Air Hero

Training start!

Kalina and Max followed after the flowery muscle receptionist, and then what greeted Max is a vast training space that you couldn’t imagine from the outside of the building. It is several times bigger than what it looked on the outside. The walls also looked sturdier, as if it was mixed with some metal.

“Thank you, Alice, for leading the way.”

“No problem, Kalina. It’s my job, after all. I will leave you two here then. If you need anything, just give me a call.”

Once again, Max’s stomach is feeling butterflies the moment he found out Alice’s name. Realizing that, Kalina gives Max a look.

“You know, despite everything, Alice is a good person.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“But I can guess from the look in your eyes. Just make sure not to hurt Alice’s feelings. Alice is a sensitive person.”

“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

Max listened to Kalina’s words obediently as she has already become his life benefactor.

“So, what kind of training that will we be doing?”

“First off, let me ask you. You have been eating following my diet plan, right?”

“Of course. I followed the diet plan.”

“Great. You might not understand its effect before, but you will feel it after this and after your future training. Now, get changed to your training clothes.”

It couldn’t really be called training clothes as Max didn’t have many clothes and just wear a t-shirt with shorts.

“Okay, the first thing that we need you to have is to increase your stamina.”

“Eh, it wasn’t a superpower training?”

“Look what we have here. As expected of someone without proper United Heroes school curriculums, you lacked the knowledge. Let me ask you, between two fire-based superpower users, what do you think makes the difference between their rank?”

“That’s easy. Isn’t it because of the difference in the power that they could unleash?”

“Then, what factors are involved in making that difference of power?”

Pluto never think of this before. Did this difference come from their birth? If so, then what is the purpose of the hero school?

“I don’t know. Maybe it was a talent?”

“Well, talent can only help you so far. The answer is training. Of course, training your superpower is one thing, but there’s a more important factor to consider. If we think that the superpower is a driving force resulting in a car moving forward, there is a need to prepare fuel and the engine. While the rank of the superpower can be seen at how fast the car is moving forward.”

With the example that Kalina is giving him, Max is finally starting to think. If the superpower is the outcome that comes as the result of the engine meets the fuel, what is the fuel, and what is the engine?

As it has something to do with training, it surely has a connection to his body, right?

“Should I say that one factor is involving the body?”

“Duh, even a monkey could guess that. So can you guess the other factor?”

Max is now thinking more seriously. If the superpower is the outcome, then what influences it other than the body? After thinking for some time, Max couldn’t even come up with an answer.

“I give up.”

“Well, good job. Ten minutes and 34 seconds. I thought that you would give up way earlier than that. Let me give you the answer then. The equation is your body capabilities plus energy stored in your body equals to the superpower that you can unleash.”

“Wait, so in the end, the answer is both bodies.”

“Yes, but there’s a big difference between the two. One is an internal factor, and the second is external. The energy that is stored in your body is mostly external since it comes from the food that you’re eating, your sensitivity with the elements that allow you to reduce energy consumption might affect it, but still, the main thing is the energy that you store.”

Max is still digesting things since his brain is too slow to follow Kalina's explanation.

“The training that you’re going through is more like to temper your body to increase your body capabilities to store energy. Once again, your talents might decide where your basic rank is, but training can work wonders to increase it.”

Max is a little bit confused since isn’t it still involves body and training in the end?

“Since I think that you’re still a bit confused, let me explain it to you in simpler terms. Your body is the main engine of the car. Your talent and sensitivity determined your maximum top speed. However, even if your maximum top speed is slower than others, you can do training to increase your maximum top speed. Are you with me until here?”

Max nodded since this time the explanation wasn’t that hard.

“Next, we’re talking about the fuel. The energy that is stored inside your body. You can eat better food as in increasing the quality of your fuel. Your sensitivity and potential can work to decrease your fuel consumption, just like the fuel pumps to the engine. Training, too, can work to increase the size of your fuel tanks. Do you understand it now?”

“Ah, in the end, it is all training, right? Just tell me what kind of training I need to do to make my engine and fuel tank better.”

“I didn’t know whether you’re too stupid to understand or too smart to not care about the small details. Anyway, at least you understand that all of it is related to training. Don’t let what bull they said about talents or anything like that. I believe that perseverance and hard work is the true way since I know someone that is exactly like that and managed to make a name of himself as a top 10 S-rank.”

“Eh? For real?”

“Yes. That is why you should not skimp on your training since you’ve already lagged behind compared to your peers at the United Heroes school. This is why entering a hero school is very beneficial since we’re preparing your body and knowledge since you are young.”

Finally, Max realized that the advantage of getting into United Heroes school isn’t just prestige and things like that. There’s a reason why people wanted to enter the school.

“Don’t feel too sad. Since I am here, I will make sure that you will be able to catch up to them in a short amount of time. The question is, are you prepared to bleed?”

“I’m prepared. You know what I’ve been through all my life. I can handle anything you throw at me.”

“Oh, don’t come crying at me later, saying that you can’t take it anymore.”

“Big sis Kalina, I’m ready for everything!”