Inside the training pods, Dave's parents were submerged in a reality where their bodies and minds would be pushed to the limits. The pods stimulated the real world, offering intense but controlled environments to ensure they could handle their new powers. It wasn't just about strength, but learning how to control and master their abilities.
John found himself in a vast desert, a place where every footstep felt heavier than the last. The air was thick with heat, and the sky burned with a scorching sun. As he walked forward, an oppressive pressure built around him, slowly increasing as if the atmosphere itself was crushing him. The weight grew unbearable, and his muscles screamed in agony.
"Focus," John whispered to himself, summoning the strength buried within. His training was to control gravity manipulation, learning how to manipulate the forces around him. He had chosen gravity after a long discussion with Dave, believing it would allow him to protect his family by controlling the battlefield.
John stretched out his hand, feeling the weight intensify. Suddenly, a large boulder floated into the air as he decreased its gravitational pull. He gritted his teeth and concentrated harder, shifting the gravity field around him. Sweat poured down his brow, but with a final push of effort, he manipulated the field to crush the boulder midair, reducing it to dust.
"I've got this," he said, the exhaustion clear in his voice, but a smile forming as he realized the progress he was making.
Meanwhile, Linda was in her own simulated environment. She stood on the edge of a battlefield, with enemies approaching from all sides. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she felt something different this time — a sense of purpose, a sense of power.
As the first wave of enemies attacked, Linda raised her hands, and an energy shield materialized in front of her, glowing faintly. The enemies crashed against it, unable to break through. With every attack, the shield grew stronger, its translucent surface shimmering like a barrier of light. The system guided her, showing her how to reinforce the shield and create a dome that could expand and contract at will.
"I can protect them... I can protect my family," Linda thought, her resolve strengthening with each successful defense.
Her shield power, chosen to protect those she loved, was slowly becoming her defining trait. She practiced creating multiple layers, visualizing a shield so powerful that no attack could ever harm her family again. Each time her shield took a hit, she pushed more energy into it, reinforcing it until nothing could get through.
Hours passed in the pods, but the intense training felt like days to John and Linda. As the pressure in John's desert simulation increased and the attacks in Linda's battlefield grew fiercer, they both persevered, pushing their new abilities to the brink.
Outside the pods, Dave monitored their progress. He watched their vitals and the system's feedback on their growth. "They're getting stronger," he thought, nodding in approval.
Emily, who was already in the middle of her own training, had reached a new level of power. Her healing ability, combined with increased speed and agility, had allowed her to ascend to Rank A. She practiced healing injuries rapidly, regenerating not only herself but others within a short range. Her agility had reached new heights, making her a formidable fighter on her own.
Dave couldn't help but feel proud of his family's progress. Each of them had their unique strengths, and together they would be a force to be reckoned with.
When the training session ended, the pods opened slowly, releasing John and Linda from their intense simulations. Both looked drained but also different. There was a newfound confidence in their eyes, a power that wasn't there before.
John looked at his hands, flexing them as he felt the gravity shift subtly around him. "I made it to Rank C," he said, still in awe of the ability he now wielded.
Linda stepped out as well, her body still tingling from the energy shield she had been conjuring for hours. "Rank C as well... but I can feel it, this shield is what I was meant to have. I'll protect us all, no matter what."
Emily, having completed her training, walked up to them, her smile radiating. "I've hit Rank A. I feel faster, stronger... and my healing abilities are more refined than ever."
Dave simply smiled, watching his family grow stronger with each passing day.