Run

New Hope College. It's a place of learning that's seperated into two very different kinds of courses. The basic courses which are focused solely on classes for non combatant careers in mind. The other course, The Combat Course, functions as a basic training facility, and recruitment hub for the various forces in our country.

The combat course has a bare minimum requirement of 6 months to complete the basic training. However they do offer specialized training for those who wish for it. I do not intend to stay the full 2 years though. I have bigger plans.

The reason I dont want to stay for the full course is because of my trial. I only have a year to complete it, and according to Krieg, I have to hit a certain level of power before I can even attempt to pass the trial.

What is the trial? I have no clue. Kreig told me, he would tell me when or if the time comes. He also said that I have learned enough to get by on my own and that he will come back periodically to check in on me. But for now he has returned to the underworld.

I have already moved my things to my new dorm room and left my crappy apartment. I really didn't have much there so it was easy.

It was the morning I start my new classes, and I was a little nervous. My sister, Estelle, is in the combat course and I really dont want to be in the same classes as her or her friends.

I picked up my gym bag and headed over to where my first class would be. When I arrived, There was a crowd of students gathered in the gymnasium. The gym was in a dome shaped building and there was a large athletic field inside. The sounds of the students chatting away filled the place before the teachers came in.

There was a middle aged man and woman who both wore track suits and were each responsible for the boys and girls.

The sound of a whistle got everyone's attention and the Male teacher, who was bald and looked like a thug, spoke loudly to everyone. "Split into 2 groups. Men go to the left and women go to the right."

The students seperated according to gender and the female teacher took over the girls, while the bald man began instructing the boys.

An hour of non stop torture is what I would have called this before my evolution. But now, my stamina and strength are beyond what a normal human is capable.

Running, running and more running. The entire hour was spent running. But the field we were running around was special. Every lap the gravity would increase a notch. Most of my classmates were puttered out half way through and were barely dragging thier feet as they moved.

This was a daily exercise that everyone had to do. There was several gymnasiums where other classes are doing this exact same thing.

After the morning exercise, everyone left to attend other classes. The class I would attend after this was a class that taught about monster physiology. Identifying weakness and other related things about monsters. The class was called Monster 101.

The classes after that were Understanding Abilities, then Field Medicine. All of these classes were knowledge based but the last class for my day was Practical Combat Training. You could even say this was the most important class and it took up half the school day.

But it might be my most troublesome class...

I walked in the classroom where the class would be and just like the morning, the class was held on a training field. But this one had an actual attached classroom. And this particular class is taught by someone I've met already.

A sexy bombshell of a woman arrived in front of the group on students and everyone went quiet. The woman with strawberry blonde hair that reached her lower back, and wearing a black skintight body suit, was of course Liera Lance. The Head examiner and also a combat instructor.

"Students. Today I will have you spar again. Find a new partner and a place on the field away from other groups. As usual, I'll make notes on where you need improvement and your weekly assignment will be making that improvement." she looked at all the students in annoyance. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get started!"

Everyone began talking to each other and partnering up. I didn't know anyone there and there was alot of people mingling and grouping. After looking around anxiously, someone approached me.

The guy was a big and tall fellow that towered over and cast a shadow over me. He had short cut blonde hair and his face looked like a gorilla. He had alot of fat on him but he didnt look weak at all.

"Hey there, if you need a sparring partner, I can do it, if you want." Despite his appearance, he had a normal voice and didnt sound aggressive. He was kind of nice, actually.

I extended a hand and said, "Jesse." I just said my name and waited for a handshake. This was how we were taught to greet people in my family. Say your name, nothing more. Look your target in the eyes, project strength and dominance and always... take the lead.

The kind giant just smiled and reached his hand out to shake mine. "Mav. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise." I said while remaining eye contact. First impressions are important and while I didnt have the confidence before I got my powers, I plan to be the man I was always meant to be. "Mav, what sort of power do you have?"

"Oh, mine's an earth based power. I'm a controller that manipulates the earth around me."

"I see. Then I'll tell you mine is water based. Let's begin."

Mav and I went to a free section of the field for our spar. During spars weapons are not allowed. The weapons classes are in the advanced classes of the combat course. This means the giant and I will fight will our abilities and our fists, nothing more.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Always." He grinned.

I made the first move and charged at him. He responded by stomping his right foot and an earth wall sprung from the ground and stopped my assault.

Just as I stopped, a giants fist crashed through the earth wall, causing debris to shoot toward me. I fluidly maneuvered through it with tight footwork, but I still got a few hits on me. It didnt matter through as I didnt even feel it. I'm a slime boi now and I dont feel pain. Only a slight prickly feeling when my water is destroyed.

After I dodged, he stomped the ground again and a boulder flew up and then he punched it in my direction. I sensed a little danger from this attack but it was time for my counter attack. I dont like being on the backfoot in a fight.

A tendril of water coiled around my arm like a snake but looked more like a spring. I cocked my arm back and began condensing water into the spring. Tighter and tighter it became as it compressed and once the boulder that was shot at me got into range, I punch outward with the might of a crashing tsunami.

The boulder exploded from the impact, dust and debris shot back at Mav. He quickly raised another earthen wall to block the attack, but I wasn't going to let what happened on the first move repeat.

I dashed at the wall and used a water blade to slice the wall into 4 pieces, which caused it to crumble. Mav jumped back and then bent over and pulled a boulder from the ground and tossed it at me.

I dodged the first one but he kept picking more up and throwing them at me as he moved. To increase my speed I used Explosive Burst by compressing water from my feet and releasing it. My blurry figure caught up to him, he had to drop the boulder he picked up since I was now to close.

He threw a regular punch at me but I evaded it and landed a kick to his midsection which sent him flying into the distance causing him to hit the ground hard and roll to a stop.

A whistle blew and grabbed my attention causing me to look around. Several people had already stopped and had been watching my fight with Mav with shock on thier faces.

Mav is one of the best fighters they have in class and not many people were willing to spar with him anymore. How could they not be shocked to see a new comer hand him his ass?

The person who blew a whistle was Miss Lance. She approached Mav and checked his condition before yelling, "Medic!" to which a man walked onto the field and picked Mav up like a sack of potatoes.

"Um...?" I didnt think that was the appropriate way for someone to pick up an injured person, but Miss Lance told me he was just unconscious and was going to the infirmary to rest.

"I'm impressed, Jesse. I thought you had good potential but it turns out you are also a natural fighter. Only a few had been able to beat him in this class."

After giving me a compliment, she walked in front of the other students that had stopped to watch and looked at them disdainfully. "Who fucking told you all to stop your spar?!" She yelled at them and they all scrambled back to thier places and began fighting.

With my partner K/O'd, I just sat to the side and watched everyone. Some other people had finished not long after, and began chatting among themselves. As I watched the others finishing thier spars, a girl I didn't want to talk to approached me.

"Heyyy~" A flirty voice left her mouth and made me cringe. Sara was a friend of my sister, and always goes along with her bullying me, ever since we were kids. Sara would bully me herself behind Estelle's back but her methods were very different...