040 DEATH BY SIMULATION
"Yes." Greene's tone was firm, like a man stating a truth carved in stone.
"Meta abilities develop slowly, and only if you have talent. Strength, on the other hand, can be built through persistence—and with enough SynGen Genomics in your system, you can push those limits even higher, even beyond your current Meta Rank."
Damen thought about the weekly injections the school provided. SynGen Genomics had always been explained as a way to "balance" students' growth, but now he understood.
It wasn't just medicine—it was fuel for Meta Strength growth.
Damen's Strength was already near the ceiling of Rank F. But if he combined that strong base with these simulators, with real training… he had another tool he could use.
"Can I train here?" Damen asked suddenly.
Greene raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Why would a Meta High student want Strength training? Most of your kind prefer to polish their flashy skills instead of breaking their backs on weights."
"Because I want to be stronger," Damen said simply. His eyes didn't waver. "Meta or Strength—it doesn't matter. Only the result matters."
Greene studied him for a long moment, then gave a small nod. "Very well. I'll grant you a one-week pass. The trainers will analyze your progress. If you meet their standards, you'll be allowed to continue."
Damen bowed his head slightly. "Thank you, sir."
The captain smirked. "Don't thank me yet. Training here isn't free. After a week, you'll join the expeditions alongside the Military High students. That's the cost. There's no free lunch in Fortress Myrone."
"Yes, sir." Damen hesitated, then asked, "And about the dagger?"
Greene's eyes softened with amusement. "You'll be issued standard Meta weapons for expeditions. Your little blade won't cut it out there."
Damen tightened his grip on the hilt of his dagger anyway, as if unwilling to let go. "Aye, sir."
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While the other students trudged off toward the battlefield to haul Shadow Hound corpses, Damen was led instead to the training center—an exception granted personally by Captain Greene.
Lieutenant Kalmer, a lean man with scars running down his jaw, sized him up. "Have you done any Combat training before, boy?"
"Not Meta Strength-based combat training," Damen admitted, "but I've mastered most combat and self-defense techniques."
Kalmer gave a small grunt. "Ah…a self-learned…but ordinary techniques won't cut it here. However, they make a good foundation." He tilted his head. "Tell me, what do you want strengthened?"
Damen thought carefully. "I fight with a dagger. I want my thrusts to be sharper and deadlier. To strike vital points."
A flicker of approval touched Kalmer's eyes. "Good. Precision. Then the skill for you is Assassinate."
"Assassinate?" Damen asked.
"A Combat Strength skill developed for operatives and covert soldiers," Kalmer explained. "Fast, efficient, lethal and at higher expertise, it could even project its meta powers. If you can already handle a dagger, it's the perfect path."
"Project meta… like a meta skill?" Damen asked excitedly.
"It could be, but it depends on your talent. Meta power projection is much harder with Strength based skills than Meta based skills", Kalmer explained.
Before Damen could respond, Kalmer brought him into a chamber lined with chrome and glass. He handed over a small black vial containing miniaturized meta chips.
"This is a Meta-chip. Once injected, it will integrate with your nervous system. Like your Meta skills but designed for meta-Strength aptitude."
The needle stung immediately before Damen even had the chance to voice opposition. In the military training center, things move really fast… there was no time for hesitation.
Then Damen was submerged into a liquid chamber, his body shuddering as the chip dissolved into his blood stream. The sensation wasn't unlike the first time he had absorbed a Meta ability—where raw energy began rewriting his muscle memory.
When he stepped out, gasping, he asked, "So Strength skills… can be transmuted just like Metas?"
Kalmer nodded. "Exactly. And don't underestimate them. In the military, Strength skills can rival or even surpass pure Meta techniques. That's our secret."
Damen was seated on a seat where a monitor flickered to life, playing a short sequence of movements before him with hypnotic effects—there were dagger strikes, evasions, and precise thrusts into an enemy's weak points.
Damen watched the Assassinate techniques over and over until the patterns seared into his mind.
Then he graduated from the seat before he was quickly ushered into a training room. There was no time for delay in the military training center… there was always another soldier waiting on the line.
"What do I do?" Damen asked while he was in the chamber.
Then the simulator chamber hummed to life.
"Don't panic," Kalmer said. "This is only virtual. But fight like your life depends on it."
A Shadow Hound materialized before him in virtual reality, its soulfire eyes burning.
Damen lunged with the new techniques, his dagger flashing toward the hound's neck. But the beast was too fast. Its movements blurred; his thrusts missed by inches.
Fail.
Again and again he tried—every failed strike followed by the hound's simulated killing blow.
Dozens of attempts. Then hundreds. Each ending the same.
By the time the session ended, Damen collapsed to his knees, sweat soaking his training uniform. He pulled off the simulator helmet, his face pale and exhausted.
"I failed," he muttered.
Kalmer crouched beside him, his voice calm. "Nobody masters a Combat Strength skill in a single session. Come back tomorrow. You'll improve."
Damen nodded weakly, but the sting of failure stayed with him.
-----
Back at the bunker, he couldn't shake the memory of the hound's snapping jaws. He replayed every failed strike in his mind, searching for a flaw.
A hand clapped his shoulder. Damen turned to see Zairgid grinning.
"Buddy, tell me the truth. Why'd you get excused from corpse collection duty? Did you hook up with one of the lieutenant admins?"
Damen smirked. "Guess what? I was training with the military instructors."
Zairgid blinked, then burst out laughing. "You what? Captain Greene actually let you train? Why would you even want to do that? Combat training's brutal."
"You never know when real danger hits," Damen said seriously. "What if your Camouflage fails, and your shield breaks? What then? If you have nothing left but fear?" He held up his dagger. "A Strength skill could be the difference between life and death."
Zairgid's grin faltered. He thought about it.
"…You've got a point. Strength aptitude is easy enough to build, especially with GenSyn Genomics. I could max mine out in no time if I wanted….all it takes is money," His tone shifted, almost excited.
"If you're training in Combat skills, then I'm in too."
"You sure?" Damen asked. "It's hard work. Not everyone can take it."
Zairgid laughed again. "Hard work in a simulator beats carrying trash bags filled with Shadow Hound guts."
He stepped aside to make a quick call on the walls of the comms.
Damen was curious how did they managed to communicate between two worlds, but the call came through.
Zairgid's father's voice was low but approving on the other end. He was glad that his spoilt son was finally taking some initiative.
When he hung up, Zairgid slapped Damen on the back. "I'll be joining you tomorrow in Combat training. We'll suffer together."
Then he added, "Are there any female instructors?"
Damen couldn't help but smile.
For once, the weight of the day felt lighter.
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