The following morning, Ashton walked into the massive simulation room with an even bigger hangover, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
He was required to be serious about his training, and yet considering his state... well, one could say he wasn't serious at all.
"I should not have challenged Kass to a drinking competition," Ashton mumbled, rubbing this throbbing head. "That bitch can empty the entire bar if we leave her to it."
[It's funnier because you have poison resistance, which is supposed to nullify the effects of any poisonous substance that enters your body. Yet you're the one suffering through a hangover! Haha!]
"Kyuu~" Aegis purred, rubbing his head on Ashton's legs.
"I know, bud. No more drinking from now on."
As he pushed open the doors, he saw Flintmace and Vulcan waiting for him in the centre of the room, surrounded by various high-tech equipment and holographic displays.
The atmosphere of the room was quite serious. However, when Ashton saw the polar opposite appearance between the two, he had a tough time holding back his laughter.
Flintmace was an imposing figure standing over seven feet tall with rippling muscles and sharp, angular features. On the other hand, Vulcan was a much smaller dwarf. He was no less intimidating, but that was a different topic.
More importantly, Ashton had never seen Vulcan dressed for battle. He was covered head to toe in heavy armour, wielding a massive hammer that crackled with electricity.
Ashton was familiar with Vulcan's hammer, having been struck with it in their first meeting. Even though he had grown a bit stronger than he was back then, the sight of the cackling hammer sent shivers down his spine.
[Tsk, what a scaredy fucker you are-]
"Oh yeah? Why don't we switch places for a while then?"
[Ahem, I forgot I had something to take care of... I'll see you later.]
"Scaredy fucker."
"Welcome, Ashton," Flintmace said in his deep, rumbling voice. "We're glad you could join us."
Ashton nodded nervously, taking in the sight of the simulation room. The walls were lined with advanced sensors and projectors, and the floor was a seamless grid of high-tech tiles that could change colour and texture at will.
It wasn't the first time Ashton had been into a simulation room, but the tech in that particular was much more advance than anything he had been in yet.
"What are we doing today?" Ashton asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"You'll be experiencing one of the past wars won by the Xyrans," Vulcan replied bluntly. "It'll be a real war and actual training, not the kind of sparring you're used to."
He continued, "You're going to be pushed to your limits and beyond, and you're either going to come out the other side stronger and more capable than ever before or break trying to achieve the desired results."
Ashton swallowed hard. He knew Vulcan wasn't one to mince words, and the dwarf's reputation as a harsh master was well-deserved. Flintmace was a bit more approachable, but Ashton knew better than to underestimate the wingless Xyran.
"I'm ready," he said, as confident as ever.
Flintmace nodded, gesturing to a nearby console. "We've prepared a series of simulations for you, designed to test your physical and mental limits. You'll face various opponents, from simple drones to full-fledged Xyrans. Don't worry, we won't subject you to all of it today-"
"Talk about yourself." Vulcan scoffed.
Flintmace shook his head, ignoring Vulcan's words. "As I was saying, your goal is to survive as long as you can and learn as much as you can from each encounter."
Ashton stepped up to the console, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. He had trained hard under Mazton for this moment, but he knew nothing could prepare him for what would come next. After all, Mazton had said so himself. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and activated the console.
Instantly, the simulation room was transformed into a swirling vortex of light and sound. Ashton was surrounded by a three-dimensional grid of glowing blue lines, and he could feel the energy coursing through his body.
He was aware of Flintmace and Vulcan standing behind him, watching him closely. However, he couldn't see them as everything around him changed into a battlefield.
The battlefield was a chaotic scene of destruction, with the remnants of advanced weaponry scattered across the desolate landscape. Ashton could easily spot the Xyrans fighting an unknown species.
The sky was filled with spaceships of all shapes and sizes, each one bristling with advanced weapons systems. Laser cannons fired beams of deadly energy across the void, seeking out enemy vessels and raining destruction upon them.
Explosions dotted the darkness as ships were torn apart by well-placed volleys of missiles. On the ground below, drones flitted about, their whirring engines and sharp weapons taking out enemy troops and defences.
The advanced technology of each civilisation was on full display, with towering mechs and armoured tanks clashing in a brutal melee.
In the distance, a massive spaceship could be seen, hovering above the battlefield like a dark cloud. Its powerful engines pulsed with energy, and its weapons unleashed a devastating barrage of fire that obliterated anything in its path.
Ashton took a deep breath as he surveyed the battlefield before him. The air was thick with smoke, the acrid stench of burning metal, and the ground trembled beneath his feet with the impact of explosions.
On the horizon, he could see the unmistakable silhouettes of Xyran warships, their sleek and deadly forms slicing through the sky as more Xyran soldiers poured out of the ships.
"Damn... this is all too real!" Ashton whistled.
It didn't feel like he was in a simulated world. Instead, it almost felt like he was fighting against the Xyrans in real time!
"Holy fuck... what is all this?" Ashton mumbled, but he was soon interrupted by his first test.
The first simulation was relatively simple, pitting Ashton against a group of Xyran Grunts armed with laser weapons.
"Here we go," Ashton whispered, calling Balmond to his aid.
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