CHAPTER 535: UNDER PRESSURE

A monster on the left. Another on the right.

And if anyone dared to look a little further, there were more inside the simulation chamber.

In short, maso—ehem, monsters everywhere.

And in the middle of them stood a tiny mophead, wide-eyed and trembling, who could not, for the life of him, understand why anyone would subject themselves to this willingly.

And if they did, he’d like to know why he had to come with them!

Master Quinn originally volunteered to be the 50th member of the next batch. He was ready, prepared, already stretching his back and muttering warrior chants.

But then Luca said, very gently, that it might not be advisable for now.

Because apparently, based on D-29’s projections, the simulation might not be good for his joints.

"Just for now, Master," Luca said kindly, "we’ll experiment with safety thresholds first."

And so the elder was left as the proctor in Luca’s place.

But what about Ollie?

Brittle bones (allegedly), bad back (untested), weak waist (not today), stick legs, and twig arms. He was pretty sure everything was bad (not)!

He was practically all cheeks that jiggled!

Soft.

Cute.

And definitely not built for war.

And he was pretty sure dashing good looks wouldn’t impress the simulation chamber!

But surprisingly, when the wide-eyed mop attempted to appeal to his brother’s heart and love for him, what he got was a tantalizing offer he couldn’t easily reject.

"Brother, I was hoping to test your limits because I’m working on a surprise for you."

It was like a magic word.

And Ollie’s ears perked up at the mention of this "surprise."

"A surprise, brother?"

Luca nodded. Sincerely. Earnestly. Like a fairy godbrother.

"And you’re saying you need to know about my spiritual ability?"

Another serious nod.

And that was all it took to cement his feet to the ground.

He had so many doubts in his heart, but beside him stood his well-practiced handler, who knew that the little hoarder wouldn’t be able to resist.

So in a comforting voice, Kyle said, "Ollie. You’ll need to concentrate on making a stable barrier."

"Huh?"

"Try experimenting with positions while the multiplier is still on its lowest. If it’s too much, you can try Corporal Anya’s method."

Ollie looked towards him with trembling eyes and asked, "Do you think I’ll make it to at least 10 minutes?"

"I’m sure you’ll last longer than that. For every ten minutes you last, I’ll try to learn a new dish for you. So you’ll have more things to eat."

"!!!"

"Really?!"

"Yes, so just do your best."

So armed with a desire for food and a probable surprise, the little star gave it a try.

And it was one example of how hindsight is 20/20.

[COMMENCING SIMULATION]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[BEGIN]

BEEP!

For when he felt a boulder land on his back, the little blonde immediately folded like a sandwich.

OOF!

What gifts?! He doesn’t need gifts!

He’d even go on a diet!!!

Waaaaah!

He attempted to flail.

Then wailed.

But it was too late.

There were groans and grunts.

And someone probably coughed like their soul had left their body.

Ollie looked on with horror.

The simulation had only just begun.

’If this is only the first leg,’ Ollie thought as a single tear rolled down his cheek, ’then what kind of planet will I carry next?’

Queen Lulu and friends.

And maybe their future and imaginary kids.

It felt that bad.

And the determined Ollie decided that survival was more important than pride. So he copied Anya.

But instead of sitting normally, he curled into the smallest half-sphere he could make.

He was not used to this.

He could use tools. Make bombs. Fix delicate circuits. Shape shielding modules with precision.

But this?

This was like trying to blow air into a balloon while holding your breath.

He was already shaking.

Then, against all logic, he made the mistake of looking up.

And what he saw almost ended his life then and there.

"...What."

People—no, demons—were moving.

Not twitching.

Running.

They were running. On two legs!

"!!!"

Ollie’s jaw dropped.

It started with one person.

Xavier.

When he first saw the simulation, he thought about how it’d be a good way to stress-test his abilities. Because of Sid’s sentience, coupled with the synapse reactor, he’d had a much easier time piloting the guardian mecha.

In fact, unlike the biomechas Luca was trying to build, Sid and D-29 didn’t need spiritual energy from them unless they were commanding.

So, it had been a while since he last exerted effort to pilot. And for someone who needed to continuously improve his endurance to make use of his elemental abilities, that was a giant loss. But he couldn’t exactly practice that in public for the time being.

Therefore, once the beep went off, the SS-rated Imperial Crown Prince decided to move and started marching in place, only to be surprised when a holographic prompt with a list of exercises appeared.

[Suppression Engaged. Optional Training Menu Unlocked.]

[Choose Exercise Mode? Walking | Jogging | Squats | Sprint | Core Conditioning...]

What.

He blinked.

You can choose?

So he chose the simplest one, thinking he’d work through the other options once they understood this simulation.

Instantly, the floor shifted.

It started moving. Like a treadmill.

The weight changed, too. It settled on his shoulders like a curious beast testing its grip.

Just what he was looking for.

Unbeknownst to the white-haired wolf, the viewing screen outside was already under siege. Faces were almost pressed up against it. Someone screamed. And Master Mechanic Quinn nearly choked on tea.

And all Xavier had done was walk.

Back inside, he found a rhythm.

Step. Breathe. Step. Breathe.

Simple. Clean. Quiet.

Well, simple for him. Because even before he started walking, the onlookers had already been in awe of how these monsters didn’t look one bit fazed by the sudden impact.

Was this really the same simulation?

Many asked, especially those who were in the same batch but were holding on for dear life.

Because inside the simulation chamber, a.k.a. the death trap, each testing slot was divided much like a stable, and while panels separated them, one could still see their neighbors if they leaned a little.

Just like the golden dragon, who couldn’t help but be curious about the movement beside him.

Luca, confused, blinked and asked D-29.

"Is he alright?"

D-29 chirped. "Host, the benefactor has increased the difficulty by training with the gravity field on."

"...Increased?"

"Yes, Host! He activated a feature simply by walking!"

"You can do that?" Luca asked, stunned.

"Affirmative! Would you like to activate yours as well, Host?"

"I would love to."

He grinned and gave a firm nod.

Luca had been worried.

From the moment the simulation started, he had expected to feel something. Pressure. Suppression. A weight that would test his limits.

But nothing had happened.

He had wanted to check on it, but ended up saying nothing because everyone else looked like they were going through the same simulation. And even D-29 said the test was progressing properly.

So maybe it was just him?

Maybe his section was broken.

But then he learned that there was another thing he could test, and his heart skipped in excitement.

The moment he accepted, the floor shifted beneath him.

He finally felt it!

And while it felt like carrying a backpack, it was clearly pressure!

It works. It really works!

So he walked.

Calmly.

Leisurely.

His smile was so wide it should’ve been sweet.

But to everyone else watching, it was rather sinister, especially as he matched the pace of the person next to him.

Outside the chamber, the room exploded.

Those who had managed to curtail their curiosity earlier now ran towards the screen, pressing their faces against the projection.

One candidate screamed, "What are they DOING?!"

Even Master Quinn squinted and tilted his head. "They’re still walking? With this multiplier?!"

Since he hadn’t been inside, he wasn’t sure if that was possible, but with the reactions of the candidates beside him, it didn’t look like an easy task.

The top scorer from the first batch groaned and clutched his head. "I’m dizzy just looking at them."

Was this why they didn’t react when the suppression began?

And while they could understand they the Duke didn’t even blink with his rating, just how are those two able to do all that?!

They had a lot of questions. Understandably.

Back in the simulation, Luca’s eyes sparkled. He kept a steady pace, copying Xavier’s steps.

"This is amazing," he whispered.

Meanwhile, Ollie clutched his thighs like a man hanging off a cliff.

He watched both his brother and Xavier walk under enhanced gravity like it was nothing.

Then he remembered that he was still trying to breathe.

Back outside, a first-batch candidate muttered, "Is that really the same simulation?"

"I mean, that’s the Duke right there..."

"I was dying at x3. They’re at what? Five?"

One of them, rubbing his sore back, explained with haunted eyes.

"No. It has probably ramped up by now. That’s a different kind of hell. They... they’re monsters."

Someone turned and asked, "I understand how they could stand, but is it possible to move so much?!"

Another answered, "It’s manageable to move around at the start. But the moment the gravity multiplies, your spiritual energy and focus get eaten up."

"If your focus slips even once—just once—your face WILL meet the floor."

Silence.

Then a collective shiver passed through the crowd.

Because inside, the Crown Prince had started jogging.

And Luca?

Luca picked up his pace to match.

Because what a fantastic and peaceful exercise this was!

If only a certain someone didn’t accidentally notice the change.