even used live rounds during combat.

*7 - 10 years after*

Time passed for Nicholas as it flew by. He stood back at the time before the battlefield with the last of his comrades in arms as he fought the humans, insurrectionists, instead of the covenant he was made to face.

The vivid faces of his fallen brethren at the face of war and mindless acts of violence against both insurrectionists and the covenant alike. All going to rest on the fields of battle, as he remembered the tugs of emotion that he so desperately wanted to be released during those times, even if it be a little. But he could say nothing, but stare back, and say his farewells in but a monotone voice, not a shred of emotion displaying itself before him.

Unlike the others, he was the only one to receive the limiter, it was to test out the increased effectiveness during combat if they were to implant it directly into other spartans after him, and the reason why he could save his close friend. This being partially due to the large amount of money he was offered as they took some courtesy in accepting this young boy's plea for help. It also seemed he had the perfect genes for augmentation by mere chance, allowing him to proceed with the agreement as planned.

Back then, he was nothing but a soldier. Unlike the others, who had the barest shreds of emotions or were normal humans, he was a machine made only to destroy those before him.

It was hell.

*Present day*

It was a week after performing his daily training regime within the confined space of the cavern that he managed to barely reach his desired outcome. He spent around 3 hours in an interval of 3 times a day of workouts for the past week. Now, he is practically a shadow, so what would be the point of completing exercises that were meant to exert the muscles that were not even present? But after the strenuous training, he realised he, himself, was but a condensed shadow molded to his last form. The muscles were made of strands of condensed shadows, all varying from one another.

As he trained, those strands of muscles consisting of shadows broke apart and condensed afterwards, as would people when their muscles tear and repair to become stronger. He then thought ‘Could I condense my own body or manipulate it through the use of Shadow Manipulation?’

After trying hard to condense the shadow that constituted his body into a denser form or either trying to manipulate the shadows into the shapes he desired, it resulted in nothing to occur. It seemed manipulating his body did not seem to work, it was not within the skill Shadow Manipulations limit. He would just leave it as that for now and look further into it when he found records pertaining towards his race, or in relation to Shadow Manipulation.

In between the intervals of the 3 workouts a day he started to become ravenous. Confused as to what to do, as he was but a shadow, he went out to clear his head before stumbling across a gray wolf.

He quickly finished it off to once again feel the strange feeling of mana be drawn to him as he absorbed its mana. Afterwards, the feelings of extreme hunger dissipated. After this newfound discovery, he came to believe his race feasted upon the mana of others. He also came to the conclusion that the reason as to why he only became lvl 3 after facing the last 3 wolves was due to this unique ability of his race to feast on mana. As some of the mana was distributed to heal his hunger. Or that’s what he believed, there was no concrete proof behind it, but it was all he had.