17: Test of Strength
6:24 PM
When Grey finally finished reading the book with the records on corruption, he learned a few things about it; none of them were good.
The first thing that troubled him was the scarcity of documented cases of people (Awakened) who had become corrupted. In most cases, the victims were individuals who had seen or had contact with high-level creatures.
These people were infected with a corruption seed that drove them mad and made them more beastly in a short time. After presenting the first symptoms of corruption, the victims completely lost control, and their bodies underwent grotesque mutations.
Some turned into beasts with many limbs or, as in a case involving a Saint, into a corrupted version of their transcendent transformation. The latter caused the most uproar in the world.
The Saint in question belonged to the great Night clan and is believed to have been corrupted by coming into contact with a corrupt Titan in the unexplored depths of the Storm Sea.
Unfortunately for Grey, no way of avoiding this type of corruption was known.
"At least my case seems more related to my low humanity and connection to it. But it also seems that the main cause is my flaw, and to avoid losing control, I'll have to 'hold on' to the true self. I still don't fully understand what the spell means..."
He raised his right hand and checked the time on his communicator; he had missed the start of his wilderness survival class.
"I think I can still make it to the combat class; it should start at seven. Maybe I can make a friend and expand my connection with others, which could help stabilize my soul."
...
The academy halls were not very crowded at this hour; many were already in the classes they had decided to take, and others were resting in their dormitories. Grey walked toward the combat class, guided by the GPS on his communicator. There wasn't much time left before it began.
He reached the entrance of the combat hall at 6:58 PM, so he still had time to attend the class and not miss the opportunity to meet other sleepers.
The combat hall was very spacious, with several tatamis (combat mats) in different zones and some rings for fighters of various martial arts.
All the sleepers were gathered in front of an instructor, waiting for the class to begin. Upon seeing him enter, the instructor observed him with curiosity for a moment before signaling him to join the others.
Obeying the instructor, Grey positioned himself at the back while many watched him with looks of surprise, amazement, and perhaps a bit of admiration.
Grey had no idea why.
Today they were going to assess the general skills and training of the sleepers. Then they would be assigned classes based on their preferred weapon, and some would even receive a personal tutor. They would also be divided into three levels based on their training: novice, advanced, and expert.
At that moment, the sleepers were taking turns hitting a machine that would measure their strength level and register the result as a number according to the power of the blow.
The average for the sleepers was between ten and fourteen points; some with combat-oriented aspects and physical enhancement achieved fifteen or sixteen points.
While Grey watched everyone step forward and strike the machine, he noticed a familiar person among them.
It was the girl he had seen at the academy entrance, the one who gave him a strange sense of kinship and made him feel they were very similar.
Not just in appearance, since they both had silver eyes and very fair skin, but for something deeper and more fundamental; a kinship that seemed to come from a relationship similar to that of the same species.
She stepped forward and slowly approached the machine, her slender figure catching the attention of several boys in the hall. When she stood in front of the machine, Grey carefully observed her every move.
She adjusted her stance slightly, flexing her long legs and stretching her right arm back to the middle of her chest. A moment later, she threw a quick and precise punch that struck the machine.
She looked at the result with indifference and turned to the other sleepers as she walked away with a calm step. Her face remained expressionless, as if nothing happening around her mattered to her.
The result: 17
"That... for some reason, I expected a higher score."
The next to step up and hit the machine was a straight and dignified-looking boy. As soon as he stood in front of the machine, his figure became a blur, and he appeared with his fist connected to the machine.
A few seconds later, the machine showed the result, and the boy bowed slightly before stepping back while everyone watched him with admiration and respect for his score.
21.
"That guy... he's strong. I could barely see his silhouette when he went to hit the machine. Does he have some ability that gives him a big physical boost?"
It was Grey's turn to hit the machine.
He walked at a measured pace toward the stage and stood in front of the machine.
The white-haired girl watched him with concealed curiosity as she analyzed the young man. To her surprise, the boy adopted a familiar pose.
He tilted his body slightly while bending his legs, perfectly imitating the girl's stance. He threw a punch so fast it became almost invisible to the others, except for the instructor, who showed an expression of surprise at the impact. The machine moved slightly after the blow and took several seconds to display the result.
Meanwhile, she noticed a small but revealing detail: the boy's hands had become slightly thicker, and his nails sharper. His dark forearms grew a bit blacker while his aura subtly changed. Although she didn't know exactly what he had done, she understood that he had used his aspect to execute that surprising blow.
Everyone was left speechless at the display. Admiring looks turned to Grey, who simply bowed and stepped back. Instructor Rock smiled.
The result: 30 points.
"Not bad. Now we'll move on to the training part and assess your general training level. I need two volunteers to start."
The white-haired girl was the first to step forward. A couple of seconds later, a tall and extremely muscular Sleeper followed her and prepared to face her.
"The rules are simple. Make your opponent's back touch the ground or throw them out of the ring. Use the skills and techniques you deem appropriate."
Grey stood in front of the other sleepers, who let him pass without saying a word.
'This will be interesting. She seems to know a lot about combat. Maybe I can learn more than a few things from her.'
The tall man attacked without wasting time. His muscles bulged, threatening to tear the soft fabric of his white dobok. He advanced like an unstoppable mountain, launching a fierce kick through the air.
A second later, he lay on the ground with a stupefied look on his face. She didn't even change her stance.
Instructor Rock looked at her with approval and smiled.
"Next."
What followed could only be described as a massacre. One after another, she managed to defeat almost all the Sleepers present in the dojo. Although she didn't seem faster or stronger than them, every time someone entered the ring to fight her, they inevitably ended up on the ground.
Grey's eyes shone as he watched the girl's silhouette crush all her opponents effortlessly, fascinated by her technique and fighting style.
'She, she's incredible... I have to fight her. I can see her technique firsthand and learn it.'
She moved with the serene precision of a battle machine. Her technique was clean, elegant, and ruthless. No matter what kind of attack was thrown at her, she could anticipate or react instantly, deflecting it and using it against the attacker with minimal effort.
Finally, the last ones in the dojo were himself and the boy who had scored 21 points. Before he could enter the ring, Grey made a quick leap and positioned himself a few meters in front of the girl.
The other boy, visibly annoyed, stepped back and glared at Grey with irritation. Grey didn't care; he just wanted to fight her as soon as possible.
They looked into each other's eyes for a moment; he smiled while she remained indifferent. An air of excitement floated in the atmosphere as Grey's body tensed, eager for the fight.
...
In a corner of the dojo, a solitary shadow watched everything unfold.