Chapter 11: A Spar it is then

While they were on their way, Sonic decided to inspect other students. He glanced at a student named Gabriel and focused on inspecting him. Immediately, the holographic screen appeared before him with a message:

< Name: Gabriel Kael >

< Age: 18 >

< Ability: Earth Manipulator >

< Gabriel Kael is a level three user >

Sonic smiled and shifted his attention to another student beside him. This student was familiar as well, and soon Sonic recalled where he knew him from: he was the same student whose fingers were broken before the pairing even began yesterday.

< Name: Justin Corbin >

< Age: 17 >

< Ability: Healer >

< Justin Corbin is a level two student >

Well, it makes sense that Justin Corbin has a healing ability; that's how he was able to heal himself and still prevail against his opponent during the match. The healing ability is not typically used for combat, so Justin Corbin must have been a somewhat skilled fighter to have won.

As the students reached the location Sergeant Creed had mentioned, they were surprised to find themselves in the vast hall where the matches took place the day before. With no one inside, the hall seemed even emptier and more lifeless.

"Is this the fun center?" Finley Scott raised an eyebrow in skepticism.

"Are we here to spar again?" another student chimed in, echoing the sentiments of many others.

Sergeant Creed remained quiet, waiting for them to voice their complaints before unveiling the surprise.

As they tried to make sense of the situation, the third group led by Sergeant Cressida joined them. She informed her students that the seemingly empty hall was actually one of the most entertaining places in the military school.

Her students, equally puzzled, expressed their confusion and compared it to the Weapon center they had been in just five minutes ago.

"Alright, everyone! Any guesses about this place?" Sergeant Creed inquired.

"Yeah! It's where I got my teeth broken yesterday. But I still won though," a student joked, prompting laughter from the group.

Sergeant Cressida stepped forward, addressing the students and explaining the purpose of the vast hall. However, she didn't just tell them; she decided to show them. Walking beside the door, she pulled a lever switch that none of the students had noticed was there, and that was it.

The setting of the empty, vast hall began to change; every wall and floor brought out gadgets, transforming the hall into a dynamic field of challenges. Holographic projections of obstacles appeared, creating a maze that students with agility abilities maneuvered through effortlessly.

At the center of the hall, a large open space, marked with various circles and grids, was designed for sparring and practicing abilities. On one side, tall, thick dummies made of a material that could withstand the strongest of powers were used by students to practice their strikes and techniques.

Along another wall, a series of chambers are lined up, each tailored for specific abilities: water tanks for those with aquatic powers, open flame pits for fire manipulators, and sand-filled boxes for earth manipulators. High above, large fans whirred, creating controlled wind currents for those with air-based abilities to navigate.

On the opposite side, a digital screen stretched from floor to ceiling, capable of simulating different environments, from dense forests to urban landscapes. Students could train in various scenarios to enhance their adaptability.

Amidst it all, the large open space remained, hosting sparring matches between students with strength and combat abilities. The dummies and equipment adapted to the students' movements, offering resistance that matched their growing power.

Behold, this was the digital training ground for students. The transformation left the students in astonishment. Whispers of amazement spread through the crowd, each student pointing out different features to their peers.

"You see that?" one student exclaimed, pointing at the holographic maze. "That's straight out of a sci-fi movie!"

Another chimed in, his eyes fixated on the sparring area, "I've never seen anything like this! Look how huge the dummies are!"

Even those who had been skeptical or dismissive at first couldn't help but gasp at the intricate details and the sheer adaptability of the once empty hall. The realization dawned on them that this was no ordinary school; it was a place designed to push them, indeed, to sharpen their skills, and to mold them into elite warriors.

"Now, what were you guys saying?" Sergeant Creed questioned, but received no response. All the students' attention was focused on the hall.

Sonic attempted to use his inspection ability on both sergeants, but the message he received wasn't what he had expected.

< Your experience points are too low to inspect high Ora energy >

< Experience points: 5 >

Sonic hadn't even known that he needed Experience points to inspect people. This meant that all the people he had inspected before now had low Ora energy.

< To acquire experience points, engage more in combat >

"Great. So I have to fight if I want to level up," Sonic thought with a moody expression, realizing his inspection skill was limited. It was a revelation that left Sonic slightly frustrated. 

However, there were two groups vying for the same department, so one group had to leave until the other was done. Sergeant Cressida wouldn't back down, stating that she had revealed the amusement of the hall to her students. Sergeant Creed, on the other hand, was equally resolute because his team had arrived earlier.

"Let our students have a spar; the winners will use the hall first," suggested Sergeant Cressida.

"So we're here to spar after all." The students buzzed after hearing Sergeant Cressida's suggestion.

Sonic didn't expect any less from Sergeant Cressida, judging from her demeanor, but he was surprised that Sergeant Creed agreed to the challenge.

"A spar it is then," said Sergeant Creed as he gathered his students on one side of the hall to discuss the plan with them.

After a few minutes, Sergeant Creed decided to carefully select three students to represent the group. Finley Scott, the Flame Manipulator, and Gabriel, the Earth Manipulator, were two of the three selected, and finally, his gaze settled on Sonic.

"Me?" Sonic stuttered.

"Yes, you too, kid," Sergeant Creed grinned. He had chosen these three students because they had impressed him in yesterday's match, even though they might not be the strongest in the group.

Immediately, the holographic screen appeared again with a new message.

< A new Quest detected >

< Defeat opponent for rewards >

Sergeant Creed appointed them as their representatives to Sergeant Cressida, who had also chosen three students to represent her group.

Among Sergeant Cressida's three selected students, one of them was Scarlett Jayden, the same girl who had broken Justin Corbin's fingers for not apologizing to her.

Everyone already knew how fierce she was, considering how she had treated Justin Corbin the previous day.

Things got even worse for Sonic when he discovered that Scarlett Jayden was his opponent in the challenge. The only thing that played in his mind was the fact that his suit might end up gleaming red light, indicating that he was badly hurt. He doubted if he was going to win this challenge, considering the time frame that Scarlett used in crushing her opponent yesterday. 

While Sonic was shivering in his pants, a notification popped up in front of him that gave him newfound confidence.

< Quest is detected: Defeat opponent >

< Quest Reward: 50 Experience points >

That might just be enough to carry out his inspection skill on anyone, he thought, as a grin danced on his cute little face.