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  We reached 40 Patreons, and as a rule, for every 10 Patreons, I release ara chapter.

  - Oliver -

  Oliver finally asked, "Alright. How do I learn?"

  "The training is quite simple," replied Katherine, deactivating her armor with a smooth movement. The liquid metal retracted as if it had a life of its own, revealing her NEA uniform. "You just deactivate aivate."

  She demonstrated by activating aivating the armor several times. With each activation, the armor assumed a different shape—lighter, heavier, with additional or reduced prote. The metal ptes moved fluidly, adapting to her iions like a scious sed skin.

  "Keep your focus stant on the shape you want to achieve," Katherine expined, her eyes fixed seriously on Oliver's. "And don't stop at any moment, even if you're close to fainting. The key is persistend mental trol."

  "Alright," said Oliver, determined.

  Beside him, Isabe watched the se with a hesitant expression. Her eyes reflected a mixture of admiration and apprehension. Oliver realized she didn't seem as enthusiastic as he erhaps she already knew how arduous that training would be.

  "Start with something small," suggested Katheriaking a few steps back to give them space. "Think about activating your armor, but without the boots loves. Focus on those details."

  "Let's do this," thought Oliver, deactivating his armor. He felt the liquid metal retract, leaving him only with the basiiform. He closed his eyes, visualizing the armor reappearing, but this time without the gloves. He imagined every detail, from the texture of the metal to the weight on his shoulders.

  After a few seds of intense tratioivated the armain. Oliver felt the familiar tingling as the metal spread over his body.

  Upon opening his eyes, his expectations dissolved. The gloves were still there, shining uhe light.

  Frustration tried to set in, but Oliver pushed it away. He k wouldn't be easy.

  Thus begaraining. Hours passed as Oliver repeated the process, deactivating aivating the armor, trying different visualizations, and adjusting his focus. Each attempt drained not only his physical energy but also his mental energy. His legs were heavy, and a thin yer of sweat covered his forehead.

  Isabe was alsling beside him, her face showing the effort.

  While Oliver and Isabe tirelessly activated aivated their armors, trying to trol every aspect of their figurations, Katherine faced a pletely different challenge. In the ter of the arena, she fought against two training robots programmed to test her limits.

  One of the robots was an imposing brute-force mae. Its heavy movements made the ground tremble, and each strike it delivered could easily crush solid metal. The other, in trast, was agile and swift, moving with an almost human fluidity. Its joied soft hisses as it executed quid uable maneuvers.

  Katheri herself ireme situations, f herself to alter her armor at the exaents to adapt to the varied threats. Wherong robot advanced, she instantly transformed her armor into a robust shield, abs the devastating impact. Against the agile robot, she modified her armor to increase her speed and reflexes, dodging quick attacks and terattag with precision.

  Sometimes, her strategy worked perfectly. Other times, a slight miscalcutioed in being struck by one of the robots and being thrown back, colliding with the room's protective barriers. Despite the failures, Katherine remained determined and focused on her progress.

  Meanwhile, Oliver and Isabe fought against their own internal challenges. Days passed, ae their Herculean effort, there seemed to be no signifit progress. Repeatedly, they activated aivated their armors, each attempt draining their Energy reserves. Physical aal fatigue accumuted, bringing them nearly to the point of fainting. The Energy supplements they ied provided only temporary relief, allowing them to tihe exhaustive training.

  In moments of doubt, Oliver questioned whether he was on the right path. The monotony of the exercise and the absence of tangible results weighed on his mind. However, ohird day, something ged. During a break, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. An ued calm took over his mind, and for the first time, he felt the natural flow of Energy inside his body.

  The sensation was subtle, almost ethereal. The amount of Energy was infinitely less than that tained in the Z Crystal of his gau, but the e was undeniable. Oliver perceived energy lines spreading from his wrist, traversing his arms and reag the base of his brain. They also desded through his torso, brang out to the tips of his feet. It was like a new an had awakened inside him, geing and eling this vital force.

  | New Skill Unlocked| Energy Perception [Pawn]

  Oliver was surprised to have obtained a new ability simply through such basic training. ‘Now I just o learn to trol this Energy,’ the boy thought, feeling his determination renew.

  With each passing day, the number of recruits at the base decreased drastically. The daily exams were relentless, and those eliminated departed the day, leaving behind increasingly empty dormitories. The enviro became quieter, but the tension and petitiveness only increased among those who remained.

  Finally, the three days came to an end. Katherine had achieved remarkable progress iraining. Her ability to alter her armor in bat had beore refined, allowing almost instant transitioween offensive and defensive modes. Isabe had also advanced, learning to activate aivate parts of her armor. Although she still o improve her trol to create specific modes, it was a signifit step.

  Oliver, oher hand, khat his training time had ended, at least for now. But he carried with him the new perception of internal Energy, a knowledge that could be the key to unlog eveer abilities.

  Thus dawhe fourth day. The vastness of the base seemed almost deserted, with only a tenth of the recruits who had arrived on the first day. The silence was broken only by the hum of some maes and the softly eg footsteps.

  Oliver was the first to awaken, his eyes adjusting to the soft light as he sat on the edge of the bed. Already aced to the new routine, he felt the absence of news about the war unfolding outside. However, at that moment, his mind was focused entirely on succeeding in the stage.

  ‘Today will have the exam announced,’ Oliver thought, looking ily at his gauhe device emitted a subtle glow, refleg the room's lights.

  While waiting for time to pass, the boy tried to trate ahe energy flowing within him, trolling it and moving it through every part of his body. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, seeking bance.

  His meditation tly interrupted. All the gaus began to vibrate simultaneously, emitting a pulsating light. A holographiotification appeared before his eyes.

  | Annou of the Sed Exam will begin in 60:00

  The tdown marked each sed, increasing the tension in the air.

  Isabe and Katherine quickly awoke upon feeling the vibration in their gaus. Isabe yawned, still overtaken by sleep and the accumuted fatigue from the interaining of the st few days.

  "It's today," murmured Katherine, rubbing her eyes as she got up.

  The three hurriedly desded to the first floor to start the day. While the tdown tis relentless dest, they dressed in their uniforms and had a quick breakfast in the nearly empty cafeteria. The aroma of syic coffee permeated the enviro, mixed with the soft sound of the few remaining versations.

  When the tdown finally reached zero, all the holograms scattered throughout the base synized for the official broadcast. A brief static preceded the appearance of the new image. This time, the General of the Yellow Division was not leading the broadcast.

  "gratutions to all who have reached this stage," a firm and serene female voiitiated.

  Oliver raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw the new presenter. It was the General of the Pink Division. Her name and title appeared in clear letters in the er of the s.

  | Camille Laurent| Pink Division - General

  'Laurent? Isn't she from the same House as the girl who was in my arena?' Oliver recalled upon seeing the name.

  General Camille dispyed an imposing posture, radiating serenity and authority. Her hair, a cascade of shining silver, fell gracefully over her shoulders, framing a face with delicate yet firm features. Her eyes, a pale blue mixed with metallic gray, carried the weight of difficult decisions and lived experiences.

  Oliver felt a chill run down his spine as he observed her. Perhaps, to others, she seemed elegant or even friendly, but something in his instinct alerted him that Camille Laurent ossibly the coldest of all. Her gaze had a silent iy, an unwaveriermination that pierced through the s.

  Her gleaming pink armor stood out uhe broadcast lights. It was a robust piece with smooth lines. Desigo withstand the most myriad types of attacks, it was impressive how muergy would be necessary to keep that monster funing in the field.

  Camille smiled before announg, "This sed stage will be iing. Instead of just oempt, you will have ten days and try once a day."

  GCLopes