CHAPTER 92: SETTING A GOAL

Continuing the tour, Michael took Nash to the training field.

Past the empty field, various training courses were scattered about, with massive steel balls embedded into the ground.

"What are those?"

"Gravity control balls. As long as they’re placed at regular intervals, they can manipulate the field’s gravity up to thirty times."

"Oh? This is more advanced than a gravity chamber."

Gravity chambers were barely the size of a small room and could only push gravity up to three times.

Compared to these gravity control balls, which could affect an entire field at much higher intensity, the ones they’d used before were garbage.

"Of course, the cost of these machines isn’t small either..." Michael sighed.

All the advanced training equipment sent to them was great, but it was too expensive to operate regularly.

"Don’t worry about that. Didn’t Camilla just send you a hundred thousand void crystals? Add the ten thousand I send you every week, and you shouldn’t be short on funds."

"I just feel bad wasting so many void crystals."

"You shouldn’t worry about that. What you should focus on is helping yourself and your students grow stronger."

"I understand... I’m sorry," Michael said, unable to shake off his old habits.

Previously, even with the backing of the Earth Alliance Government, the elite training program he managed only received ten thousand void crystals per year.

He had gotten used to splitting a single crystal in two, that he was having hard time adjusting suddenly having such an abundant resources.

"Hmm? This won’t do. Even you, the teacher, need some tempering!" Nash shook his head at Michael’s defeated expression.

With a mindset like this, forget placing in the Nova Competition, they wouldn’t even pass the first round.

"I’m sorry, Chancellor..."

"Sorry? Is that all you know how to say? Go call your students—I’m setting your goal for this month!" Nash snapped, pushing Michael forward.

No wonder they’d fallen into such a sorry state. Oppressed for so long, Michael had lost the fire of a true warrior.

Even if he had solid combat skills, without decisiveness, he’d crumble the moment things spun out of control.

"Looks like I need to train these guys myself..."

---

Soon, under Michael’s urging, he and his students gathered in the training field.

"Chancellor Nash, I’ve brought all of them."

Nash nodded but didn’t speak. His eyes swept over the thirty-six students standing in sweat and mud.

From ages seven to fifteen, their eyes burned with fighting spirit as if carrying the fire and hopes of their fellow Earthlings.

"Not bad. Looks like you haven’t lost your heart after all."

Maybe because of their age and unique environment, they hadn’t been broken by the Arlean Civilization’s oppression. If anything, it seemed to fuel their drive.

Especially Leo. Those blazing eyes, full of fearless defiance, burning with a fire that couldn’t be extinguished.

Nash estimated that with a little training, this little kid would be a spark of fire that could burn down the world.

"Michael, look at your students. How can you be weaker than them?"

Hearing Nash’s scolding, Michael turned toward his students.

As their eyes met, it felt like he was struck by lightning.

Looking at those fiery eyes that believed they could achieve anything, Michael felt a pang of shame.

How could he, their teacher, be so defeated while his students were burning with determination?

Since the fall of the Earth Alliance Government, even with Nash backing him, something inside Michael had already accepted defeat.

Deep down, he didn’t believe he could do anything except wait for a savior.

"Alright, enough moping around. Stand up straight! I’m giving you your goal for this month!"

"Yes, Chancellor Nash!"

"From this day forward, forget everything else. Focus solely on reaching 30% saturation rate! I don’t care what it takes—you must reach this goal!"

"We will!"

The students responded firmly, their expressions like soldiers ready to march to war.

Most had only just become official Void Warriors at 10% saturation rate.

Raising that to 30% in a single month? Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible.

But facing Nash, none of them doubted they couldn’t do it.

"Good! You don’t need to worry about how. Among the supplies we received is a training potion that allows your body to keep absorbing void energy."

"Though it’ll be painful, it would let you train as long as you wanted!"

Normally, a Void Warrior could only absorb so much void energy before their body started breaking down genetically.

This natural limit was one of the biggest barriers to progress.

However, with the void training potion, this ceiling could be easily mitigated, allowing a person to train continuously without major repercussions.

With it, as long as they held on, reaching 30% saturation in one month was entirely possible.

"As for you...You won’t be helping them for now." Nash said, turning to Michael.

"Then what should I do, Chancellor Nash?" Michael asked with a sigh, still visibly shaken.

"Hmph. You’ll go to the Nova Physical Center and take the Dark Void Warrior Trial."

"The Dark Void Warrior Trial? Is it to enter the Dark Plane?"

"That’s right. In one month, you must do whatever it takes to become a 3-star Void Warrior."

"That’s impossible. I’m only at 83% saturation..." Michael shook his head, not thinking he could pass the trial.

As an instructor, he still knew something about the Dark Void Warrior trial.

To pass the 3-star trial, one had to be at least a peak-level Void Warrior with exceptional combat skill.

It was a challenge too far above his current level that passing was impossible.

"I don’t care what you do. I’ll give you enough void crystals to take the trial as many as it takes," Nash said coldly.

How could the instructor leading the Earth’s fire and hope be so weak?

If Michael couldn’t even overcome this hurdle, Nash might as well replace him.

"I—I..."

"No more excuses. I won’t change my mind. You must become a 3-star Void Warrior. End of discussion."

Since Michael was selected to be the lead instructor of the elite program, he shouldn’t be ordinary.

"Go now. Start your training. I’ll have Hector assist you. If you have questions, ask me tomorrow."