Training Grounds (1)
"Luis, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Leia, you are lovely as ever. Am I right?"
"What do you want?"
"Something happened."
"What, you got hemorrhoids?"
There was a pause. "No. An awakener appeared at school," he paused again.
"Are you messing with me?" the old woman asked.
"Do you think I would joke about something like that?"
She sighed. "When?"
"Today, but apparently, he awoke some time ago."
A long silence ensued until, finally, Leia spoke up: "Who's this guy?"
"It is an F-ranked student, unfortunately. We have not tested his power yet, but he should have also received a boost to his brain crystal."
"An F-ranked is still better than nothing," the woman said.
"I agree," Harris said. "But there are some problems; it seems that the student couldn't progress much in establishing neural links. I put him under one of my teachers' care, but I don't know what he will be able to do before he comes to your school."
"Don't talk like this is my problem, Luis. It was you who failed to notice the kid."
"Maybe, but it will be yours if he comes to military school without the proper training."
"Don't worry; the military school will make a man out of him. Did you already call the office to tell them about him?" Principal Christensen asked.
"I'll call the office right after we finish talking."
"Ah, so I was the first one you told?"
"The entire school already knows about him."
Another pause followed. "Good for you."
"Now get off the phone with me. I'll send someone down tomorrow morning to assess him." She hung up without waiting for a reply.
Principal Harris frowned, then shook his head.
Principal Harris picked up his phone again, this time dialing a different number. After several rings, he spoke: "Good morning, sir. I have news for you."
Erik finished his work at the farm at 5:00 PM. He needed to head back to school as soon as he was done to get there on time.
Professor McAllister wasn't known for his tolerance, and Erik didn't want to upset him on his first day of training.
Upon arrival, Erik walked toward the school grounds and found himself facing the main entrance—a massive gate.
Erik thought he might see some specific people at this time. He expected Nathaniel McConnell and Anderson Worthington to be there. They were most likely going to be there at the gym.
To his surprise, as he entered the premises, he saw two people approaching.
A tall, muscular boy wearing the blue and white school uniform, whom Erik immediately recognized as Anderson, and a girl with short red hair and glasses.
Erik instantly recognized the girl. It was Amber Joyce, the school's goddess. Her beauty rivaled that of a flower, with a flawless figure and captivating face. Yet her allure extended beyond mere looks—she was strong and smart as well.
Most boys were drawn to Amber's beauty, while others admired her strength and intelligence—she boasted the best grades in the entire school but was not the strongest fighter. Just the smarter.
Anderson glanced at Erik with indifference. He knew Erik only as "the school's trash" and nothing more. Yet he was there. Could it be because of what he did at the cafeteria? Anderson didn't have a clear picture of the situation, but something big must have happened if he was there.
"You should be Erik Romano," Amber said.
"Yes, I am."
"A pleasure to meet you. Rumors about your awakening spread around the school in a single day. Should I guess this is the reason why you are here?"
"I guess so. I'm only doing what the principal told me to do."
"Well, let's head inside. We can discuss everything later—Professor McAllister despises tardiness."
The door closed behind them as they entered the building, and the lights flickered on automatically. They walked through the school's courtyard, passing students training or reading books. However, these weren't the top 20 students—those were at the gym.
The trio reached their destination. Anderson kept silent throughout the journey.
Upon arrival, they found several people already present. The trio joined the other students, facing Professor McAllister.
These were the top students, all friends of Amber, Nathaniel, and Anderson. As Erik approached, Professor McAllister stepped forward to greet him.
"Welcome, Mr. Romano. Please join the others."
Erik, Anderson, and Amber lined up with the rest, awaiting their teacher's instructions.
"As we have a new member among us today, I've decided to change our plans. You'll all spar with each other while I teach our newest addition the basics of hand-to-hand combat."
The students remained silent, but Erik sensed their displeasure at the news. He offered an apologetic smile only to be met with hostile glares.
<Damn pricks! It's not my fault!>
"You guys pick a partner and start your training. Erik, come with me," Professor McAllister said.
He led Erik to a secluded area away from the other students, ensuring they could train without risk of injury to Erik or disruption to the others. Once settled, the professor started.
"As you know, each individual has a unique way of wielding power, though some methods may be similar. However, before developing any power, a good soldier must first train their body. Therefore, all top students are required to learn basic self-defense techniques."
Students at Thornton High School weren't required to learn martial arts or weapon training, as they would receive this instruction officially upon joining the army. While it might have benefited the country if everyone received such training early.
Dealing with young students, not all of whom studied or learned to control their brain crystal power, meant that pre-military training focused on teaching students how to manage these abilities. Besides, there was a risk of students misusing their skills if taught too early.
The government recognized that giving students freedom until age 16 was beneficial for their mental development.
"This will prove beneficial as you increase your neural links because you will become a weapon capable of killing without even using your power. Aside from that, there are two reasons we teach martial arts: the first is that you will probably face people, not only Thaids, during the military, and you will not always have a weapon available," the teacher paused.
"The second one is related to mana. Once you end it, as will probably happen, you will be a sitting duck if you can't fight without it. Your physical strength and speed will be present regardless of mana, so you will still be a weapon, even without it. "
Professor McAllister then started walking around Erik, looking at him with an inquisitive face.
"From what I've heard, you can now make objects sharper—sharp enough to cut through Logan Reid's chest like butter with a mere tray. Learning hand-to-hand combat will complement this power nicely."
The teacher paused again, then addressed the young man. "I'll show you some moves, and I want you to practice them as much as possible."
"Understood."