We returned to the laboratory where everyone else was already gathered. The two researchers were nowhere in sight. All the heroes were in rough shape, much more haggard than when they first arrived. I didn’t see Lilith or any members of her team present. I guess Tess let them leave early or they were in a different part of the …

“Tomo, are you awake?” I felt someone shake my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw Tess next to me. F***, I had a headache again and my stomach hurt like hell too. S***, any mind dives involving Tess weren’t a fun time at all. I opened my mouth and couldn’t even utter a single word. “Water,” Tess offered, placing …

The Gatekeeper remained silent during our entire walk to the next location. I thought about initiating a conversation but decided against it. She seemed… more closed off than usual. Kinda weird to actually think about actually. Tess never displayed much emotion, but she was a person I could depend on, no doubt the other heroes agreed with that as well. …

He went over safety procedures before handing me goggles and an earmuff. Kuan reviewed loading the weapon and then stood back. I inserted the magazine in and turned the safety off. The hero demonstrated how to aim and position my body. After two minutes, Kuan confirmed I was ready. I fired off my first shot, not even striking the target. …

“What do you have in store for me, Tess?” I glanced over at the Gatekeeper, worried about the session after the upcoming one. “Whatever do you mean, Tomo?” she opened the door for me, a blank expression on her face. “Don’t lie to me, Tess! Once I’m finished training with Kuan, you’re the only one left. There’s no way you’ll …

“Onto the cool combo moves! Zhang, help me out,” Shui said, creating a cloud of steam. En extended his open palm and the steam became tinged with an electrical shock. Every few seconds, sparks pulsated from it. Electrified steam, huh? Trap an opponent in steam and then paralyze them inside it. A really useful tool to have. “Once you set …

“Really? I’m down for that,” Shui said to Bartholomew and Steph as we walked in. “Time already? I’ll message you both later,” Bartholomew said, noticing us enter. “Sounds good to me,” Shui responded, sipping water from his bottle. “Bye!” Steph waved good-bye to the water elemental user. Shui was sociable as always. Bartholomew made sense to me since the man …

Shan, a backpack over his shoulder, raised his right hand up in a greeting. He knelt near our bench, unzipping his bag. “Shigetzu, are you the guest Tess talked about earlier?” Jen assisted the man with taking out items from his backpack. “Probably, unless I’m in the wrong place,” Shan replied with a grin. Various equipment, ranging from knife blades, …

“Who am I training with next?” I waited for Tess to unlock a door. “Jen. It’s a natural transition after Jin went over binding to an opponent’s magic,” she answered as we entered an underground walkway. “Tess, what’s up with the huge number of bridges and paths around here?” I glanced over at her. “Safety precautions. Multiple escape routes are …

“I’ll be the practice dummy for this one,” Kyoi revealed, joining us. “That’s surprising,” I said, glancing over at her in surprise. “I’m the only one who will be able to handle the next part of your lessons without suffering any negative effects. Simple as that,” Kyoi explained with a smile. “This is kind of scary,” I remarked, watching the …