On the highest hill within the camp's perimeter.
The moment the time limit expired, Instructor Locust declared the long-distance run over. A total of 731 people had met the standard—less than half of the total participants. Staff had already been dispatched to rescue those remaining behind.
"Line up in ten rows! Tallest to shortest, left to right!"
The crowd scrambled to find their places. Ten minutes later, a rough formation had taken shape.
"Now, spread out to arm's length in all directions. We're continuing the training."
Ignoring the chorus of groans, Instructor Locust ordered them into a series of routine exercises: sit-ups, push-ups, shuttle runs, and frog leaps. By the time the set was finished, few heroes could even remain standing.
"Odd rows, about-face! Massage the arms and legs of the person in front of you." Instructor Locust used Puri-Puri Prisoner for the demonstration. Seeing the S-Class hero remain completely unfazed, the onlookers felt a surge of deep admiration.
"Remember, if you don't want to wake up with a body full of aches tomorrow, you'd better pay attention and learn this. Once the massage is done, you are dismissed to eat and rest. By noon, class assignments and schedules will be sent to your smartwatches. Keep an eye on the time; do not be late for class. Dismissed."
Once Instructor Locust left, the crowd let out a collective sigh of relief, collapsing onto the ground in exhaustion. After nearly forty minutes of reciprocal massaging, Mumen Rider and Glasses finally felt a glimmer of vitality returning to their limbs.
"I felt like I was dying just a moment ago. I finally feel human again," Glasses panted. His stamina was on the lower end, and he had nearly reached his breaking point.
Mumen comforted him, "The first day is always the hardest. It'll get better as we go."
"I hope so."
Seeing others begin to depart the hilltop, the two supported each other as they made their way back. It took nearly two hours just to survive the trek back to the cafeteria.
"Wait, my Points increased by 10," Mumen discovered with surprise while ordering.
"Me too. It must be the reward for completing this morning's task."
"Then I'm ordering extra portions to replenish my energy!"
"Count me in!"
They ordered a mountain of food. Instead of heading back to the tent, they found a shaded spot outside the cafeteria and began devouring their meal.
"Ah, satisfaction!" Mumen sighed, licking the last grain of rice from his bowl. Beside him, Glasses looked equally blissful; after such intense exercise, even plain white rice tasted like a gourmet feast.
Back at the tent, they grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the large male bathhouse next to the dormitory for a long, hot soak. Due to the crowd, each group was limited to twenty minutes, but it was enough to leave them feeling refreshed.
Collapsing onto their soft blankets back at the tent, they didn't want to move a muscle, until their smartwatches let out a sharp beep-beep-beep.
"That must be the assignment info," Mumen said, tapping the envelope icon to view his class and schedule.
"Class C. 2:00 PM: Physical Training. Instructor: S-Class Hero, Superalloy Darkshine."
"Same here." Glasses started to smile, but it quickly faded when he saw that more than half of his schedule consisted of the physical training classes he dreaded most. He cursed his past self for not training harder; if he had, he wouldn't be suffering so much now.
"It's alright. We just have to grit our teeth and push through."
"I hope so..."
…
That afternoon.
Class A: Suiryu, Zeburou, Drive Knight, Amai Mask, Tanktop Master, Pig God, and Puri-Puri Prisoner. (Total: 7) Instructor: Flashy Flash. Course: Slaughter.
"Your physical stats and techniques are already far beyond the average person. What you lack is the will to kill." Flashy Flash drew his sword, the tip pointing toward the seven. His voice was chillingly cold. "Come at me together. I will give you a first-hand experience of what slaughter truly is."
Feeling a prickling killing intent like needles against his back, Suiryu broke out in goosebumps. His playful expression turned grim.
What terrifying bloodlust... compared to him, even the Garou from back then was like a child. If I slip up, I'll be killed. Definitely!
…
Class B: The three disciples of Atomic Samurai (Iaian and the others), Lightning Max, the low-profile Zombieman, and 128 others. (Total: 131) Instructor: Silver Fang, Bang. Course: Combat Techniques.
"Your physical foundations are barely passing. What you need is to hone your skills and elevate your prowess. I will lecture on techniques, including posture, power delivery, and parrying. I hope you all gain some insight." Bang stood with his hands behind his back, looking solemn. "Those of you who use swordsmanship are welcome to listen; perhaps you'll find a common thread."
"Yes, Master!" Iaian and the others responded in unison.
…
Class C: Mumen Rider, Glasses, and 592 others. (Total: 594) Instructor: Superalloy Darkshine. Course: Advanced Physical Training.
"Your physical foundations are lacking; you need more training. Do you see my beautiful muscles? If you persevere, you can have muscles like these too!" Darkshine shattered a boulder with a single punch. He picked up the largest fragment and said, "Everyone, pick a stone of appropriate weight, one that feels a bit strenuous to lift. Once you've chosen, follow me to build those muscles!"
"Yes, sir!"
…
Class D: Nearly 900 "No-names." Instructor: Locust. Course: Basic Physical Training.
"Move it! Do you know what Class D stands for? It stands for 'Dullest' and 'Dumbest!' If you want to be heroes, start by making sure you aren't a liability!" Instructor Locust cracked a whip against the air, the sound snapping like thunder.
"I've had enough! I'm quitting! I want to go home!" One man broke down when the reality of the camp failed to match his expectations.
"A wise choice. Hurry home and cry in your mother's arms. Heroes don't need cowards. You aren't the first to quit, so there's no need to feel ashamed," Locust said, leaning into his role as a venomous drill sergeant.
"Waaaaah..."
…
Lakeside Villa.
Via surveillance robots, Aomori was watching the classes in real-time from his quarters.
He intended to maintain the hero ranks of S, A, B, and C, but unlike the original system, he wanted each rank to correspond strictly to the Disaster Levels: Dragon, Demon, Tiger, and Wolf. An S-Class hero would be expected to repel a Dragon-level threat, an A-Class hero a Demon-level, and so on. This made management far more efficient.
While S and A-Class appeared understaffed now, Aomori believed that with time, the number of A-Class heroes would grow, eventually forming a perfect pyramid structure.
As for the research-oriented Child Emperor, Aomori had allowed him to return to his lab following his persistent requests. He had also sent him off with 108 suggestions for improving Underdog Man; the boy was surely working with renewed vigor now.
After confirming everything was proceeding smoothly, Aomori opened his system and looked at the dungeon cooldown timer.
Tonight was an auspicious night to open the gate to another world.