The next class was P.E., which, in my early school days, I thought was gym.
However, now that the teacher-slash-coach, Mr. Grym, has made a clear division that P.E. would involve us studying the 'base human anatomy' for some reason, playing some sports, or circling around the gymnasium in a series of different exercises to test our cardiovascular health, or maybe he was hoping for us to somehow absorb some of the ambient energy in the air for body-cultivation.
And 'gym' would involve us actually going to the school's gym—which is actually also just 'gymnasium' shortened—where all the strength-training and cardio equipment is.
Today, I think we'll be having the latter; he doesn't seem to have time to referee a game or lecture on bodily cultivation after all.
Upon arriving at the school gym, I looked around and saw that I was one of the first ones there since almost all the guys were still changing. After I learned a new trick I call 'instant equipped', which lets me change clothes instantly upon stepping through the gym door, I saved at least 5 minutes by skipping the locker room.
As usual, Mr. Grym would let us do our own thing while he sat at his corner desk, probably marking yesterday's test on the different types of equipment in here. A test in which I probably only managed to identify the dumbbells, barbells, stationary bikes, striking-measure stele, and treadmills. But everybody knows those, so that doesn't really show that I tried, which Mr. Grym would probably chew me out about later.
My mind was quite preoccupied with discovering my ability yesterday, so I couldn't review at lunch as I'd planned either, not that such plans were ever really followed by me anyway. As far as studying goes, if I don't remember it the first time, I probably won't bother trying to remember again.
Come to think of it, I'd always had a great memory when I was a kid, I can pretty much remember anything I saw or experienced with great clarity...
Then I watched my first anime.
It's a great snowball of cognitive decline after that. I went from anime to manga to light novels, long-ass xianxias, and I even went as far as dipping my toes into some real freaky web series and strangely 'realistic' fanfiction, probably written, or rather, 'orchestrated' by some random nigh-omnipotent beings.
I was also too dumb to realize my abilities' true potential on the day I found it, which was also yesterday, so I could use it as I just did in Math earlier.... On second thought, maybe I should tone it down a bit; if I use it like that again, I'm afraid Mr. Grym would 'overreact' as well, and everybody would see a pattern and point toward me.
Although I don't really care if they find out that I have some relatively powerful ability, like a particularly powerful telekinesis or matter manipulation, as there really aren't many cons to being found out to be 'relatively gifted'.
In fact, it's the opposite.
You get all sorts of opportunities when you're considered a 'genius' and have some potential. In the orphanage, for example, kids with better abilities not only have a higher chance of being adopted but they are also given better treatment in the orphanage as a form of 'investment' in their futures, hoping they will remember the place better than me, who could only think of it as a tiny little rat hole that I just happened to have grown in.
Being too powerful, however...
Now that is a different matter. Given the climate of this world's cosmic politics, I would probably be targeted by the surely numerous mysterious hidden organizations across the world or maybe even Cosmic Beings, both of which would either shove their whole hand up my ass, thus turning me into their cute little puppet or suck my ass off all its 'potency' till I shrivel up and die.
As the old adage goes, 'The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.'
Well, unless, of course, you're a dual-pointed indestructible nail with an omnipotent level of power. In which case, I suppose you could do whatever the fuck you want and penetrate everybody that tries to pound you.
But I suppose no matter how powerful you think you are, there will always be more powerful beings. You can never know for sure, but to be safe, let's just assume there are an endless number of entities out there who can create and destroy Universes just for shits and giggles.
So yeah, unless I also started creating and destroying Universes for shit and giggles, better be low-key for now...
With such thoughts in mind, I gave a quick greeting to Mr. Grym in the corner, who only gave me a quick, busy-looking nod in response, and arrived in front of racks as tall and as long as the wall, filled with one of the few pieces of equipment I know the name of: dumbbells.
I focused on the lighter ones with a '100' on it, which, unlike the others, are made of iron rather than pure tungsten or neutron-star alloys, as everybody else uses. These plates are probably for literal toddlers or weaker students, since most, or rather, all people except me, can lift at least a few tons of weight nowadays.
With the ambient mystical energy contained in the very air that everyone breathes, the bodies of almost everyone have been improved over the millions of years of evolution. I also breathe the same air as them, but I think I was closer to developing lung cancer than stronger muscles.
So with a small "Ha!" I used all the strength my biology could muster... and my arm was pulled towards it instead.
The muscle fibers in my upper arm felt like they just snapped, which hurt quite a bit, but it's a good thing it worked when I thought it would be instantly healed. The pain was gone, and those few muscle fibers seemed all healed up, but the small psychological trauma was already there as I rubbed the muscles where it had hurt, as if to also psychologically soothe it.
Dumb dumbbell, why are you so dense and heavy?
"Hahaha, Lex, that's only a 100 kilo, and you couldn't even lift it?" A familiar voice gloated mockingly behind me. I turned around and saw Zach, another NPC I knew the name of, lying on a bench, lifting a bar with thick plates labeled '40K' on each side. Damn, he's pumping more than twice the weight of Truck-kun, and with ease at that.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the high and mighty weeaboo. Training for your next 'aura-farming scenario', are you?" I said back, rather sarcastically.
"Yeah, you say that now but don't come running for my help when shit really hits the fan~" Zach said as he effortlessly pumped the bar up and down in smooth motion. There goes the delusional weeb for you, always so dedicated to the craft of his delusions.
"Hahaha, keep dreaming. After all—" I said, then took a go at the biggest dumbbell with a label of '30M' on it, but this time, I also used my other hand to grab its other pair and... effortlessly lifted both way above my head.
"—You are too weak." I finished.
"...EI-YOO—!?"
Zach almost hit his head as the bar he was lifting fell on the mat with a muffled thud. His mind was no doubt now spiraling as he witnessed the scene before him with eyes that he now doubted as functioning as intended, possibly thinking that he was dreaming, as reality could not have agreed to the play of the scene before him.
Mr. Grym looked up from the papers at the sudden shout of the boy, blinking several times as he proceeded to calmly take out a folder from the drawers under his desk, which I'm guessing is my data-fied physical stats, as his eyes darted between it and the dumbbells thrice the size of my head that I was carrying above rather easily without a single sign of strain.
When I let go of the dumbbells, Zach neared and tried lifting them himself, only to find that they were indeed made of real neutron star alloy, as he couldn't even budge them in his hand with his bio-muscles alone. But just so he wouldn't lose aura, he actually activated his power over vectors and lifted the thing up with a pinky above it.
Mr. Grym probably thought it was some sort of prank, and Zach was in it, so he tried lifting it himself, but he also struggled, albeit only slightly, as he lifted them up above as well with raw muscles alone. Well, he was a physique-cultivator after all; I suppose this would be easy enough for him.
After he lowered it down, he looked at me with narrowed eyes, "You... have you actually had an awakening? That would certainly explain your new look..."
"I, uh... invoke the 5th, the 2nd, and the new 28th." I wisely said in response.
Mr. Grym grumbled but eventually said, "Fine, suit yourself, kid. Just make sure your 'arms' are registered," as he went back to his chair.
Mhn, the law sure does work like magic.