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The Psionic Era: The Loved and the Hated
Chapter 36 - A Surprising Victor

Chapter 36 - A Surprising Victor

Three days had passed since reception day, and Kristine found herself jogging on the track alongside her brother Christopher and their fellow cadets. The track was surrounded by tall trees that cast shadows on the reddish path. The sun shone brightly, warming the cool morning air and creating a temperature for jogging.

Kristine wore her workout school uniform. It was unflattering, gray and did little to enhance her appearance. Her hair was tightly pulled back into a military bun, a hairstyle she disliked because it made her feel less attractive. That meant less Love Points for her.

As she jogged, she panted and gasped, her classmates following behind her. She had always been in good shape, but military training was an entirely different level of intensity. Her muscles burned, but she wasn't out of breath. She was merely pretending with her enhanced lung capacity.

Christopher was way ahead of her on the track, his long legs effortlessly carrying him forward. Kristine felt a twinge of envy for her brother's male body, but she was more interested in gathering Love Points than winning the race.

As she slowed her pace, she noticed the boys behind her rubbernecking and ogling her. Despite her unflattering attire and tightly pulled-back hair, the sight of her sweat-soaked shirt and flushed face seemed to attract attention. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

"Come on, Kris, don't slow down!" Instructor Silva barked, his hands clapping. "You've got to keep up with your brother!"

Instructor Silva was one of the strictest, by-the-book instructors at the school, and the new cadets were quick to discover this. It was rumored that he had been sent to teach at the school because nobody in the military could stand his attitude.

"And what the hell is wrong with you people?" he yelled, his voice echoing around the track. "Are you all just here to ogle her? This is military training, not a beauty pageant! Get your heads in the game and focus on running!"

Kristine blushed and looked down, feeling a little guilty for distracting her classmates. However, she couldn't resist the opportunity to gather more Love Points by slowing down her pace.

As she finished the final lap, she gasped and panted, her chest heaving with exhaustion. The surrounding students couldn't help but blush as they saw her sweat-soaked shirt and heaving chest. Kristine smiled, knowing that she was accumulating even more Love Points with every breath and pant she took.

"Good job, Kristine," Instructor Silva said grudgingly as he walked up to her. "You may not have been the fastest, but you certainly put on a good show."

Kristine chuckled and shrugged. "Thank you, sir," she replied, grinning at him. "I'm just happy to be here, training and becoming a better soldier."

Instructor Silva frowned. He was tempted to punish her by assigning her extra laps around the track. However, he had done so the day before, only to find Kristine easily completing them without any signs of struggle or fatigue, aside from a few complaints about muscle aches. He knew she could perform better, but he didn't understand why she kept holding back.

He looked around at the cadets as they struggled to catch their breath. "Alright, everyone, listen up!" he barked. "Hit the showers and get ready for your first day of firearms training!"

The cadets cheered with excitement. Finally, they would be learning something fun. They quickly ran to the locker rooms to shower.

**

Kristine was now accustomed to showering with other females, unlike her middle school days. She stood beneath the warm spray of water, allowing it to soak her blonde hair and cascade down her slim, athletic body. As the droplets clung to her, she could already feel the gazes of some of her fellow female cadets trying to burn the image of her body into their memory.

Over time, she had grown used to the constant ogling from others. It might have been due to the powers granted by the system or perhaps her newfound confidence after fending off the armed gunmen, but the lingering stares no longer bothered her.

And if anyone were to try anything funny, she knew she would be more than capable of defending herself. The feelings of vulnerability from her female body were now a thing of the past.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

She finished her shower and looked at the series of notifications in her vision. It was definite proof that she wasn't the only female here with a preference for the same gender.

+999 Love Points from..

+999 Love Points from..

+999 Love Points from..

She dismissed the Love Notifications notifications that appeared and refocused her thoughts on the upcoming firearms training session. She couldn't wait to surprise everyone with her proficiency.

**

Once everyone had showered and changed, the cadets regrouped.

Instructor Silva led them to the shooting range, where a variety of firearms awaited them. The shooting range was indoors, featuring 20 lanes with individual cubicles for each shooter. He began explaining the safety protocols and basic handling techniques for each weapon.

Suddenly, Kristine and Christopher approached Instructor Silva, asking if they could be the first to shoot. They wanted to hold a small competition between each other. The twins knew it was bound to impress their peers and earn them a few Love Points.

The instructor agreed, hoping that Kristine wouldn't hold back against her brother and would take the exercise seriously this time. He knew their father was a general and had likely taught them some firearms training.

Several male students who had prior firearms experience, and who assumed Kristine was a beginner, asked if they could come and instruct her. Even Micah, despite his fear, asked if she needed help. She was just that cute. They were already daydreaming about the scent of her shampoo and body wash as they would stand close to her, teaching her how to use the rifle.

Kristine ignore them as she stepped forward and picked up the rifle, which resembled a slightly futuristic M16. The score was based on the cadet's ability to hit specific scoring rings on a human-shaped target.

Once the competition began, Kristine surprised everyone with her exceptional aiming skills. She was more familiar with firearms than they realized. They didn't know that she used them before in real combat. Her shots were precise and consistent. It look liked all of them were landing in the center of the target.

Christopher, although equally skilled, couldn't quite match his sister's level of expertise. This was his first time using a rifle in this life or his past life. Even with the memories and rewards from the system, he was still not used to firing a weapon.

As he struggled to keep up with Kristine's impressive performance, Christopher couldn't help but feel a slight sense of inferiority. He shared the same skills and abilities as his sister, and as a male, he had always assumed that he would naturally excel better in all combat-related stuff. This led him to insist that Kristine claim the Mesmerizing Gaze as her Psion ability, even though they both possessed the Mesmerizing Gaze and Bone Armor abilities.

Now, as he watched his sister outperform him, Christopher couldn't help but question his decision. Was it his pride or bias that had led him to underestimate Kristine's potential even in her female body? He quickly pushed aside these thoughts, refocusing on the target in front of him.

The onlookers, including the male students who had offered to instruct Kristine, were left speechless as the electronic system brought her target closer to them to see. The grouping on her shots were perfect, staying within the highest scoring ring.

The target was a standard 10-ring target and all her shots manage to land in the bullseye. It was a perfect 10 points!

Even Instructor Silva was impressed, realizing that Kristine was capable of taking things seriously.

Kristine was the winner of the competition. Her performance not only earned her the admiration of her fellow cadets but also a significant increase in Love Points.

Then, everyone examined Christopher's target and noticed that a few of his shots failed to land in the center, scoring a 9.4.

They suspected that he might have been going easy on his sister, but that wasn't the case. Kristine had managed to use her real-life experience of shooting a rifle to barely edge ahead of her brother.

Instructor Silva was thoroughly impressed by Kristine and Christopher's exceptional shooting skills. He couldn't help but brag about them to the rest of the cadets. He decided to take this opportunity to push the cadets to work harder.

"Everyone, take a moment to appreciate the level of skill you've just witnessed from these two," he gestured toward Kristine and Christopher. "Their performance today was a result of their dedication and hard work."

He continued, "So let this serve as a reminder to all of you. To become proficient in any skill, you need to put in the time and effort. Don't just assume that you'll naturally become good at something. Practice, practice, and practice."

What the instructor didn't realize was that this wasn't the case of the twins.They had the "Devil and Angel" system after all. Still, the instructor's words resonated with the other cadets, who looked at Kristine and Christopher with newfound respect and admiration. They were more than just a pair of good looking twins. The male students who had initially wanted to instruct Kristine now felt their faces flush with embarrassment.

Each student tried their best to match the scores set by the twins as the training session continued. Despite their efforts, none of them could come close to their score.

The closest competitor was a Indian cadet named Gurpreet Singh, who could be seen with Psion bracelet around his wrist. His score allowed him to secure third place, but he was far from closing the gap between him and the twins.