Weighted Battlesuits
Otto and Yan Xiaonan didn't disobey, and after being motioned to come closer, they both did.
Yan Xiaonan sprang up from her fetal position like a rabbit and, after taking an extremely wide step, instantly crossed the about 10-meter distance between them, even leaving behind an afterimage.
Otto's transportation was much simpler, though. He simply walked over. However, every step of his sent ripples into the dirt floor underneath him, as if he weren't a 16-year-old boy but a loaded truck.
Just a few minutes after seeing the two of them, Adam had already seen two extremely bizarre yet powerful displays of strength.
Adam was beyond confused to see these two extremely weird quirks that the two just subconsciously had, but since neither Sam nor Principal Smith looked weird when seeing them, he stayed mum and pressed his confusion down.
'Maybe they have special talents?' Adam guessed as he mused inwardly. Though he was extremely confused about Yan Xiaonan's speed and Otto's bizarrely weighted feet, it wasn't the time to bring them up.
The two special talent holders arrived in front of Principal Smith and stood orderly, waiting for the man's instructions.
"As you all know, I created this forest about a dozen years ago to train any of our top talents. And as this year's top talents, you all have more than earned this right. So this week, I'm opening the forest up and allowing you four access to it." Principal Smith announced it, surprising the four.
While the forest was always near the school, it was sectioned off. The only people who were allowed inside were teachers and the principal. Students were only allowed in specific situations when they had permission for either.
However, students rarely had access to the forest. Other than a yearly tempering that the school held for the seniors, students were rarely allowed entry.
Though Adam and the rest were only 16 this year, the Federation's education system wasn't as long as it had been before the spiritual qi resurgence.
Instead of graduating at 18 or 17, students would graduate at 15 or 16, two years earlier than before the spiritual qi resurgence. Moreover, rather than having 12 grades, there are only 9 grades. 4 in elementary, 3 in middle, and 2 in high school.
And as seniors in high school, Adam and co. were forcibly put through the dangerous tempering about half a year ago during their entrance ceremony. It was an extremely fun and helpful training session, but since then, they haven't been allowed in the forest.
Apparently, in the principal's words, it was already pushing the line to allow them in at once. Doing it again would be testing the bottom line of the Federation, and while Principal Smith was a powerful man on Planet Eagle, in front of the entire Federation of Humanity, he was just another slightly powerful martial artist.
Adam didn't know the name of the realm Principal Smith was in, but he did know that the Martial Emperor Realm was the eighth realm of cultivation, while Principal Smith was only in the fourth realm of cultivation. The old man would never be able to contest such a huge difference in power in this life.
So being obedient to the Federation's wishes was the smart move, and because of this, he didn't let the students enter the forest again.
However, it was different for students in the half-step Martial Apprentice Realm, like the four in front of him. They were allowed to enter the forest, albeit with some restrictions.
"You four will spend the next week in this forest, training and adapting to a martial artist's rugged and horrible life. Of course, just in case of emergencies, I will give you all a distress button that you can press to escape at any time." Principal Smith continued.
"During this time, you are all allowed to hunt any of the beasts living in the forest, bar the Martial Apprentice wolf living in the center. He is both stronger than all of you and rather important to the ecosystem inside the forest. Attempting to kill him is dangerous, and even if you should succeed in killing him, it won't be worth the troubles that follow."
Finished with his words, Principal Smith crossed his arms and placed them on his chest, and he waited for any questions from the group of four students.
Otto was the first to ask something.
"Principal, must I also enter? Following my father, I have undergone equal, if not more intense, tempering. This won't do as much for me compared to them." Otto asked with perfect military posture and protocol.
Following his father had done a lot to transform the boy from his previous arrogant, second-generation arrogant self to his new version.
However, unlike the answer the boy had expected, Principal Smith frowned in response.
"So what? You're telling me that you find my school's means useless in comparison to your father's? Do you know the relationship I have with your father? If not for that, how could I force him to bring you here today?" Principal Smith snorted angrily.
Though he could tell that Otto's question made sense, he was still slightly annoyed by it. Otto had basically implied that whatever he had planned was a nothingburger. Principal Smith couldn't help but get offended somewhat by it, even though they were rather correct.
Otto's previous confidence was pushed down, and he simply lowered his head in response, following Principal Smith's words.
The other three infer that Principal Smith's voice definitely had some weight in Otto's family matters.
"But on the other hand, I do know that you have undergone tempering similar to this. So in preparation, I have made this for all of you." Principal Smith suddenly continued speaking.
Finished with his words, he waved his hand, and from his right, a professor soon appeared carrying four sleek black battlesuits.
Battlesuits were this universe's version of the armor that soldiers of the past wore. They were made from tough metals that had undergone some type of evolution thanks to spiritual qi and were now far stronger than their previous versions.
Some of the more advanced battle suits also did more spectacular things, like assisting martial artists in battle by giving them more strength, speed, and other physical metrics. By using electricity and other natural manifestations, the battle suits could enhance the flesh's power, giving the martial artist wearing them more power.
However, these super battlesuits were just as rare as spatial technology. Adam had only heard of them and had never seen one before. So, before Principal Smith introduced what these four battlesuits did, Adam had his hopes up.
Sadly, they were immediately brought down.
And brought down low they were.
"These battle suits are specially made for students like you. Specifically, those at the half-step Martial Apprentice Realm who are trying to perfect their foundations. And what they do is something simple."
"In essence, they are just weighted training suits. However, through my son's and his colleagues' efforts, the scientists who made this managed to give the suits an adjustable setting that allows the wearer to adjust how much they weigh." Principal Smith explained.
Motioning to the teacher who randomly appeared, Principal Smith ordered him to hand them out to the students.
Adam, Sam, and Yan Xiaonan's faces sank in annoyance, while Otto's didn't change much.
However, Principal Smith's glare gave the three shivers. The teacher who wasn't taking no for an answer forced them to put on the suits. So after they caught the suits that the teacher rudely threw toward them, Adam and the rest were forced to put on these weighted battlesuits.
Thankfully, at the very least, they were extremely easy to put on. After a simple dress-like slip-on process, all of them were inside the battlesuits. Moreover, after they put it on, it compressed around their bodies tightly. It was like the battlesuit was alive.
However, just as they were feeling the wondrously tight feeling that lined their muscles and bodies, the weight hit them like a truck, and they all stumbled to the ground.
Yan Xiaonan had the worst reaction of the four. After letting out a panic-filled shriek, she was slammed into the ground, unprepared for just how heavy the battlesuit was.
Sam suffered the same fate, but rather than face-planting like her classmate, she managed to catch herself on the ground. But she was now on all fours as she tried to stop herself from collapsing completely—a rather pathetic appearance from the once-noble class president.
Otto was the best of Adam's three classmates, and he only knelt slightly before he managed to stand back up, with his spine still as straight as ever.
It made Adam wonder what kind of hell his father had put him through.
Adam, though, was much better off than his three classmates. Unlike them, he had a middle-grade defense talent and a 98.2 vitality index score. His body was much stronger than theirs, and he was more than able to hold the weight of the battlesuit. So, other than a slight stumble, he was fine.
"Principal Smith, how much does this thing weigh?" Sam cried out in agony as she tried to stand up.
"Currently, it only weighs about 750kg. However, the weight is adjustable. The lowest it can go is 250kg, while the highest is about 1,250kg. 750kg is just the default setting. If you want to switch it, just adjust the knob that is at your hips." Principal Smith explained.
The three people who were struggling to even stand took his instructions with glee and immediately adjusted the knob, dropping the weight according to their own preferences.
Yan Xiaonan was the physically weakest of the four. She dropped to the lowest weight of 250 kg, but even then, she was still visibly struggling to walk with the weight.
Sam was better than her classmate and only dropped a few hundred pounds, going down to just about 400kg, while Otto barely dropped it at all, only making it an even 700kg.
Adam, though, didn't adjust it and left it as it was. He was tempted to increase it, but he felt like doing that in front of everyone here would send alarm bells to his peers and principal.
It was better to hide some of his strength for now.
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