5 Returning To The Training Facility

"Huh?" Dennis couldn't hear her properly.

"What?!" He yelled back.

"I should be asking you that..."

Dennis peered harder into the glass wall and could see the movement of her lips.

Her lips awkwardly curved to the side.

"Looks like you have gotten some gut just because you came back to life, huh?" She seemed to have recognized who was on the other side, but she had already spat words out before she could caution herself.

"Didn't I say I was going to be nicer to him?" She covered her mouth a moment after saying those words.

I think I know her... Dennis thought.

The memory linked as the lady's intimidating tone sounded familiar.

"Lara..."

Dennis said, looking up at her face with a relaxed brow and subtle smile–

He recalled her to be a bully of sorts...

"One of Dennis's unit members... damn she whooped his butt a lot during training matchups. That will have to change in the coming days."

After spending a few more days in the infirmary, his stability was confirmed, and he was allowed to join the others at the training facility.

Project UVS-001 was said to be the salvation of humanity. Even from the onset, it attracted a lot of attention from the public.

Fifty was the estimated number of modified combatants that would be left after the completion of the program.

However, over ten thousand applied for admission at the start. Dennis wasn't the first death as many others also met their end while trying to equip the suit or undergoing nutritional solution experiments.

The program was precisely to build soldiers that would be powerful enough to handle the suit.

Eventually, only around two hundred and fifty trainees remained after undergoing rigorous training for six months.

When the first half of the training was completed, the modified combatants were tested to gauge how well they were compatible with the suit.

Those who passed the fifty percentage mark were selected and grouped into squads.

Dennis, who had the highest compatibility despite his average physical attributes, was inducted into the first combatant unit. It consisted of the top nine best in terms of their physical capacity and compatibility.

Their unit aimed to create super soldiers that could single-handedly destroy a thousand aliens with the power of the UVS suit.

To the scientists, it looked like the closest to that possibility was Dennis.

He was deemed special, but some of his peers didn't share that thought, while the others could care less.

....

Deep in the heart of a dense forest lay a military facility.

Towering trees encircled the vicinity, their branches creating a natural canopy that shielded the base.

At the heart of the base stood a massive structure, a fortress of steel and concrete that loomed over the treetops.

The base was heavily fortified, surrounded by layers of walls, fences, and laser lines.

The only way in or out was through a heavily guarded checkpoint, where armed guards scanned each visitor for weapons and contraband.

Robotic sentries patrolled the corridors, their red eyes scanning for any signs of trouble.

There were signs of advanced technology: holographic displays, drones, exosuits, and advanced weapons, all within the base.

It was a clear depiction of how the government within the shelter had allocated most of its resources.

The overwhelming security here was, of course, to protect the modified combatants from outsiders or possible invasions as they were still in their infantry stage.

Dennis gently walked into the facility with his black backpack and strapped on his squad uniform after getting checked at the entry point.

He was greeted by a brown-skinned young man no older than nineteen with dark dreadlocks. He looked no older than nineteen but was competent enough to be the captain of his unit, Cory Parsons.

"Welcome back noodle kneecaps," Cory stretched his hand towards Dennis for a handshake.

While it looked like his greeting was an insult, everyone at the training center called Dennis 'noodle kneecaps'. He was given the nickname because his knees were always trembling intensely whenever they were undergoing their physical drills in times past. The drills were always too much for Dennis to bear at the time. Many of his team members were still warm towards him, but the nickname stuck.

Cory Parsons, the captain of unit one, despite being the fourth-strongest, was chosen due to his leadership skills and his ability to motivate and mobilize people. He was always nice to Dennis.

Dennis stared at his hand.

But something about him just makes me a little uncomfortable...

Dennis smiled and bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you for coming just to receive me." He was grateful but unwilling to form a bond with someone that made him uncomfortable. He had always been that way.

Cory remained visibly calm –then he awkwardly dropped his hands and tapped Dennis' shoulders.

"Not a problem. The others are waiting for you." Cory voiced in response.

...

As Dennis walked into his room, his eyes rested on a grey-haired roommate in a strange position.

His head kissed the ground while the rest of his body was extended upwards in an upside-down format. He looked like a pole in the position.

Darrin Chandler... The second strongest combatant. I recall the scientists discussing how strong he was.

Turned out Dennis had gotten extra information from the scientists during his time spent there.

"Hey..."

Dennis greeted him after dropping his bag, but he didn't respond.

Darrin was not a proud fellow in any way, but he had a completely laid-back and carefree attitude. He wasn't the type to engage in something he wasn't interested in.

He would always sleep two hours past the time morning drills began. No one challenged him for this, or at least no one did anymore...

This was mostly because he would still meet his training quota for the day no matter how long he slept.

Darrin lowered his leg and stood upright in the next second.

"Hey... I heard you died and came back to life."

His voice sounded underwhelming, but there was a smoothness it brought to Dennis' hearing.

"...well, I guess that is kinda correct," Dennis responded.

"Can you tell me... how it was?"

"How what was?"

"How it felt dying... you know... I want to know the feeling."

"I'm not sure I can put it into words... Experience is always better."

"Huh?"

Darrin tilted his head, staring at Dennis with knitted and deep eyes.

"So you want me to die first?"

His sudden change in tone caused Dennis to freeze a little.

Is this kid bipolar or something?

"Forget I asked. You are a dummy anyway." Darrin stated before walking out of the room.

"Hmm... he has quite the erratic personality," Dennis was not offended by how Darrin responded to him.

Although he felt the kid was weird, Darrin didn't give him the same uncomfortable feeling as the captain did.

His brows furrowed.

"I did decide to challenge the strongest one in the team to test the capabilities of this body, but even the second strongest seems to be way above what Dennis can handle." Dennis clenched his fist.

From what Dennis recalled, the series of experiments they had undergone in the labs besides the training drills also made Modified Combatants four times stronger than the average human adult.

Dennis happened to be the only exemption as he only had the strength of a regular human.

This body is weak, but if I can increase my physical prowess and combine it with the experience I have from my past life... I can do it.

After reaffirming his plans within himself, the door suddenly swung open. He turned around only to find his vision completely hindered by a broad body as his face instantly planted in between two soft mounds.

womp~ womp~

Dennis pressed the soft, lumpy balls with his hands to confirm what he had already suspected while struggling to breathe.

"DENNIS!!!"

A husky feminine voice pierced the whole room. Soft tiddies lady had long flowing crimson hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall.

Her face was charming, with full lips and bright eyes, but her body was what truly attracted Dennis's attention.

She was voluptuous, blessed with curves that would make even a goddess envious. Her tits were full and round, pushing strongly against the fabric of her black tank top.

It was like they were begging to be freed.

"In... Instructor Anne?"

Dennis voiced it out like a question– in truth, he was questioning the memories that revealed to him that she was one of their three instructors.

She also happened to be the nicest despite her intimidating appearance.

Dennis knew he was handsome, but he didn't think it was enough to pull a hotshot beauty like her who was in her late twenties. He was sure that the way she acted with him did not stem from thoughts of romanticism.

She just happened to be very fond of Dennis, and everyone knew of it.

Dennis thought he was about to get scolded after he accidentally groped her chest, but to his surprise, she pulled him closer and embraced him even tighter.