Chapter 9 : The Five Pillars: Avalon's Pursuit

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Chad summoned some courage and ventured towards the hall. He cautiously opened the door and peered inside.

Inside, Avalon was sprawled on the floor, emitting low groans. Chad swung the door wide open, about to inquire something. However, the door collided with the wall, producing a sudden, thunderous noise that interrupted him mid-sentence.

"Aaaah..."

"Aaaah..."

Startled by the abrupt sound, Avalon screamed, which in turn frightened Chad, making him scream as well.

"Why are you shouting?" Avalon bellowed at Chad.

"Why are YOU shouting?" Chad retorted.

"Because you caused that loud noise by banging the door."

"No, you caused that loud noise by banging the door."

"What?"

"Ah! Sorry! Yes! That.... I...." Chad was evidently flustered now.

Realizing the situation, Avalon weakly rose to his feet, grabbed his water bottle, and handed it to Chad. Chad gulped down 3~4 large mouthfuls of water and finally relaxed.

"Bro, what brings you here?" Avalon asked.

"That... You know.. Food...," Chad replied, feeling embarrassed.

"Of course, why did I even ask!" Avalon mumbled.

"But what are you doing here? And what was that sound?" Chad inquired, looking puzzled as he scratched his head.

Avalon, feeling exhausted, sat down on the floor and patted the spot beside him, saying, "Come, sit here. I'll tell you from the beginning."

"Okay," Chad replied and settled down beside him.

"Do you remember the last time we came here?"

"Yes."

"At that time we were really scared for nothing. Actually this hall was very interesting so I revisited it four days ago. And guess what! It is a really fun place. But the games are little tough." Avalon narrated at a leisurely pace.

To Avalon, the Martial Maven's Training System felt like an enthralling game. Even in school, he had few friends, as he relished running around, but most of the kids disliked physical activities. Though the Personal AI interfaces, installed directly on the body, were not inexpensive, their counterfeits cost a mere 500 dollars. Hence, almost every child had one since birth. These interfaces served various purposes, but for kids, it was primarily a means to play games in their leisure time. The few remaining kids who were somewhat active were mostly the ones who acted like hooligans. Avalon found it challenging to consider them as friends.

At present, he viewed the system as a magical gem that initially assessed his abilities and would eventually allow him to practice and excel.

Given that Avalon's training focused entirely on physical aspects, the Martial Maven's Training System decided to evaluate and enhance the five basic pillars of the body: Stamina/Endurance, Speed/Agility, Strength/Might, Reflex/Alertness, Balance, and control.

On the first day, the system had him run on a treadmill for endurance testing. His stamina was satisfactory, but he needed more practice.

The next day, it instructed him to sprint at full speed on the treadmill for 10 seconds multiple times. It turned out that his speed was one of his strengths.

On the third day, it had him perform weightlifting exercises. Avalon had decent strength, but he needed a protein-rich diet for proper development.

Yesterday, it hurled touchable holographic balls at him from different angles and speeds, starting with one ball at a time and increasing gradually. His task was to dodge them. He found it immensely enjoyable, as his reflexes were excellent, turning it into a game. His highest score was dodging three balls at a time, a remarkable feat for a 4-year-old.

Today's test was akin to playing a balancing game. His task was to maintain balance on a disk placed atop an inverted half sphere.

He attempted several times, but it proved to be a challenging feat. Just as he managed to maintain his balance for more than 2 seconds, excitement got the better of him, and he fell, colliding with the wooden sword rack.

"..... and then you came...", Avalon added, narrating the entire incident with great enthusiasm.

Chad was genuinely astounded upon hearing all this. To him, these were not mere games; this was torture!

"Chad, do you wish to play together?" Avalon asked him expectantly, hoping they could have fun together.

"Bro, absolutely not. You enjoy your weird games, just let me enjoy my food in peace," Chad declined, without a second thought.

"Hmph! You and your food," Avalon expressed his disappointment.

Avalon then stood up and proceeded to continue the test. This time he was truly focused.

The disc wouldn't budge until the test commenced. He had attempted so many times, but as soon as the test started, he would fall again and again. This time he had a brilliant idea. He climbed atop the disc but maintained an all-fours position.

With a beep, the test initiated. Deliberately, he drew his limbs closer, endeavoring to find the center point (center of gravity) of the disc.

With measured precision, he lifted his hands and stood up. However, the disc still wobbled. So he carried out his plan.

He adjusted his right foot to the center and raised his left foot in the air. For a moment, he achieved stability, but after 5 seconds, he lost his balance and fell again. Drawing from his experience, he skillfully landed on the floor, avoiding any harm.

Five seconds constituted a remarkably poor score, even though he was just a child, but in general, it was subpar.

The tests were over, and the system assessed Avalon across all five factors. The results indicated that Avalon was just slightly above an average kid but showcased immense potential.

As Avalon couldn't stay more than 2 hours here, and Chad had already consumed a lot of time, the system decided it best to commence the training on the following day.

Next day onwards, Avalon's official training began. For the next 3 years, he was intended to repeat the tests themselves, as they proved to be the most effective method for fortifying the five pillars. The system consistently incorporated suitable variations, while the fundamental objective remained constant: enhancing Strength, Speed, Stamina, Reflexes, and Control.

Martial Maven, the unparalleled Martial Artist Superhero, always upheld one principle: "Be better in what you're worst at and be the Best in what you're good at." Accordingly, this philosophy guided his training system as well.