Submerged in a tub of ice water, my body is just sore. I don't know how was Nigel able to brush off the pain as if it was nothing, he drove my bike while I rode with aunt on the way home. After a good soak, I got out of the tub and dried myself with a towel. The ice bath gave me a temporary relief so I hurried to wrap the towel around my waist and head to my room. I turned the fan on and took the gel my cousin gave me. I applied it all over my body and waited for it to dry before I wear clothes.
"Dinner's ready! Let's eat!" Mom called from downstairs.
Just in time, the stuff has dried on my skin. Ah, this feels better, I then put some clothes on and went downstairs to eat.
While eating dinner, dad spoke to me casually. "Your aunt told me you were training, how was it?"
"Very, VERY exhausting."
"Hmm?"
"Nigel made me go rock climbing today, yesterday we did parkour."
Dad chuckled, "OW training..."
After dinner, I went up to my room. Tomorrow's the last day of training for me, I wonder how will Nigel torture me tomorrow. After tomorrow, one more day left before we head to the port, the final day of preparation. My stomach's churning by just the thought of it.
The following day, Nigel woke me up by flat out lifting me on his shoulder.
"Wake up trainee!!"
"What the fuck?! Nigel you asshole, put me down!"
And he dropped me back on my bed.
"What's wrong with you?! Don't you know how to wake someone up properly?? Geez!"
He laughed, "Hurry up and eat, today's your most important training: Confrontational Combat."
To my surprise, this guy brought me to a newly built gym. I call it new because it wasn't here before the outbreak. It was built just 7 years ago, it's a technologically advanced gym. It's a simulation gym, it's where all OW's take their final training before being dispatched on the field. But Nigel didn't made me go through simulation just yet, instead he tested my skills. Nigel took his top off and...woah...this dude is ripped! To avoid inflicting injury on one another, we used a foam coated eskrima sticks.
"I thought you guys use machetes?"
"We do, but blunt weapons are preferable. We don't discourage the usage of bladed melee but it's easier to break skulls and smoosh brains over stabbing or slashing."
Yeah, that totally made sense.
And then we took our stances and when he said 'go,' we both charged. And without much of a fuss, Nigel beat me. This is just embarrassing, neither of us were even sweating when I lost to him. Good thing no one was there to see it.
"Your job is the safest job out of all soldiers, you don't do confrontation." Nigel remarked.
After eskrima, he threw me a fake knife.
"Uhh...I don't know how to do it with knives." I said honestly.
"Hmm, I'll teach you then. Better pay attention well with this one. Your last arsenal that can save you is your knife and it's your most versatile tool. You can use it to stab, slash, cut, heck you can even use it as your screw driver."
Nigel then taught me how to use a knife. He taught me how to properly hold it, maneuver it, and even proper way of throwing it. This one wasn't as hard as yesterday, my body isn't getting as tired but shockingly, my mind is.
"Woah...my mind...it's draining me."
"Of course it does, it's 70% mental and 30% skill."
We didn't stop practicing until 10:45am when I asked for a water and bathroom break. I drank lots of water and sweated a lot more. After then I went to the comfort room to take a leak. Washing my hands after doing my business, I noticed my hands shaking uncontrollably. Out of a sudden, my knees gave in and I fell sitting on the floor.
Nigel gasped, "What the! Vol, you ok?" Nigel ran to me soon as he see me on the floor.
"I...my...my hands. They're shaking..."
Nigel help me up to the nearest bench.
"Vol, you are nowhere near ready..."
I looked at him, shocked.
"Vol, I think it's best you don't go."
"No! I'm this far in training! I can learn blade combat just like how I learned parkour and rock climbing!"
"Vol, you're strong and a quick learner, that I won't deny. But you're very shaky, your body may be capable but your mind isn't, yet."
I quickly stood up, now steaming in anger.
"You think I'm not built for stressful situations?! I can assemble and reload a gun within 10 seconds and shoot a zombie's head 2000m away! I'm not titled as among the best snipers in the country for no reason!"
"That's why you're a Sniper and not an Expander, Vol! You're not face to face with the danger so you remain calm and shoot precisely!"
I glared at him.
"Fine, want me to prove it to you that you're not ready? I'll put you under a simulation. Follow me," Nigel stood up from the bench and led me to the simulation room.
While preparing to undergo a simulation training, I was told what will I go through.
"You'll be attacked by robot dummies. The dummies are built to have the same speed of the actual zombie when locking on target, they also replicate the toughness of the human skull so beware. Those dummies won't necessarily tear you to shreds like the real one. They will still bite and scratch you though without really hurting you. However, the suit you're wearing will monitor the damage you get from the simulation. Since your mode is Expander, you just have to survive. Doesn't matter how, just survive until the simulation is over. You'll be graded based on three things: Survivability, Resourcefulness, and Skill. Goodluck soldier."
"Wait, will I know my results afterwards?" I had to ask.
"Yep," the guy on the controls nodded.
I entered the room simulation hall. It was as big as a school's covered court. There were platforms of various heights and widths. And since this is a simulation, I was given a full on gear and armor. I must say, the armor is indeed quite the weight. I was given a military grade knife, a machete, and a metal bat for my melee; then I was given an assault rifle and a handgun with a silencer which was optional.
"If there's a horde, better escape than confront." Nigel said through the speakers.
And then a count down started. I readied my machete, I'm a Sniper and I'm confident with my aim. As the counting ends, the simulation has begun.
I walked around with machete in hand. I slowly walked around with all of my senses on full alert. Ahead of me I can feel a presence. I crept slowly, cautiously and a few more meters, I found a dummy. I thought of ways to eliminate it. Should I stab its head? Should I decapitate it? Or maybe just shoot it from a safe distance since my gun has a silencer? No, if I kill it from a distance, I'm only proving Nigel's point. I'll confront it and kill it! I run up to the dummy and cleaved it's head open. Then I looked up at the camera, giving it an arrogant glare.
I continue walking around and I notice the increasing numbers of the dummies and are flat out attacking me. I keep slashing and killing. Numerous times a dummy nearly landed a hit on me but I'm very certain I'm still unscathed. And eventually from one at a time to a small group and from groups to a crowd up untill to hordes of dummies are appearing. My arm hurts from destroying dummies untill my machete finally broke. Shit! I brought out my rifle and started unleashing a barrage of bullets. I've killed a lot of the dummies but they keep coming and attacking! I have no choice but to run! Maybe I can stand on a safe platform and shoot them from there! Quickly I looked around and found a good place to climb. I swiftly climbed the said platform and stood on it. I resumed my rain of bullets. Not long after I needed to reload. I managed to kill the horde but at a cost of 3 magazines. I checked at my supply, only have 2 more left... REALLY?! Shouldn't it to be 7 magazines?! Ugh!
Now that the dummies are gone, I climbed down the platform and explored again. Then the room started to get dimmer. The simulation is not over yet, but the lights are slowly dying down. And then I suddenly felt something horribly wrong. In the morning, zombie humans are active but at night they are as stiff as a statue. Meanwhile the animals...oh god...
As the lights are off, I turned on the flashlight on the armor's chest. Then I felt the vibrations on the ground. Several things coming from all directions! I quickly climbed the nearest platform I can find. From here I can see the dummies all heading my direction. And WHAT THE HELL?! THEY CAN CLIMB?! I tried to kill as many using the metal bat I have. But due to their unending number, my bat didn't just dent, it literally broke and bent! SHIT! I looked around to find for a closest higher platform. I found one but it's quite a distance, I can't just jump. Fuck! I took out a grenade and threw it to the crowd of dummies. The explosion gave me a small window of opportunity so I took it. I quickly climbed down and run like hell. But Argh! I fell down face first to the ground. This dummy is big and heavy, is this supposed to be just a dog? HOW IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE A DOG?! I forced myself to roll over and push the damn dummy off of my back and grabbed the first weapon my hand could reach which is a knife and stabbed the thing in the head, the dummy stopped moving. I got up panting and my heart skipped a beat. I'm surrounded.
"Shit..." I mouthed.