The Empire continues to repel the onslaught of external enemies seeking to devour everything. Insects, Demons, Beasts. None understand human speech; they are threats to humanity that crush all in their path with overwhelming numbers. The Empire's core mission is unification to secure living space for humanity, and all Imperial citizens must cooperate without exception. Those who do not are traitors and are executed immediately. The enemy is so powerful that the Empire is the only hope. As humanity's last bastion, the front line must be maintained.

Guest sat on a long bench in a large room. The hard wooden bench was so uncomfortable it made his backside ache, and dozens of other recruits sat huddled together along the walls. The smell of sweat, iron rust, and a faint lingering scent of blood filled the air. Everyone wore similar medium plate armor and carried the same type of longsword at their hip.

The room was underground. In the low-ceilinged stone space, only the flickering light of torches provided illumination. There were no windows. The wind blowing occasionally through the ventilation grates made the shadows of the flames dance on the walls.

The faces of the recruits were a mix of exhaustion and tension. Some whispered to their neighbors, some sat silently clutching their knees, and others stared into space with hollow eyes. Not a single person looked at ease.