Training partner

"Ah, I'm satisfied now!"

Chairman Darwin's voice booms with happiness. I look over to him and find my sight blocked by a wall of plates. His whole table is filled to the brim with plates upon plates.

"Why are there so many plates?"

"Believe it or not, the chairman has an ungodly appetite and stomach capacity. All those plates have once contained a serving the same size as ours."

"There have to be around a thousand plates on that table! No human could ever eat that!"

"Indeed, no human could ever eat that."

That's when I remember what Darwin once told me. We were all once like you. Are all of them monsters too?

"You only realized that now? Did you really take us for humans this whole time? You sure are a silly guy."

Navi seems to enjoy reading my thoughts. But I truly hadn't thought of them as monsters. Truthfully I am still having trouble thinking of myself as a monster.

"So, what kind of monsters are you?"

"We won't tell you yet but if you think it through you'll be able to guess the general species of most of us. Take it as a little challenge."

Next up is the dessert. Once again a plate is deposited before us and atop it lies a cube of ice cream the size of a human head. Yes, a cube!

"Why is it a cube? It looks like it was taken straight from the form it was made in."

"That's exactly where it comes from. What, were you expecting well-shaped spheres to make it look fancy? Only a chef who isn't confident in the taste of their food cares about the presentation."

Pata seems insulted by my question and hides in his kitchen. Being distracted I carelessly eat a spoonful of ice cream. Immediately I realize my mistake. All my other thoughts fade as the sweet vanilla flavor spreads through my mouth.

Like before my body decides that my mind isn't to be listened to and keeps furiously spooning ice cream into my mouth. There is so much ice cream that I get brain frost halfway through. By the time I finish the whole cube my brain feels like it got deep frosted and simultaneously stabbed by daggers.

"Don't worry, the pain decreases as you train your constitution. After you hit one hundred you should be completely fine."

That isn't helpful! My constitution stat is at 7 that's 93 below what you just said!

"Don't worry you will get there eventually. Here, I'll heal you so that you feel better."

Navi's fair hand touched my forehead and a warm current fought off the cold in my brain. The warmth is so comfortable... But then Navi pulls back her hand and everything is back to normal.

Lunch is officially over and everyone starts to leave. I also stand up to leave but chairman Darwin called me back.

"Guy, I have a job for you if you are open. A customer asked for someone with your specific skills."

"Is there another person who wants to learn dismantling already?"

"No, he wants a skill that is more common among humans but most of us don't have it."

"What skill do you mean?"

"Being pathetically weak..."

"How is that a skill someone wants to learn?!!"

"I never said he wanted to learn from you. He is a middle-ranked adventurer and wants to acquire and train all the enhancement skills. And for that, he wants a training partner who is specifically weaker than him so that he feels motivated. The job pays well but you'll probably have to deal with some verbal abuse."

"How much?"

When chairman Darwin tells me the sum I immediately accept. That's good money you know! And all I have to do is let someone tell me I'm weak. I'm so in.

"I'm glad you accepted. I really wouldn't know how to deal with that guy if you declined. If you're lucky you may even get a free advanced training out of this."

"By the way, what's the difference between standard and advanced training?"

"Advanced training encompasses direct guidance to learn a skill or train it intensely. Your dismantling is one such advanced training. Also, we have advanced virtual simulations that give you real combat experience and you may even gain certain skills."

He says that and walks off probably returning to his office. I'm tempted to ask Navi for a list of skills that can be learned in advanced training right now but I should better save my once a month training for later.

I run back to the gym and change into a loose shirt and sports pants. In the gym, Edward is already waiting while impatiently tapping his foot.

"Don't I have training with a customer now?"

"Yes, but I will be supervising both your and the client's training. Try to keep up."

At that moment the doors to the gym fly open and a handsome macho dude enters the gym and swaggers towards us.

"You must be Arthur. Welcome to your first training at VR dungeons."

"Nice to meet you, trainer!"

"Hi, I'm Guy, it's a pleasure to be your training partner."

I stretch out my hand for a handshake but he just looks at me like I am some kind of lunatic.

"Why would I ever shake your hand? I don't shake hands with people weaker than me! And most certainly not people who also don't have money."

So he is that kind of guy. I can tell that this is going to be a rough afternoon. So I pull back my hand and give him a professional smile.

"Understandable. I hope I won't be too much of a bother."

"You'd better hope that! If you don't live up to my expectations I'll have you replaced!"

I'm pretty sure that what he meant to say was: if you talk back to me or do better than me I'll throw a tantrum and ask for another weakling. But fear not, I am most certainly weaker than you and I'm very good at holding in my thoughts.