Chapter 61: Chapter 61 – The struggle
Kael walked out of his room with both Charlotte and Lilith trailing behind him. The corridor was quiet, too early for most students, and their footsteps echoed off the metal walls. Lilith kept glancing between Kael and the path ahead, her brows furrowed. She didn’t like not knowing where she was being led, especially with another girl there and not just her and Kael.
"Where are we going?" she asked finally, voice low as they turned toward the main gym complex.
"Oh, it’s just training my usual and only hobby in this school," Kael replied, hands in his pockets. "Although I’ll be using the VR simulation pod."
Lilith stopped walking.
"Did you just say you’ll be using the VR simulation pod?" Her tone pitched up slightly. "But we can’t use it. Not until we’ve ranked up. The system locks it down for Class D first-years."
Kael didn’t slow down. He just smiled over his shoulder.
"Well, my class assignment was a little bit special. And I called in a favor with Miss Stella and Viola. VR simulation room access. Temporarily, at least till I rank up and gain the access myself." Kael replied.
Lilith stared at his back for a second, then hurried to catch up. "Well that seems fair, but you didn’t tell me about anything special happening in your class assignment." Lilith questioned, a bit skeptical.
"Don’t bother yourself too much about it. I am, at the very least, benefiting from it," Kael said, pushing open the heavy gym doors. Cool air and the faint smell of disinfectant rolled out to meet them.
Lilith rolled her eyes at his statement. Kael drew closer to Lilith before asking, "So what are you going to be doing in the gym? Because I don’t expect you to actually be training." He dropped his voice. "And you’re not even going to compete seriously, given your... situation as a spy."
Lilith thought a bit at his statement before replying. "Well, yes. So I might just stick around and wait. I’m really good at waiting."
Kael sighed. ’What was I expecting of course she’ll wait she always did.’
Lilith turned to Charlotte, who’d been unusually quiet since they left the dorm. "And what will you be doing?"
"Just mastering the basics of mana manipulation," Charlotte replied. She seemed a bit dazed. "Kael wants me to be able to use mana to strengthen a weapon, which, although sounds simple, is a bit hard." Charlotte continued before turning back to Lilith and "you don’t plan on training?" She asked.
"Well I don’t need it as much as you do you’re still learning how to manipulate mana." Lilith replied.
"Says the lady without a mana core", Charlotte replied.
Kael just signed ignoring them both moving faster and they decided to cut their banter following Kael.
They reached the gym floor and stopped. Stella was already there, standing by the VR pods with her arms crossed. She didn’t look surprised to see them. She looked like she’d been waiting.
"Oh, Miss Stella," Kael said, confused by her presence. "What brings you here?"
"Here to upgrade your torture—or training, whatever you think of it to be," Stella said. "I told the system to only let you progress after you complete my request. Which is starting from Rank 20 and going up in all your simulation battles before you crash into Zion again, although I want to spice it up a bit."
She held up four thick bands. Black, matte, with faint runes etched along the surface. They hummed faintly, like they were alive.
"What are those?" Kael asked.
"Weight bands," Stella said. "A hundred kilos each."
Kael blinked. "Each? No wonder they look more advanced than mine."
"Yes, they are more advanced," Stella confirmed. "And based on what Charlotte told me, you’re already used to 3x gravity. So going forward, you’ll use them while training at 5x."
The words landed like a punch. Kael’s mouth opened, then closed. "Wait—what do you mean 5x? Would I still be able to move with the weights? They’ll be killing me already."
Stella turned and started walking away, like she hadn’t just sentenced him to hell. "Wish you luck."
"Stella—" Kael called after her.
She didn’t turn around.
Kael stared at the bands that had been handed to him, then at Charlotte. "I’m a bit curious about what else you told Miss Stella when I was passed out in the infirmary."
"You really don’t want to know," Charlotte said immediately. She was already running toward the gravity room, like she wanted no part in what was about to happen.
Lilith hadn’t said anything for a while. Now she looked at Kael, with a very complicated look—more like a worried one.
"Kael," she said. "Don’t tell me you actually plan on doing that."
Kael smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Lilith, no need to worry about this little exercise. I’ll be fine."
He walked past her toward the VR pod. Lilith stood there, watching him go. ’Why go through all this?’, she thought. ’He doesn’t have to grow strong. I’ll do that and protect him from any danger, my dear Kael.’
Kael strapped the weight bands onto both wrists and both ankles. The moment the last one clicked into place, they activated on their own. The runes flared, and gravity slammed down on him like a wall.
He sucked in a breath. His knees buckled. He caught himself on the edge of the pod, knuckles white. Moving his arms felt like trying to lift a boulder. Breathing felt like dragging air through mud. Even standing upright took conscious effort, and he could feel the bands digging into his skin through the fabric of his clothes.
He climbed into the simulation pod anyway. Picked up his sword and dressed in the gear required when using the VR pod. The pod hissed shut, sealing him in white light. For a second, it was just him and the void.
[Preparing scenario for battle]
[Gravity has been increased to 5x]
The pressure hit like a truck. Kael bent forward instantly, sword dragging against the floor. His spine screamed. His lungs burned. His vision tunneled, and for a moment he thought he might actually pass out before the match even started.
[Pain threshold has been increased to 100%]
"What!?" Kael snapped, voice echoing in the empty space.
"It’s what you asked for or have you forgotten," Stella’s voice came through the speakers, calm and detached.
"And one more thing, Kael," she added. "Don’t use any of Zion’s moves in this battle. Those techniques are annoying and make things a little easy for you, although I doubt you’ll be able to do it in the first place."
Kael was too tired to complain. Too tired to even form a proper retort. He straightened up, barely, holding his blade in front of him. His vision swam. His muscles shook. But his eyes were cold.
[First Battle Beginning]
[Rank 20, First Year: Roy]
"What who’s Roy?" Kael muttered, confused.
Then Roy appeared. A beast-kin, fast and lean, no weapon in hand. Just claws.
[Do we fight on the same playing field?] Kael asked, more to himself than the system.
[NO] came the curt reply, at the exact moment Roy lunged.
Kael sidestepped. Barely. The claw whistled past his ear. He tried to bring his sword up to block, but his arm wouldn’t move fast enough. He tried to step back, to create distance, but his legs were lead. He tried to jump backward but landed at the same spot.
Roy’s claw struck him in the chest. Air exploded from Kael’s lungs. He hit the floor.
[You Lost]
"Ah, I know that," Kael wheezed, lying flat on his back. "But you can’t stop the gravity effect. Let me gather myself a bit."
No reply. Roy just stood on the other side of the arena, still as a statue. Like one of those animatronics from Five Nights at Freddy’s, waiting for the prey to move.
Kael pushed himself up. It took everything he had. He raised his blade. Roy dashed.
Claw met sword. Sparks flew. Kael blocked, countered, sidestepped. For a few seconds, it worked. He landed a hit. Then another. His breath came in ragged gasps.
Then Roy adapted. Faster. Meaner.
[You Lost]
[You Lost]
[You Lost]
The words flashed in his ear, over and over.
Kael collapsed again. Lying on the white floor, staring up at nothing, he remembered what he’d told Lilith that morning. _No need to worry about me. This is just a little exercise._
He stared at Roy, standing still, waiting for him to get up.
"So this is the small exercise," he thought, and for the first time since he began training, he missed feeling lazy. His body ached in ways it never had before, not even after fighting Zion although that was because he just blacked out. Every breath felt heavy. His heartbeat pounded so loudly he could hear it but his abilities were already at work and Kael just had a grin on his face. He wasn’t done yet.
