Six Powers Training Conditions

Clap, clap, clap... After the surprise, Colin applauded softly. "Truly eye-opening... Children your age like you are rare, even here."

Reg's face reddened slightly... He now understood why Colin usually paid him so much attention: Colin saw his former self in Reg. Of course, it might also have something to do with the bonus.

"It's time for some verbal persuasion."

With a favorable impression, he naturally had to deepen it... Reg knew he needed more help. "Instructor Colin, the past wasn't entirely worthless... It was precisely those wounds and despair that made me strong... I want to be able to laugh heartily in the future, rather than constantly resent others."

"Wonderful! Magnificent! What an adorable fellow... Reading more really is good!"

Upon hearing those words, Colin even reached out and rubbed Reg's head.

"Hmph... Colin's favorability +50."

After grumbling inwardly, Reg scratched his head again... Perhaps his habit of reading also made him a good match for Colin, this "artistic" middle-aged man?

In any case, Colin now found him... "pleasant to look at."

"Get a good rest today... Tomorrow, 5 a.m., at the tower entrance." Colin began ushering him out.

Reg blinked... So there was no need for actual combat?

"Thank you, Instructor Colin." Coming back to his senses, Reg stood and bowed in thanks.

"No need to thank me. Go on." Colin waved a hand.

Reg nodded and turned to leave... There was nothing to be dissatisfied with. He was already fortunate enough to learn the contents of the assessment in advance, and he could make some preparations for it.

At this moment, Reg still did not know... that an even greater surprise awaited him before long.

Reg returned to his dormitory on the sixth floor... He had heard that everyone in the tower got their own room instead of sharing with several other children.

"Honestly..."

Reg smiled and returned to his bed, beginning to organize his belongings... He had worried about housing in his previous life, and even here, he could not escape such mundane concerns.

Having a room to himself really was nice... This way, he would not need to sneak up to the top of the tower to train.

This was also something Colin tacitly permitted... The other children simply did not know about it.

Between swordsmanship, physical training, running, and studying, they were already exhausted: they would basically fall asleep the moment they returned to their dorms.

Two minutes later, Reg had finished packing his things... Though there was hardly anything to pack.

Aside from a few changes of clothes, the rest... were more than a dozen heavy books he had borrowed from the library on the third floor.

Reg did not have the habit of taking notes either... There were too many things in his head that could not be written down, not even a few words.

"All right... Return the books, then apply for some medicine, sulfur powder, gauze bandages... and knives..."

Reg stood, tied up the books, and muttered about the supplies needed for wilderness survival... Their usual training equipment was all wooden. At least at their age, the World Government did not encourage its own people to kill one another.

The next day, before dawn.

Reg had chosen to go to sleep at 1:00 a.m., and he woke punctually at 4:00... The dormitory was still silent.

After checking everything he needed to bring one last time, Reg stepped forward... From this day onward, he would no longer be a member of this place.

In Reg's calm eyes, the quiet "flames" burned fiercely... What he would face next was zero-day wilderness survival.

Reg did not feel much resistance toward it... The seas of this world were far from gentle.

Accidents could happen anytime, anywhere during a voyage: weather, pirates, and all kinds of enormous Sea Kings all had to be faced seriously.

Before gaining sufficient strength, quietly accepting all of this... was what he ought to do.

Conquest... had never been something accomplished overnight, but a gradual process.

"Aunt Bella, thank you for taking care of me these past few years."

At the stairway, Reg thanked her earnestly... Not having to wash clothes or even do any mending had saved him far too much time.

"Come, let Auntie give you a hug... You must survive."

"Mm, I will."

Pulled into the embrace of the curvaceous Bella, Reg got a taste of chest massage... It was a little strange, but his heart still felt warm.

Occasionally, infants were sent to this island... It was people like Bella and the others who painstakingly raised them until they turned one before training began.

After all, those instructors would not have the spare time for such things.

"Goodbye, Aunt Bella."

Reg waved farewell and suppressed his feelings of parting... With the past behind him, his heart had to remain open.

Spiraling down the stairs, Reg took one last look at his seat... then left without hesitation.

Creak... In the slightly dim space, Colin, dressed in a black suit, turned from gazing upward toward Reg. "Looks like you have everything prepared."

"Mm, thank you, Instructor Colin." Reg patted the backpack on his back.

"Then let's go."

"Mm."

Getting there early had no downside... Reg followed closely behind Colin.

"Instructor Colin, is training in the Six Powers... difficult?"

Reg still could not help asking... Of the six techniques—"Finger Pistol," "Iron Body," "Shave," "Moon Walk," "Tempest Kick," and "Paper Art"—he only understood how Shave worked: in an instant, within 0.6 seconds, one kicked off the ground more than ten times, using the recoil to generate explosive speed for movement.

Put more plainly, Shave could cover a hundred meters in around four seconds... Calculated by the hour, that was the speed between an ordinary train and an express train: 90 kilometers per hour.

That kind of terrifying instantaneous burst of speed... was an invisible "nightmare" to most people.

"If you can maintain your current level of training... you can probably begin training in five years. It really is something to look forward to," Colin said, his words full of encouragement.

"Five years?!"

Reg exclaimed in surprise... Was this a joke? He had planned to leave in a year.

"The Six Powers are physical techniques, martial arts meant to surpass the limits of humanity... Only when your body is strong enough can you learn them. Forcing yourself to train them will only do more harm than good."

Colin turned back, a mocking curl appearing on his lips... Five years and he was still dissatisfied? Then shouldn't Colin, who had spent nearly ten years back then, be ashamed to death?

"A power level of 400..."

"That's right... As long as you reach that level, you can begin training in the Six Powers... As for the time, five years... No, as long as you keep this up, you'll master them in a year," Colin said with a nod.

"Is there a shortcut, Instructor Colin?"

Reg forced himself to ask... Eight years was too long. He only had a year.

Colin did not immediately scold Reg for being too ambitious. Instead, he stopped and stared at him.

Reg met his gaze with sincere eyes... He was not the kind of person who craved comfort and hated effort.

After a long while, Colin sensed Reg's determination and looked away. "There is... Survive this time, and I'll tell you. Now, start running!"

"Yes!"

Reg clenched his fists... He would not die. There was still so much wonder he had yet to see!!

The moment they stepped across the restricted-zone line, the two began sprinting. Reg gritted his teeth, his legs pumping swiftly as he stayed close behind Colin.