--
That pace didn't slow down. It just briefly paused to let others catch up, but by no means was it the end. If anything, it's only the beginning.
When the rest caught up, the tour continued. Mr. Eden introduced the new facility where they will be training for the foreseeable future.
It's essentially the same training room that TJ, Sieg, and Lily used before. Only this one was much larger and had more equipment than before. And just like the ones they used before, using this facility grants the students exp, which made the new students excited.
But of course, for them to gain that precious exp, they need to show some dedication. They can't expect to be rewarded for just showing up; that's not how this works. They have to use this facility well and honestly if they want to get experience.
So for those who had been sailing along with bare minimum effort, something has to change, or else they will start falling behind, and this time, nobody will wait for them anymore.
There's also that one large sealed door leading somewhere, but it's clearly restricted for now.
"This will be your training area." The woman that followed Mr. Eden finally spoke to them.
TJ recalled that her name should be Adriana Calten, and she was the counterpart of Mr. Eden, but for Casters. Meaning that she's the lead caster trainer of the school.
"You will spend most of your time here from now on, some more than others. You will eat, train, and probably sleep and/or pass out here. In a sense, this will be your secondary home for the next few months."
"Congratulations, by the way, for coming this far. Heaven knows that it hasn't been easy. However, I suggest you not celebrate yet because your final battle has just begun."
"The school provides you with a free meal plan. No, it's not some bogus plan that will scam you of geos for nothing. We have a reputation to hold, and it's beneath us to scam the poor lambs that you are."
"The meal plan is solid and planned. After all, it's not just you who wants you to become decent professionals; we too want all of you to become one. And if you really want to be decent in your jobs, then nutrition is one of the things you can't skimp on. Food is one of your main sources of energy regardless of whether you're a Warrior, a Caster, or a Fusion Class."
"Again, it's free of charge. We won't steal a single penny from you with this. But you also can't expect us to spend extravagant amounts of money just to feed you. We're not a charity. We can provide you with a decent and effective meal plan, one that you may or may not like."
"Of course, if you don't want to, we won't force you. Just know that it's there and that you can get your nutritional meals from us at least once a day, maximum of three for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
"With that out of the way, let's set your expectations for this semester."
"The final semester will last for 4 months."
"At the end of each month, there will be an exam, both written and practical."
"The written exam contributes about 30% of your final grade. The practical exam takes up about 50%. As for the remaining 20%, that will be determined by your professionalism. Like Mr. Eden said before, your actions and efforts during class will be monitored; that's where it will come from."
"To graduate, of course, you must achieve a passing grade for each test. Fail even a single one and you'd fall behind and risk repeating another year."
"Also, in the final assessment, there will be an additional test that may or may not change your final grade. We're telling you about it this early so that you won't be surprised by then. As for what exactly that is, well, you'd find out when the time comes."
"Ah, and don't bother asking the repeaters," she reminded them. "They won't tell you even if they wanted to, simply because they can't. They're under a binding oath of secrecy. Besides, even if you know, it wouldn't change a thing; no amount of preparation will ever be sufficient for that, anyway."
This time, the other man, who stood behind Mr. Eden, stepped forward and announced:
"Just like in the camp, we won't force you to do anything. We will give you instructions and teach you things, but whether you apply that information to your daily lives or simply just follow it or not totally depends on you."
This man was John Andrews; he's the lead lifestyle trainer of this school.
"Officially, you're adults now. We can no longer interfere with whatever you want to do. Our job is to show you the way; how to get there is completely up to you."
After he said that, Mr. Eden stepped forward once again and said, "That's it for now. For the remainder of the class period, you can use it to familiarize yourself with this facility. There are guides installed in every machine; they're foolproof, so none of you should have any difficulties learning how to use them."
"If, somehow, you still don't understand, feel free to ask questions of your fellow classmates or us."
"Last but not least." Mr. Eden's face suddenly turned solemn. "You see that sealed door right there? Don't go there. Don't even approach it. If you do, you'd face serious consequences that you're not ready for. This will be your first and only warning."
"Alright, you can go ahead and do your own thing now."
The shaken students stood still, unsure of what to do.
For them, everything happened a little too fast. Not too long ago, they were scrambling to keep up with the rest; now, they were bombarded with instructions and were expected to move on with just that.
It also didn't help that the others, mainly the repeaters, have already begun dispersing, going to the specific training machines they fancy to start their routine.
Nobody extended a hand to them, and by now, they're starting to realize that nobody would. Everyone's off to do their thing, and they can't be bothered to carry an additional burden with them.
It's every man for himself. And that's a bit scary for them.
TJ moved with a strange familiarity as well. He wasn't like the new arrivals who didn't know what to do. Sieg was right behind him.
As for Lily, well...
"Okay! Okay! Let's do this! Let's go! For my magical debut! Go!"
She's still as energetic as ever. She wasn't even the slightest bit intimidated by the challenges presented to her. She's very determined to train as best as she can for her 'magical debut.'
Her energy was infectious. It uplifted the spirits of the uncertain students as well, and so, one by one, they began to try out the machines available around them.
There was a lot here, and they could be quite overwhelming. There were machines that helped with strength training, bodybuilding, weight training, speed training, agility and dexterity training, etc. There were simulated obstacle courses, training dummies that are programmed to fight back, cabins that could simulate dangerous terrains and biomes, and so much more.
There were also machines with questionable uses, such as speed-eating machines, arm-wrestling machines, dancing machines, gambling machines, etc. There are just so many of them that it's hard to know where to begin.
Still, the students had to start somewhere. And like professors said earlier, there were instruction guides for each machine that are foolproof. It's very easy to learn how to use them, so in no time, everybody was occupying some sort of machine and starting to familiarize themselves more with this facility.
In their immersion, they failed to notice the cameras installed everywhere in the training room.
They were well-concealed, but if one was deliberately looking for them, they were actually quite noticeable.
These cameras are installed to obviously monitor them. And the ones behind the scenes that were monitoring the feedback of these cameras were people from the school's staff and some university staff as well.
In their hands were tablets containing the public information of the students of this batch.
Some people were already familiarizing themselves with the faces and names of the students, while others yawned in laziness, seemingly unwilling to be bothered for now unless something explosive happens.
Just like the professors said, the students are already being monitored and judged. Everything they do can't escape the eyes of these pros.
That said, this was just the first day of this semester. Even though these pros have seen every kind of student in their tenure, it is still too early for them to make any kind of judgement for now.
Besides, that would be unfair for the students.
It won't be until the end of the first week when they'll make their initial assumptions, and it will continue from there.
It's under the strict observation of these people that the students must display their potential and talents, because it's they who determine whether they'll pass this semester or not.