Chapter 38 - Bio-Chamber
(Rodova Military Academy – Recovery Room, Post-Psychological Evaluation)
After carrying Leo into the recovery room, Sabrina injected him with a series of recovery serums, ensuring the drugs in his system would dissipate faster.
Her touch was practiced, efficient, yet there was a hesitation in the way she lingered—her eyes scanning his face one last time before she finally turned on her heel and exited the room.
The door sealed shut behind her with a soft click, as only then did Leo allow himself to exhale, releasing the tension he hadn't realized he was holding.
The psychological test was over. And it seemed like he had passed without raising any red flags.
It had been the most dangerous evaluation yet—one where a single misplaced word, one slight slip in control, could have meant the difference between safety and exposure. Yet, despite the heavy drugging, despite the warped vision and floating sensations, something within him had remained steady.
His body had been compromised, his senses dulled, but his mind—his conscious reasoning—had stayed intact.
That alone had ensured his survival.
Pressing a hand to his forehead, Leo recalled how, even when the world around him had twisted and blurred, he had never fully lost control.
His instincts had taken over, shaping his words with precision, ensuring each response was subtle enough to avoid scrutiny yet deliberate enough to not arouse doubt.
It was as if his mind had an inbuilt failsafe—something deeply ingrained that kept him stable, even when everything else was stripped away.
'A normal person would've crumbled under that level of drugging,' he mused. 'So why didn't I?'
Another question. Another anomaly. Another unsettling piece in the ever-growing puzzle of his existence.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
An hour passed in the blink of an eye. The effects of the drugs gradually wore off, clarity returning to his mind as his body regained its usual sharpness.
His limbs no longer felt heavy, his vision had cleared, and the mental fog had fully lifted.
Then—
Click.
The door to the recovery room swung open.
"Time for the physical test, cadet. Line up."
An instructor stood at the threshold, his tone curt, leaving no room for hesitation.
As without a word, Leo rose to his feet, stepping out into the hallway where the rest of his batch had already gathered.
The time for rest was over. The next test was about to begin.
**********
(Rodova Military Academy, Department of Physical Monitoring, Pre-Test Preparation)
Leo had no idea how Rodova intended to conduct its physical aptitude tests.
He had assumed it would be something traditional like running a brutal marathon to test endurance, a weightlifting challenge to measure strength, or even a sparring match to gauge reflexes.
However, he couldn't have been more wrong in his assumption with his mistake becoming evident the moment he stepped into the Department of Physical Monitoring, as he was reminded of the fact that Rodova was a top2 military academy.
The testing facility didn't resemble a training hall at all. Instead, it looked more like a high-tech medical research center—its interior sleek and clinical.
The walls were pristine, lined with embedded diagnostic scanners that blinked with soft, rhythmic pulses.
Rows of biochambers—each inscribed with glowing runes—stood in precise formation, while the only people moving around were academy personnel dressed in crisp white coats.
The air carried a faint hum, a symphony of whirring machines and automated systems running in perfect sync, and even the floors gleamed, polished to perfection, as if they had never seen a speck of dust.
A group of recruits, all part of his batch, stood near the entrance, their expressions mirroring his own confusion.
"Skyshard, Leo."
A voice called his name, snapping him from his thoughts.
Turning, Leo spotted an assistant in a fitted white uniform, a data slate in her hands.
She barely glanced up before gesturing to him to join her in a separate preparation area.
"Strip to your underwear. Stand in the scanning zone," she instructed, still absorbed in the data on her slate.
Leo hesitated briefly.
Stripping in front of a woman wasn't exactly something he had anticipated doing today, but there wasn't much choice in the matter.
He wasn't ashamed of his body, he had seen himself in the mirror while getting ready this morning, and he knew he was in good shape.
However, stripping in front of an unknown woman still felt embarrassing to him, as his cheeks flushed a slight tint of red while undressing.
As he pulled his shirt over his head and stepped out of his boots and pants, he caught the assistant glancing at him, her gaze sweeping over his frame with a quick, practiced assessment.
She didn't seem particularly flustered—this was clearly a routine part of her job—but she gave a small, amused smile, as if she had seen plenty of impressive physiques before, and while she wasn't overly impressed, she wasn't disappointed either.
Leo was lean, with a well toned body that looked like it was built for agility rather than raw strength.
He had almost no fat on him, his skin gripping his muscles tightly, as he looked like he had honed his body through years of training that not even he remembered.
As he completed stripping, the assistant let out a quiet hum before turning back to her slate.
"Step into the scanning zone." she instructed, as Leo complied, moving onto a circular platform, where a thin red laser immediately began scanning his body from head to toe.
A soft hum resonated through the air as holographic measurements flickered into existence on a nearby monitor as height, weight, muscle density, joint flexibility, arm reach, and even mana distribution were noted.
Within seconds, the scan was complete.
But before Leo could step down, the assistant approached him again—this time, holding a small container filled with a shimmering blue gel.
"Hold still," she said, dipping her fingers into the gel before running her hands over his skin.
Leo stiffened slightly at the unexpected sensation. The gel was cool to the touch, but as soon as it made contact with his body, he felt an odd warmth spreading through his muscles, like tiny currents of mana were seeping into his skin.
Technically, at other stations, students were instructed to apply the gel themselves. It was a simple process—meant only to ensure proper conductivity for the tests.
But here?
The assistant took her time.
Her hands moved with practiced ease, methodically spreading the cool gel across his arms, shoulders, and back before trailing down to his chest and abdomen—ensuring it was "properly applied."
Leo stole a glance at her, catching the faintest trace of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
And in that moment, he realized—
She wasn't just doing her job.
While she wasn't being particularly inappropriate, nor was she making any obvious advances, there was something about the way she worked—how her fingers lingered just a fraction longer than necessary, and how she smoothed over the same areas with a touch too much precision—that made it clear.
She was indulging herself.
A harmless appreciation. A momentary distraction in an otherwise routine task.
If she noticed Leo's subtle realization, she gave no sign of it.
Instead, she simply continued on, her hands never pausing, as she casually started talking.
"You know, you're lucky to be a student at Rodova," she mused, her hands still smoothing the gel over his skin. "Only we and Geneva have this testing facility."
Leo's gaze flicked toward her. "That so?"
She nodded, looking smug. "Rodova and Geneva are the only two military academies in the universe that have a Department of Physical Monitoring. Everywhere else still relies on outdated testing methods."
She shifted behind him, her hands now running over his back, pressing the gel into his shoulder blades and lower spine.
Leo tensed slightly at the sensation but kept his expression neutral.
The assistant, seemingly enjoying her own lecture, continued.
"Most academies still rely on old-school physical testing—running marathons, lifting weights, knife dodging ... but those tests don't really measure a student's true potential. They measure a mix of physical condition and mental resilience, which makes them inaccurate."
She tapped his lower back lightly, signaling for him to turn around so she could finish applying the gel to his chest.
Leo turned, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Inaccurate? How?" He asked, as the assistant chuckled.
"Inaccurate indeed, for those tests don't measure your raw physical potential—they measure your mindset, willpower, and adrenaline-based responses mixed in with physical stats." She replied, her hands now sliding down to Leo's forearms, as she massaged the gel into his skin.
"Take endurance running, for example," she continued. "If a student is told to run a marathon, it doesn't just test their stamina—it also tests their willpower.
If that same student were running for their life, they'd go twice as far before collapsing. Meaning, in a traditional test, you aren't just measuring endurance—you're measuring a mental factor, too."
She tapped her temple. "Same goes for lifting weights. A person's maximum strength output in a battle scenario, where adrenaline is high and survival instincts are kicking in, is completely different from what they can lift under normal conditions."
Leo processed her words, and despite his doubts, he had to admit... it made sense.
Traditional physical testing couldn't separate mental pressure from raw physical performance. And because of that, the results were always bound to be flawed.
The assistant gestured toward the glowing test chambers.
"That's where Rodova is different."
Her smirk widened slightly, as if she was proud of what she was about to say.
"The Biochambers in this facility don't just record how strong you are."
"They measure the very limits of your physiology."