The following morning, the members of the alliance decided to wake up a bit earlier in order to train together.

They all gathered in the hotel's gym area, which spanned two floors. The gym appeared rather ordinary, though it leaned toward the more lavish side. The key distinction was that all the equipment was designed to suit the needs of the Ascended.

Jackson wore a simple green hooded tracksuit along with white sneakers. He was busy performing arm and leg exercises using various weights and machines. The weights he was lifting ranged from the equivalent of transport vehicles on the low end to small buildings on the high end. As he exerted himself, his alternate personality seemed to surface, his face displaying a look of silent fury.

Lioness was working out nearby. She appeared to care little for modesty in her workout attire. Instead of wearing a sports bra or a top, she opted for simple wrappings on her chest. She also wore a pair of tight black gym shorts and eschewed footwear entirely, preferring wrappings around her feet. Her muscular physique was on full display as a result.

Jackson felt fortunate that his alternate personality was in control, as he doubted, he could maintain his composure otherwise.

Like Jackson, Lioness also trained with weights, but her focus was more on endurance. She wore wristbands, anklets, and a vest, all capable of being outfitted with heavy plating. Her training centered on bodyweight exercises enhanced by the added resistance of the weighted gear. She trained this way to improve her ability to carry heavy objects for extended periods.

Meanwhile, Coraline and Ebony were training on the treadmills. Coraline wore an oversized shirt paired with shorts and sneakers. Her short and petite frame made the oversized shirt appear even larger. Ebony, in its enlarged form, ran alongside her. Both sprinted at full tilt on their respective machines, reaching speeds far beyond those of high-performance vehicles.

Sandro was wearing loose-fitting sweatpants with a fitted shirt along with a hoodie. Alexander meanwhile was wearing a compression shirt along with windbreaker pants.

Alexander and Sandro were using similar types of training equipment but in different ways. Both worked with humanoid combat dummies capable of sparring against their users. Alexander practiced against a single dummy, wielding training swords, while Sandro faced an entire swarm of dummies.

Curie, while still exercising, did not push herself to the point of strain. She opted for more comfortable attire, consisting of a tank top, sweatpants, and sneakers. Her exercises primarily focused on stretching. Though she wasn’t exerting her physical body as much as the others, she was working out her mind.

After completing her stretches, she transitioned into a meditative sitting position. There, she activated her Soul Incantation and began observing the combat dummies that Alexander and Sandro were utilizing. Curie ran mental simulations, analyzing how she might fare in their circumstances and strategizing her approach.

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Once the group finished their exercises, they hit the showers before heading to the dining hall for breakfast.

As they all gathered around a circular table, there was a brief hesitation before they began eating, each taking a moment to consider their meals. Another hesitation occurred as the alliance members insured their food was not poisoned.

After sipping from a large glass of orange juice, Sandro wiped his mouth and proclaimed energetically, “I have a brilliant idea for an icebreaker we can all do together!”

The alliance members waited in curious silence. Their attention fixed on him. Sandro, true to his theatrical nature, continued with flair, “Can I get a drum roll first?”

This suggestion prompted mixed reactions from the group.

While Coraline was more than happy to oblige, she grabbed Ebony’s paws and tapped on the table repeatedly, giggling as she did so. Lioness simply scoffed in amusement, giving Sandro a look that dared him to ask for such a thing again. Jackson refused outright, finding the suggestion too embarrassing. Alexander, however, tapped one finger rhythmically on the table, offering the bare minimum effort. Curie ignored the request entirely, calmly sipping her coffee while scrolling through something on her communicator.

Undeterred, Sandro continued with the same level of theatrics and enthusiasm. “Why don’t we tell each other why we started on the path of Ascension? It'll really help us build a better bond.”

None of the group members seemed to disagree, Jackson Lioness and Coraline seemed interested by the idea. While Alexander and merely did so out of politeness.

Sandro grinned wildly and declared, “Great! Then I’ll start. Back in my home village a group of traveling Ascended performers arrived, staying with us for a time. There sought out my village since it was known for high quality crafts. However, the people that made these crafts lacked passion merely seeing it as a business. From them I learned how beautiful art can truly be and that gave me the desire to pursue Ascension. For the pursuit of even greater art.”

Coraline spoke next, lifting Ebony as she began her story. “When I was little, I got lost in a forest for a long time. That’s when I met my friend.” She patted Ebony fondly. “He protected me, even though it nearly cost him his life. After that experience, we became inseparable, and since he was already capable of walking the path, I decided to join him, in order to protect him the way he protected me.”

Lioness followed. Her tone laced with pride. “Back in my hometown I started a group of female delinquents.” With a wolfish smile she then proclaimed, “A large amount of my subordinates was capable of becoming Ascended, and I decided to become one myself in order to continue to lead them.’’

She then simmered down a bit before sharing one last detail, “However there is a conflict involving the position of leadership that I must resolve after all this.’’

Curie and Alexander’s answers were much shorter by comparison. Alexander shrugged and said bluntly, “My parents forced me to do this.”

Curie added with calm confidence, while simultaneously browsing on her communicator “I seek to use my intellect to surpass my own limitations.”

The other alliance members couldn’t help but find the two brief answers somewhat amusing, with a few smirks and chuckles shared around the table.

The lighthearted atmosphere shifted abruptly when their communicators all pinged simultaneously. A notification appeared: the next trial was about to begin. All Ascended still participating in the trials were instructed to return to the Coliseum immediately.