Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Protocol IT-2, as the name suggested, was the next level of the Inhuman Threshold reaction training.

Though, whereas the first level introduced a limited number of projectiles at an increased speed, the second level introduced a different variable.

A variable, which because of its perversity, made Kieran frown.

The holes on the floor and in the ceiling widened, indicating that they would now be incorporated into the training. Before this moment, Kieran merely had to worry about the eight walls surrounding him.

If the ceiling and floor were involved, he would now have to account for an assault on ten fronts at once.

Granted, Kieran wasn't sure how the firing pattern would change, so he could only prepare to the best of his ability while ignoring his intrusive thoughts.

'When it comes to this type of training, apprehension and hesitation can be fatal, especially in a setting like this that uses projectiles akin to large bullets. I can't afford to let even a shred of fear enter my mind,' Kieran thought.

If Kieran wasn't careful, ensuring to execute his movement with utmost precision, there was a chance a projectile could blow a hole through his body.

[...Commencing Protocol IT-2 in T-10 seconds. Please prepare yourself. Double the number of evasions are required to move on to the next protocol level.]

As Kieran regulated his breathing, entering a stance that promoted instantaneous acceleration and unobstructed flexibility, he pushed his hearing and sight to the limit.

At the same time, Kieran felt a slight difference in the way he perceived the floor.

Because he was barefoot, Kieran could sense the grainy texture of the painted metallic floor. But more than that, he could feel a subtle prickly sensation on the sole of his foot.

'Though it's supposed to be smooth, I can make out the impression. This sensation is undoubtedly the imperfections in the floor. A normal human wouldn't be able to detect this difference. It seems a third sense is becoming heightened, but as a result…'

Kieran began to breathe heavier and sweat despite standing still.

Although he was motionless, his body was in an extremely hyperactive state. It consumed and converted every source of energy it could detect to continue refining itself.

As far as Kieran knew, from Soulless' description of the early phase, they were not focused on strengthening the body.

However, a powerful mind could not be sustained by an inferior body.

Hence, bodily strengthening was a byproduct of training in this way, especially if one digested X-hancers on a regular basis.

Eventually, the countdown reached the last few seconds.

[2…]

[1… BEGIN!]

Bang!

Kieran turned his body suddenly while tilting his head back.

As he shifted his eyes to the side, Kieran noticed that a few strands of his hair floated listlessly in the air, gradually descending toward the floor.

It was brief, but Kieran glanced up and noticed a thin smoke escape from a hole in the ceiling.

Though the speed hadn't changed, the chamber was wider than it was tall, so when it came to dodging projectiles from above, Kieran received an even shorter window to do so.

Taken aback by the situation, Kieran tousled his hair with an arched brow. 'It happened so fast but I felt it…'

Right before Kieran perceived the sound, Kieran felt a tremor under his foot. Normally, he wouldn't heed this sensation, but with his enhanced sense of touch, Kieran realized that this tremor was the expulsion of robust kinetic energy.

'One move… yet I feel unusually drained. Is this what it means to become superhuman with the help of X-hancers and cross into this so-called Inhuman Threshold? The feeling is exhilarating… but also debilitating.'

Kieran ducked and swayed, frequently shifting his stance and feet to accommodate for the rapid-firing projectiles. Many of Kieran's intrinsic styles peered through his movements, especially one that favored hand-to-hand combat.

As Dr. Riley watched Kieran slip and avoid the projectiles, she was reminded of some of the footage she analyzed to get a clear indication of how healthy the members of the Magnate Families were.

'His movements are sharp. If he were a blade, he'd undoubtedly cut through the air. In fact…'

The HRT chamber wasn't soundproof, so aside from the loud bangs of the sound barrier being broken, Dr. Riley also heard a whipping noise that only occurred at the time of Kieran's movement.

Whenever he moved, Kieran would reflexively throw out his hand.

The hand was like a missile in terms of speed, but a blade in terms of sharpness. Should anyone ever experience the blow, they'd, with complete certainty, suffer a gruesome injury.

Halfway through Protocol IT-2, the firing pattern changed considerably. With the new rate of fire, Kieran inhaled sharply and groaned.

Two of his ribs were broken by the projectile that impacted his body. However, this surprised Kieran. He didn't expect his body to be so resilient that it could withstand a projectile at that speed.

Nevertheless, having his ribs broken made it difficult to breathe.

As she saw Kieran wince and stumble, clutching his torso, Dr. Riley chewed on her finger, knowing that he had suffered damage.

'With the way he's holding his side, it would appear roughly three ribs are bruised, while two are completely broken. If he moves too much, the pain will become excruciating. There's also the danger of puncturing a lung,' Dr. Riley thought.

After giving it some consideration, Dr. Riley accessed her tablet and used it to access the intercom within the HRT chamber. "I think we should end your training here, Kieran. It could become exceedingly dangerous. I wouldn't advise you to continue."

"It's fine…" Kieran muttered, his voice strained with a groan.

Dr. Riley pursed her lips and insisted. "It's not fine. Don't act unfazed when you're not. You're clearly hurt. You can resume training at another time."

Rather than listen to her suggestion, Kieran snapped his head toward Dr. Riley and glared, a reddish glint appearing in his eyes. "I'm fine—I can do this. I'm right there."

Contrary to Dr. Riley's thoughts on the matter, Kieran hadn't reached a level where he was in danger of interfering with his vitals. As she had once said before, his vital organs had become saturated by a strange energy. Plus, instead of beginning from the outside, Kieran's evolution started from within.

Thus, while others may be at risk of puncturing their lungs, Kieran was less susceptible to the injury. His ribs would need to be shattered for that to happen. Though, at that point, Kieran would be in mortal danger.

Understanding that she was powerless to change his mind, Dr. Riley could only sigh and relent. "Fine, but I'll be monitoring your vitals all the way through."

A second later, Dr. Riley issued a command to the AI's virtual assistant. "Initiate full analysis mode."

[...Full Analysis Mode initiated. A diagnostic shall be run on the examinee at all times. If critical danger is sensed, termination will ensue.]

Though she understood Kieran's sentiment of wanting to get stronger, Dr. Riley wouldn't let him jeopardize his safety to do so.

Normally, Kieran would be irritated by this kind of intervention, but surprisingly, he didn't voice any dissent, merely sparing Dr. Riley a passing glance. As Veradin had once articulated to him, Kieran was no fool.

He knew when his limits were hit. Even if he intended to shatter them, he wouldn't do it in such a way that left his safety uncertain. Above all else, Kieran's security mattered most in his mind.

After all, this was not a life to squander.

Bang! Fwoosh!

Kieran slid back after receiving a few more impacts from the series of strange firing patterns. Luckily, he would always move in a way that secured his limbs and head, so he didn't suffer enough damage to trigger the termination sequence.

Still, pain radiated throughout his body. His thighs and biceps especially, since he sacrificed those to protect his joints. Large bruises appeared on his body within seconds.

Coupled with the earlier red marks, it made the training seem inhumane and brutal.

Dr. Riley didn't understand how someone could push themself in this fashion and persist through the absurd amount of pain. If it were her, she would have called it quits after the first impact!

Kieran limped but he didn't falter, the red glint in his eyes becoming deeper. "I'm by no means inferior to them. If they can accomplish it, so can I. No… forget they can accomplish it. This is something I must do…"

Initially, Kieran's training was spurred by Soulless' words, telling him he was a nobody until he could understand what the Inhuman Threshold meant.

But now, Kieran realized that he wasn't training for the sake of anyone else.

He was training because he had to prove to his ego that he could soon begin the search for answers.

Answers to why he came back, why he kept feeling like the puppet of some unassuming puppeteer despite maintaining his evident sentience. And finally, answers about his past and why everything aside from his parent's smiles felt so hazy.

As these thoughts bubbled up inside of Kieran, he breathed heavily until his breath became a dense white mist with tinges of red interspersed throughout.

At first, Dr. Riley thought this to be blood from internal bleeding, but the diagnostic reading on Kieran detected no such thing.

And her suspicions were further obscured when the glass underneath her palm grew incredibly warm. Everything pointed to some kind of change, which wasn't unbelievable considering all of the phenomena Kieran produced.

All of a sudden, Kieran's body began to wither as if it were burning through all available fat, but as a result, everything around Kieran grew vibrant and felt like an extension of himself while his body felt almost weightless.

'This feeling… I recall it so well,' Kieran thought.

This was the state he entered to surpass his first combat coach. Though, according to Soulless, this state had another name altogether—Omniscience.

As Kieran looked to the side, the incoming projectiles, which were initially difficult to sense, seemed half as fast. Moreover, upon entering a certain range, Kieran could perceive them in greater detail.

It was only a meter, but to Kieran, this meter of distance could contribute to his actions greatly.