058

Celine walked towards the building containing the enrollment department. She planned to find that guy and take him to train, forcefully if needed.

Meanwhile, Ron was chatting excitedly with the head of department. He learnt that there was a special mechanism in place when it came to partnering for the students in the departments of augmented and assistants. Their grades were linked. He was also told that once the partnership was validated by the teacher, it would be set in stone and it seemed like his own partnership had been reported already. The teacher already sent the partnership list during the class. This efficiency was praiseworthy and a great help to Ron.

His grades would be linked to the top scorer.

If he wanted an easy pass, there would be no easier way. That being said, his goal was to flunk and repeat the first year. But now, he could fail and still be certain to have the minimum required grade not to be exiled away from the university. He was in a good mood.

Until he saw a young woman storming in with fists clenched. As he saw Celine approach, he knew something bad was awaiting him.

Moments later, he was being dragged forcefully away. She didn't ask him or explain herself, only stating that she was taking him to train and that was it. Due to him being weaker than her, he could only follow along with her whim.

As they walked, he noticed that they were not going back to the training grounds where the other students were and he asked her where they were going. She told him: "Private gym"

They left the school grounds and she led him straight to a private gym club. At the entrance, she flashed her wrist-com and the people bowed 90 degrees to her. She led Ron towards a specific room, demonstrating that she knew the place.

It was a very wide room with all kinds of mechanical devices.

She tried to have him train with many of them but he always rejected vehemently. Even she was unable to force him since it wouldn't provide much benefits if she did… After some time, she lost patience and screamed at him, asking for answers.

And he screamed back at her: "I have not received any augments yet you want me to weight tons?! Are you trying to kill me?!"

After calming down, they both realized that there had been a misunderstanding from the start. She thought he was being lazy and playing truant. He was, in fact, simply too weak to join in! No wonder he had been so against it, he would have truly died if he tried to train with any of the machines while under those settings… They were her own, they were for a level fifth bio-augmented…

She looked at him for a moment.

He was her partner now and his grades would affect hers. If he remained a weakling, she would lose the top scorer spot. She couldn't have that. She made a call with her wrist-com: "I am bringing in someone for the bio-augmentations. Level 1 to 5. Make the required preparations"

Before the one at the other end of the call could speak, she ended the call. Then, before Ron could understand, she dragged him away once again. He was forced to walk along with her having his shoulder in hand. She firmly grabbed onto him, without giving him a chance to escape.

As they reached the exit, a flying car was already waiting for them. Ron whistled at the design. Having worked as a car engineer, even if he only faked it, he ended up picking some knowledge about them. And this car, he could easily recognize it as it was one of the best.

Damn, he really wanted to be wealthy…

The girl threw him in and jumped in next. Then, the drive launched the motor and he had the car speed up, flying away.

Less than an hour later, Ron found himself strapped to a metallic chair while many needles were pointing at different places of his body. It was making him panic. The situation was rather stressful. Even as the doctors and nurses told him to relax, he was unable to. He was told that those were the augmented fluids but still…The needles were rather big and menacing.

Then, the procedure began.

Being pierced in many places at once hurt. A lot. But what came after was even more savage. The feeling of this weird fluid being pumped inside him was hellish. He passed out a second or so after it began. A few nurses giggled as they joked about his lack of willpower. The young miss endured throughout the entire process back then… The reality was that not everyone had the same pain tolerance. The young miss, Celine, and other kids who got augmented were wealthy youths who trained their bodies since young and were prepared for the procedure.

Ron did spend years working as a miner but then he worked as an engineer. Faked working even. The change in physical requirements was huge. Next to that, he was even implicated in the terrorist attack… His physical state was still pristine, muscular and athletic but his senses deteriorated. He slightly forgot pain and the bombing did some more damages.

Mentally, he was unable to cope with this horrendous pain as it brought back memories of trauma along with it. This wasn't just a matter of enduring this for him.

Of course, no one here knew about that.

Even the doctor in charge couldn't help but ask Celine: "Isn't it a loss to give such augments to this kind of wuss?"

Celine was frowning with mixed feelings. She certainly didn't expect him to be such a weakling… She sighed at the future. She could already see the arduous times ahead.