บท 10: The Training Room

Max had already discovered that Finley Scott didn't have any possible ability that could've made him lift the barbell, but the other students thought he did.

Soon, Sergeant Creed cleared the air as he gave a reasonable explanation of how Finley Scott was able to lift the barbell.

"Alright everyone, relax. He's not actually carrying the barbell with his ability or strength. You all see a dashboard on the surface of every equipment, right? Well, you can actually set the weight of the equipment on the dashboards. That's what he did. I guess he noticed it on time."

Finley Scott smiled as his secret had been revealed to the others. Now it all made sense to Max how a Smoke ability user was able to lift an heavy object.

Max's mind raced back to the dumbbell that he wasn't able to move a bit. "Uh!" Max exclaimed when he saw the weight that the little dumbbell was set to; 500 pounds.

He immediately set it down to one pound, and indeed it worked. Everyone started lifting the heaviest equipments they could lay their hands on. After spending thirty minutes in the gym, Sergeant Creed spoke up again.

"Now let's go to my favorite department. Just hope that we get there first, because it's the most fun place to be here."

Most of the students were already working out, or rather, they were just playing with the equipments.

Max was very eager to discover this place that was supposedly more fun than the gym center. While they were on their way, he decided to continue using his inspection ability on other students.

He glanced at a student named Gabriel and focused on inspecting him. Immediately, a hologram appeared before him with a message.

< Name: Gabriel Kael >

< AR: C1 >

< Ability: Fire Balls >

Max smiled and shifted his attention to another student beside him, Nash Corbin, the same student whose fingers were broken by Scarlett Jayden.

< Name: Nash Corbin >

< AR: Plain user >

< Ability: None >

Max wanted to inspect other students, but the "plain user" he saw caught his attention. Plain users weren't common, so Nash really stood out in this inspection.

Soon, they arrived at the fun place that Sergeant Creed had talked about. To their surprise, it was the same hall they had been trapped in yesterday when they woke up.

"This is the fun hall?" Finley Scott asked raising an eyebrow.

"This is the least of places in the fun department sir," another student chimed in, and many others echoed similar sentiments.

Sergeant Creed remained quiet, waiting for them to voice their complaints before unveiling the surprise.

While they were still outside, the third group directed by Sergeant Cressida joined them. She also informed her students that the seemingly empty hall was actually one of the most entertaining places in the military school.

Her students were equally puzzled, expressing their confusion and comparing it to the weapon room they were in five minutes ago.

"Alright, everyone! Any guesses about this place?" Sergeant Creed inquired.

"Yeah! A prison hall for freshly kidnapped students," a student joked, prompting laughter from the group.

Sergeant Cressida stepped forward, addressing the students and explaining the purpose of the hall. However, she didn't just tell them; she decided to demonstrate it. Walking inside, she pulled a lever switch beside the door.

Soon the setting of the room began to change; every wall and floor brought out gadgets, transforming the training room into a dynamic field of challenges. Holographic projections of obstacles appeared, creating a maze that students with agility abilities maneuvered through effortlessly.

The training room was vast, with high ceilings and bright white walls. At the center stood a large open space, marked with various circles and grids, designed for sparring and practicing abilities. On one side, there were tall, thick dummies made of a material that could withstand the strongest of powers, used by students to practice their strikes and techniques.

Along another wall, a series of chambers lined up, each tailored for specific abilities. Water tanks for those with aquatic powers, open flame pits for fire wielders, and sand-filled boxes for earth manipulators. High above, large fans whirred, creating controlled wind currents for those with air-based abilities to navigate.

On the opposite side, a digital screen stretched from floor to ceiling, capable of simulating different environments. From dense forests to urban landscapes, students could train in various scenarios to enhance their adaptability.

In one corner, a small, elevated platform held sensors and monitors. Here, students could measure the intensity and precision of their abilities, getting real-time feedback on their progress.

Amidst it all, the large open space remained, hosting sparring matches between students with strength and combat abilities. The dummies and equipment adapted to the students' movements, offering resistance that matched their growing power.

Behold, this was the digital training ground for students. The transformation left the students in astonishment. Whispers of amazement spread through the crowd, each student pointing out different features to their peers.

"You see that?" one student exclaimed, pointing at the holographic maze. "That's straight out of a sci-fi movie!"

Another chimed in, his eyes fixated on the sparring area, "I've never seen anything like this! Look how huge the dummies are!"

Even those who had been skeptical or dismissive at first couldn't help but gasp at the intricate details and the sheer adaptability of the training ground. The realization dawned on them that this was no ordinary school; it was a place designed to push them, to sharpen their skills, and to mold them into elite warriors.

"Now, what were you guys saying?" Sergeant Creed questioned, but received no response. All the students' attention was focused on the hall.

Max attempted to use his Inspection ability on both sergeants, but the message he received wasn't what he had expected.

< You've run out of Exp >

< Exp: 0/100 >

Max hadn't even known that each inspection he performed required Experience Points (Exp). He was unaware that he needed Exp to inspect someone. If only he had known, he wouldn't have used it on random students like Nash and Gabriel. Soon, another message popped up.

< To acquire Exp, complete daily tasks >

< Find Daily tasks on system book >

It was a revelation that left Max slightly frustrated, realizing he had expended his limited Exp on casual inspections. He made a mental note to be more strategic in his use of the Inspection ability in the future.

However, there were two groups vying for the same department, so one group had to leave until the other was done. Sergeant Cressida wouldn't back down, stating that she had revealed the amusement of the room for her students. Sergeant Creed, on the other hand, was equally resolute because his team had arrived earlier.

"Let our students have a spar; the winners will use the hall first," suggested Sergeant Cressida.

Max didn't expect any less from Sergeant Cressida, but he was surprised that Sergeant Creed agreed to the challenge.

"A spar it is then," said Sergeant Creed as he gathered his students on one side of the hall to discuss the plan with them.

After a few minutes, he decided to select three random students to represent the group. Finley and Gabriel were two of the three selected, and finally, his gaze settled on Max.

"Me? I don't think I can... I'm..." Just as Max was about to reveal that he was a Plain user, Sergeant Creed appointed them as their representatives to Sergeant Cressida, who had also chosen three students to represent her group.

Among Sergeant Cressida's three selected students, one of them was Scarlett Jayden. Everyone already knew how fierce Scarlett was, considering how she had treated Nash yesterday.

Things got even worse for Max when he discovered that Scarlett Jayden was his opponent in the challenge. The only thing that played in his mind was the fact that his suit was going to glow orange once again. He didn't want to break any bones as it is.

While Max was shivering in his pants, a notification popped up in front of him that gave him newfound confidence, a reason to fight even though he knew he might lose.

< Daily task detected >

< A spar >

< Reward: 50 Exp >

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