Chapter 272 - 13: Cattle and Sheep Form Herds, Fierce Beasts Walk Alone

「Several days later.」

The 3rd Floor of the Superpower Fourth Bureau building.

As the Superpower Bureau’s dedicated training ground, it was vast and fully equipped with all the necessary gear.

From bench press machines, heavy barbells, and punching bags...

...to Life Energy detectors, speed-testing tracks, alloy training dummies, and Virtual Combat Simulators—this Life Energy development facility was far more impressive than any ordinary martial arts dojo or club.

A glance around revealed members of the field teams on their days off and official Superpower Members, all drenched in sweat as they poured their energy into their respective training.

And likewise.

Lu Chao had also arrived first thing in the morning.

It wasn’t that he’d never been here before. In the past, however, he had been more focused on improving his Wandering Dragon Steps, so he frequented the Storm Club instead.

But at this very moment.

DRIP!

DRIP!!

Beads of sweat dripped from his body, having long since soaked his white and gray martial arts uniform to splatter onto the silver-gray metal floor.

A closer look revealed him holding the foundational stance for both the Golden Stone Fighting Skill and the Rock Martial Skill, standing inside a sealed, silver-gray metal room.

Except for the white light overhead, the room was completely empty.

And yet, his face was flushed, his breathing slightly labored.

The air around him felt abnormally thick, as if an immense, tangible gravity was pressing down on his body.

’As expected of the gravity room.’ Lu Chao thought, forcing himself to hold his ground.

Under the effects of double gravity, all fatigue and pressure were magnified endlessly.

His heart rate, blood circulation, and breathing—everything felt bound by invisible shackles. His body’s cellular energy consumption and general functions were under immense strain, the load having quietly doubled.

For this reason, the effectiveness of his physical conditioning far surpassed his usual results. What’s more, his training efficiency for both the Thunder Extreme Secret Skill and the Rock Martial Skill was also higher than it would be outside.

CRACKLE!

His bones and sinews began to creak and pop, as if an invisible hammer were beating against his body.

Whenever he was on the verge of giving up, his "Tough Body" skill would kick in at the crucial moment. Its accelerated recovery would erase some of his fatigue, allowing him to persevere.

Time flew by. For anyone else, every second would have been an agony.

And yet, he gritted his teeth and held on, never stopping for a single moment.

The Biotechnology Company was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head.

Because of this, Lu Chao knew he had to become stronger to better handle whatever was coming.

If he could truly master his Rock Martial Skill, the implications would be self-evident.

And so, gritting his teeth, he persisted for another two hours.

WHUM!

The air in the room suddenly fell still.

A feeling of weightlessness washed over Lu Chao. His whole body felt utterly relaxed, and it seemed as if every pore was desperately gasping for air.

"HUFF! HUFF!"

For several long breaths, a burning sensation filled his lungs as his chest heaved and he panted heavily.

He broke his stance and finally managed to catch his breath.

Lu Chao glanced at the specialized display on the alloy door. The timer for the gravity system had run out.

’So my time is up...’

Wiping away his sweat, Lu Chao felt a pang of regret.

He could feel himself getting closer and closer to the Minor Achievement stage of the Thunder Extreme Secret Skill, and his Rock Martial Skill had also improved noticeably.

If he could just train like this for a while longer, the results would be incredible.

Unfortunately, using the gravity room was extremely resource-intensive, so it wasn’t normally free.

Superpower Captains only received ten hours of free access per month, and only for gravity levels up to double the norm.

To extend that time, one had to exchange contribution points.

At two hundred points per hour, the cost was undeniably steep.

By now, he had used up nearly all his contribution points, including his entire monthly allowance.

’Looks like I’ll have to find a way to earn more merits and contribution points.’ Lu Chao licked his lips, gradually straightening his body as he began to recover some of his stamina.

The biggest differences between the Superpower Bureau and other martial arts dojos or clubs came down to two things.

One was the Virtual Combat Simulator, and the other was this gravity room.

He didn’t much care for the former.

The latter, however, offered immense benefits for both his physical conditioning and his Rock Martial Skill practice. There was no reason for him not to pursue it.

At this thought, Lu Chao returned to his senses and walked over to the alloy door.

He then pressed a button on the side.

HISS! CLANK!

The heavy alloy door slid open.

He stepped out, planning to change his clothes and then check for team missions to earn more contribution points.

However, quiet whispers from the rest area of the training ground drifted over, exceptionally clear to his keen senses.

"Tsk, tsk. Captain Jiang really is one of East Port’s top elites. I heard Squad Two of Team Three had the highest mission contribution rate in the Fourth Bureau again this month."

"For real?"

"Of course! Why would I lie to you? Leader Li really lucked out getting Captain Jiang Hua. Team Three’s overall assessment ranking will probably be near the top from now on."

"If you put it that way, Leader Yao really got a raw deal. I heard Captain Jiang was originally supposed to go to Squad Five, but they ended up with Captain Lu instead..."

Lu Chao’s steps faltered when he heard this.

As expected, Jiang Hua’s squad had placed first in this month’s assessment again.

Because of this, people were once again comparing them in private, praising the one to belittle the other.

He was long accustomed to such talk and didn’t pay it much mind.

In private, competition was fierce not just between the Superpower Teams but even among the individual Superpower Squads, so such gossip was impossible to prevent.

He walked on in silence, heading through the corridor straight for the elevators.

DING!

A few moments later, the elevator doors opened, and six or seven figures stepped out.