Day Two: Hour Twenty-Four.
Training Hall Three had been completely reconfigured.
Gone were the beginner obstacles and soft landing pads. In their place stood a combat arena that looked like it had been designed to train soldiers for actual war, reinforced walls scarred with blast marks, automated defense turrets mounted in the corners, and a floor that could generate various terrain types via holographic projection.
I stood at the arena's entrance, my new juvenile form still feeling slightly unfamiliar. Everything was bigger, stronger, more capable, but I was still learning the limits of this evolved body.
*This looks significantly more dangerous than the kiddie course.*
"That's because it is," Sergeant Thane confirmed, standing beside a control console. "You wanted to know if you could fight? Time to find out."
Rayna stood in the observation booth above, her concern radiating through our bond despite her outward composure. She'd insisted on watching every training session, and I was grateful for her presence.
At least if I embarrass myself, she'll be here to witness it.
"First test is simple," Thane announced, her fingers dancing across the console. "Evasion and awareness. You'll face simulated threats, energy projectiles, physical obstacles, environmental hazards. Your job is to survive."
[COMBAT TRIAL INITIALIZED]
[DIFFICULTY: MODERATE]
[OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE FOR 5 MINUTES]
[FAILURE CONDITION: THREE CRITICAL HITS]
Five minutes. I can do five minutes.
The arena floor shimmered, transforming into a rocky terrain with scattered cover points. Red targeting lasers appeared across the walls, twenty, maybe thirty turrets all acquiring lock on me.
"Beginning in three... two... one... go!"
The turrets opened fire.
Energy bolts screamed toward me from multiple angles, bright blue projectiles that would definitely hurt if they connected. My enhanced perception kicked in automatically, time seeming to slow as my brain processed threats.
[BATTLE PERCEPTION: ACTIVE]
[THREAT ANALYSIS: PROCESSING]
[OPTIMAL EVASION PATH: CALCULATED]
I moved.
Not the clumsy, uncertain movements of my infant form, this was fluid, instinctive, right. I darted left as a bolt seared past my shoulder, rolled under another cluster of shots, and vaulted over a rock formation as the ground behind me exploded from impact.
Holy shit, I'm actually doing this!
"Good!" Thane's voice echoed through the arena. "But don't get cocky. Increasing difficulty."
More turrets activated. The projectiles came faster, from more angles, with less time to react.
I pushed my new body harder, testing its limits. Shadow Step activated instinctively as I phased through a particularly dense barrage, reappearing several meters away in a swirl of darkness.
[ABILITY USED: SHADOW STEP]
[ENERGY COST: 15%]
[COOLDOWN: 30 SECONDS]
That's useful. But I can't spam it.
A projectile clipped my hind leg, not a critical hit, but it hurt. Pain receptors flared, and I felt the impact ripple through my crystalline-enhanced bones.
[MINOR DAMAGE SUSTAINED]
[REGENERATION: ACTIVE]
Focus. Can't afford mistakes.
I used the terrain more strategically, ducking behind cover when the barrage was too dense, timing my movements between volleys. My combat instincts, the passive ability I'd gained from the quest reward, guided me, whispering tactical suggestions I barely understood but instinctively trusted.
Left. Now. Roll. Jump. Shadow Step—no, save it. Duck!
The five minutes felt like an eternity, but when the buzzer finally sounded and the turrets powered down, I was still standing.
Panting, slightly scorched, but standing.
[COMBAT TRIAL: COMPLETE]
[PERFORMANCE: B+]
[HITS TAKEN: 7 (3 MINOR, 4 GRAZING)]
[EVASION RATE: 87%]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: +120]
"Not bad for a first attempt," Thane said, genuine approval in her voice. "Your instincts are solid. But you're still thinking too much. Trust your body, it knows what to do."
*Easy for you to say. You've had years of training.*
"And you've had weeks," she countered. "But your biology is literally designed for combat adaptation. Stop overthinking and let your instincts take over."
The arena reset, the terrain shifting to simulate an urban environment, rubble, broken walls, narrow corridors.
"Round two," Thane announced. "Same objective, but now the threats will include physical obstacles, falling debris, collapsing structures, environmental hazards. Ready?"
*Not really.*
"Good. Begin!"
The next hour was a blur of increasingly difficult scenarios.
Urban combat. Forest terrain. Zero-gravity simulation. Each environment pushed me in different ways, forcing me to adapt my tactics on the fly.
And I was getting better.
My movement became smoother, more confident. My ability usage more strategic. My awareness of threats sharper with each iteration.
[EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 51% → 53%]
[COMBAT EXPERIENCE: ACCUMULATING]
[NEW SKILL DEVELOPING: COMBAT MOBILITY]
By the time Thane called for a break, I'd completed twelve different scenarios with progressively better scores.
"You're a natural," she admitted, offering me a protein supplement that tasted surprisingly decent. "Most recruits take months to develop the kind of spatial awareness you've gained in hours."
*Nyxion biology. Adapt or die.*
"More than that," she said thoughtfully. "You've got something most soldiers never develop, true combat instinct. You don't just react to threats; you anticipate them. That's rare."
Through our bond, I felt Rayna's pride mixed with lingering worry. She'd watched me get hit, dodge, roll, and push myself to the limit repeatedly.
*I'm okay,* I projected to her. *Better than okay. This feels... right.*
*I know,* she replied. *That's what worries me. You're too good at this.*
*Isn't that the point?*
---
Day Two: Hour Thirty.
"Time for live combat," Dr. Ysmene announced.
I looked at her skeptically from my position on the exam table, where she'd been treating the minor injuries from the morning's training.
*Live combat? Against what?*
"Drones," she explained, pulling up a holographic display. "Combat training units, autonomous robots programmed with various fighting styles. They're non-lethal but highly effective for developing actual battle skills."
On the display, I saw sleek mechanical constructs, humanoid in shape, armed with training weapons, and apparently quite agile.
*You want me to fight robots.*
"I want you to learn how to fight intelligently," she corrected. "The evasion training was good for reflexes. But real combat requires strategy, timing, and the ability to read your opponent."
Sergeant Thane entered, carrying what looked like armored padding.
"We're also giving you protection," she said. "You're still developing. No point getting seriously injured in training and ruining the whole accelerated evolution process."
She fitted the padding to my torso and legs, lightweight armor that wouldn't restrict movement but would absorb impacts.
*I look ridiculous.*
"You look alive," Thane countered. "Which is the point. Now come on, your opponents are waiting."
The combat arena had been reconfigured again, this time as a simple circular space with minimal cover. Three combat drones stood in a triangular formation, their optical sensors tracking my approach.
[SCANNING OPPONENTS...]
[COMBAT DRONE TYPE-7]
[THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE]
[COMBAT STYLE: COORDINATED GROUP TACTICS]
[ARMED WITH: TRAINING BATONS (STUN CAPABILITY)]
*Three on one. This seems fair.*
"It's not supposed to be fair," Thane said through the arena's speakers. "Real combat never is. Your job is to disable all three drones. They'll be operating at sixty percent capacity, enough to challenge you without overwhelming you."
"And Xiane?" Rayna's voice joined Thane's. "Be careful."
*Always.*
The drones activated.
They moved with mechanical precision, spreading out to surround me. Their coordination was immediate and efficient, these weren't simple target dummies. They were programmed to work as a team.
[BATTLE PERCEPTION: ACTIVE]
[ANALYZING ENEMY FORMATION...]
[WEAKNESS IDENTIFIED: SYNCHRONIZED ATTACK PATTERNS]
The first drone struck, its baton whipping toward my head. I ducked, feeling the weapon pass centimeters above my horns. But it was a feint, the real attack came from behind, another drone's baton aimed at my hind legs.
I leaped, using my enhanced strength to vault over the second drone entirely. Mid-air, I twisted, my claws raking across its optical sensor.
[CRITICAL HIT: COMBAT DRONE #2]
[ENEMY SENSOR DAMAGED]
The drone staggered, its movements becoming erratic. One down, functionally, at least.
But the other two pressed their advantage. They attacked in perfect synchronization, their batons creating a web of strikes I could barely track.
I took a hit to my side, the armor absorbed most of the impact, but electricity crackled through my body.
[STUN EFFECT: RESISTING]
[CRYSTALLINE DEFENSE: MITIGATING DAMAGE]
They're learning my patterns. Adapting.
Good. So can I.
I activated Shadow Step, disappearing from between the two drones and reappearing behind them. Before they could reorient, I struck, my jaws closing on one drone's arm joint, my void-energy-infused teeth shearing through the metal with surprising ease.
[CRITICAL HIT: COMBAT DRONE #1]
[ENEMY ARM DISABLED]
Two drones compromised. One left.
The remaining drone didn't hesitate. It charged, weapon raised, its programming clearly recognizing it was outmatched.
Brave little robot.
I met its charge head-on, ducking under its strike and slamming my shoulder into its center mass. The impact sent it flying backward into the arena wall.
[COMBAT TRIAL: COMPLETE]
[TIME: 2 MINUTES, 37 SECONDS]
[PERFORMANCE: A-]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: +150]
[LEVEL UP!]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 7]
I stood among the disabled drones, breathing hard but exhilarated.
I just won a three-on-one fight. Against trained combat units.
"Impressive," Thane said, entering the arena. "Your tactical thinking is developing faster than expected. You identified their weakness, predictable synchronization, and exploited it."
She examined the damaged drones, particularly the one with bite marks in its metal arm.
"And your bite force has increased significantly. These drones are made of reinforced alloy. You chewed through it like paper."
Void-enhanced teeth. One of the perks of being a cosmic bio-weapon.
"How do you feel?" Dr. Ysmene asked, scanning me with her medical equipment.
*Tired. Sore. But good. Really good.*
"His adrenaline levels are elevated, but his vitals are stable," the doctor reported. "And look at this, his muscle density has increased another four percent during the combat trial. His body is literally growing stronger from fighting."
[COMBAT ADAPTATION: ACTIVE]
[MUSCLE DENSITY: +4%]
[COMBAT SKILLS: IMPROVING]
[EVOLUTION PROGRESS: 53% → 54%]
"One more session today," Thane said, checking her chronometer. "Then rest, feeding, and we start again tomorrow. We've got thirty hours left to push you as far as possible."
Thirty hours. Then we reach the station.
The reality of why we were doing this suddenly felt heavier. This wasn't just training for training's sake. In less than two days, we'd be facing an actual crisis, real threats, real danger.
And I needed to be ready.
For Rayna. For the crew. For everyone counting on me.
Through our bond, I felt Rayna's hand rest against the observation window, her emotions a complex mix of pride, worry, and love.
"Alright, break time's over," Thane announced. "Let's see how you do against five drones. At eighty percent capacity."
*You're trying to kill me.*
"I'm trying to prepare you," she corrected with a grin. "There's a difference. Now get back in position. Round two starts in sixty seconds."
I took my stance, my juvenile body coiled and ready.
Bring it on.
---
[STATUS UPDATE]
- Level: 7
- Evolution Progress: 54%
- Combat Training: In Progress
- Time to Crisis: 30 hours
- New Skills: Combat Mobility (Developing)
- Performance: Exceeding Expectations