Chapter 34

The following day, I woke up feeling sore. I'm used to muscle pain, but this kind of is three times worse than my usual. Even after doing both ice bath and warm shower didn't relieve much. I'm still very sore from my training yesterday. Oh dang, being an Expander is no joke. No wonder they're so strong compared to all other soldiers. I take it back, I'm nowhere near the level of a Rank-S Expander. Probably I'm only at Rank-C Expander level. *sigh*

8am I got up, first thing that came in my mind is I'm famished. I tried standing up but my knees were trembling. I had to push myself up just so I can stand on my feet. Oh this is just awful! I just want to eat breakfast! Damn it Nigel!

After agonizingly walking down the stairs, I finally arrived at our living room. In the living room I found my cousin sitting on the couch, watching me painfully walk.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Sup," I nodded.

"Go eat breakfast and take a bath. Then use this gel. It'll help reduce your soreness." He offered me some tub of gel.

I picked up the gel, and read "SoreGo."

"It's still a prototype by the BR Dep. It's designed to relieve muscle pain up to 30 percent upon application and boost recovery rate. I tell you bruh, it's a miracle gel."

"Thanks man, I owe you big."

"No prob, now go on. We got a rock climbing training today and it'll be harder than yesterday's parkour. Mom reserved the entire place for us today until 5pm. And you need to work yourself to the bone."

I ate breakfast, I ate a lot. Also drank coffee before doing my business in the bathroom. I prepared for like 30mins. After bathing, before I wore clothes I used the gel on my body. I applied thinly and the pain has already been reduced, this shit is damn effective! I might oder an entire box of these when it fully came out.

I wore my biker suit and went downstairs. Upon seeing me all ready to go, Nigel stood up.

"How about I drive your bike since I know the way to the center?"

"Sure thing," I tossed my keys to him.

Before we left, I locked the house. Nigel's waiting outside the gate while sitting on my motorcycle. After locking the house, I rode my bike. When I've settled in a secure comfortable position, Nigel stepped on it and he drove away. I thought I'm one hell of a reckless driver when using my bike, turns out my cousin is even more reckless than I am. We arrived to the place shortly because to Nigel, there's no such thing as traffic. My goodness, I thought I was gonna experience how to fly and maybe see angels or a giant golden gate opening. To my surprise though, not a scratch would be seen on my baby. Could it also be an Expander thing?

Upon arriving in the rock climbing center, no one was there just Nigel and me. Nigel changed in to his exercise attire, actually it looked more like his casual clothes: just a tank top and jersey shorts. Meanwhile I'm wearing a proper exercising clothes. Then he went to the bowl of... powder? And dipped his hand in it then shook the excess.

"Like I said yesterday, Expanders are masters of escaping and the best way to escape besides running is climbing." Nigel explained.

Nigel handed me a climbing gear and tied me for safety, however he isn't wearing anything. He must be very confident at his ability to climb and not fall. Then, we both climbed the rock wall on my own pace. Damn, this shit is hard. Midway I'm already tired while Nigel seem to just chill. We continued climbing until we reached the top. When we reached the top, we then climbed down. I just let go of the rocks and the ropes gently lowered me to the ground. Nigel, one hell of a show off, climbed down by jumping and grabbing. He even got down faster than me. My adopted cousin praised me once I got down. Then he made me climb up again but this time, faster. But before I did, he showed me how. He climbed back up and he did it really fast. He was hopping from rock to rock like a freaking frog! Nigel's a superhuman! After making it to the top, he then climbed down but slightly slower than his climbing up speed. Now, it's my turn. Thanks to my parkour training yesterday, I was able to jump from rock to rock but not without fail. Whenever I fail to grab or whenever I slip, Nigel would make me start over. It was really hard and exhausting. Making my entire body jump, making myself propel as fast as possible, and trying to climb up like simply crawling on the floor, Nigel wasn't joking about working myself to the bone. Nigel kept pushing me, even after succeeding to climb without fail. He'd tell me to go even faster every time I finish. When I finally achieved the desired speed and did it consistently for numerous attempts, he finally let me down. Turns out it's already lunch time.

"You did great!" He patted my back.

We sat down and he brought out his J-cube. He clicked a button and said the word "lunch" then a couple of tupperwares appeared along with sporks and water bottles. He gave me the other tupperware, spork, and water bottle. I removed the cover of the tupperware and there was pasta, carbonara with bacon and... chunks of meat? Why?

"Mom made it, she made yours extra meaty." Said Nigel with his mouth full.

"Tell her thanks."

And then we eat our lunch while sitting on the floor like we're having a picnic. 

"Sorry I'm forcing you to learn everything in such short matter of time, I'm just following instructions. Your dad came to our house one night and convinced mom to take you in Taiwan. Mom was against it at first but eventually she agreed to take you and put you in the team so no one would argue about you not being an Expander. All the training you did from yesterday to today are common training for Expanders...just, not something done in a week. Mom and Uncle Frodery just want to prepare you and insure your safety."

"I get that at least..."

"Why'd you want to go to Taiwan anyway? Your job is the safest out of all the soldiers."

"Why'd you choose to become an Expander, Aunt Pheene was against it."

Nigel swallowed his food, "Because I wanted to be by mom's side, I want to watch her back. You know, I owe her big. I'm almost 18 when she adopted me and I'm very thankful for that. Now, why'd you want to go to Taiwan?"

"Well..." I can't tell him I was just bored and wanted action...

"Well?"

"I just feel like...I want the chance to...you know??"

"No I don't."

"Ah! Doesn't matter! It's hard to explain."

"Fine, anyway, break time's over."

Nigel collected the containers but left the water bottles. I threw away the sporks. 

After eating lunch, we did light exercises to let the food down and digest properly. I can't go back to climbing with my stomach this full. In 30mins, Nigel made me climb the rock wall with lesser areas to grab on and the rocks are far apart. Nigel demonstrated how to climb and simultaneously hopping from rock to rock. After he reaches the top he climbed down. I then took my turn and climbed up trying to imitate what he did. It took me several tries and it was very exhausting. Every muscle in my body hurts and I'm sweating heavily. Oh boy, this is just harder than yesterday. When I finally succeeded, he made me redo it until I no longer fall and my speed is consistent. And then he made me go back to the previous rock climbing wall but this time, no more ropes. But just for safety, he prepared thick matts. After all I'll be climbing a 10m wall, falling from it won't kill me but I'll definitely get injured. Now that I have no ropes to save me from falling, I feel really nervous. Nigel told me I can go slow if I'm not confident yet and so I did. Though I'm still very scared. I just stopped to look down to see how far I am from the ground then I found out, the matts are no longer there!

"What the hell?! Where's the matts?!"

"I removed them."

"Why?!"

"You're training to survive, fall here and you'll get injured. On the field, fall and you die."

I bit my lip, this son of a...this asshole! But at the same time, he's right, I gotta perfect this or I won't last a day in Taiwan!

I succeeded on climbing the 10m rock climbing wall but Nigel made me climb up again. But this time, on a quicker pace. I managed to do it for the 4th try, without the ropes, it was so much harder. Now that I'm over with the 10m wall, it's time for the 15m wall. I basically did the same, climb up quick, hop from rock to rock all without ropes nor matts. I succeeded by my 7th attempt. Now the final wall, 20m wall. But before any of us climb it, Nigel gave me weights to strap on my feet, wrists, and body. What the hell?! This shit is just ridiculous now.

"Hold on a sec, weights?! REALLY?!"

"What?"

"How am I supposed to climb with all these weights on?!"

"You're going on field wearing an Expander gear, do you think that will be as light as a feather?"

That made sense and I decided not to argue with him further. After all he's been an expander for over a decade. Not only that, he's my aunt's right hand and technically next in line to her position.

I prepared myself to climb this wall, Nigel didn't gave me any other way than succeed so I climbed it in a slow pace. This wall is like a combination of the previous two walls. There are some rocks close enough to reach and there are many parts hopping is the only way. But hopping is way harder that I am heavier. And more than once I actually slipped and lost footing, good thing Nigel's close enough to catch me...WITH ONE FUCKING HAND!

"Keep going and be careful." He reminded.

I did my best, I pushed myself hard and eventually I reached the top. After reaching the top we climbed down again, upon descending to the floor, we heard someone coming. I thought Aunt Pheene had reserved this place until 5pm? It's just 4:17pm... Then, we heard a female voice.

"So how are you boys doing??" said Aunt Pheene.

"Mom, we're not boys anymore, we're both 34yrs old."

"Well to me you are," she laughed. "Hey Vol, how's training?"

"Hell..."

She laughed.

"He's doing excellent, mom."

"Glad to hear."

"Uhm, Aunt Pheene...Why are you here?"

"Just checking out on you two, especially you, Vol."

I gulped.

"Show me what you got." She said now serious.

"Now?!" I exclaimed.

"Now."

I faced the rock climbing wall. And as I was about to climb, she halted me.

"Wait, Nigel, how heavy are those weights?"

"3kg on the limbs and 5kgs for the vest. 17kg in total, about half of the armor's full weight."

"Make it ×3, he needs to get used to the armor and gear."

Nigel nodded and proceed to fetch more weights.

"But...I could barely climb up with these!"

"Aunt Pheene's expression did not change."

"Nigel, get me 5× the weights he is carrying. Wear them too." She ordered.

Soon, Nigel returned with a cart of the weights. Aunt Pheene wore 15kg per limbs and a 35kg vest. Nigel did the same. How the hell are these two still standing straight.

"Aren't those too much?"

"Indeed they are."

"But why wear unecessary weights? Isn't that just gonna strain your muscles and bones?"

"Again, you're right. But, you need to remember you'll be wearing a full on Expander armor that weighs 30kg. If you're body's limit is just your own weight plus the armor's, you won't last a day on the field. That's the difference of all OW's from IW soldiers. You wanted to go to Taiwan right? Then bear with it. I will be going there with the rest of other chosen soldiers and researchers to reclaim another land from the undead. I won't be going there to babysit a 34yr old nephew."

That struck me, she always talk like this to me...

"You ready Nigel?"

He nodded.

And both of them climbed at the same time. Both of them have the same speed, both of them are climbing as if they were a pair of cats running on flat ground. In just 5sec, they made it to the top and in 7sec they descended. Both of them were sweaty but Aunt Pheene wasn't panting as much as Nigel. Probably because she wasn't as exhausted as him. Both of them are monsters.

"See what I mean?" Said Aunt Pheene.

"Yes..." I nodded, still dumbfounded.