Battle Practice

Don woke up to the soft hum of his dream capsule, the familiar sensation of returning to the real world settling in his bones.

"What was that?" Don felt like he had just experienced the birth of the universe itself, trying to recollect what he just felt. But he soon noticed that with each passing second, the memories of what he experienced kept on disappearing, no matter how hard he tried to focus on it, he could not remember what it was he was even thinking of. 

Blinking away the remnants of the strange vision he had just experienced, he glanced over to the adjacent capsule, where his father still lay, eyes closed and completely immersed in whatever dreamscape he was traversing. It was unusual for his father to still be in the capsule at this hour, but Don knew better than to disturb him.

Quietly, Don got up and slipped a few nutrition pills into his wallet, knowing he wouldn't have time for a proper meal before heading out for school. Today was the penultimate week before finals week—a time when the school allowed students a break to prepare for their exams. He shouldered his bag and left the apartment, heading for the train station.

As he was walking through the city, Don began to notice something different about himself. He felt stronger, almost invincible, and there was an unusual surge of energy coursing through his veins. Every step felt lighter, every breath filled his lungs with a sense of vitality he hadn't experienced before. His senses were sharper; he could hear the distant hum of traffic more clearly, and the smells of the city were more distinct. A thrill shot through him as realization dawned—he had awakened.

This was supposed to be a time for celebration for Don, he had been waiting 2 years ever since he unlocked the dream realm at 16 for this moment. But for some reason he wasn't as excited as he once thought he would be. 

As the train sped through the bustling city, Don's mind wandered back to the events of the previous night. He couldn't help but think about all the people who had died because they weren't strong enough to protect themselves or their loved ones. They were ordinary folks, people with no powerful backing or means to defend themselves against the relentless dangers of their world. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. If he hadn't been fortunate enough to have his father as his backer, maybe he wouldn't have survived either.

The train's rhythmic clatter filled the silence as Don stared out the window, his reflection merging with the blurred cityscape. He thought about those who fought not just for themselves, but to feed their families and protect the ones they loved. Why did he get to live while so many others didn't? Not only had he survived, but he'd also advanced to the awakened tier, gaining powers that others could only dream of. He couldn't find an answer to his question, so he took a deep breath and let it go, turning his attention back to the passing scenery outside.

The train ride ended, and Don made his way through the crowded halls of his school. His day was filled with back-to-back classes: math, chemistry, history, and finally, battle practice. As he walked into each classroom, his classmates couldn't help but notice the change in his aura. They quickly realized he had ranked up and congratulated him, their voices filled with a mix of admiration and envy. Some of the students with military backgrounds, aware of the mole horde that had attacked the city last night, approached him with concern.

Cuban, one of Don's friend's also with a military background approached him. 

"Hey, Don, are you alright after what happened last night?" his voice tinged with genuine worry.

Don nodded, giving them a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. It was intense, but we made it through."

In history class, the teacher went over the formation of the Five Great Clans and the Three Governments, briefly touching upon what made them so powerful and influential. The topic was fascinating, but Don found his mind drifting, still haunted by the thoughts of the lives lost and the battles fought.

Chemistry class followed, where they discussed the amplification properties of superior-level energy crystals. "When you add a superior-level energy crystal to the power source for a centralized network," the teacher explained, "it amplifies the range of the network, allowing the internet to be accessed throughout the solar system, even if you are millions of kilometers away from the center." The teacher paused, looking around the room. "Can anyone give another example of a use case for a superior-level energy crystal?"

As the lesson continued, Don tried to focus, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the mole horde and the people he had seen in his dreams. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more he needed to understand, something just out of reach.

Finally, the day ended with his battle practice class. As Don walked into the training room, he steeled himself for the grueling session ahead. Despite everything that had happened, he knew he had to keep pushing forward, to become stronger for those who couldn't. The events of the day had weighed heavily on his mind, but here, in the battle arena, he could find some semblance of clarity and purpose.

In battle practice class, the air was buzzing with excitement as the students gathered around their teacher for the debriefing. The usual practice battle simulator was set up, and today's session promised to be as challenging as ever. The AI assistant began separating the students into random teams, ensuring that each team had at least one attacker and one support.

"The terrains you will fight in will be random as well," the teacher announced, his voice echoing through the room. "This will test your adaptability and teamwork. Remember, communication and strategy are key."

Don found himself teamed up with Brad and Kye. Brad was known for his ability to send bullets made out of wind toward opponents. His wind bullets were not only powerful, but his accuracy was impressive, often hitting targets with pinpoint precision. Kye, on the other hand, was a support type with an energy dispenser ability. Despite her tier two ability, she had a remarkable amount of energy within her, nearly matching Don's energy levels, even though she was in the late-stage mortal realm and he was awakened.

Their opponents were Jordan, Ayla, and Cuban. Ayla had a third-tier strength ability and was an early-stage awakened, giving her significant physical power. Cuban was the guy from the military Don had spoken to previously; he had a sound manipulation ability, a fourth-tier ability, and was also an early-stage awakened. Throughout the battle, Cuban's ability to change air vibrations proved to be a formidable challenge. He could mimic voices, making it sound like some of Don's teammates were speaking to him, creating confusion and causing Don to make mistakes. Cuban was also surprisingly skilled in combat for a support type. Jordan rounded out the team with a speed-type ability, making him a fast and elusive opponent.

The battle simulator activated, and the terrain morphed into a dense forest. Trees and underbrush created a labyrinth of cover and concealment, forcing both teams to move carefully. Don's heart raced as he and his teammates navigated through the simulated forest, keeping their senses sharp for any sign of the enemy.

"Keep your eyes open," Brad whispered, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "They could be anywhere."

Suddenly, Don heard Kye's voice from behind him, "Behind you!"

Reacting instinctively, Don moved to the right, narrowly dodging an attack that came from his front. He turned his head back, trying to spot both Ayla and whoever was behind him. However, he only saw Ayla, who was now advancing toward him with alarming speed. Before he could figure out where the other attacker was, a sharp pain exploded in his stomach as he was punched from behind. He froze, momentarily stunned, and realized he had been deceived. Cuban had used his sound ability to mimic Kye's voice, tricking him into dodging the wrong way. As Don looked up, he saw Cuban playfully smirking at him. Then, another punch, this one much stronger, landed on his back from Ayla. The force of the blow sent him sprawling to the ground.

Disoriented and in pain, Don realized their team had been outmaneuvered. Cuban's deception and Ayla's raw strength had been too much for them to handle. The battle simulator registered their defeat, and their surroundings dissolved into the neutral gray of the practice room.

"Well, that was rough," Brad muttered, helping Don to his feet. Kye looked apologetic, clearly frustrated by how easily they had been tricked.

His first battle as an awakened was pretty disappointing to be frank.

For the rest of the period, they spectated other teams' battles. As they watched, Don couldn't help but replay their match in his mind. What could he have done differently? He knew trusting his instincts was important, but he also knew that teamwork and relying on one's allies were crucial in any battle. If he ignored his teammate's warning and it had been genuine, he would have been a fool. But if he trusted it and it wasn't truthful, as had happened today, he was left vulnerable.

Don thought about the real problem at hand and realized he was still disoriented from last night, he hadn't even used his harden ability in this battle, using his bare physical prowess to contend against 2 awakened with one of them even being a strength type was pretty stupid.