The next morning, Owen decided to make a major change to his schedule. He knew that if he continued to juggle so many jobs at once, Alex's work would inevitably be delayed and cause problems again. Therefore, Owen chose to temporarily stop working at Jessica's coffee shop this week because he needed to finish Alex's work as quickly as possible. Alex had already sent him the file for the next target, and it was much more complex than the last one.
He called Jessica and briefly explained the situation. Fortunately, she was a reasonable person who understood the circumstances well, so she didn't give him much grief, only saying that she would have to find a temporary employee to help out at the shop while he was away. After hanging up with Jessica, Owen didn't hesitate. He opened the GPS location Alex had sent him and immediately headed for the combat training gym. It was located in a suburban area on a large mountain, far from the hustle and bustle of the city center.
As Owen drove along the winding road up the mountain, the scenery on both sides began to change. The tall buildings gradually faded away, replaced by houses that were set further apart, and lush green trees and grass began to appear, showing signs of nature blending perfectly into the suburban fringe of human society.
Finally, he arrived at the gym according to the GPS address. The sight before him surprised him a little. Its exterior was a modern building made of exposed concrete and glass, looking simple yet exuding strength. But when he looked past the back of the building, he saw the lush greenery of a rich forest, with a large outdoor training ground set amidst that nature, as if it were two separate places that were strangely but harmoniously united as one.
Owen parked his car and walked into the gym. He took a deep breath to gather his courage and pushed open the large door. But when he stepped inside, the first thing he saw made him stand frozen with his mouth agape in disbelief.
Inside the spacious gym, packed with professional-grade exercise equipment, he saw a woman... no, it had to be called a tall, muscular woman with a massive chest, who was diligently bench-pressing a barbell up and down. Her arms were filled with perfect muscle definition. And the most shocking thing of all was the weight plates on that barbell! They were larger than Alex's desk!
And if his eyes weren't deceiving him, the number engraved on the plates read '5 Tons'. That's insane! Owen thought to himself. What the hell am I looking at? Five tons on each side... does that mean she's casually lifting a 10-ton barbell?
Owen began to feel like he had come to the wrong place entirely. Cold sweat started to form on his forehead. No way... there's no way the instructor here is going to make me do that, right?
"Hey~ Are you lost?" a deep, powerful voice interrupted Owen's thoughts.
"It's been a long time since anyone visited my gym. And most of the people who come in are just weak-willed wimps. So I kicked them all out, even if they paid me."
CLANG!~
She stood up and placed the barbell back on its rack with a thunderous crash that sounded like a lightning strike. The floor where he stood even vibrated slightly. She turned to face Owen fully, staring at him with curious eyes. "So, are you going to tell me who you are? Or are you just going to stand there with your mouth open all day?"
Confronted directly, Owen snapped back to his senses. He swallowed hard, trying desperately not to stare at her enormous chest, and immediately introduced himself. "Uh... hello~ My name is Owen."
He tried to speak in the steadiest voice he could muster. "Governor Alex recommended I come train here. He said if I do well, I'll be able to survive against the Awakened."
Hearing Alex's name, the muscular woman raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh~ Alex recommended you?" She said as she walked slowly toward Owen, her razor-sharp gaze scanning him from head to toe. "That's very interesting. He doesn't recommend people to me easily. That means you must have something special about you."
She stopped right in front of Owen. Her tall, large frame instantly made him feel like a small child. "My name is Nova. I'm the owner of this gym," she introduced herself. "Even though Alex recommended you, if you can't meet my standards, I'll still kick you out. Got it?"
Owen took another detailed look at her. Nova was about 35 years old, with short, bright silver hair and powerful emerald-green eyes. She had a large chest and bottom, perfectly toned. Her body was covered in flawless muscles that many men would dream of. She wore only a pink sports bra and dark grey leggings, which highlighted her strength perfectly.
[Character Illustration: Nova]
In Nova's opinion, although Owen looked like someone who exercised regularly, in her eyes... he was still too weak. When she emphasized her high standards, Owen could only nod his head in acknowledgment. Then, he asked her uncertainly, "I understand, Ms. Nova... Are you here alone? Where is everyone else?"
Hearing that, Nova broke into a wide grin, revealing small, sharp canines at the corners of her mouth. "That's right! I'm the only one here. Didn't you hear what I said earlier? I kicked them all out when I saw they couldn't meet my standards. You'll end up the same way soon enough~" she smiled at him slyly.
"That's enough of an introduction," Nova said, clapping her hands once with a loud crack. "I'm impatient, so let's start by testing the current potential of your body. We'll stretch for 10 minutes, then do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and run 10 kilometers! Hurry up and get changed in that room, then come back and do as I say, you maggot!" Nova shouted, her voice powerful.
Suddenly, his Choice System power responded automatically.
…..
[1. Yes, ma'am, instructor! (Shout loudly and follow all of Nova's orders until your body reaches its limit and cannot move.) (Affection +5, You will be exhausted to the point of near death and receive a debuff preventing movement for 1 hour, Enters the Path of the Strong, Enters the path to wooing Nova.)]
[2. Okay, I'll do as you say. (Follow all of Nova's orders until you get tired.) (Affection +1, Nova will not be serious about your training, causing you to spend several weeks working out to condition your body with her.)]
[3. Huh? Isn't that just a standard workout? I want to learn martial arts, not do some ordinary exercise like this! (Affection -5, You are kicked out of the gym by Nova, the Path of the Strong is closed.)]
…..
Owen chose the first option without hesitation. 'No strength is gained without sacrifice!' he thought to himself.
"YES, MA'AM, INSTRUCTOR!"
Owen instinctively shouted back. His voice echoed throughout the gym, making Nova raise an eyebrow in surprise. Then, he immediately ran into the changing room.
Soon, Owen came out in practical workout clothes. He began to warm up and stretch according to the poses she showed him, doing so vigorously. Then, he began the brutal test. He gritted his teeth and did 100 push-ups, followed by another 100 sit-ups until his abdominal muscles were cramping, and finished with a 10-kilometer run on the treadmill.
He repeated these three exercises for several more sets, pushing his limits to the absolute edge. Every time he felt like he was about to run out of energy and couldn't go on, the power of the Choice System would intervene with reality, both physically and mentally.
It made Owen's body keep moving. It made him see images of Clara being threatened by the Awakened. It made him see his own weakness and despair, pushing him to find the will to fight again. He had to endure this grueling workout to strive for future strength!
When Nova saw Owen following her orders to the death, not complaining even once, despite his body trembling and sweat soaking him as if he'd taken a shower, her eyes widened in surprise. She didn't think the ordinary-looking young man before her would have such strong determination. Nova couldn't help but lift the corner of her mouth into a smile. 'It seems I've found a large, uncut diamond…'
A few hours later, Owen finally reached his body's absolute limit. Before his consciousness faded and his body collapsed to the floor, he couldn't move a single muscle. He could only lie on the ground, gasping for breath like a dying man.
The sound of heavy footsteps approached and stopped beside him, before Nova's voice spoke. But this time, it was surprisingly gentle. "Breathe slowly, and relax, Owen. You did much better than I expected. For a weak body like that to do this much is already incredible."
She knelt beside him and adjusted his posture. "You know, only a few people in the world can do that. Working out until you can't move is almost impossible for ordinary people or even most Awakened. But you did it, Owen. That's what makes it so incredible to me. And I will accept all of this determination of yours…"
Nova leaned in close with a sincere smile for the first time. "You've passed my evaluation, Owen. And you even exceeded the standard I set. Congratulations! You're now an official member of my gym~!" Nova shouted in congratulation.
Then, she took out a vial containing some kind of shimmering green liquid from her handbag. "You're lucky I have several bottles of body recovery potion. Otherwise, your body would have been truly wrecked. As your instructor and caretaker, I have to be responsible for any serious consequences that might happen to you."
"So... drink this recovery potion, and you'll be fine," Nova explained as she supported Owen's head and slowly fed him the potion. As for Owen, he could only blink at her, as he didn't even have the strength to speak or move. He could only accept the sweet, fizzy liquid that flowed down his throat.
An hour later…
Owen finally began to be able to move his body again. The warm, tingling sensation from Nova's recovery potion spread throughout his body, but it didn't erase all the pain. The entire time had been like being in hell. It was an agonizing feeling as every muscle protested in unison. The throbbing pain all over his body let him know this was the price of strength.
Although he could move his limbs a little now, standing up was still a problem. Nova, who was reading a magazine nearby, advised him to rest for another half an hour before he could walk. Owen wouldn't be able to do any more work today, neither Alex's job nor his daily stream.
When the time came, Owen slowly propped up his still-aching body to say goodbye to Nova, then drove home, every movement sluggish. From turning the car key to pressing the accelerator, everything required immense effort.
And the moment he opened the door to his house in his battered state, Clara, who was walking out of the kitchen, widened her eyes in shock. "Oh my god! Owen, you look terrible! What happened to you?" She rushed over to him, concerned.
Owen could only manage a tired smile before answering honestly, "I just came from the gym, Clara. Just overworked myself a little." He tried to make it sound like no big deal. "Don't worry, Clara. The instructor said I'll be back to normal after a few days of muscle soreness."
After explaining to Clara so she wouldn't worry any more, Owen dragged his body to the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water helped to relieve some of the fatigue, but as soon as he finished showering, got dressed, and walked into his room, he collapsed onto the bed like a dead man.
He let his body fully recover after the toughest workout of his life. But Nova had said... it was just a "potential assessment." Owen didn't even want to think about what the "real training" would be like…
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