NOVEL NEXT Chapter 70: Echo Step
Time passed, and Kael had already reset the Training Dummies at least three times—and that was with him using only ten minutes of the Training Room's time.
Just like the dummies, who only used their fists and feet to fight, Kael did the same. Each time, he defeated all five Training Dummies without breaking much of a sweat. Furthermore, he only used basic Martial Arts, not even bothering to use Drakorite Techniques or the other Martial Arts he had learned from various planets.
Kael walked toward the table where the holographic panel floated, leaving behind nothing but broken dolls.
He glanced at the time and saw that the ten minutes were up. "Hmm, these dummies are too easy to fight…" he muttered as he browsed through the other settings.
The dummies had strength similar to that of Second Grade Behemechs, but they lacked the Behemechs' abilities—merely mimicking their strength and speed. Still, most Primers would have a hard time dealing with five Training Dummies, let alone completely destroying them until they could no longer move.
Kael continued browsing through the settings and found an option to increase the difficulty. However, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he saw that he needed to pay to use that feature.
Only the VIP Training Rooms had all features unlocked without requiring payment for extras like increasing the difficulty.
"Should've gone for that room," Kael muttered in disappointment. He could pay for the upgrade, but he would have to leave the room and get the card from Trey. He thought about it for a moment before shaking his head and turning off the panel.
Kael concluded his training session. There wasn't much else he could do with the limited features and settings.
The broken Training Dummies scattered across the floor were swallowed by circular platforms. With a hissing sound, they disappeared into the ground as the circular doors closed over them.
With nothing much left to do, Kael decided to open his Progress Scanner to see what he had gained in his Skill section. He hadn't bothered looking at it earlier, too excited to test out his new strength on the Training Dummies.
Gaining a Skill was based on luck and depended on how many Status Points a Primer had stored. The more Status Points used, the higher the chance of acquiring a Skill.
Skills were random—one might acquire a useless one, while another might gain a useful, though possibly weak or strong, ability. Everything depended on luck. From what Kael knew, even Carina and her team from the New One Company, new Half-Aegis users, didn't have anyone who had acquired a Skill yet.
Still, they made up for it with their good Exoskeleton Suits, which were even better than what most Primers with Skills carried in their arsenals.
Kael's gaze fell onto the Skill section displayed on his Status Band.
Skills:
Untitled (Tap to Randomize)
"Oh, interesting," Kael muttered, his eyes glinting. "So the white substance isn't the only thing that's been stored inside me."
Clearly, the Level Up Pod had done more than just inject Gene Enhancers. Anyone with common sense could tell that if he tapped on 'Untitled,' randomization would occur—and something would change within his body.
So they're this advanced? Kael raised an eyebrow, his gaze focused intently on his Status Band. "This Status Band and that Level Up Pod… they're quite advanced for this planet's technological capabilities... hmm, just like on other planets."
Kael had visited hundreds, if not thousands, of planets. Taros wasn't the only one using the Level Up concept.
When he thought about some of those other worlds, he realized they all shared something in common: their technological capabilities weren't high enough to invent something like a Level Up Pod.
The concepts varied, the approaches were different, but still—none of them should have been able to create something like Level Up.
As Kael thought about it, he decided to investigate the matter when he had more time. Right now, he was too curious about what Skill he was going to get.
Would he have the same Skill he had a hundred years ago, or would he get something new this time? His White Prime Skills had come from the Lab, and Kael wasn't sure if he would get them back.
His strength was gone, leaving him with nothing but a below-average body to work with.
With curiosity burning in his eyes, he tapped the Untitled.
A new screen popped up above the Progress Scanner, displaying a three-dimensional cube, slowly spinning and floating.
The cube resembled a Rubik's cube from Kael's home planet, turning and twisting with a satisfying sound as its parts aligned perfectly.
Below the cube was a simple instruction:
"Tap the cube to generate your Skill."
Kael did as instructed. He raised his hand and tapped the cube. His movement was slow, his heart pounding with anticipation. The feeling didn't bore him—instead, it intrigued him even more.
As his finger left the screen, the cube spun faster, aligning its parts until it suddenly stopped, like someone had slammed on the brakes.
Then, a burst of light exploded from within, causing the cube to shake violently before it shattered.
The light hit Kael's eyes, and when his vision cleared, the screen displayed his Skill:
Echo Step: Leaves behind a faded afterimage when he moves, confusing enemy targeting systems and perception.
Effect: Can stack up to 3 echoes, each mimicking a different action.Bonus: Can swap positions with one echo mid-fight.
Kael read the description carefully, and as he finished, his eyes lit up.
"This Skill... it's mine," the White Prime muttered, surprise and excitement coloring his voice.
The Skill he obtained was one he had lost after being sealed in ice for a hundred years. The name was different now, but even with just a few lines of description, Kael knew—it was the same Skill he had once wielded: Annoying Mirage. He had even been the one to name it back then, causing laughter among his teammates—not that he cared much. It was just a name.
"But Echo Step? It has a nice ring to it... way cooler than what I came up with," Kael nodded, satisfied with the new name.
The screen hovering above the Progress Scanner disappeared, revealing the updated details:
Progress Scanner:
[Name]: Kael Draven
[Race]: Human
[Rank]: Rank 3 (10 is the requirement to wear Aegis Prime)
[Level]: 12
Core Attributes:
Health: 100/100
Endurance: 100/100
Energy Reserves: 0
Status Points: 0
Physical Stats:
Strength: 14
Agility: 13
Vitality: 12
Reflex: 7
Skills:Echo Step
After a quick glance at the new information, Kael turned off his Status Band. With a smile tugging at his lips, he activated his Skill.
"Echo Step!" Kael even shouted the name, narrowing his eyes as he braced for the strange sensation of his body splitting into three.
His voice reverberated through the Training Room...
But as seconds passed...
Nothing happened—not even a fart slipped out.
"Echo Step!" Kael frowned and tried again. Still, only the echo of his voice answered him. "What is happening?"
Confused, he brought up his Progress Scanner, searching for any clue, but found nothing helpful.
"Don't tell me... using a Skill needs something else now?" Kael muttered, frustration etched into his voice and face.
He was used to Skills flowing naturally, like drinking water. A hundred years ago, all he had to do was think about activating Annoying Mirage, and instantly three copies of himself would appear, throwing his enemies into confusion.
However, what had just happened a few moments ago frustrated him. All Skills were supposed to activate the same way—people only needed to think. Some Skills had additional requirements in order to be used, but for straightforward Skills like Annoying Mirage or Echo Step, there was no need for extra steps.
Kael glanced at the Progress Scanner one more time, his eyes landing on the Energy Reserve, which was still sitting at zero.
Energy Reserve... If common sense served him right, maybe this was the thing preventing him from using his Skills. Kael wasn't sure, so he decided to leave the room and ask Trey.
But just as he was about to storm out, the door to his Training Room opened, and a head popped in. The person looked hesitant, their face red as they glanced around—until their eyes landed on Kael.
"Oh, h-hello…" the person greeted shyly.
"Anna," Kael said, instantly knowing why she was here. He immediately pushed aside the matter of his unusable Skill and focused on the woman instead. "I was expecting you. Why don't you come in?"
"I... then, forgive my intrusion," Anna said, stepping inside as she nervously fixed her clothes and hair before pushing the door closed behind her.
Kael glanced outside and spotted Trey staring at their direction, eyes wide. With a bang, the Training Room door shut, leaving only him and the receptionist.
"Break time?" Kael asked as he walked toward the holographic panel. He tapped a few times, and a platform materialized in the middle of the room. It was small, but big enough for three people to lie on.
The Training Room had simple features besides the Training Dummies—things like altering terrains and summoning platforms like this one. These platforms were used to challenge a Primer, helping them improve their combat abilities in different environments, though they had to personally create the terrain.
"Let's sit here," Kael said, sitting on the platform and patting the spot beside him.
"That's..." Anna's face flushed even redder. She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright."
"Curious about the man on a mechanical horse?" Kael smirked.
"Yes... and about my face," Anna said.
"I see..." Kael's eyes wandered—staring at her eyes first, then her lips, then stealing a glance at her chest and legs. Once he was done, he offered a gentlemanly smile. "Then, I'll talk about the man on the mechanical horse first..."
(The next chapter is R18. If you don't want explicit scenes, you don't have to read it.)