Chapter 134: 134:Premium training room.
The streets of Delta Four were already bustling by the time Silver and Ravenna arrived at the Contractor Association. Compared to the quieter atmosphere around their hotel, the Association headquarters was far more energetic.
Contractors constantly entered and exited the enormous building, some carrying freshly harvested beast materials while others studied newly posted commissions displayed across several electronic boards and screens near the entrance.
Association staff moved efficiently between the reception counters, helping hunters register missions, process bounties, or arrange equipment rentals. The entire building felt like the beating heart of Delta Four’s contractor community.
Silver pushed open the heavy glass doors, allowing Ravenna to enter first before following behind her. The familiar scent of polished stone, paper, and machine oil greeted them almost immediately. It felt surprisingly comforting.
They approached one of the reception counters. Before either of them could speak, the young receptionist looked up from her terminal. Recognition immediately appeared on her face.
"...You’re the two Contractors from the Detroin incident."
Silver smiled politely.
"I suppose our names circulated faster than we expected."
She returned the smile.
"Only because your report was one of the most important submitted. The Association is still discussing the Moonlight Flower incident. We’ve already begun distributing warnings to every surrounding checkpoint."
Ravenna nodded quietly.
"So they really believe more could appear?"
The receptionist’s expression became slightly more serious.
"The current assumption is that they can. Fortunately, they’re extremely rare, but rare doesn’t mean impossible. Several Green Zone patrols have already been increased as a precaution."
Silver wasn’t surprised. That was exactly what he would have done. Better to spend a little more manpower searching now than allow another flower to mature unnoticed.
The receptionist tapped a few commands into her terminal before looking back at them.
"So... What can I help you with today?"
Silver answered immediately.
"We’d like to rent one of the premium training rooms."
She nodded.
"You both qualify."
She entered their contractor identification numbers before another notification appeared on her screen.
"Oh. You also still have your Detroin contractor reward discount available."
Silver blinked.
"I completely forgot."
"It can be applied toward facility rentals. The premium rooms are usually rather expensive... but with your discount, the cost is reduced by nearly forty percent."
Ravenna looked toward Silver.
"That makes it much more reasonable."
Silver laughed.
"Looks like surviving Detroin keeps paying us back."
The receptionist finished processing the reservation before producing two temporary access cards.
"You’ve been assigned Premium Training Room Seven. It should suit both of your needs."
Just then, another Association employee approached the counter.
"I’ll take them."
The receptionist handed him the access cards.
"They’re using Room Seven."
The man nodded politely.
"If you’ll follow me."
They walked deeper into the Association building. The ordinary training halls gradually disappeared behind reinforced security doors as the corridors became noticeably quieter.
Unlike the public practice areas, this section contained only individual rooms. Each door was built from thick reinforced alloy.
Small observation windows lined the corridor, allowing instructors and emergency personnel to monitor the occupants without interrupting their training.
The staff member noticed Silver examining the walls.
"Most first-time visitors are surprised."
Silver nodded.
"They’re thicker than I expected."
"They have to be."
The employee smiled.
"These premium rooms are reinforced for Rank One through Rank Three Contractors. The walls contain layered shock-absorption materials beneath the alloy plating. If someone accidentally loses control of a technique, the room remains intact."
Ravenna looked around curiously.
"So even elemental abilities are safe?"
"Within reason. Fire, lightning, ice, and wind, they’ve all been tested."
He chuckled.
"We’ve even had someone accidentally collapse part of the floor during strength training. The room survived, but the contractor’s pride didn’t."
Silver laughed.
"I’ll try not to repeat that."
"I’d appreciate it."
The employee stopped before a heavy door marked Room Seven. He placed one of the access cards against the scanner. The thick door slid open with a quiet mechanical hum.
"This room is yours until noon. If you need anything, simply use the communication panel."
After wishing them a productive training session, he quietly departed.
The room was considerably larger than Silver had expected. One side contained adjustable practice dummies capable of measuring impact. Another held a reinforced sparring area marked by white lines across the floor.
Weapon racks stood neatly against one wall while a variety of weighted training tools occupied another.
Perhaps the most interesting feature was the enormous reinforced glass panel overlooking the corridor. It allowed staff and instructors to observe training without disturbing those inside.
Silver looked toward it briefly before setting his sword case onto one of the benches.
"It’ll feel strange being watched."
Ravenna smiled.
"Then pretend nobody’s there."
"I’ll try."
After a short warm-up, the two naturally separated. Ravenna moved toward the far side of the room. Silver remained near the center.
Today’s objective wasn’t increasing his physical strength. Morning gym session had already accomplished that.
Right now, he wanted to make Space Slashed feel like part of his swordsmanship rather than a separate skill he consciously activated.
He slowly drew his sword. The familiar metallic sound echoed softly throughout the room.
Silver assumed a relaxed stance. He didn’t attack immediately; instead, he simply breathed: one slow inhale, one controlled exhale, then another.
He recalled every lesson from Beginner Swordsmanship. Don’t fight the weapon; move with it and allow every motion to flow into the next.
The sword began moving. Each cut transitioned naturally into another without unnecessary movement. Only after several minutes did he finally activate Space Slash.
A thin silver distortion extended from the blade. The spatial edge shot forward. It struck the reinforced practice target with a sharp crack before leaving behind a perfectly smooth cut.
Silver frowned slightly.
"...Too forced."
He reset his stance. Again, Slash then Space Slash, then again and again. Rather than activating the skill after swinging, he began experimenting with triggering it during the motion itself.
Little by little, the delay shortened. The sword and the spatial distortion gradually became one continuous attack. Sweat slowly formed across his forehead from mental strain.
Manipulating space demanded intense concentration. Each activation consumed a noticeable amount of mental energy. His head felt slightly heavier after every successful attempt.
Still, he continued. Because every repetition felt smoother than the last.
A familiar blue notification quietly appeared.
[Swordsmanship Proficiency Increased.]
Silver smiled.
He had expected that. Technique improved through repetition. Several minutes later, another notification appeared.
[Mental Capacity Increased.]
{Repeated controlled spatial manipulation has strengthened mental endurance.}
Silver blinked.
’So even this can improve.’
The slight pressure inside his mind eased almost immediately, not by much but enough for him to notice. That alone encouraged him to continue.
Across the room, Ravenna practiced just as diligently. Rather than releasing large bursts of fire, she concentrated entirely upon control. A thin ribbon of crimson flame wrapped itself around her blade.
She held it there, and the flames remained perfectly stable. She slowly moved through a sequence of sword forms. The fire followed every movement without spilling beyond the edge.
Occasionally, it flickered. Whenever it did, she calmly stopped, corrected her breathing, and began again. Power meant little without precision, especially against intelligent opponents.
By the time nearly an hour had passed, both of them had become completely immersed in their training, unaware that several contractors walking along the corridor had begun slowing down outside the observation glass, quietly watching the remarkable discipline displayed by the young pair inside.
And among those who paused, one young woman lingered a little longer than the others.
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