In the cruel, overarching tone of the Titan world, Sasha was undoubtedly a breath of fresh air.
Cheerful and bright, she single-handedly contributed half the comedic relief to the entire story. In the original plot, countless people had sighed in heartbreak when she was fatally shot by the Marleyan sniper god, Gabi.
However, there was no chance for that little brat Gabi to make an appearance here. Zenith was going to give the angelic Sasha an epic buff.
Early the next morning, several tall wooden frames connected with ropes were erected on the training grounds. With one on the left and one on the right, these ropes would be hooked onto the latches on both sides of the recruits' waists.
By tightening the winches on the wooden frames, the recruits would be suspended in midair by the ropes. Whether or not they could maintain their balance in this posture was the standard for judging if they had the aptitude to use ODM gear.
Naturally, everything went smoothly. The quality of this batch of recruits was exceptionally solid; after all, almost all the important characters from the Paradis Island faction were gathered here.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call the 104th Cadet Corps the protagonists of this world. With such an advantage, they obviously wouldn't encounter many accidents.
The training was divided into morning and afternoon sessions. The morning belonged to Keith Shadis, while the afternoon was Zenith's home turf.
All the recruits stood in place, watching as a uniformed Zenith walked past them one by one.
This scene was far too familiar. The last time Shadis yelled at them, it was the exact same situation. Were they going to have to go through that again?
But Zenith had no time to scold anyone. He was using his own mana to connect with the auras of these recruits.
In Frieren's world, mana didn't just refer to pure magical power; it was more akin to a type of life vitality, the very foundation of a person.
Warriors utilized this power to enhance their physical attributes, constantly nourishing their cells. Mages, on the other hand, used this force to temper their minds, constructing spell models within their consciousness.
The essence of the power was the same; only the method of application differed.
It was just like Ki in Dragon Ball or Chakra in Naruto. If you broke them down to their core, they all shared the same fundamental components.
Zenith simply wanted to stimulate their dormant life energy to facilitate his next step.
"What I am going to teach you is a training method tailored for the ODM gear. Not everyone can master this technique, and it serves as the current ticket of admission into the Survey Corps."
*The Survey Corps!!*
A visible commotion rippled through the crowd. Although joining the Military Police Regiment meant transferring to the interior and never having to worry about food or clothing again, the Survey Corps was just so incredibly cool!
The various effects of the X-ODM gear were absolutely mind-blowing. It was practically the ultimate romance for anyone who possessed the will to fight.
"What I'm going to teach you is the method to cultivate Qi."
Too lazy to come up with a name, Zenith just ripped one off directly. "It is the root of all things. I have already activated the Qi within each of you. Next, you need to sit cross-legged and meditate, letting your bodies memorize this sensation."
It sounded far too fantastical. Let alone the recruits, even Keith Shadis felt it sounded a bit sketchy.
If he didn't know that Zenith was the developer of the X-ODM gear, and didn't have the current Commander of the Survey Corps vouching for him, he would have already started cursing people out by now.
To strengthen the overall power of the military, they had to start with equipment on one hand, but on the other, their physical fitness couldn't lag too far behind either.
Unlike traditional ODM gear, the X-ODM gear placed a massive load and immense pressure on the human body when operating at full capacity.
The meditation method was very simple. After giving them a brief explanation, Zenith ran off to a shaded area to drink tea by himself. No one could help them with this sort of thing; they could only rely on themselves.
Shadis stood in place and watched for a while, but couldn't make heads or tails of it, so he simply jogged over to ask Zenith directly.
"This True Qi Meditation Method of yours, what exactly is the use of it once they finish training?"
This cultivation method was the product of a spur-of-the-moment idea. If you asked whether it could lead to some profoundly high realm of cultivation, the answer was definitely no.
Zenith had referenced the physical parameters of Eldians, combined them with the training methods of warriors in Frieren's world, and mixed in some martial arts theories from his memories. Only then did he manage to cobble together this unorthodox True Qi Meditation Method.
This world itself didn't have a very high power level. Setting aside the Power of the Titans, the highest achievable accomplishment would probably only reach the mid-tier standards of a wuxia novel.
Walking on air or forming three-foot walls of Qi were out of the question, but reaching the combat standards of a seasoned martial arts master was still entirely possible.
After a moment of thought, Zenith walked to the edge of the training grounds, patted a large bluestone over two meters long, and hoisted it up with a single effortless heave of his arm.
"Once you train to the later stages, the results will be something like this."
He tossed the bluestone back and forth in his hands before delivering a midair palm strike that shattered the massive boulder into pieces.
A massive question mark practically materialized over Shadis's head. *Am I awake? Am I dreaming right now??*
The X-ODM gear had mentioned magic, which could still be brushed off as some sort of unknown science, but what the hell was splitting a giant boulder with a bare palm?
After carefully inspecting the rubble, he confirmed that these stones were one hundred percent genuine rock; there was no possibility of them being props. At that moment, the old man was tempted too.
"That, uh, that method of yours to stimulate someone's Qi... could you hit me with that too? I'll buy you a drink later."
Zenith gave him a pat. "Done. But to be honest, it's a bit late for you to start training now. This martial art relies on the vitality of youth. Once you're over thirty, your blood and Qi are insufficient. Even if you manage to master it, it'll only strengthen your body and keep you healthy at best. Splitting monuments and shattering rocks is out of the question."
That being said, even knowing it was impossible to fully master, very few people could resist the temptation of such a thing.
*What if? What if I'm the exception who can master it at this age?*
The results soon became apparent. Unsurprisingly, Mikasa's affinity for Qi was exceptionally good. Her body innately harbored combat genes, a byproduct of the Power of the Titans.
In the realm of combat, she was practically spoon-fed talent by the heavens themselves.
Next were Eren and the Titan squad. As for the rest of the recruits, their results weren't nearly as stunning; in other words, they were completely average.
For this kind of thing, a sense of belief was crucial. Eren and his group all knew exactly what kind of monster Zenith was—aside from the layer of skin that still looked human, he was entirely a god-level existence.
When it came to the things Zenith brought out or the words he said, you didn't need to worry about whether they sounded reliable or not. You just had to believe in them, and that was that.
The others, however, had somewhat of a cognitive barrier, which resulted in their meditation being ineffective.
Zenith swept his gaze over the crowd and decided to give them a little incentive. For these brats, money held no appeal. "I'll give you all one more hour. Those who successfully retain their sense of Qi will be taken to experience the X-ODM gear firsthand."
The atmosphere instantly shifted.
Many of them had joined the military specifically to enter the Survey Corps and use that incredibly badass equipment. Zenith's promise held a fatal attraction for them.
Looking at a bewildered Sasha, Zenith added, "Furthermore, those who pass will get to eat all the steak and cake they want."
Sasha stared blankly for a moment, but then her aura violently surged, reaching a level close to Mikasa's in an incredibly short amount of time.
*Is this the power of a foodie? How terrifying! What extraordinary potential!*
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