Chapter 36 — Mad Man

"Alright, that’s enough for today. After this class, you have Body Training.

You all should head towards the gymnasium.

Also, you can now access the Library from your hologram watch.

You can choose any skills you like based on your rankings.

But you will have to train them on your own. There will be no Professors assigned to guide you."

After saying that, Seraphina wasted no time and walked out of the classroom without even turning back, as if she had already lost interest in whether they understood her words or not.

****

Damian and all the students of Section A gathered inside the gymnasium, waiting for the Professor assigned for body training to arrive.

The place was massive, easily big enough to hold multiple combat simulations at once, and at the center stood a reinforced chamber made of dark alloy and transparent panels – the Gravity Room.

Even standing outside it, Damian could feel a faint oppressive pressure leaking from it, like a sleeping beast waiting to be unleashed.

"Nice badge. Congratulations on joining the council~"

Adrian suddenly appeared from behind and started talking casually, as if they were long-time friends.

"... Thanks."

"You know, you don’t really have to attend classes like this if you don’t want to.

High ranking students can request individual training sessions with professors. My sister does that all the time.

One of the reasons it is allowed is because her rank is higher than almost her entire class, so it makes more sense for her to receive specialized training instead of wasting time in general sessions."

"... Really?"

Damian was genuinely surprised.

He already felt that group classes slowed him down, forcing him to match the pace of others instead of pushing his limits.

So hearing this felt like someone had suddenly removed invisible chains from him.

"Yeah. Just talk to Professor Seraphina. She’ll handle the arrangements."

"Thanks for telling me this, Adrian."

"Don’t mention it."

Before the conversation could continue, a tall, bald man wearing a tight gym suit walked into the gymnasium.

His presence was heavy and grounded like a mountain that had been hammered into human shape.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I am Professor Nathan Brock. I will be responsible for training your bodies."

His deep voice echoed across the gym.

"As you all know, the stronger your body becomes, the more Aura it can handle without breaking apart from internal strain."

His eyes swept across them.

"So I won’t waste time by talking. All of you enter the Gravity Room."

The entire class moved inside.

The moment the doors sealed shut, Damian felt the difference.

Even normal gravity felt heavier inside the reinforced chamber.

"Now listen carefully," Nathan spoke, his voice coming through the internal speakers.

"I want all of you to start running laps. I will gradually increase the gravity.

Try to last as long as possible. The longer you hold on while circulating Aura through your body, the more refined and durable your body becomes."

He paused.

"The entire purpose of this is simple. We squeeze out the hidden potential buried inside you. This is only possible for a single time.

Pain is simply the body adjusting to becoming something stronger. Try to hold on as long as possible to gain more benefits."

A slow, cruel smile spread across his face.

"So let’s begin."

****

They started running as soon as the professor ordered.

At first, it felt normal.

Then gravity doubled.

Two times gravity pressed down like invisible hands trying to push them into the floor.

But Section A students were elites. None of them struggled much at this level.

But fifteen minutes later... gravity jumped four times.

The change was instant and brutal.

Several students collapsed immediately, knees smashing into the floor, palms slamming down as they struggled just to breathe.

"Argh–!"

"I can’t–!"

"This bastard increased the gravity too fast!"

"That baldy has been smiling since we started running!"

"He’s definitely a sadist!"

Most students here were already F- rank Awakened.

Some like Michael had already touched F rank.

But even then, four times gravity felt like running while carrying a mountain on their backs.

Damian didn’t spare anyone a glance as he ran steadily in a controlled manner.

His Aura circulated through every muscle fiber, reinforcing them, repairing micro tears instantly, preventing energy leakage.

Inside his body, destruction and healing were happening simultaneously.

And it felt... incredible.

’This is what I was missing...

This kind of pressure... This kind of training...

I can feel my attributes rising...’

Thirty minutes passed by and almost everyone had collapsed by now.

Some were lying flat, some were kneeling, some were even vomiting from internal pressure.

But Damian kept running without slowing down.

Running like a machine built for endurance.

The whole class stared at him like they were looking at something not human.

Michael clenched his fists as he kept on watching without saying anything.

’Is the gap really this big...?’

Leonard gritted his teeth.

’Tsk... what a freak...’

Even Adrian clicked his tongue softly, admiration clear in his eyes.

The Nobles watched silently while the Commoners watched with complicated emotions.

Because Damian was proof... Proof that someone from their side could stand above everyone else.

Nathan’s grin widened slowly.

’Heh... what a nice surprise...

Let’s see where your limit really is...’

Gravity jumped to eight times under his control

Damian’s legs nearly gave out instantly as his vision blurred.

His bones screamed but he forced his muscles to stabilize.

Forced his breathing to regulate.

Forced his Aura to reinforce his entire body.

Then... He started running again.

Slower... But he still kept running.

Inside his body, Aura flooded like a raging river, repairing torn muscle fibers, reinforcing bone density, and stabilizing internal bleeding.

’I can feel it...

I’m about to break through...

Just a little more...’

Sweat soaked his clothes.

His muscles trembled violently and his vision flickered.

Then finally...

"COME ON!!!"

BOOM.

A dull internal explosion echoed through his body.

His Aura surged outward violently for a split second and his entire body started healing faster than before.

He had broken through to E Rank!

"Increase the gravity..." Damian lifted his head to stare at Professor Nathan with eyes burning with hunger.

Nathan had stopped smiling for a long time.

’This freak... where did this monster come from?’

He was stupefied to see this crimson haired boy, who just entered the academy, breaking through to E rank so early.

"As you wish."

Gravity rose.

10x.

12x.

14x.

Damian still kept running. His skin was tearing from many places as blood had already ruined his clothes.

Blood was also leaking from eyes, nose, ears.

But his face... held a big smile.

Two hours passed by silently as only his grunts and footsteps echoed.

When gravity hit eighteen times, Nathan cut everything instantly as gravity returned to normal.

But Damian...Kept running with a smile on face.

Silence filled the room as no one spoke.

Even Leonard felt cold crawling down his spine.

"... What are you all staring at?" Nathan finally said. "Someone help the boy. He fainted a while ago. He’s running purely on will now."

Michael froze after hearing Professor Nathan say that.

But then he looked again closely.

Indeed... Damian’s eyes were closed.

His body really was moving on instinct alone.

"... I’ll take him to the clinic."

Lysa stepped forward.

"Let us help," Ronan said.

Edrin nodded silently.

They lifted him and placed him on Ronan’s back as they rushed towards the medical wing.