Shaping a Vessel
Zain was on a strict diet to help him build his body while enduring the intense exercises Kara had enthusiastically assigned him. She had also given him a comms device—short for communication-grade devices—commonly used by the military and rankers, as cyber screens couldn't function in certain parts of the world. Kara sent him the list of exercises and connected a tracker to monitor his progress as she observed from a distance.
ZAIN'S DAILY TASKS:
[0/50] Running laps
[0/1000] Push-ups
[0/300 mins] Meditating
[0/1000] Sit-ups
[0/100 mins] Plank stretch
[0/2000] Squats
[0/1000] Crunches
"This is just the starter pack considering how weak your body is! We'll need a bigger field, especially since the military base is 20 km in circumference. Such a shame," Kara said with a vicious grin. "Anyway, get moving! Oh, and if you fail to meet the quota, the penalty will be facing me in battle."
"Understood, ma'am."
Zain began running, following the wire fence of the military base. He wore a military-issued tracksuit, but only a vest covered his scrawny frame. His ribs were painfully visible, revealing just how malnourished he was.
"Shit! This woman's going to kill me... I just need to somehow reach those goals," Zain thought bitterly.
Thanks to the mysterious rain that subtly altered human anatomy a century ago, humans had become more resilient. For Zain, his body's endurance was further enhanced by the monstrogen alleles in his blood—introduced by the liquid he had been submerged in during his enhancement process. This meant he could push his limits far beyond those of most evolved humans. Yet Kara, an S-rank powerhouse, was fully aware of Zain's potential and had designed a regimen to push him to his absolute edge.
Zain kept running, maintaining the strict pace Kara had instructed. He couldn't run thoughtlessly—he had to alternate between sprinting and jogging depending on her mood. By the time he finished the laps, his breath came in heavy, ragged gasps.
He crouched on the ground, clutching his chest as his heart hammered painfully.
"Damn it, this hurts... How long do I have to keep this up? Is this really the price of living my dream life? I can't even think straight…"
Kara walked up to him, her grin as sharp as ever.
"Get up, recruit! Your daily training isn't over yet."
She pulled up his schedule again.
ZAIN'S DAILY TASKS:
[50/50] Running laps
[0/1000] Push-ups
[0/300 mins] Meditating
[0/1000] Sit-ups
[0/100 mins] Plank stretch
[0/2000] Squats
[0/1000] Crunches
"See this, Zain? You've only completed the laps. There's still plenty more to do."
A week had passed since Zain started this grueling regimen, and the strain on his body was immense. His muscles tore at an accelerated rate, but thanks to his high regeneration ability, they healed just as quickly. As a result, his previously scrawny body had already begun showing signs of definition.
Kara observed Zain closely as he worked through his push-ups.
"You know, Zain, it's only been a week, but I can already see some improvement in that thin frame of yours. We should tweak your meal plan a bit," she said casually.
Zain didn't reply, afraid to lose count of his push-ups, so he muttered a quick "Okay" before focusing back on his task. Kara had a habit of trying to distract him, and if he lost count, she made him start over. To avoid her trap, Zain channeled all his irritation into completing the exercises.
Rankers typically managed 300 push-ups in one go, depending on their rank, thanks to their enhanced physical bodies. However, even with their superior strength, stamina, reflexes, and senses, rankers had limits. These limits could only be broken by ascending to a new rank, which often granted them a new ability—provided they consumed the right monster blood formula.
Through extensive research, the Academy had discovered that consuming raw monster blood was hazardous. To solve this, they developed monstron fluid, a refined version of monster blood. The production process was split among scavengers, the Academy, and the clans to ensure equitable distribution of power, solidified by a binding agreement.
However, Zain's case was unique. The monstrogen alleles in his blood flowed freely, granting him raw potential far beyond most rankers. Yet, this power came with its own risks—if Zain's body remained weak, it could jeopardize his survival in battle. Kara knew this all too well, and that's why she was relentless.