Saturday came to an end.

After spending their first weekend day in Nexus Academy since lectures started, the freshers all agreed on one thing.

Nexus Academy was a stressful crucible, but every single one of them preferred weekend than weekdays.

There was more leeway, more freedom, and the elective classes didn't feel as rigid as the core course classes taken by Professors.

In a way, it was also more exciting.

…

Sunday…

The weekend sun poured over Nexus Academy, but the training halls were anything but quiet. Freshers streamed toward their chosen electives, buzzing with chatter, confident laughter, and the low thrum of mana-infused machinery.

By the end of their first week here, all the freshers already knew the in and out of the Academy, at least among the fresher blocks.

Every single one of them walked and navigated with the confidence of someone who knew what they were doing and knew where they were going.

Kairo followed the flow of students until they reached a massive dome of silver and crystal, the Virtual Reality Training Hall.

His first elective course was Virtual Reality Training.

In the comic books written about Awakened Academies, Nexus Academy especially, if there was one cliché that kept on repeating book after book, it was the presence of the Virtual Reality Training Hall.

Kairo had read so much about it in the comics that it wasn't a coincidence that he choose it as his first elective.

He already saw himself in the Virtual Reality Training Hall long before he even entered the Academy, and long before he even hit 16.

The structure itself hummed with energy, veins of blue mana pulsing across its surface like the heartbeat of some mechanical giant.

Inside, it was even more surreal.

Rows upon rows of sleek, coffin-like pods lined the circular hall, each glowing faintly with soft, arcane light. The scent of ozone tingled in the air. Above them, a holographic screen projected scrolling instructions.

["Welcome to Virtual Reality Training. Please select your simulation."]

["Warning: 70% realism engaged. Pain and fatigue will be simulated. No permanent damage will carry over."]

Nobles strutted past without hesitation. Some even snickered.

"I used to spar knights in this when I was ten".

"Father had me running siege simulations before my Awakening."

Kairo felt their eyes brush over him, dismissive and mocking. This time, he truly ignored them though his chest tightened.

Beside him, Mira frowned. "Don't listen. Let's just… do it."

Kairo stared at the pods.

Well, unlike the comic books, in reality, they reminded him too much of coffins. That was just too much like a slumrat's worst nightmare; sealed, helpless, and trapped. His gut screamed no, but then he clenched his jaw.

'If this is what they've had since childhood, then I'm already years behind'.

'And if I stay behind, I'll never catch up'.

That was all he needed to convince his instinctive fear of coffins.

He stepped into the pod and the lid closed shut with a hiss as darkness swallowed him.

Light exploded and Kairo regained consciousness.

Kairo stood in a dense forest at night.

The air was humid, moonlight slicing through twisted branches. His skin prickled; he could feel the damp soil beneath his bare feet. He could also hear the distant caw of ravens, and the smell the rot of wet leaves.

["Simulation Initiated: Opponent – Goblin Raider (F Rank)."]

A guttural snarl split the silence and yellow eyes gleamed in the brush… A goblin, teeth jagged with a rusted cleaver in hand.

It didn't hesitate, it charged.

As soon as the Goblin charged, Kairo's muscles tightened instinctively. He dodged, barely, the blade grazing his shoulder. Pain flared; it was not real, but real enough that his nerves screamed.

"Shit…!" He cursed.

He didn't even get the chance to admire the scenery before the bastard attacked.

He grabbed the first thing his hand found, a rock and without hesitation smashed it into the goblin's temple. He didn't stop at once, he smashed it again as blood sprayed, warm and sticky.

The goblin crumpled with a hiss.

Kairo staggered back, chest heaving. 'Damn, even fake blood smells real…'

The AI's voice chimed.

["Opponent defeated. Growth Index: +1%."]

But Kairo wasn't satisfied.

"Two goblins," he muttered. He decided to raise the stakes.

The simulation shimmered, and now two snarling figures lunged at him from opposite flanks.

Noting their strategy, Kairo fought dirty.

With a brutal kick to one's knee, then an elbow to the jaw, he set the tempo, taking the initiative from them even as he ducked a cleaver swing by sheer instinct.

Fighting two at once, he bled, bruised, and nearly fell, but he eventually ripped a blade from one goblin's grip and drove it into the other's throat.

[Victory!]

Pain seared his ribs where a cut ran deep, hot like fire. His hands trembled.

Still, he growled. "Bigger!"

The A.I obliged.

The forest shook, the ground quaked and from the shadows stepped out a hulking Orc warrior, tusks gleaming, muscles rippling, carrying an axe longer than Kairo's body.

["Warning: Difficulty spike exceeds trainee level. Proceed with caution."]

"I said bigger".

The Orc roared, swinging the axe down with terrifying speed. Kairo rolled aside, dirt blasting into his eyes as adrenaline flooded his body.

His lungs burned, body screaming.

The axe missed by inches, leaving a crater in its wake.

BA-DUMP!

Kairo felt his heart pounding against his chest.

He fought like a cornered beast, dodging, weaving, and darting in with reckless punches and kicks that barely fazed the monster. Each blow from the Orc rattled his bones as pain surged like fire down his nerves.

When the axe slammed into his shoulder, he collapsed, vision swimming.

He gasped. 'I can't… No. I won't die here, not even fake death!'

Desperation boiled over as his muscles bulged unnaturally, veins writhing under his skin, then…

[Muscle Lock activated!]

[Hypermuscle Creation engaged!]

With a guttural roar, Kairo grabbed the Orc's descending wrist, veins tearing, joints screaming, and then he heaved.

"Hah!

With a grunt, he twisted the Orc's own momentum, toppling the giant. Before it could rise, he grabbed the rusted blade from earlier and jammed it into the Orc's throat, again and again, until its body dissolved into light.

Silence followed.

Then, the pod hissed open.

Kairo stumbled out, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving like bellows. His body felt like it had truly been broken, his nerves still buzzing with phantom pain.

Nobles snickered. "He couldn't even last half an hour".

Mira stood there, wide-eyed, staring at him. She opened and closed her mouth, like she wanted to say something but then hesitated.

Kairo wiped away the blood and sweat, real sweat, but fake blood from his brow. Despite his trembling legs, a smile tugged his lips.

"This thing…" he muttered, almost to himself. "I'm going to use it every chance I get!"

"I love it!"

The AI's final note chimed in his head.

[Simulation Complete. Growth Index: +5%.]

Kairo clenched his fists, exhilaration burning away the exhaustion.