Ivan soon controlled his heavy breathing. He diligently massaged his aching calves and thighs, then relaxed for a while to recover somewhat from the lingering discomfort. He eventually got back on the treadmill and continued running, lasting eighteen minutes before he finally decided to give up.
He took some minutes to truly relax and mentally prepare himself for the next round of strenuous exercise. He got off the bench where he was sitting when he felt he had rested sufficiently. He then walked over to the cable rope pull machine.
He sat down on the bench attached to the cable rope pull machine. He set the weight to 90 kg and adjusted the height of the rope so that it was level with his face. He began to exercise in ten-minute intervals. After each ten-minute period, he would adjust the ropes to come lower, aiming to train different muscle groups in his body.
He spent just twenty minutes on the cable rope pull machine. His back muscles and arms had become quite sore due to the intense exercise.
'I need an ice pack,' he mused, a thought of relief.
He was the sole visitor in the gym today, so he had the luxury to express himself freely to an extent. He rested his back against a stability ball, which became firmly pinned against the wall.
"I have to be persistent. I have to be better."
Ivan got up and stretched his body. The child's helpless death before him still traumatised him, filling him with a deep sense of guilt. His primary motivation now stemmed directly from this harrowing experience. He had been questioning why he had chosen to fight after acquiring Black Riot, and the only explanation he could conceive was that he was profoundly disappointed with himself.
However, he came to a stark realisation following his conversation with Roger. The hidden reason he chose to fight was, in fact, fear. He was afraid to die. He was afraid to die as helplessly as that innocent child. He could now clearly understand why he had been so upset with Merlin_13; he had placed an immense amount of trust in the abilities of Calamity-rank characters like Merlin_13, expecting them to do everything in their power to keep him and others alive.
Seeing the phantom of the legendary Calamity-rank character appear beside him had ignited the most furious burst of anger from within his mind. He had wanted to scold the Calamity-rank swordsman for cheating in the game and, by doing so, endangering humanity.
'I am still not going to forgive him. I don't believe that what he did was necessary.' Slowly approaching a heavily loaded barbell, Ivan thought, 'Surely there must have been better ways to give humanity opportunities.'
He stopped before the loaded barbell, bending forward to reach for the handlebar. A prominent warning label immediately caught his attention.
"Dear gym customer, kindly measure your weight and get an estimate of how much weight you can power lift."
Ivan looked to his left. The label had an arrow that pointed left. He noticed a weighing machine with a stainless steel bar fastened to the weighing board and an attached display. Ivan placed his feet on the scale. His weight appeared on the display: 78kg. The display indicated that Ivan was a first-timer with a maximum powerlifting capacity of 120kg.
Ivan did not agree with the machine's assessment. He still went for the loaded barbell he had approached earlier. The barbell had a combined weight of 150kg loaded onto it. Ivan contemplated the correct position to lift the barbell. He squatted and firmly grabbed the barbell, preparing for a deadlift.
Ivan was moving dangerously, taking an unnecessary risk.
"Hia!" Ivan grunted, straining, and lifted the barbell from the floor to his hip. His whole body shook vehemently. He was utterly overwhelmed and involuntarily held onto the barbell. His fingers suddenly let go of the immense weight. Hypoxia struck Ivan, causing him to black out and collapse with his back to the floor.
Fortunately, the gym instructor was nearby. She rushed and got behind Ivan, catching him before he could fall completely to the ground. Ivan recovered in the instructor's arms.
"What the hell! Why did you hit that heavy weight without having someone close by? Do you have a death wish?" The gym instructor scolded Ivan, her voice sharp with concern.
Ivan got back on his feet, feeling sheepish. He apologised for his stupidity. The gym instructor had, in fact, always been close by, diligently monitoring every exercise Ivan was doing. She had just stepped away quickly to grab a drink, not expecting that Ivan would so foolishly attempt to deadlift almost twice his body weight as a first-timer.
Ivan decided to end his visit for the day. He used the gym's changing room to swap his sweaty clothes for a cleaner set that he had packed in his kit bag. He then departed the gym.
At home, Ivan had a refreshing shower before taking a much-needed nap.
===
In Section 2.6, three influential human characters, all ranked at the Pillar of Calamity tier, were gathered in a luxurious, opulent room. They had convened in this exclusive space to engage in crucial discussions concerning the future of humanity within the Torn Indigo.
Flux, a lady with long, natural white hair that cascaded gracefully below her hip, was seated at the head of a rectangular table. She possessed a beautiful, oval-shaped face with clear, striking blue eyes. Her complexion was pale, almost as white as freshly fallen snow. The dress she wore was a rich brown with subtle hints of black, reminiscent of a tree's bark. While seated, it was evident that she was almost two metres tall, a truly statuesque beauty.
50 Guns, a Pillar of Calamity tier gunslinger, sat on Lady Flux's right at the table. He wore an elegant oxblood two-piece suit with a tie that was a darker shade. 50 Guns had a charming, average appearance. He looked average when compared to other Pillar of Calamity tier characters, yet he was undeniably handsome.
On Lady Flux's left was the character Old Curler. A sleek black corset was worn by Old Curler over a pristine white dress with a delicate, flowery hem. Just like Lady Flux, Old Curler was a beauty to behold.
Lady Flux began the discussion, her voice calm but firm. "Humanity witnessed the emergence of many new special characters yesterday. That means trouble, if we are to be honest with ourselves. We don't currently have enough resources to deal with any potential troublemakers."