The Rising Of The Anomaly - Chapter 141

“I’ve…I’ve had enough…,” Groaned Kiran, collapsing onto his knees while trying to catch his breath.

“We’ve still got about ten minutes left…but fine, even I’m a little bit worn out after that,” I admitted with a sigh, as I stretched my arms.

For the past fifty minutes or so, we’d been training using the three-way sparring method I suggested, which turned out to be tougher than even I could have predicted….it was definitely highly effective though. After about twenty minutes, it started to get a bit easier, so I decided to shake things up a bit.

Specifically, I added the training bots into the mix, incrementally in ten minute intervals. We got upto three bots, and right as I began considering adding a fourth, Kiran had had enough…

“I’ll admit, this does feel effective…but it’s so draining, I had to constantly stay alert and on my toes the whole time,” He grumbled, as he pulled down his face mask to drink some water.

“That’s how you know it’s working,” I countered with a grin.

Oh, and Bytra was collapsed on her back, beads of sweat pouring down the sides of her head while she struggled to catch her breath…also, her clothes were kinda clinging to her skin, and I was trying not to stare.

What? Just because I hate her doesn’t mean I can’t find her attractive, physically speaking, anyway.

Anyway, I’d ideally like to do this kind of training everyday for the next couple of weeks, but that’s probably not realistic…it’s not big deal for me, but Kiran would definitely complain, and complain for real instead of his usual empty complaints. And from what I’ve seen, Bytra’s stamina levels are about the same as his.

This training is definitely highly effective, there’s no doubt about that…with so many opponents to keep track of, you’re forced into a highly alert state of mind, and prolonging that state is the main driving factor in why they’re so exhausted, but if they can get used to maintaining that level of intensity without draining their stamina so quickly, the exam will be a lot easier to deal with.

I could also tell that this training was definitely helping with us identifying each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Learning the others’ physical habits and tics when they’re about to make a certain move is what was especially beneficial…it could potentially let us figure out what the other is about to do without them even saying anything.

Okay, that level might be a bit hard to achieve in the remaining time we have before the exam, but we’re definitely on the right track.

Well, anyway, looking at the two of them right now, it’s obvious that neither of them are going to be able to continue in any effective manner tonight, so guess there’s nothing to do but wrap it up for the day.

“Alright, then…we’re done for today. We’ve got about three weeks left before the combat exam, and we’ll spend the next two weeks conducting six training sessions like this one, that’s less than every other day on average…you two can decide which days those six sessions will be on,” I remarked, as I stood up and began heading for the locker rooms.

I still have plenty of stamina left, but I’m still pretty sweaty…probably shouldn’t use public transport in this condition, I should grab a shower before that.

Hm, maybe I should get my own vehicle, I can certainly afford one…people always stare at me in buses, and it doesn’t get any less annoying no matter how much it happens. I do have a way around that, but it’s still annoying that I even have to.

Normally, if people with vehicles want to teleport to a different quadrant or district, they have to pay a kinda pricey fee to do so.

But I can always use Cut and Paste to transport something-…hm, but something like a car would take a ton of XFE, fully using Cut on something that’s physically larger than me costs a ridiculous amount of XFE, I’d probably end up draining myself.

Hm, but what about a bike? Still bigger than me, but not by much, so I’d probably be able to teleport one at less than ten percent XFE, while a car would likely cost me upto forty percent, maybe even more.

Huh…yeah, I like the idea of that, actually. Of course, I’ll also have to get some training and a driver’s license, which I think takes a couple of weeks, at least. In which case, if I’m getting one, then it’ll have to be after the upcoming batch of exams. Yeah, no sense in focusing on that now…and first things first, I need to shower…

…

About twenty minutes later, I was outside the training facility, showered and changed. I was wearing a dark gray long sleeved top with black sweatpants and flip-flops, my dirty clothes were in my bag. Hm, should I leave or wait for the others? I then glanced at my I-Watch to check the time, right as Kiran and Bytra also showed up, looking pretty work out, to put it lightly.

“So, when do you guys want to have the next training session?” I inquired, as they began to walk past me.

“Huh? Who are y-…wait, is that you, Kilzachs?” Responded Kiran in surprise.

Yeah, so, I’m wearing a disguise. Particularly, a medium-long black haired wig, and I took off my glasses. Simple, yet effective. This is the way around being stared in public I mentioned earlier, people aren’t going to stare if they don’t recognize me, after all.

“Yup, the one and only,” I replied dryly.

“Oh, I get it, this is to keep people from recognizing you. Can you see without your glasses though? It doesn’t look like you’re wearing contacts,” Remarked Kiran curiously.

“Hey, I’m not blind, you know. Sure, things are a bit blurry, but I can see just fine,” I replied, rolling my eyes, “By the way, it feels like you’re talking a lot more than you usually do lately.”

“That’s because I’m usually relaxed and don’t feel like talking much. I’m very much not relaxed these days, pretty much all of my muscles are aching,” He sighed irritably.

“That’s a good sign, actually,” I responded, before asking again, “Well? When’s the next training session? Remember, we’re going to have six in the next fourteen days, and you probably don’t want to procrastinate all of them for the very end.”

“Um…h-how about the day after tomorrow?” Spoke up Bytra timidly.

“Fine by me. Kiran?” I inquired, turning back towards him.

“…alright, fine,” He relented with a sigh.

With that agreed upon, we each began heading back home. There was a Teleportation Point within walking distance, so we headed there. Kiran asked the attendant to teleport him back to the East Quadrant, after which Bytra and I teleported to the Residential District in the North Quadrant.

We headed for the nearest bus stop and sat down on the bench there, as an awkward silence ensued. I was waiting for a bus that was scheduled to arrive in a couple more minutes, with a route that would take me right by my place.

As for Bytra…I’m sure she’s getting on a different bus. How am I so sure, you ask? Because I want and hope that she gets on a different bus. In other words…I’m not sure at all. All I can do is hope and-…oh, the bus is here, a little bit ahead of schedule, nice.

Alright, moment of truth…if she stays still, that means she’s taking a different bus-…crap, she’s standing up. Damn it…she’s taking the same bus. Now, what? Do I wait for it to come back around? No, that’s not going to be for at least a couple of hours…shit, guess there’s no choice.

I let out a reluctant sigh before standing up too, and as the bus stopped and the doors hissed open, she and I entered the vehicle, before the doors shut with another hiss and the bus began moving again.

Shit, it’s crowded in here. There were only two free seats, and they were next to each other, at the back left corner of the bus. Is this some kind of cruel prank? My choices are to either stand or to sit next to her.

But I don’t want to do either. So, then…which one do I want to do less? Standing…I don’t want to stand right now, my legs are a bit sore. I walked over to the seats in defeat, nabbing the window seat. And sure enough, she sat down next to me.

“U-um, hey…,” She spoke up nervously, after a lengthy silence passed, “I-I’m…sorry.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?” I responded coldly…tch, don’t talk to me outside of anything related to the temporary team…

“I, um…e-everything I did to you, I-…I’m sorry…I just-,” She began.

“Why now, so suddenly and abruptly, out of nowhere? Because you know what, all you’re doing right now is pissing me off,” I replied with a grimace.

“I-it’s the least I can do, a-and I know it doesn’t make up for wh-what I did, but…I-I don’t know what else to do,” She stuttered with a miserable look on her face.

“Ohhh…now I get it. Well, forget about it, if you’re looking to me to alleviate your guilty conscience, you’re looking in the wrong place. I couldn’t care less about that. And just so you know, no matter what, I will never forgive you,” I stated icily.

“I…I just-…,” She began, before trailing off and taking a deep breath, exhaling slowly and continuing with a hint of conviction, “You have no idea how much I’m agonized over what I did to you…betraying you the way I did, and after that even sinking as low as to make fun of you along with the others…what I did to you is unforgivable, I know that, and I won’t ask for your forgiveness. But I, um-…since we are working together till the end of this month and all, I…I just figured that we could, maybe-…”

“What, reconcile or something?” I scoffed, as I felt a deep-seated hatred rising, “You’ve got to be kidding me. Let me make this clear…I’m setting aside my personal grudge towards you during training and anything else related to the upcoming combat exam. But make no mistake, Bytra…I hate you, I absolutely despise you, and that’s never going to change. You think you can one-sidedly apologize and try to erase what you did, well then, fuck you, think again. Oh, and after this exam is over…don’t ever talk to me again, got that?”

“I-…yeah…I got it…,” She trailed off quietly, averting her gaze downwards.

She didn’t say a word after that, and after a couple more stops, she finally got off, as I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Damn it, what the hell was that? Talk about arrogant…you can’t just put someone through shit like that and then expect them to ever forgive you for it.

At one point, she meant a lot to me, I was growing more and more fond of her with every interaction, I thoroughly enjoyed being in her company…and then, she just spat in the face of that, leaving me broken and empty.

I absolutely hate her for that, and there’s no doubt in my mind…that I always will…

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