Chapter 152: The Chamber’s Limit
Stanley stopped in front of one of the gravity chambers.
"Here." He pointed toward the reinforced chamber. "Go inside. I’ll control the gravity from out here."
Leon nodded before stepping inside.
"Mr. Cooper, start it at one hundred and twenty G."
"What?" Stanley was taken aback. Not because he doubted Leon. Not because he thought Leon was overestimating himself.
No.
His shock came from excitement. His heart began to race as anticipation filled his eyes.
Unlike the gym trainer, who had been terrified that such gravity might crush Leon to death, Stanley had personally witnessed this young man defy common sense time and time again.
A grin spread across Stanley’s face. "Sure."
He answered with a soft chuckle.
Jessica, however, couldn’t remain nearly as calm. "Grandpa, are you sure?" she asked worriedly. "We’re talking about one hundred and twenty G. What if he’s never experienced anything close to this before? If something happens to him..."
She didn’t finish the sentence.
Stanley raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" A teasing smile appeared on his face. "Is my granddaughter actually worried about someone?"
He looked toward Leon inside the chamber before glancing back at Jessica. "Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him."
Jessica’s eyes widened. "What nonsense are you talking about?" She immediately denied it. "I’m worried about the Hunter Association’s reputation. Imagine what people would say if word got out that someone died during training in our facility."
She folded her arms. "Besides... He’s younger than me."
Fortunately, Leon had already entered the chamber and couldn’t hear their conversation. Otherwise, he would’ve been placed in an incredibly awkward situation.
Stanley completely ignored everything Jessica had said except her final sentence.
"So..." he said with a thoughtful nod. "If he weren’t younger than you, you’d consider it?"
Jessica nearly choked. "Grandpa..." Veins appeared on her forehead as she forced down her embarrassment. She deliberately lowered her voice, afraid Leon might overhear them through the glass. "Please focus on why we’re here instead of saying ridiculous things." She glared at him. "It doesn’t suit your age... or your personality."
’Hmph.’ Stanley snorted inwardly. ’Doesn’t suit my personality?
What’s wrong with worrying about my granddaughter’s future?
With that cold and clumsy personality of hers, who knows when she’ll finally find a suitable life partner?
His eyes drifted toward Leon inside the chamber. ’And am I supposed to let such a talented young man slip away? No way. Age is just a number. Character, talent and compatibility matter far more. And this boy seems to have it all. I must be the matchmaker, or she will fall behind when others decide to act.’
Shaking those thoughts aside, Stanley raised his thumb toward the chamber.
"Ready?"
Behind the transparent reinforced glass, Leon was about to nod when a series of notifications popped up in the translucent panel before him.
[Host, a new mission has arrived.]
[Mission: Reach 100% Gravity resistance within the next two hours.]
[Reward: One Lucky Draw.]
Leon’s eyelid twitched. ’Another Lucky Draw? Hopefully it isn’t something ridiculous like the first time.’
Leon shook his head, signaling Stanley to begin.
Stanley nodded and started tapping a button on the control panel on the chamber wall.
1 G...
5 G...
17 G...
...
...
...
120 G.
Only when the display on the chamber wall read 120 G did Stanley stop.
His hand hovered over the Start button.
He looked through the reinforced glass at Leon. ’I hope you know what you’re doing.
Don’t disappoint me.’
Without any further hesitation, he pressed the button.
The gravity chamber activated.
Buzzzzzz!
An overwhelming pressure descended upon Leon like an invisible mountain crashing onto his body. His knees buckled, nearly forcing him to the ground. But only for an instant.
The next moment, Leon gritted his teeth, regained his balance, and slowly straightened his back.
Stanley’s tense expression immediately relaxed. Although he had been looking forward to this, a small part of him had still been worried. After all, immense physical strength and extraordinary endurance rarely existed in the same person.
Yet Leon had once again exceeded his expectations.
Without wasting any time, Stanley gradually increased the gravity.
125 G.
130 G.
Tiny beads of sweat began forming on Leon’s forehead before slowly rolling down his face.
At the same time, notifications flooded the translucent panel before his eyes.
[Gravity Resistance has increased slightly.]
[Gravity Resistance: 5.23%]
[Gravity Resistance: 5.81%]
Seeing that Leon was still enduring the pressure, Stanley continued increasing the gravity. Unlike the gym trainer, he knew exactly what he was doing.
If someone wished to discover their true limits... They first had to be pushed beyond their comfort zone. And Stanley intended to push Leon as far as his body could endure.
140 G.
150 G.
The crushing pressure intensified dramatically. Every muscle in Leon’s body trembled. Standing upright alone became a tremendous challenge.
Even so...
He refused to bend.
His jaw clenched tightly. His fists slowly curled until his knuckles turned white.
[Gravity Resistance: 7.09%]
[Gravity Resistance: 8.94%]
[Gravity Resistance: 9.22%]
Both Stanley and Jessica were stunned. Leon was still standing. One hundred and fifty G was widely recognized as the maximum gravitational pressure an S-Class tank could endure.
Yet Leon remained on his feet. He was struggling, yes. His body trembled violently.
Sweat poured from every inch of his body.
But he hadn’t fallen.
Jessica unconsciously swallowed. Beside her, Stanley slowly raised his trembling hand. He had thought Leon would crumble under the pressure in no time. Yet... Here he was, about to raise the pressure again.
His excitement had reached its peak. He carefully started increasing the gravity once more.
151 G...
152 G...
154 G...
His heart pounded so violently that he could hear every thump echoing in his ears.
Inside the chamber, Leon’s clothes were completely drenched in sweat, clinging tightly to his body.
At the same time, his Gravity Resistance began rising at an astonishing speed.
[Gravity Resistance: 11.5%]
[Gravity Resistance: 14.3%]
[Gravity Resistance: 18.7%]
As the resistance continued increasing, the crushing force gradually became easier to endure. Leon slowly began adapting to the overwhelming pressure.
Without hesitation, Stanley continued raising the gravity.
160 G...
162 G...
...
...
Time passed by.
200 G...
The display finally stopped at 200 G.
By now, one of Leon’s knees had slammed against the chamber floor. His chest rose and fell violently as he struggled to breathe.
Each heavy exhale fogged the reinforced glass until it became almost impossible to see him clearly from the outside.
Another notification appeared before his eyes.
[Gravity Resistance: 41.5%]
Leon forced a strained smile.
’I just hope this isn’t the chamber’s limit.’
