Starting With SSS-rank: I Get A New Skill Every Livestream

Chapter 105: Training(1)

It was a vast space with a dark ceiling, where several large fans and hanging lamps stretched down into the open hall.

Four large arenas stood at each corner. At the center rose a massive dome, while along the sides were various facilities: a weapon rack, a water dispenser, a refrigerator, a snack machine, and a few other essentials.

There was no denying it, the place was well maintained.

"This place is far beyond the reach of any Gen-sensor. No surveillance can touch it, and no one has the authority to question me about it. So, this is your new playground."

Kyle raised his brows. "You had something like this built in Montclair? But why?"

Blake rested his hands on his waist before answering, "This used to be a training base for our troops stationed in the city. They’ve been relocated now, so I visit this warehouse whenever I have free time."

Right... the Astortia family has its own private military. Of course they would have arrangements like this for their personnel.

"So you want me to train here since I won’t get tracked, huh?" Kyle muttered, crossing his arms. Truth be told, he preferred real combat, learning through actual battles. Still, for testing his abilities and understanding his powers, this place was ideal.

"If you want, I can have a few things added. Ah, there are targets in the storage room. Place them wherever you like," Blake said, gesturing toward the door beside the water dispenser.

Blake, of course, knew his brother was an archer, and that his awakened ability allowed him to wield a mythical bow.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to manifest magical equipment during awakening, but having it align so closely with personal preference was rare.

"Understood." Kyle nodded as he walked toward the weapon rack.

Thankfully, several bows and bundles of arrows were neatly arranged there. He had missed conventional archery more than he realized.

Blake let him explore for a while before speaking again. "Now, how about we get started?"

Kyle frowned in surprise. "What do you mean? Are you going to train me or something?"

Instead of answering, Blake walked to the storage room and returned with something in hand.

It was a metal gauntlet, fitted with a long black plate. The inside was padded to provide comfort to the wearer.

"Wear this," Blake said, handing it over.

"What is this?" Kyle asked, confused. He slipped his hand inside, but nothing happened.

"Now, use Genesis," Blake instructed.

Kyle let out a quiet sigh. Should he tell him? Well, Blake would figure it out soon enough. Without overthinking it, he summoned Aquilla.

At once, a golden bow formed in his hand. Its ends curved slightly, and the entire weapon radiated a brilliant glow that left Blake staring, lips slightly parted.

At the same time, the gauntlet whirred and tightened around Kyle’s hand. The black screen lit up, displaying three ascending bars.

"What...?" Blake’s brows shot up in clear shock. "How is that even possible?"

Kyle scratched his head. "Will you just explain what this is about?"

Blake exhaled, steadying himself before speaking. "This tool is used to train Genesis control. See those bars? Once it reaches the fifth one, it delivers a short but sharp shock to your hand."

Kyle’s eyes widened. "What?" He looked down at the gauntlet clinging tightly to his arm.

Blake went on, "Normally, when someone uses basic Genesis to activate it, not even a single bar lights up..." His gaze lingered on Kyle as he muttered, "You really have an absurd amount of Genesis."

"Forget that and take this off me. I don’t like this kind of training."

Blake rolled his eyes. "Kyle... if you’re planning a crash course into the aether world and don’t want to get crushed, this is the best way to train." His voice turned heavier. "You can intimidate and wipe out Knull Residents with your overwhelming Genesis, but are they the only threat you’ll face?"

Kyle fell silent.

Right... his unstable Genesis had already caused him trouble. He didn’t want to burn himself out in a minor fight and end up helpless, too exhausted to even lift his arm.

And soon....a certain redhead would come sniffing him up. Against her, just having strong Genesis wouldn’t be enough.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Alright, tell me. How do I make it work?"

Blake stepped closer and adjusted a few settings on the device. Soon, the three glowing bars dimmed, leaving the screen blank.

"I’ve calibrated it to your current frequency," Blake explained. "Now, even the slightest fluctuation in your Genesis will be recorded. If it drops, you’ll see red bars. If it rises, it’ll show green."

Kyle nodded. "So I need to train while making sure it doesn’t hit the top bar... or I get punished."

Blake gave a small nod. He hesitated for a moment before adding, "I’ll show you this, but don’t use it unless it’s an emergency."

He took Kyle’s wrist and pointed at a pattern.

Two taps near the base, then one in the middle. Instantly, the gauntlet loosened and came apart.

Kyle caught it before it could fall and nodded in understanding. He had been about to ask if there was a way to remove it in an emergency. Right now, he couldn’t fully control when his Genesis surged wildly, and the last thing he wanted was his arm getting constantly scorched by something he couldn’t yet handle.

Kyle took a deep breath and slipped the gauntlet back on.

Turning slightly, he drew the bowstring. Let’s see just how bad his situation really was.

.....

"Vice-Commander?" Layena looked surprised as the man entered the ward. She tried to get up and salute, but he quickly raised a hand, signaling her to stay at ease.

Hannah might have suffered the gravest injury, but Layena bore the most wounds. Her Genesis reserves were nearly depleted after fighting those creatures for so long.

"How are you feeling now?" Timothy asked, pulling a chair and sitting down at a slight distance.

"I... feel better now. I should be back to full health within a day." Layena was mostly exhausted, and the old wound along her side still stung. Aside from that, she couldn’t sense anything that would hinder her movement.

Timothy let out a quiet sigh. "The Commander doesn’t know I came here to tell you this, but I don’t think she’d be too upset about it either."

Layena’s brows lifted slightly. "What is it, sir?" Could this be about Kyle?

Timothy paused for a moment before finally saying, "Layena, I want you to take a few days off and go on a vacation."

She blinked in surprise, but before she could question him, he added, "Because I don’t want your sister causing trouble for you."

Layena’s body went still.

Memories surged through her mind.

Bitter memories, ones she wished she could forget, yet they were etched too deeply to ever fade.

And at the center of them all. A major part of why Layena never had a part in her family was her elder sister, Ava.

...

There were four arrows in his mind, each one he could conjure with a mere thought.

The first was the explosive one—Detroit. It detonated on contact and was the arrow he had relied on the most throughout the battle.

Then came the tracker arrow, one that obeyed his command and could shift its trajectory mid-air. Kyle had named it Tracer. This one was difficult to manage due to his lack of practice.

The third arrow followed. It created the illusion of multiple arrows, confusing the enemy and making it impossible to tell which one to dodge.

Kyle had named this one Mirage. It wasn’t too demanding to use, though it required careful adjustment of his Genesis levels.

And finally, the fourth—Eclipse.

Kyle didn’t fully understand it yet, but if his assumption was correct, this arrow could cut off magic within a certain range for a limited time.

Whether it suppressed Genesis or Absence was something he still needed to figure out.

That was why he chose to start with this one.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the bowstring.

Blake had already set up the targets and stood silently to the side, watching his brother think it through before making his move.

A dark silvery arrow formed as Kyle drew the string further, his muscles tightening.

CLINK

One bar on the gauntlet lit up, then another. Within seconds, a third followed.

Kyle exhaled slowly, and the moment the fourth bar ignited, he released the arrow toward the training dummy.

DOOOOM

A dome of silvery particles erupted on impact.

Kyle gasped as the Aquilla in his hand began to tremble. It resisted the energy now radiating from the impact point.

He turned to Blake. "Try using your skill. Anything. Hurry."

Blake blinked in surprise but quickly nodded, grabbing an axe from the nearby rack.

He imbued it with Genesis and prepared to throw it at another target, but—

"What?" He froze, staring at his hand.

Genesis wasn’t responding the way it should.

His gaze shifted to Kyle, and he gave a firm nod. "That worked."

Kyle allowed himself a brief grin, but then the system spoke.

[Host, mind checking the efficiency of the arrow using God’s Eye?]

If the system was suggesting it, something had to be off.

He complied.

Turning toward the target, he activated God’s Eye, and the report instantly appeared before him.

[Range: 10 meters]

[Efficiency: 7%]

[There is a high potential within the arrow that remains undiscovered, host. You need to concentrate more on Genesis, but keep it linear.]

Hmm...this is going to be difficult.

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, please leave a review to help the future readers.