Souls Online: Mythic Ascension
Chapter 200: Speed Freaks and Wing Geeks

Chapter 200: Speed Freaks and Wing Geeks

Greg was compiling the results from the first test that he ran and the results were surprising to say the least. After Leo had finished his break and continued, he ended up bench pressing 400 lbs before he began to struggle.

Given his slender and feminine build, that result was astounding. Yet he couldn’t hold a candle to his sister who pressed almost 700 lbs before calling it quits. Crystal ended up maxing out at around 300 while Rachel was surprisingly 320. Lily on the other hand...capped at 70 lbs. Greg didn’t know what to say when Luna clapped her hands and remarked

"That is a significant improvement Lily. Good job."

Lily blinked and tilted her head like she had misheard. "Wait... what do you mean improvement?"

Rachel, who had been rolling her shoulders nearby, immediately turned with a wicked grin. "No way. That was better than before? Oh my god Lily how weak were you last time?"

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me? I’ll have you know my arms are toned and delicate."

"Delicate is one way to put it," Aria muttered, earning a small chuckle from Leo.

Lily stood up straighter. "I just don’t want to bulk up. This is a personal choice. I’m being strategic."

Rachel held back a laugh and turned to Crystal. "What’s the strategy? Waiting for your enemies to fall over from secondhand embarrassment?"

Greg raised his clipboard and cleared his throat. "Alright. We’re moving on. Test two is speed. I want short bursts, not long distance. Twenty-meter dash, straight shot, starting from a dead stop. I’ll be timing you one at a time. Rachel, you’re up first."

Rachel’s ears perked up and she bounced on the balls of her feet. "Yes. Finally something fun. Let’s go."

Luna pointed toward the far end of the track. "Start on the line. Run through the cones. Don’t zigzag. Don’t try anything flashy. Just run."

Rachel saluted dramatically. "Straightforward. Got it."

She dropped into a runner’s stance with practiced ease, tail swaying slightly behind her. Her grin was feral.

"Ready," Greg called out, stopwatch in hand.

Rachel exploded forward the moment he said go, her shoes skimming across the floor like she barely touched the ground. She blew through the finish cones in less than three seconds, then skidded to a stop with a delighted whoop.

Greg checked the time. "Three point four seconds."

Crystal tilted her head in wonder

"She’s pretty fast for a mage."

"Well considering she is from a clan of medical assassins, I can’t say it’s too impressive"

Leo casually remarked which resulted in Greg’s eyes widening at the bombshell he dropped with total indifference.

’She is from a clan of what now?!’

Greg blinked. He stared at Rachel, then back at Leo, then scribbled something on his clipboard with a muttered, "Noted."

"Leo," he said more stiffly. "You’re up."

Leo stepped forward calmly, his body loose but alert. Without fanfare, he got into position.

"Ready," Greg called.

Leo launched forward with minimal movement. His form was tight and efficient, each step deliberate. He hit the cones, tagged the far wall, and stopped without even looking winded.

Greg stared at the stopwatch. "Two point one seconds."

Rachel gawked. "You’re kidding."

"Nope," Greg said. "Two point one."

Rachel threw her hands in the air. "You just outran me by more than a second. Are you serious? You look like you stretch before doing yoga, not sprinting."

Leo rolled his neck. "Track and field."

"A few days ago you were in the hospital on your death bed! Track and Field has no part in this!"

She immediately retorted but winced with regret at what she said immediately after those words left her mouth.

Leo blinked at her. "It’s fine."

Rachel opened her mouth, then shut it again, her tail flicking behind her. "Still, that came out way harsher than I meant it."

Leo gave a small shrug. "I was on my deathbed. You’re not wrong."

Crystal folded her arms. "He’s not exactly fragile anymore."

Greg tapped the clipboard. "Crystal, you’re next."

She nodded once, stepped forward, and got into position. Her stance was more upright than Rachel’s or Leo’s, almost relaxed.

"Go," Greg called.

Crystal moved with calm precision. It wasn’t flashy, but every step was smooth and consistent. When she crossed the finish, she didn’t even look like she had broken a sweat.

Greg checked the watch. "Three point three seconds."

Rachel looked like she’d swallowed a lemon. "Are you serious? How?"

Crystal tilted her head slightly.

"Track and Field."

"Aria," Greg said, motioning her forward.

Aria groaned. "This is going to be a mess."

"You’ll be fine," Lily said encouragingly.

"You say that, but you don’t have wings flapping around like wind socks," Aria muttered.

She stepped up, shifted her shoulders uncomfortably, then braced herself. Her wings twitched, half-furled and clearly in the way.

"Ready," Greg called.

Aria shot forward, but her balance was off almost immediately. Her wings flared at the wrong time and threw her sideways, forcing her to correct mid-run. She nearly clipped a cone, stumbled once, but managed to make it through the finish line upright.

"Four point six seconds," Greg said.

Aria put her hands on her hips and puffed air from her cheeks.

"This would be much easier if I could do this flying"

Greg froze for a second and slowly turned his body to face Aria

"Are you telling me you can fly? I...I...what?!"

With a powerful flap of her wings, Aria’s feet left the ground, gusts of wind fluttered through everyones hair as it was displaced by the beating of her wings.

Greg staggered back a step as the wind hit him, clipboard pressed to his chest like it might shield him from the absurdity unfolding in front of him. His hair whipped across his face. "You can fly?!"

Aria hovered a few feet off the ground with a smug little tilt to her head. "Yes, Greg. I have wings. What did you think they were for? Decoration?"

Greg pointed at her like she had just pulled a dragon out of her pocket. "You’ve been sprinting like a grounded bird and you could’ve just flown the whole time?"

Rachel leaned toward Leo, her grin wide. "I think Greg’s rebooting."

Leo gave a small nod. "Give him a minute."

Aria landed with a flutter and stretched her shoulders.

"So, can I run it again? Properly this time."

Greg blinked at her.

"Properly. You mean in the air?"

"Yeah," she said. "Twenty meters. Straight line. Let’s see what I can do when I’m not tripping over my own wings."

Greg hesitated, then waved a hand. "Sure. Fine. Line back up."

Aria stepped back into position, a few feet behind the start line. She gave her wings a test flap, kicked off the ground, and hovered with more focus this time.

"Ready," Greg called.

She shot forward in a clean arc, wings cutting through the air with smooth, powerful beats. There was no flailing or awkward shifts, just a streamlined dash, skimming just above the ground. She hit the end and coasted to a gentle landing.

Greg checked the time. "Two point two seconds."

While everyone else was congratulating Aria on her very impressive time, Greg glanced over at Lily, who was slumped against the wall a few feet away. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, eyes half-lidded, and her expression said everything without words.

"You okay, Lily?"

Greg asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lily gave a slow, reluctant sigh and glanced around at the others with a look that said I don’t want to be here, but there was no way she was getting out of this.

"I guess I’m up next"

She groaned in defeat as she could feel all eyes were now on her.

’Time to embarrass myself’

She moved to the starting point, already imagining the looks the others would give her.