Awakening: I Ascend Alone-Chapter 26: Physical Conditioning

With the help of the map, navigating the academy compound didn’t pose much problem to Melvin. Just like Aurex had shown him, the training ground of the academy was located far into the inner section of the eastern part of the academy.

As he moved, he noticed that the only building which seemed to be given preferential treatment in this wing was the research building. Several other buildings he passed were built on gray bricks, most looking old while only a few were either getting renovated or had just been completed.

Before long, he arrived at his destination – a vast structure, its architecture divided into six distinct sections.

Melvin could already surmise that the sections were made to entertain the various stages of awakeners. But, he doubted if some of these sections were used. If anything, he can tell that the fifth and sixth sections had remained dormant since the beginning of this adventure or whatever.

Passing through a set of doors, Melvin finally entered the training ground meant to nurture first timers like him. After crossing another threshold, he stepped into a brightly lit room.

At the center of the room was a long table, and behind the table a man sat with composed posture. In front of the table, three chairs were tucked under, waiting for its guests.

"Good morning, Sir," Melvin greeted, his gaze drifting to the pile of books placed on the left side of the table.

Confusion drenched him for a bit. It was not like he didn’t expect to see some staff in section, it was just that they all looked like they were all busy... with stuffs he couldn’t tell.

And that was not the only troubling thing in his mind.

It was the fact that the staffs he had come across so far all looked to be within his age range. Selene had looked like she was either his age mate or a year older.

Now, he had to meet another of their kind.

"Good morning, Master Melvin. Is anything the problem?" the young man with a short, rugged brown hair and steady blue eyes asked with a gentle smile, gesturing for Melvin to take a seat.

Melvin settled in the chair in silence, and looked over to the attendant. He discerned him for a bit, and found a badge on the chest of the staff uniform he wore with his name on it.

With his fingers interlocked and resting them calmly on the table surface before him, he said with a smile.

"Sir Drake, I must have become popular not only among Climbers but staffs as well."

The brown-haired young man didn’t pay Melvin the attention he needed. Instead, he smiled once again and asked what he needed.

"I see there’s no problem. Then, how may I assist you?"

"I’m here to officially register so that I can start making use of the facilities here," Melvin said without preamble, keeping the focus-flow Drake had initiated.

Drake’s gaze flickered to Melvin for the briefest moment, then slowly went down as he scanned the boy.

"As odd as per say," he began, his tone polite despite his words, "unfortunately, we... sorry, you cannot be allowed activities in the training ground unless supervised by a specified Instructor."

Melvin shook his head slowly, then pulled out a small pamphlet from the face pocket of his suit, flipped to a certain page and read:

"Learners can be allowed to practice and rehearse their skills as much as they wish. Only as far as it doesn’t violate the academy activity limit."

Then, closing the pamphlet and returning it to where he brought it out from, added.

"I don’t see where it is stated that supervision is paramount to participation. I’m not here to learn, I want to practice and rehearse my skills."

Drake stared at him for a while and then chuckled.

"I’m sorry to disappoint you, Melvin, but that hasn’t been applied for a long while now. The demand requires you to have a supervising staff... unless in some case, where there are special cases," the attendant explained.

Melvin thought for a while, looking for a way to convince this young man seated before him. Of course, with mere words written on books, he couldn’t convince someone deemed with authority. After all, authority controllers no longer acted on purpose but on personal preferences.

’How have they been ignoring what is written and stamped at that?!’

It really hit Melvin at the wrong moment. He hadn’t wished to be supervised as that might popularize his capability.

Not that he wished to hide them, but not before people who are yet gain his trust yet. He had seen people who got betrayed, and got taken down because their full power was a common knowledge in early phases.

"Well, I’m a special case," Melvin began after much thought. "I wouldn’t be here to exhaust my strength if it wasn’t based on recommendation."

"Huh?"

"Yes. I’m very sure you’ve heard about how weird an awakener I am, hence I wasn’t able to meet my fellows and join them while I can. The principal even left me with a permission note," Melvin said, slipping his hand into the pockets of his fabric as if he wanted to retrieve the notes.

Feigning a disappointed expression on his face, "I must have forgotten the notes in my room. You can contact the principal to identify with him."

***

Melvin was soon led through a passageway, until they approached an open and expansively structured building, where the main deals take place.

The training facility was enormous. A circular arena dominated the center of the structure, its stone floor carved with glowing runes meant to absorb the force of battle. Surrounding it were specialized halls.

Drake had to take his time to explain each halls to him, leading him through the weapon range hall to the conditioning chambers, and finally the sealed rooms meant for affinity training.

Having made sure Melvin understood which training hall would be beneficial to him, Drake left him in the middle of the structure where the next decisions would now be left for him to make.

Melvin exhaled after the attendant had left.

"That was close."

He had lied with the principal’s name, hoping that Drake would see reasons with him and approve of his entrance without involving the young, old man. Unfortunately for him, Drake was the kind of man who like to make sure every situation was treated in awkward honesty.

Luckily for him, the principal had played on with his game.

"I’ll thank him for that help later," Melvin muttered and refocused his mind.

As someone that had faced battles and different fighting styles in a past-based future, he thought his experience was going to play an important role in choosing the best training suitable for his weapon.

Unlike swords or spears, a whip relies heavily on precision, timing, flexibility and control of momentum. Although, sword was considered the universal battle weapon, his own kind was one of the most difficult weapons to master.

Hence, relying on the skills he had as a sword wielder in his former world was more or less going to place him on the barest disadvantage. He could tell since that had been what left him with torn skin in the Opening Bastion.

For a character like Melvin to use the whip effectively, several types of physical conditioning are essential. In that way, he would not only have a different battle style, but also a unique one that can make him invincible.

In this situation, Melvin didn’t need to visit the weapon hall since he planned to use a real weapon for his training. In same way, he wouldn’t be making use of affinity training hall. He would need to expend some fragments even if he wished to.

’Damn that limit.’

That left him with the conditioning chambers.

Turning his back, Melvin walked to the door concealing the inside of the chamber and his hands hovered hesitantly over the knob.

Eventually, he twisted the door knob and pushed the tall, wooden frame inwards. As his eyes scanned the hall, they widened at the same time.

Not at the equipment waiting for him inside the hall... but, at the figure sitting innocently on a bench by the corner.

There, an ash-brown haired girl was currently, quietly munching some snacks.