Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

Mikhail looked at me solemnly at first but he nodded in agreement right after.

Most of our team could handle ourselves but he was the one we would always rely on to bring the front. Tatiana and I, even Ibarra, could do also do it but his position as the vanguard was fucking solid. Any team he would be a part of in the future would fare better if he was placed in the same position as well.

Without further ado, he wound his weapon for the second time and he achieved a better result even if his targets were already cut in half. He didn't replace the bamboo he just cut down earlier and even if lopped them off cleanly, it still came at a more forward angle because of his height.

Nevertheless, the cut-up pieces of bamboo almost fell at the same time and the people in the gym just took in cold breaths. It was already obvious that the force Mikhail uses was already comparable to a normal survivor's overexertion but he wasn't just a musclehead people would normally categorize him, not anymore.

From the time he first acquired his king's weapon plus the time we'd give each other pointers, he learned that monstrous strength wasn't everything. Sure, it could be used to solve problems, albeit barbarically, but he just started to embrace a little bit of finesse and control.

Being able to lift a heavy chunk of metal such as his axe-hammer was one thing and being able to wield it precisely was another.

After several rounds of murderous, yet controlled, swings, he managed to successfully clear 17 sets before making a mistake. His last swing got stuck on the 5th piece of green bamboo but following after that was almost insurmountable for a regular dude.

No one wanted to be the next person to be put in the spotlight but I couldn't put it against them. There was a lot of pressure involved but at the end of the day, I was still teaching a class.

I turned to Mikhail after looking at everyone's expressions, "Great job, dude. Wanna upgrade or do you want to keep that one?"

Mikhail shook his head with a smile, "Nyet, I'd just look for you if I want to put in a request."

"Sure, you earned it. Okay~ Who wants to go next? Anyone?"

I thought I would've to pick someone at random but surprisingly enough, Ibarra raised his hand. He didn't look like he was feeling the pressure at all but instead of conjoining his custom spear together, he walked up to the table where my collection was placed neatly. After all this time, no one tried to pick them up because they just wanted to use something they were comfortable with.

Ibarra picked up my guandao, "Can I use this one?"

I nodded, "Sure, but aren't you more--"

Ibarra shook his head, "I'd prefer to use my own but I need the extra weight."

"Then go ahead," I said as I smiled faintly and shrugged my shoulders.

"Can I just try for five? I wouldn't want to bend this one if I fail."

"Sure, no problem."

'It wouldn't though… it's almost as ductile as mine...'

Everyone's eyes were now on Ibarra's figure but he was just standing in front of his targets while taking deep, slow breaths. However, right when someone was just about to address it, he let out a short exhale before swinging my guandao diagonally.

It easily cut through the first few pieces and it did so at the last few.

Ibarra just let out a faint smile before trying two more times and the only thing he did differently was the angles he came in. Nevertheless, he textbook cut down each piece just by applying the proper techniques and just the right amount of force with each strike.

Looking at everyone, most of them were simply underwhelmed because of the number of bamboo pieces Ibarra cut off.

'Most of you can't even do three… Well, Mikhail shone a bit too brightly today… Furthermore, Ibarra didn't want to stand out too much… He's just more comfortable with just our team...'

I looked at him approvingly, "So… wanna keep--"

Ibarra instantly shook his head, "I like the weight but a few mods to my spear are coming soon. They might even replace the whole thing to give it more heft. They also told me I'd get something special too."

"Oh? That's great news then. Still, don't forget you can ask me for anything like Mikhail."

Ibarra just nodded, "Sure, I'll bring it up when I got the chance. Maybe tomorrow after the run? I just need to run something by you."

'Oh? He already had something in mind, eh? I guess he doesn't want everyone to hear it...'

After a short while, the rest had their turn and most of them managed to get to one, two and a half pieces, or a solid three. With that said, some of them did try to use my collection on display but all of them just reverted to using the weapon they were used to using. Upgrading into something you're not used to was bound to cause problems unless they were completely compatible with it.

With that said, it led the people who passed the test to not take anything from my collection and just have some sort of favor kept between us. It would be beneficial on both sides since they would be able to receive something tailored specifically for them and I'll be able to keep my collection intact.

After a while, I ended my lesson with a short lecture, recapping everything we just did and telling them what I wanted to see.

Perfect edge alignment and perfect exertion of force were the two things I wanted to teach my class but as hard as for me to say it, weapon choice and quality could also make the difference. However, that was something I purposefully withheld because even if we had the resources to make a ton of replicas for a certain deity of thunder that lost his hammer to his sister or something similar to a custom spear or even my katana, only a handful of people would be able to properly wield it.

Furthermore, not everyone was using tools with sharp blades and I didn't want it to be the deciding factor. That was one of the reasons I didn't even draw my katana from my hip and opted for my kitchen knife and a simple machete to demonstrate.

As much as I wanted to show off to assert dominance, I miraculously held myself back.

If I did show off by lopping off nine pieces of bamboo like it was nothing, most people would assume that my 'orange-grade' katana was the answer for their poor technique and lack of power, and I had no way of arming everyone with the same weapon I had. I have a certain bias for bladed weapons but realistically speaking, if the tool I was using was the best among others, there shouldn't be different designs of swords from all over the world.

Like the sole purpose of my class, it would all boil down to the person using the said tool.

Having something forged by a grandmaster blacksmith couldn't guarantee success even if it was made with utmost care and materials of the highest quality.

If you suck, you suck. The cure for that is more training, nothing else. And there was this thing called being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

For example, even if I could dual-wield my katana and wakizashi and take down a horde by myself, I'd lose a swordfight to a crazed hobo wielding a short, rusted pocket knife if we were stuck inside a barrel.

I waved everyone over before I dismissed them, "Hey, just a reminder. This gym will be closed for tonight but you could still use the ones outside. Don't worry about the mess, we'll take care of it."

"Okay, boss. See ya tomorrow."

"Goodnight~"

"Bye~"

"We'll get more mats in the coming days!"

"We can make those, right?"

"They said pool noodles could also work if we're just trying to improve on technique."

"I guess I'll do that..."

"Who's going to the gym? I'll head there right now."

We just send them off with our eyes and Rin was the first one to start sorting out the cut-up tatami mats and pieces of green bamboo scattered around the gym. Cynthia eventually followed after her but since the gym only had the five of us present, Kaley finally decided to test herself.

As soon as she approached one of the wooden stands, Rin and Cynthia stopped cleaning up while Tatiana and I looked over with bright eyes. However, Kaley just put up one piece of green bamboo before drawing my wakizashi from her hip. The other three looked at me with a questioning gaze but I just kept looking at Kaley's figure with a serene expression.