Remedy slowly turned on himself, eyes wide open.
— Wow…
The word slipped from his lips, whispered into the vast, silent space. The training room was a beast of metal and bluish light, so immense he could barely make out the ceiling. A true playground for heroes… or for lunatics.
CLING!
An electric-blue hologram popped up right in front of his face, making him jump.
[Welcome to the All-in-One Training Room]
[Please select the rank of your session: E or D]
— Seriously? That's how it works? — he muttered, impressed despite himself. First time in a real high-tech training room. Rank D blinked temptingly. No. No recklessness. I'm here to improve, not to show off.
He tapped the "Rank E" option.
[Rank E selected. Program: Multi-Task Load.]
[1. Gravitational resistance.]
[2. Projectile evasion.]
[3. Sensory maintenance under interference.]
[4. Secondary cognitive task.]
[Choose difficulty: Easy / Normal / Hard / Extreme]
— So… resist gravity, dodge bullets, stay clear-headed, and study at the same time?
A wide grin split his face.
— Perfect. That's exactly the kind of challenge I need.
He selected "Easy" without hesitation.
[Easy level activated.]
[Gravity: 1G. Projectile speed: 60 km/h. Interference: Light fog.]
[Mission: 5 objects will appear randomly for 5 seconds. Memorize them. A quiz will be administered at the end of the session.]
His brain instantly switched into calculation mode, out of habit.
Let's see… at 60 km/h, if the projectile is fired from 10 meters away, I have 0.6 seconds before impact. My reaction time to shots is 0.15 seconds. That leaves me 0.45 seconds to move. My top speed (30 km/h) lets me move one meter in 0.12 seconds…
0.45 > 0.12.
The margin was huge. He would be out of the trajectory long before impact.
— I'm going to be bored, — he murmured confidently.
A new hologram appeared, listing two items.
[Bonus products available. Use them to optimize your session!]
Curious, Remedy tapped the option. Two descriptions appeared.
---
STIMULATION POWDER (Pre-training)
Rarity: Uncommon
A silvery powder that electrifies your nerves and sharpens your senses! Ideal for kickstarting an intense session.
Effect: GREATLY increases training efficiency, improves coordination, accelerates learning.
Restriction: Only works if you actually train seriously. Abuse = extreme fatigue. No effect above Lv. 15.
ASSIMILATION DRINK (Post-training)
Rarity: Rare
A warm, sweet elixir. Drink immediately after training to engrave the session into your muscle memory!
Effect: Gains continue to increase for 5 minutes! Reinforces muscle memory.
Restriction: ONLY works right after training. Abuse = risk of overload. No effect above Lv. 15.
---
Remedy whistled softly.
— No wonder this place is so expensive. Tch… the rich really eat well.
— Still, this one…
His eyes gleamed as he looked at the Assimilation Drink. One session worth three…
— Alright, let's take the powder first.
He clicked on the powder.
A small tube materialized in his hand. He swallowed it in one gulp.
ZAP!
An electric jolt ran up his spine, followed by a pleasant warmth spreading through his limbs. His senses sharpened instantly. He could see imperfections in the floor, hear the distant hum of the facility. He was… ready.
— Let's go! — he said, tapping [START].
CHAK-CHAK-CHAK!
Metal arms equipped with cannons emerged from the walls. A cold mist poured down from the ceiling, blurring the surroundings.
[Starting in 3… 2… 1…]
FIOUOUU!
The first blue projectiles shot out. To Remedy, hyper-stimulated, they seemed to move in slow motion. He dodged them with casual grace—a simple sidestep, a tilt of the torso. A 0.45-second margin? He was wasting half of it.
Boredom quickly crept in.
What if I made this more fun?
He started doing push-ups between salvos, dodging at the very last millisecond, jumping over low shots. He turned the exercise into an acrobatic game, smiling, dominant.
FLASH!
A holographic object—a worn vase—appeared near the door. Remedy turned his head, distracted.
FIOU!
A projectile he hadn't seen coming sliced through the fog from the side, passing just centimeters from his temple!
Shit!
His body, sharpened by the powder, reacted before his mind. A sudden, awkward twist. The projectile grazed his tunic with a crackle of energy.
Remedy's heart pounded wildly. A cold bead of sweat ran down his back.
— That was close…
But the fear vanished as quickly as it came. Just a lapse in attention. He resumed his game, a bit more cautious, but still far from truly focused.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
The session ended.
[Time elapsed: 5:00. Evasions: Excellent. Hits: 0.]
— Finally…
He exhaled as light sweat covered his forehead.
[Quiz: Identify the locations of the objects.]
— Object one: the vase, near the door. Object two… there… here… and there.
He answered flawlessly, still slightly out of breath but victorious.
[Final result: EXCELLENT! Congratulations!]
A surge of power washed over him. Too easy. He had seriously underestimated himself.
[Rest time: 5 min. Skip? Yes / No]
— Five minutes of rest? Pfft. No need.
He selected [NORMAL LEVEL] without waiting.
[Normal level activated.]
[Gravity: 1.5G. Projectile speed: 80 km/h.]
[New mission: Memorize the locations of 5 objects. Execute 5 risky evasions (last-moment dodges).]
The change was immediate—and brutal.
It felt as if a giant invisible hand had slammed down on his shoulders. The floor seemed to pull him in. Breathing took effort. Raising an arm became a challenge. Gravity had increased.
Recalculate.
Increased speed: 80 km/h. Time before impact: 0.45 seconds.
Reaction time: 0.15 seconds. Time left to evade: 0.3 seconds.
Under 1.5G, his body was heavier, slower. His movement time was no longer 0.12 seconds. 0.14?
The fog thickened, further dulling his reflexes.
0.3 seconds versus 0.14 seconds.
The comfortable margin from earlier had vanished. He had just enough time to survive—no more room to play. The margin was dangerously tight.
And this was only the Normal level.
CHAK-CHAK!
The cannons locked onto him with an aggressive hum. The first projectile, moving at 80 km/h, looked like a bolt of blue lightning.
The smile had completely disappeared from Remedy's face. His expression was tense, focused. Arrogance gave way to a brutal awakening.
He bent his knees, muscles already trembling under the increased weight, eyes fixed on the first cannon.
The real session was beginning.
---
Chapter 21 — End