A couple of days passed, and I received word that my request for discharge had been denied. I felt like screaming, but instead, I threw my phone at the wall, hoping it would break. The damn thing was sturdy as hell, though, and didn't even crack.
"FUCK!" I shouted in frustration, feeling like I was stuck in a never-ending nightmare. The thought of remaining in the military and enduring its routine filled me with dread. But I couldn't give up. I knew what I had to do, even if it scared the shit out of me. I had to complete the damn mission and leave this damned place. Maybe faking my own death was the only way to leave this hellhole behind and start fresh in society.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. I knew I had to focus and come up with a plan. I decided that the best thing to do was to learn as much as I could about combat and military operations. Maybe I could even sneak into the archives and steal some information for personal use. It wouldn't be easy, but it could be worth it if I could sell the information for some money. I was willing to betray them, even for a small amount of cash. I had no loyalty to the military or the people in it, and my only concern was my own survival. I took my jacket and left the room.
Leaving my room, I made my way to the gym, eager to learn some hand-to-hand combat skills. While the likelihood of needing to fight was low, I felt safer knowing that I could defend myself if necessary. As I stood there waiting for someone to finish their workout, the person in question was a teammate who was a combat addict and seemed to have a particular dislike for me. Despite the tension between us, I couldn't resist the opportunity to learn from someone with such a passion for combat.
I spent the past few days researching myself which included my teammates, trying to understand their strengths and weaknesses, just in case I had to fight them.
(Author note: Trying stuff, with conversations tell me if good or bad.)
William: Well, well, well, if it isn't Isaac. What brings you to the gym today?
Isaac: I'm here to learn some hand-to-hand combat skills. I figured it's always good to be prepared.
William: Prepared? Ha! You're not exactly the combat type, Isaac. What's got you so worried all of a sudden?
Isaac: I'm not worried, I just think it's important to know how to defend myself in case something happens.
William: (laughs) You? Defend yourself? Against who? We're all on the same team, remember?
Isaac: (sighs) I know, I know. It's just, I've been doing some research on myself and my teammates, and I want to know everyone's strengths and weaknesses. Plus the mission is getting close I'm thinking knowing is better than not knowing.
William: (raises an eyebrow) Research on yourself? That's a bit strange, don't you think?
Isaac: (pauses) Yeah, I guess it is. But I need to be prepared for anything.
William: (grinning) Well, if you want to learn some real combat skills, I'm your guy. I could teach you a thing or two, but you know I won't hold back.
Isaac: (surprised) Really? You're willing to help me?
William: (shrugs) Why not? We may not get along, but I respect your desire to learn. Plus everyone's too much of a pussy to fight me. Let's cut the chit-chat and get started.
Isaac: (internally) Maybe William isn't all bad after all. I assumed he was just a jerk, but maybe he has some redeeming qualities. It's refreshing to see someone so passionate about something, even if it is combat. Everybody is either looking ways to slack off, or training and working. Can't blame them though.
William: (internally) I don't know what Isaac's deal is, but at least he's willing to learn. It's about time someone stepped up and wanted to learn from the best. Maybe he'll even prove to be a worthy opponent someday.
Isaac: (to William) Alright, let's do this.
William: (smirks) Alright, let's see what you've got.
As I stepped into the ring with William, I felt a mix of nerves and excitement. This was my chance to learn from a combat addict and improve my skills. We circled each other, and I tried to remember the moves I had practiced in my head.
The first few minutes were rough, but thankfully I had [Combat Sense LV 3] which helped quite a bit. William was faster and more experienced than me, landing several hits that left me stumbling. But I refused to give up. I focused on his movements and tried to anticipate his attacks. Slowly but surely, I started to get used to it and held my own.
As we sparred, I learned that combat wasn't just about strength or speed, but about strategy and quick thinking. I had to be one step ahead of William to land a hit, and even then, he often countered it. But I didn't let that discourage me. I kept trying different tactics until I found what worked for me.
I started to feel more confident in my movements and began to anticipate William's attacks. I managed to land a few solid hits, but William was quick to recover and retaliate. The intensity of the fight increased, with both of us putting all of our energy into each move.
Finally, after a particularly well-executed combo, I landed a hard punch to William's gut. William stumbled backward, gasping for air.
Immediately, I stepped back, concerned. "You good?"
William let out a laugh, holding up a hand to signal that he was fine. "Don't hold back, Isaac. I can take it."
I nodded, realizing that I had underestimated my opponent. The spar continued, each one pushing the other to our limits. When it was over, we both collapsed onto the gym mats, panting and sweating.
Thinking about it I noticed that William didn't really go all out, I thought about it and he wasn't using feints or anything like that, maybe that was his fighting style, but still with a bit of pressure he could have broken my defense, and gotten a couple of hits, but he didn't, I wonder why.
"Thanks, William," I said, still catching my breath. "That was really helpful. I feel like I learned a lot. Oh, and thanks for not going all out."
William was grinning, but stopped and turned serious. "Don't know what you're talking about. Let's go again tomorrow..." he looked away, but it could be clearly seen that he was embarrassed.
I was happy, not because I fought William but because I got something unexpected from this.
[Fight finished... Evaluating... Completed...]
[Congratulations you've gained 480 EXP]
[Current EXP: 1210]
I had accumulated a considerable amount of experience points (EXP) from my training and practice, and with an additional 360 EXP from my recent research and shooting, I could level up my [Military Officer LV6] status. However, my sights were set on the [Combat Sense LV3] upgrade, which would require another 590 EXP. This skill was game-breaking, as it not only enabled me to anticipate and counter William's attacks but also accelerated my overall learning of combat. Securing this upgrade would be huge.
I talked with William for a bit and agreed that we should fight tomorrow he so told me some common mistakes i made during our spar, and how to rectify them, I hoped to gain some EXP while he, wanted to fight. It was a win-win situation.
As I left the gym, I made my way towards the archives, before shaking my head. It was a bad idea to steal intel now, it was better to do it later after I actually had a plan. I rerouted and made my way toward my room. I completely got over the discharge request and imagined getting quite a bit of money for the information from the archives.