Fortitude Unleashed

Chapter 7: A Class

The room loomed before Zakir and Jack like a cavern filled with mystery and foreboding. The heavy metal doors groaned as they pushed inward, revealing the Combat Power Level Assessment room in its entirety. The fluorescent lights above buzzed softly, casting a stark white glow over the gleaming surfaces of the machinery. The air was sterile, tinged with the faint scent of machine oil and faintly burnt circuits. A low hum filled the space, a testament to the latent power of the room’s devices.

Zakir’s boots scuffed against the polished floor as he stepped inside, his gaze sweeping over the array of punching machines lined up like silent sentinels. Each machine was built robustly, with reinforced steel panels and glowing interface screens. Jack followed closely, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets, eyes scanning the room with the detached curiosity of an observer.

“This is it,” Zakir muttered under his breath. His voice barely carried in the quiet space, but the determination in his tone resonated louder than the words themselves.

Jack shot him a sidelong glance, a smirk twitching at the corner of his lips. “Don’t break the machine, Zakir. They probably cost more than your entire house.”

Ignoring the jab, Zakir squared his shoulders and approached one of the machines. The cold steel felt reassuring under his palm as he placed his hand against the frame, steadying himself. His mind was a storm of thoughts, but his face betrayed nothing. He stood there for a moment, feeling the weight of the room’s atmosphere pressing down on him. Then, with a subtle nod to himself, he summoned the translucent glow of the Status Window.

The ethereal interface hovered before him, lines of text etched in an otherworldly script. The air around it seemed to ripple slightly, as if reality itself bent to accommodate the intrusion of this alien technology. Zakir’s eyes scanned the details with a sharp focus.

[Name: Zakir]

 [Age: 15]

 [Ability: Progressive Fortitude (passive)]

[Mana: 02]

 [Strength: 26]

 [Speed: 26]

 [Endurance: 17]

[Intelligence: 12]

[Ki: 1 year]

 [Unique Skill: Ki Control]

 [Unallocated Points: 10]

A flicker of satisfaction passed across his face as he noted the increased stats. His strength and speed had both climbed by a point, and his endurance had improved significantly. Yet, unease coiled in his chest as he remembered the price of these gains—the strain of overexerting his Ki reserves during the battle with the red Orc. He clenched his fist, the memory of his unconscious state still vivid in his mind.

“I can’t let that happen again,” he thought grimly. His brow furrowed as he considered the implications. “I need more Ki... enough to sustain my attacks without burning out. But how?”

The unallocated points caught his eye, and his heart skipped a beat. The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. “I completely forgot about these points! They must be from the Orc fight... along with the Eclipse Veil reward. Two rewards... interesting.” His mind raced as he contemplated the possibilities.

He ran a hand through his hair, his expression shifting between excitement and caution. “If I can allocate these points to boost my stats... which ones would make the most sense?”

Zakir’s eyes narrowed, his thoughts turning analytical. He muttered to himself, weighing the pros and cons. “Strength, speed, and endurance—those can improve through training. Intelligence... not really useful for combat. Ki and mana, then. But Ki is measured in years, not points. It would be pointless to invest there... unless... no, better to test it first.”

Jack, meanwhile, leaned against the wall, watching Zakir with a mix of amusement and curiosity. The boy seemed lost in his world, his expressions shifting as if he were having a heated internal debate. Jack decided not to interrupt, though his own thoughts ran wild. “What’s going on in that head of his? He’s acting like he just discovered some ancient secret.”

Zakir took a deep breath, steeling himself. “System, allocate one point to Ki.”

The result was as disappointing as he had feared

 [Ki: 1 year 1 day]

A frustrated growl escaped his lips. “What a waste...”

Jack raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.

“Mana it is, then,” Zakir decided, his jaw set with determination. “All points into mana. Let’s see what happens.”

As the points were allocated, a surge of energy coursed through him. His breath hitched as he felt his perception shift. Colors seemed brighter, sounds sharper. The faint hum of the room’s machines now seemed almost deafening. A strange warmth blossomed in his chest, centered around a small, radiant core near his heart. His eyes widened as he realized what it was.

“That’s mana...” he whispered, awestruck. The tiny droplet of energy pulsed faintly, a beacon of raw power. Before he could fully process it, the Ki within him reacted. A single thread of Ki latched onto the mana, creating an intricate connection. The bond sent a jolt through his body, and he staggered slightly.

“What was that?” Jack asked, stepping forward.

“I’m fine,” Zakir said quickly, his voice steadier than he felt. “I think... I’ve just unlocked something.”

The newfound synergy between Ki and mana made him feel invincible. His vision sharpened further, revealing the faint aura around the machines. For the first time, he could see the flow of energy within them. His thoughts were clearer, his senses heightened. The realization dawned on him: this wasn’t just power—it was clarity, focus, potential.

“Time to put this to the test,” he said aloud, shaking off his awe. His eyes locked onto the punching machine before him.

Jack watched as Zakir approached the machine, his movements deliberate and confident. The tension in the room was palpable. Zakir took his stance, his muscles coiled like springs. He drew a deep breath, letting the energy within him settle.

With a sharp exhale, he launched his fist forward. The impact reverberated through the room, a deafening BAM that echoed off the walls. The machine’s display flickered, the numbers climbing rapidly.

“Three hundred,” the screen finally displayed.

Zakir stared at the number, a grin spreading across his face. Jack, on the other hand, looked puzzled.

“That’s... lower than I expected,” Jack thought, his brow furrowing. “But why does he look so happy?”

As Zakir basked in his success, Jack remained silent, his mind churning with questions. The room felt charged with unspoken thoughts, each boy locked in his world of revelations and mysteries.

Zakir was happy because his power level was not Ten times his strength which is 260 but it was much more than that and he assumed it was because of him increasing his mana. And Since his mana and Ki is now connected by a thread he can now use some amount of mana passively without any exhaustion.

“Does that mean I will be able to use Ki more easily and with less exhaustion, if that is the case that it is certainly a more of a big boon than he initially thought.

Zakir decided to check his status again.

[Age: 15]

 [Ability: Progressive Fortitude (passive)]

[Mana: 11]

 [Strength: 26]

 [Speed: 26]

 [Endurance: 17]

[Intelligence: 12]

[Ki: 1 year 1 day]

 [Unique Skill: Ki and Mana Control]

[Skill Description : This skill was given to the User as a reward for Surviving a year in Zamar. Ki is the internal Energy that is present in all living things, This Skill Allow you to control the Ki in your body, and also to control and manipulate key to a certain level on the outside of his body. The level of control and manipulation depend upon the level of Mastery of the Ki. User has received 1 year of Ki from system. This Skill is Updated and it can now control Mana to some extent as well, the control depend on the user proficiency with the skill]

Zakir looking at his status window now noticed that his Unique Skill Ki control is now changed to Ki and mana Control and he became happy with that, becaue it means that he can now Control Ki as well as Mana.

Zakir and jack then left for the Administration department and there Zakir showed his result of the Combat power level assessment test and he was given access to the A Class along with a uniform with a badge on which A Class was written, which indicated that it was a uniform for A Class students. Soon after Jack left for his own assessment and unfortunately Zakir was not allowed to check his assessment. So decided to go back to his room.

In his room he waited for Jack and after an hour long wait Jack entered the Room with a Uniform which also had a badge in which A Class was written, noticing that Zakir said with a smile “ Congratulation Jack for your promotion to A Class”.

Jack also replied with a smile “ Congratulations to you too”.

Then they both chatted some more about this and that.

The next day Teacher introduced Jack and Zakir to the Class and Said “ Class today two more students will transfer to this class from B Class, they have passed the Assement test with numbers that easily exceed from the required number for entry to A Class, These two Students are Jack and Zakir. I hope you guys will get along with them”

Hearing this students had mix reaction. Some were happy because they knew about Zakir and his Heroic fight while some were jealous of him and thus unhappy. The Students that were present in the battle against Orc were al happy to see Zakir and Jack.

Zakir and Jack were looking to a seat to sit on and soon Jack found himself one and he sat on it and while Zakir was looking for a seat he heard a familiar female Voice “Over hear”.

It was Natasha who was calling his while tapping on the seat next to her which was empty. He decided to take her up on her offer and sat next to her.

Then he looked and her and said “ Hi last time I could gave you a proper introduction of myself, my name is Zakir Han nice to meet you”.

“and my name is Natasha mars from the Mars family and nice to meet you too.” Natasha replied with a smile.