The chaos-filled training ground echoed with the noise of people practicing with weapons, some engaging in light sparring to gauge their mastery of their chosen weapons. The entire hall fell silent when they heard an explosion-like sound and turned toward the direction it came from.
The training dummy exploded. More accurately it was shattered to pieces from the middle.
Not metaphorically. Literally exploded into pieces foam and synthetic materials flew out to all directions when Soren's strike connected it during weapons drill.
Instructor Hayes in blink of eye reach there . Too fast to be noticed by any students present there. She stared at the debris. Then at Soren.
"Cross. Explain." Her words come fast and with authority.
"A….. it was an accident.I... don't know?" His hand was still vibrating from the impact and recoil of the stick. "I just hit it like you showed us."
She stood still and after thinking of many possibilities only one came to her mind.
"You activated your enhancement mid-strike." She walked over. "Your ability burst speed triggered at the exact moment of contact. Multiplied your force output by about three."
"Was that bad?" He asked his hands still trembling he tried to stop the trembling but he was achieving nothing visibly.
"Bad?" She was a little loud and almost smiled. "That's exactly what you're supposed to learn. It takes weeks of hard to figure out optimal striking timing. It can't be taught only by theory and showing cause it is different for each one. You have to instinctively find it out what only works for you and You just did it accidentally."
[Well that's embarrassing,] the System laughed loudly. [ahhha .ha.ha .ahhaha You stumbled into advanced technique through incompetence.]
*Shut up.*
[Make me.]
Instructor Hayes pulled up another training dummy. "Do it again.Soren, try to replicate your own strike."
Soren did as he was told . He swung the baton with all his might triggered burst speed at impact.
The dummy rocked backward and forward with no noticeable damage visible. Soren strike one more time .. again … again and few more times. But the dummy still stayed intact.
"You're thinking too much. Your first attempt was instinct." She demonstrated with her own strike, her cybernetic arm moved almost too fast like a bullet that was size of a forearm but still it was impossible to track.
Soren was dumbfounded how can dual heart enchantments path can show that kind to speed.
The system read his mind and replied
[Dual core enchantments were renowned for their long range combat power but still after getting strong enough the enchantments type or path means nothing in front of absolute might]
Soren was pulled back to reality by Professor Hayes voice. "Combat enhancement isn't conscious. It's reflex. Your body knew what to do before your brain caught up."
He tried five more times. Each attempt felt forced and mechanical and each of them failed more miserably than previous ones.
"Forget it that i am or anyone else here and they are watching you . Just hit it."
Soren stopped thinking. He closed his eyes took a long breath, relaxed his body then he relaxed his mind. His focus was now only on the dummy. Then he swung again and let instincts decide when to activate.
The dummy's torso caved in from force generated by that strike with a crack sound.
"There." Instructor Hayes nodded. "That's the proper technique to do it. Now you just need to do it a few thousand more times until it's become a habit."
Great. More drilling. He sighed but he also felt accomplished or proud he don't know but he was sure he felt something it was something different. Progress that felt actual instead of marginal.
The day's rest of training focused on the same routine, with nothing significant happening. Or maybe Soren was just too focused on his own world, still thinking about the first accidental strike that he still couldn't replicate properly, even after trying for hours straight.
By evening, Soren's arms were numb and trembling slightly, and his head hurt from the concentration and using his abilities.
Jake met him outside. "You broke the training dummy. Everyone has heard about it by now."
"I didn't do it intentionally, it just happened. I don't know how. I'm still trying to figure out how to do it properly."
"Sure," Jake grinned. "I'm starving right now. Let's go eat something before resting."
Soren just nodded in agreement.
They headed toward the cafeteria but Zara appeared from nowhere, blocking their path. Her silver eyes locked on Soren without any greeting or any context. She spoke her desire to talk with Soren. Just pure efficiency nothing else.
"Cross. Need to talk."
Jake looked between them. Confused . His eyes meet Zara's eyes. "I'll just... go eat. Bye."
He vanished fast. Too fast even. Soren thought he would have hard time following him. Even with his perception active.
Zara waited until he was gone and vanished from their sight. "Your enhancement timing today was functional but inefficient and inconsistent."
"Okay?"
She pulled up data on her AR display. "I've been tracking your training performance from the beginning. Your growth curve is steeper than expected for someone without foundation."
"Is that good or bad?"
"Interesting." She said it like she was reading some research and have found something new to research more deeply. "You're compensating your lack of experience with instinctive enhancement use. It's not perfect but you're doing better than others. That's unusual. Most students require deliberate training to develop combat reflexes."
"Maybe I just have little talent in these kings of things."
Her expression didn't change. "I'm offering tactical analysis and proper training method. That i have developed by seeing your data and doing research on tigers beetle DNA. With your current trajectory you will reach seventh or eighth rank at the end if you continue improving. But without proper technique, you'll fall behind."
"And you're offering to help?" He kept his face as expressionless as Zara.
"Information exchange. I study your unusual adaptation patterns. You receive technical optimization." She looked directly at him. "It's mutually beneficial arrangement."
[She wants to use you as research data, her personal lab rat ] the System once again burst out loud laughter.
*Can you please stop I think you have done enough for today and I still trying to figure out what she wants.*
[And you're considering it?]
*Free training advice from the second-ranked student? Yeah, I'm considering it.*
"What do I have to do?" Soren asked.
"Allow me to monitor your training sessions twice weekly. Provide enhancement usage data." Zara minimized her display. "In return, I'll correct technical inefficiencies and provide tactical recommendations."
For Soren it sounded like a decent trade. Little Weird, but decent.
"Alright. Deal."
"Acceptable." She turned to leave bur paused and continued without even turning back. "Your instinct is valuable. Don't let instructors drill it out of you trying to make everything conscious. Some skills work better when you stop thinking."
Then she left.
[That was the most words she's ever said to you at once,]
*Yes but was the last thing she said to me don't let instructor drill on my instinct.*
[You will find out about that eventually.]
*Hey you… you know something from the beginning right, there is definitely something wrong with the training method i am following.]
[Don not be a fool and follow your instructor's method properly. It's true that this is not most optimal training method for you but with out proper foundation you will gain nothing]
*Yeah… Yeah anyway why she is so tense.*
[ Did you forget it already. You search about her family on internet She's a Steelheart. Their entire family is like that. Tactical analysis is basically their love language.]
*That's depressing.*
[Welcome to combat family culture. They're all deeply weird in their own ways.]
Soren finally made it to the cafeteria. Grabbed food. And started eating it His brain was still processing the conversation with Zara.
She wanted to study me? Why she needs my training data for research. He was in his own world repeating everything that has happened today. Today was filled with many strange incidents and discoveries.
But suddenly his AR pinged. Message from Lyra.
**Lyra: Heard you caused trouble by exploding two dummies today at training hall **
**Soren: I only broke one**
**Lyra: My mistake. Only TWO EXPLOSIONS*
**Lyra: Very reasonable of you**
**Soren: I did nothing even instructor Hayes said it was just an accident**
**Soren: ?**
**Lyra: (•_•)**
**Lyra: Anyway good job beetle boy.**
**Lyra: You are doing pretty good, Even I still can't do it.**
**Soren: Oh really, that means i am really better than you**
**Lyra: Don't let it go to your head**
**Lyra: You're still tenth place**
**Soren: Thanks for the reminder**
They ended their small chat there and Soren finished eating and headed back to his dorm.
Jake was already there, half-asleep. "Zara corner you too about training data?"
"How'd you know?" Soren was confused.
"She does that to everyone. She also asked me for reactor heart efficiency logs last week." He yawned. "I said yes. Free advice is free advice."
"What'd she tell you?"
"That I'm wasting eighteen percent of my energy output on inefficient conversion and I should adjust my core settings." Jake stretched. "She was right. But first I have my doubts but after fixing it, i gained two minutes of operational time."
Soren thought to himself that Zara does actually provide legitimate training help. Good to know.
"You should say yes if she asks again," Jake said. "Steelhearts are weird but they know their stuff."
"Already did."
"Good."
"I am going to sleep now, too tired to talk."
And Jake covered himself with blankets like silkworm and fell asleep.
Soren sat on his bed but after sitting for sometime he also decided to rest and lay down on his bed.