In a villa located in the Superclass district, a crowd was moving in and out of a building. Many servants and maids scurried about in the massive courtyard that doubled as a waiting area. Many guests and visitors interacted with the rows of fruits and vegetables while playing with livestock, wild animals, and pets. Some even wore fancy festival masks. A giant lake was home to salmon, dolphins, friendly sharks, and other aquatic marine life that would jump and make a splash. Kids, young adults, and the elderly were drawn to it, much like the wealthy are drawn to money.
A man with deep scars, wearing sunglasses, looked at the crowd, smiling. He walked towards one of many cobblestone walkways that led deeper into the estate.
Squirrels, rabbits, cats, chipmunks, and dogs crossed his path, their noses up, sniffing the air, (Meow)(Woof)(Squeak) yelling in their own unique ways.
They climbed on him, persuading him to kneel and pet them as they rested on his knees, shoulders, and head. He convinced them to get off by tossing a treat or two, watching with smiles as they for the morsels. The winner howled into the sky, moaning, forcing the man to chuckle with laughter.
Eventually, he reached a crossroads. Turning right, his nostrils flared up. He forgot to swallow as saliva dripped down from his lips.
"F**k, I wonder what they whipped up this time," he muttered, flinging spit everywhere.
The depths of the villa were much more reserved. Many butlers walked silently, their heads facing the ground except when given instructions. Men in formal wear talked in riddles. Children followed obediently behind adults.
In the distance, there was a building with a sign.
- Reservation Only -
He picked up his pace, walked up to the door, and showed some credentials. The door opened a crack as he stepped in.
A dining hall was inside, with many seats and very few customers. A waiter led him to a table and gave him a menu. He took a look, ordered some dishes, and leaned into the sofa. He picked up a sudoku paper lying on the armrest as he waited.
A man in a shirt and tie eventually received him, gesturing into a private room. The atmosphere turned more casual after the door was locked.
"Colonel… how many I help you?"
"Sir… Military Zone 5 in Sector 25 sent out some interesting information. Have a look."
The man with a scar took some photos out of his inner coat pocket, handing them to the man in a suit.
The shirt and tie took them, glancing, then placed them on the table as he lay his chin on his hand.
"You think that he would be a natural fit in a Major Operating Branch?" the shirt and tie stated the obvious after a long silence.
"I don't know about his character, but he's got the ability," the man with a scar said with a smile.
"Elite Soldiers are quite rare, much less an Elite ACE. As for a Covert Ops Soldier," the man in a suit said thoughtfully. "I've heard rumors about a Cadet defeating that fellow's granddaughter?".
"Almost no one her age can leave her at a disadvantage, not even our brats, let alone someone younger than her. That should speak volumes," the man with a scar roared with laughter.
"I'll agree since Hsuzel personally recommends it," the man in a suit said in admiration.
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"Hmm? That First Li-"the man with a scar said before widening his eyes.
The man in a suit merely smiled.
"Who is he, to command your respect?" the man with a scar asked, his breath stuck in his throat.
"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," the man in a suit answered mysteriously.
The man with a scar sucked in cold air as he muttered something unintelligible.
"I WILL tell you that my record for approving a Hsuzel recommendation is 3 out of 3. Let this be 4 out of 4," the man in a suit said with a happy sigh.
"Hmm? Who are the other three? What?" the man with a scar asked out of curiosity.
"You'll soon find out," the man in a suit said with a smile. "I'm curious to see how he handles the dynamics. Promote him based on his performance. This is an ironclad, unspoken rule".
"Of course!" the man with a scar nodded before leaving the room.
A moment later, a waiter came in. The man in a suit passed over a note, which the waiter took.
"Two full-course meals, a sprite, and some wine when you're at it. No one should leave before experiencing the finest dish our country has to offer," the man in a suit commanded the waiter, who held the door for him before closing the room after himself.
——|——|—|—|——|——
[Military Zone 5, Military Sector 25]
April took Sikhail to a co-ed training room. They entered inconspicuously but still couldn't escape the stares. April's perfectly carved figure and Sikhail's chiseled physique were too eye-catching. They didn't take note of it, acting none the wiser.
"Alright… Many compound exercises can be done without a single piece of equipment. I'll show you. It all starts with simple stretches. If the basic muscles aren't warmed up, doing the more complex compound movements is quite tough," April lectured.
April began with basic stretches as the tips of her finger touched the end of her toe. Reversing it with a back twist was also easy. Her arms reached over her other shoulder before stretching around to connect the loop. Her head bent forward, her other leg crossing on top, touching the other.
Sikhail struggled to copy her. It began as a simple movement, but he soon found his limit as he encountered tough resistance. He tried dozens of times but needed more progress.
"Try, try again. Try, try until you do it!" April encouraged him.
Sikhail only nodded.
"Start with this, and we'll add more later on! I want to explore a bit. I'll be back to check up on you!" April said happily.
Sikhail was ultimately left on his own. Just like the reps, he attempted each of them hundreds of times. They were incomplete, but it was the effort that counted. Why was it so hard, though?
At some point, a soldier had come over and 'helped' him by externally pushing him all the way.
(CRACK)
(GASP)
The soldier held him in position as he took a moment to recover.
"That girl had the right intention but left out something fundamental. You'll need help for the initial push unless you're naturally flexible. Why don't you try it again… see if it's still difficult," the soldier said in a delightful tone, just when he was about to ask *why*.
He tried again, but this time there was significantly less resistance. He was reaching further with fewer reps. It felt like a weight had been taken off his shoulders.
"I don't know much about what she's teaching you, but the struggle is related to natural inflexibility. I don't mind giving you the initial push; just let me know. We all hard to start somewhere," the soldier continued to explain.
He nodded.
The more his body bent beyond its natural limit, the freer he felt.
As he tried the other stretches, he discovered that an extra push was unnecessary. He still needed to push, but it was overall a lot easier. When he completed a sufficient number of reps, he discovered the extra range of motion provided some benefits. His muscles were less fatigued, even lightweight.
April returned a few hours later, noticing the difference. She threw a playful punch that he caught with a standard behind-the-back stretch. She wanted to pull her hand out, but similar to before, it felt like she had struck steel.
"Amazing! Last time you had to fully face me to counter my move. Now you can save more time through a neutral block! See how much difference these exercises make," April said teasingly, winking toward the soldier who helped him earlier.
"The next series of stretches?" Sikhail asked.
"They are the start of the compound stretches. Can you handle them? Hehe," April said with a smile.
"It's easier the second time," Sikhail explained.
"I can give you a few more, but unless you're really comfortable with the warm-up, they're going to be really difficult," April advised.
Sikhail nodded, to which April responded with a split. She pressed her body forward, her arm reaching behind her neck, stretching back to her leg, and grabbing her toe. Using her abdominal and terrifying leg strength, she stood up with her other foot before bending in an arc. As her toes touched each other, she held the position. The sound of silk on silk made him feel like she had just dove headfirst into a stream.
'How crazy does it get? It looks… painfully complex. What will this help me accomplish? I can do it until I'm like a noodle. What comes after?' Sikhail wondered.