The whir of magi-tech engines hummed through the air as Callum adjusted the heavy gauntlet strapped to his arms. Before they began, the training specialist in the room brought two headsets and handed them over. These were what they'd be using for the session.
The headsets were capable of displaying high-quality virtual environments that closely resembled real monster territories. Once practice began, realistic monster figures would appear within the simulation.
The gauntlets weren't just for show—they were wirelessly connected to the magi-tech holograph system, which provided trainees with weapons as soon as the headsets were worn.
Callum grabbed his headset and began putting it on, but Alexa stopped him with a glance.
She shot him a direct look, and their eyes locked.
"Tell me, Callum. What Talent did you obtain?" she asked.
Callum froze for a moment, then rolled his shoulders. The tone and intent behind her question made him suspicious—it wasn't just casual curiosity. It felt like she really needed to know. Them, actually—if he was going to reveal he had three Talents.
"Why does your question sound like a command?" Callum replied, giving her a wary glare.
"It's not. I just want to know. It's not a crime to share your Talent with your new family. And if you think it could be used against you, you're wrong," Alexa replied almost casually.
Callum sensed her sincerity and considered telling her, though he doubted revealing all three Talents was a good idea.
I'll just mention one and act like it's the only one I got, he decided.
"Okay then... The Talent I obtained is Soulmancy," Callum said.
"Soul what? Never heard of that before. I know Necromancy—it's a pretty great Talent," Alexa remarked.
"Cool. Mine just might not be," Callum said with a shrug and a small smile.
"Don't put yourself down, buddy. Or you'll regret it. Now let's start this damn training," Alexa said as she grabbed her headset.
"Once we begin, we'll both appear in the same location. Monsters can come from any direction, so we'll need to watch each other's backs," she explained.
"Got it," Callum nodded.
They stood inside a cylindrical chamber in the training room, designed to keep their movements contained. Although monster combat required fast and open movement, once inside the simulation, the cylindrical space wouldn't matter anymore. If they needed to make long or sudden directional shifts, the chamber would automatically adjust to match.
It was magi-tech at its peak.
After putting on the headsets, only a single tap on the green button was needed to activate the session.
"Ready?" Alexa asked, turning toward him.
"Born ready."
With that, Callum hit the button—and instantly, they appeared in a vast wasteland.
To the west, there was nothing. The east was different.
Far to the north stood a gigantic, uneven mountain bathed in sunlight reflecting sharply off its peak.
"Crap."
"Relax. We're not going that far. We just need to kill as many monsters as possible before time runs out. Look at the timer on your wrist," Alexa said.
"Oh, that makes this fair then."
As the gauntlet interface loaded into the simulation, a weapon-selection panel appeared. Callum quickly chose a sword—not because he was skilled with it, but because it was the most familiar weapon he knew.
Alexa, on the other hand, selected two daggers. Callum didn't question her choice. After all, it was a simulation with fake monsters. Plus, she clearly knew how to use them.
Soon, indistinct thudding sounds began to approach.
"They're coming from different angles. Stay alert," Alexa warned.
"Got it," Callum nodded, sweat starting to bead on his forehead.
Soon, not just thuds—but guttural growls—filled the air.
Five monstrous wolves sprinted toward them from the mountain's direction, charging with terrifying speed. Their fur was pitch black, and their mouths revealed razor-sharp teeth, unnaturally long and dripping with saliva.
Callum swallowed hard but held his ground.
"Tell me, Alexa. If one of these things rips my arms off, will I be armless forever?" he asked.
"Only if you plan to stay stuck in this simulation forever," Alexa shot back without missing a beat and dashed forward.
In the next moment, she blurred past one of the wolves, appearing behind it and slitting its throat cleanly.
The second wolf fell almost immediately after, stabbed at the side of the neck with a precise thrust of her right dagger.
Callum stood stunned.
SLASH!
The third wolf dropped with another swift strike. None of them could react to her speed... Her efficiency was remarkable.
But just as she was about to dispatch the fourth wolf, she flipped mid-air and turned toward the fifth instead—leaving the fourth to lunge directly at Callum.
"Kill it!" she shouted without looking back.
*GROOOWL!*
Callum's heart pounded wildly as the beast charged him.
He tightened his grip on the sword with both hands, waiting until the wolf came close enough.
Just as he lifted his weapon to strike, a force suddenly slammed into him from behind.
He lost balance and hit the ground hard, panic overtaking him.
*GRRR...*
*GRR...*
Two more wolves had ambushed him from the rear—he had failed to notice them.
Now three wolves circled him, their blood-red eyes locked onto him.
Thankfully, he still had his sword, which made them hesitate slightly.
He sat up quickly and tried to use the blade to push himself to his feet—but it was no use.
*GRRR...*
*GRRR...*
*GRRR...*
Three wolves. One sword. No real combat skill.
Each time one came close, he pointed the edge of the sword at it for it to take a step back, only for another to close in.
He managed to delay them for a moment, but it was clear that he wasn't getting out of this on his own.
Despite knowing it wasn't real, the fear had overtaken him. And he refused to call for help, hoping he could somehow find a way out.
Minutes passed before salvation arrived.
SLASH!
With one sweeping strike, all three wolves fell.
Callum's eyes widened.
"Tsk. Get up, newbie," Alexa said, looking at him with thinly veiled disappointment.
"I couldn't do anything—they were all over me," Callum tried to explain.
"You had a weapon. You should've used it."
"It was my first time using one. I was down. It's not like I had a clean shot," he said defensively.
"You're a newbie. Got it. But if you don't learn to face your fears and fight under pressure, you'll meet a real death in the First Ground," Alexa said with a teasing smirk.
Callum looked down, frustrated.
He had to improve. If he wanted to survive in this world, he'd have to learn to fight. Truly fight. The realization hit hard.
---
[Performance Evaluation: Alexa Vance]
-Delivered Strikes: 13
-Conceded Strikes: 0
-Kills: 18
-Score: 8.5/10
---
[Performance Evaluation: Callum Drey]
-Delivered Strikes: 0
-Conceded Strikes: 1
-Kills: 0
-Score: 0/10
"You see? Too bad. If those monsters were real, you'd be dead," Alexa said, grinning.
"Alright… I'll do better next time," Callum muttered, biting his lip.
...
Meanwhile, two figures sat in the mansion's living room, watching the training session unfold on a smart device that looked like a sleek iPad.
Their expressions revealed a strong interest in what they were witnessing.
However...
After watching the worst training performance they hadn't expected, the couple couldn't help but shake their heads.
To some, it might have seemed like disappointment—but to others, it was simply a reaction to a newbie's first attempt to use a sword.
[A/N: Note that Callum's transformation from weak to strong wouldn't be a slow one and would be interesting! Unto the next chapter!]