It wasn't much further into the facility that the destination was found—a state of the art gym.
The pale-white environment was equipped with a multitude of strength equipment, from dumbbells to bars with hundreds of pounds already stacked.
As he walked in, he found that there were even more specialists observing from a higher balcony.
"Please proceed to the first station. This will test how much weight you're able to lift," Dr. Goldstein instructed, pointing her pen towards the barbell already set up.
Seven approached the bar, finding it loaded with thick, black plates already.
"How heavy is it?" Seven asked.
"The resistance will adjust based on your strength as you lift it," Dr. Goldstein answered.
"Alright."
He rubbed his hands together for a moment to warm his body up, curious himself at what he was capable of. With the eyes of many specialists on him, he squatted down before wrapping his fingers around the bar.
"Begin," Dr. Goldstein instructed.
As soon as he began lifting, the weights came off the floor easily, though immediately increased in density.
The screen to the right displayed the weight, rising from three-hundred kilograms instantly to five-hundred.
"Subject is up to six-hundred and thirty-seven kilos, and rising," Dr. Goldstein noted out loud while observing.
Seven focused only on lifting the weight that got heavier, finding all of his muscles activating in unison as sweat left his pores. Amidst his struggle, grinding his teeth, the system prompt appeared to him once again—
[EXP: +10]
[Level 2 reached.] [0/25]
[Adjusting genetic structure.]
[Breaking down muscle fibers. Enhancing tendons and ligaments in response to physical limitations.]
As he struggled with the ever-increasing weight, it became easier for a moment as a newfound strength began to flow through him.
"Subject is…Subject is up to twelve-hundred kilos, and rising," the blonde-haired doctor noted with a surprised voice.
There were audible gasps and murmurs from those who observed from the balcony. As he reached his maximum threshold, the bar finally allowed itself to be lifted, hoisting it up.
Dr. Goldstein looked as though she had seen a ghost before marking the result, "Subject's lifting exam…fifteen-hundred and twenty-five kilos. A five-hundred and fifty percent increase of the recorded highest of mankind."
"Haah—" Seven exhaled, caked in sweat as he was handed a bottle of water from a silent member of the staff.
The trials continued, from more strength tests ranging from every sort of exercise in the book—
"Bench press: twenty-three hundred kilograms," Dr. Goldstein marked.
[EXP: +10] [10/25]
Next, he had a massive, metallic trunk placed on his shoulders to squad with, adjusting itself to his strength.
"Pfffuuu…" Seven exhaled, finding his calves and thighs swelling to the challenge as he went down.
[EXP: +20]
[Level 3 reached.] [5/50]
[Adjusting genetic structure.]
[Breaking down muscle fibers. Enhancing tendons and ligaments in response to physical limitations.]
[Current Status: Low-Degree Superhuman | Second Stage]
As the system presented its ascension, he rose up with the ascending weight, exhaling as the doctor wore a shocked expression again.
"Squat…Twenty-five hundred kilograms," Dr. Goldstein marked down.
Even after lifting weights above the limitations once placed by mankind, he didn't feel any fatigue, still bursting with energy.
"What's next?" Seven asked, wiping the sweat from his chin while looking down at the doctor.
"Right…the hundred meter dash," Dr. Goldstein answered, looking towards the track field built into the vast gym.
As he got into place, setting his foot on the white line, he lowered himself while waiting for the doctor's mark—
"Go!" Dr. Goldstein started.
Right as he heard the word, it felt as though an explosion occurred in his calves, exuding superhuman power as he practically sprung forward.
It was nothing more than a blink before he found himself at the other end of the track, looking over at the doctor. He could see the expressions of the specialists behind the glass, who held the same look of shock.
Dr. Goldstein looked at the timer, "One hundred meter dash: one point one seconds."
Every test proved the same thing to the fascinated specialists, gathered of the brightest minds across the world when watching the young man break every world record.
'I'm superhuman—' Seven realized.
"Very impressive numbers. After we get your bloodwork done, you'll be sent to Bastian Academy. You know what it is, right?" Dr. Goldstein asked.
"Yeah, of course I do–" Seven nodded, shocked at the news. "It's the top school in the world, where every youth prospect from every nation comes to study. All of the strongest fighters for humanity come from there."
"That's correct. You'll be headed in–" Dr. Goldstein began to say.
It was amidst his own introduction that the facility was suddenly overtaken by a tremor, causing everything to shake before the lights blared with a purple glow–
"//CODE VIOLET! CODE VIOLET!//" A monotone, robotic voice echoed through the intercom.
Seven looked around, finding the staff of the experimental facility rushing in every direction like scattering ants, left perplexed as to what it meant, "Code Violet?" He repeated.
Dr. Goldstein had her fingers against the communication device in her ear, nodding a few times as she seemed to listen to instructions from another before looking at the young man, "It looks like you're getting your combat assessment early. There's been a Fulminare arrival on the surface–it seems one has discovered this base."
"A Fulminare? Here?" Seven asked.
"I know it's sudden, but you're our best–no, our only shot at any hope of even repelling a Fulminare. Can you do it, Seven?" Dr. Goldenstein asked earnestly, looking at him straight with her azure irises.
He looked up towards the ceiling of the underground facility as another tremor came, knowing what sort of entity awaited on the surface before nodding, "I'll do it."
"Good. Suit up, then," Dr. Goldstein instructed.
There was little time afforded for preparations as he was led into a room attached to the hallway leading to the gym. Multiple high-clearance doors needed to be opened before he was led into the black-steel chamber, where an entire armory awaited.
Weapons he'd never seen on racks, though more than that which caught his eye was the uniform on display in the center: all-white compression gear, built with kinetic-proof fibers interwoven, as told to him by the armorer on standby.
"This suit is a special prototype meant for combatting the Fulminare, made for the Origin Host," the man in glasses that had been waited inside the armory said, rubbing his hands together with an excited smile, "I call it "Avalon"--it'll increase your kinetic absorption and output."
"He doesn't need a lecture, Dr. Violet," Dr. Goldstein hurriedly said.
The creator of the suit nodded, adjusting his glasses, "...Right, right."
Seven wasted no time sliding himself into the specially-made suit, finding it adjusting itself to the shape of his body as it squeezed around him before becoming comfortable.
"How's it feel?" Dr. Violet asked excitedly.
"Great," Seven answered, moving his arms as he felt more flexible than ever, squeezing his fists.
Before he could fully break into the suit, the hunched-over scientist placed a hulking weapon into his hands: a bulky, black gun that resembled a shotgun, though with a barrel like that of a hammer.
"The Mjolnir," Dr. Violet explained. "An electromagnetic shotgun, a tri-barreled railgun for yours truly. Completely unwieldable by the average person. It has a kick that'd blow a normal man's shoulder clean off his body, but it'll pack a strong enough punch to make even a Fulminare piss their pants."
"Are you sure I can wield this?--" Seven asked hesitantly, holding up the massive shotgun.
Dr. Goldstein chimed in just as another tremor gripped the facility, "--We're running out of time, Seven. You'll need to take a lift straight up to the surface–don't worry, we'll be in contact the entire time."
An ear piece was handed to him by the youthful doctor, which he accepted, placing into his right ear before nodding.
"Right. I'll handle it," Seven accepted his duty.
Any doubts he once had, any fears once etched into his mind were gone, seeming to have sparked a newfound confidence with the genetic reconstruction he had undergone. He was led to the elevator, stepping onto it before the doors closed, getting one last look at the doctors before it lifted.
The purple lights and alarms didn't cease as the rumbling continued, bringing the robotic voice to shout again, "//CODE VIOLET! CODE VIOLET!//"
It felt surreal as he looked up as the elevator rose, feeling it move through the many levels of the deepground base. Everything had happened so fast today, given a moment to himself to process it, all of it began to settle in.
'I know I signed up for this when I came here, but…It really happened. I'm about to face a Fulminare–humanity hasn't defeated a single one yet,' he thought.