Chapter 80 - Immersion

During the first few minutes, Aldrin clunkily controlled the Training Metadome. Compared to yesterday when he manually controlled it, the sudden shift in perspective confused his sense of distance.

Furthermore, since the Metadome possessed a heavier weight than himself, Aldrin was somewhat overwhelmed with it despite the near 100% calibration.

As such, he asked for a bit of time to familiarize himself with this new experience.

He noticed that the NQL had some similarities with how he's possessing his Dimensional Clones during manual control of Idle Adventure. However, his clones were created with his figure as their mold. There's no need to adjust himself to it.

"Don't rush it. Everyone needed time to adjust. The other four before you did the same. Think of it as your body being gigantified. That's how you will easily acclimate with it." advised the guest Energy Refiner.

'Gigantified, huh?'

Aldrin followed the advice and thought about how it would feel if he became as big as the Guardian Ant at first. It's a little smaller than the Training Metadome but has a more fluid movement than a Metadome.

A few seconds of immersing in that state was enough to adjust his mindset, allowing him to successfully climb up the ladder towards imagining he gigantified and his body became a lump of metal welded together.

'Ugh... That's a rather crude imagination. I better be aware where the joints are.' Aldrin spat in his mind as he polished that imagination.

A while later, from the initial clunky movements of the Training Metadome, its steps gradually became steady. He took up a combat stance and did some footwork resulting in the whirring of its engine as well as the whistling of the wind as the bigger mass of Training Metadome fought against wind resistance.

With the sound of the Metadome's engine whirring about, Aldrin eventually finished his adjustment.

Five minutes later, the Training Metadome could be seen doing some kind of footwork that's eerily human-like.

Aldrin finally adjusted to his gigantified size, the Metadome was now akin to his real body. And inside the cockpit, he settled down on his seat, allowing the NQL to have the Metadome move according to his thoughts

After steadying his footwork where at each step the ground would quake slightly, he then started throwing punches and kicks to check how strong the Training Metadome is.

Swiiish! Swooosh! Swiish! 

The whistling wind gradually churned louder, prompting Janet and the other four spectators to back away slightly, escaping the brunt of strong surging wind that was being parted away by the Metadome's punches and kicks. Although it's still far from the speed where he could materialize sonic booms, it's quick enough to generate small wind blades that are no different from a diluted Concept of the same name.

"Woah, watch out!"

Although faint, Aldrin heard Clark's voice as he warned Irina.

"How come he can make the Training Metadome move like that on his first try?"

"He has a high calibration rate and... he successfully immersed himself in the NQL. Right now, Aldrin is treating the Training Metadome as his own body. Didn't you all try that as well?" Janet answered nonchalantly, a slight smile on her lips as she watched Aldrin achieve that state.

"I... I failed. I managed to imagine myself being gigantified but my insight into it isn't that high. I became too wary if I'm moving properly."

"Unfortunately, I also failed to immerse myself, I brute-forced it."

Irina and Frederic admitted.

Caroline only nodded, agreeing that she's the same as the two while Clark clicked his tongue, thinking that he was once again outclassed by Aldrin.

"Don't worry. All of you will be able to achieve the same immersion the more you use the NQL module. There are just simply people who can do stellar things in one try." Janet concluded before telling them to back away further.

Aldrin caught what they're talking about but didn't think much of it. More than that, he's focused on the laughing guest Energy Refiner who's also amazed at what he's showing.

"Excellent! You exceeded my expectations, Aldrin. I'm glad I signed up to be one of the guest Energy Refiners, I got to witness someone that will surely make a name for himself in the future!"

He's truly elated. And that elation provided him more motivation to put Aldrin in his place.

On the surface, the trainees were told that guest Energy Refiners were just sparring partners that will guide them to experience NQL. But there's one more side to it... they're also instructed to stamp out budding Energy Refiners from becoming arrogant after a success.

They're only allowed manual control, true. But that doesn't mean they're prohibited to channel their refined energy and Concepts.

Against the first four, he didn't need to do that since they're clearly newbies and they could never win against a veteran in that state. But against the trainee in front of him at the moment, as soon as he gauged that Aldrin could take him down, he wouldn't hesitate to go all out.

"Thanks for the tips, sir. I'm more than ready. Let's do this!" Aldrin declared as he stopped his footwork and took up a stance similar to that of a brawler. It's an offensive stance signaling the guest Energy Refiner that he's going to make the first move.

"Great job! Now show me what you're made of!" The guest Energy Refiner replied in kind, the engine of his Training Metadome whirled into existence and dust particles began to gravitate towards it, making it look like a small hurricane was about to form.

Around twenty meters from their previous location, Janet and the other four trainees watched in interest as the sparring was finally about to start. They had already experienced it so they're trying to see how the one dubbed as the 'most outstanding' trainee of the camp would fare compared to them. Furthermore, they're definitely interested in what a 'full immersion' meant for a newbie like them.

Before everyone's eyes, Aldrin slightly battered Training Metadome was the first to move from its location.

He kicked the ground pushing him forward to the other Training Metadome that's clearly waiting for his attack.

Before fully reaching his opponent's range, Aldrin banked the Metadomes feet and threw a punch from there.

BOOM!

Although it sounded like an explosion rang out, Aldrin's punch metal fist didn't reach his opponent.

However, before everyone's eyes, they saw how the opposing Training Metadome instantly ducked and maneuvered sideways before counterattacking.

"He didn't take it head-on," Caroline commented

"Look behind him. It left a dent on the wall." Even if hated to admit it, Clark pointed at the bordering wall where the exploding wind produced by Aldrin's punch hit.

Upon looking at that, Irina stared at it in doubt, "Will we really be able to do that as well?"

"Impossible if you can't punch that quick," Frederick answered her before returning his focus back at the two white metal giants.

The guest Energy Refiner tried to counterattack but Aldrin already adjusted himself and dragged one of his feet before kicking, dust screen covering his front.

By the time the guest Energy Refiner's fist punched through that screen of dust, Aldrin's Metadome had long disappeared.

Shadow Steps!

In a blink of an eye and without making any obvious sound, his Metadome reappeared behind his enemy or directly under the opposing Training Metadome's shade.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity!" Aldrin said at the same time as his Metadome's leg kicked onto his opponent's back.

Because of the momentum of the punch, the guest Energy Refiner threw, the Training Metadome flew forward before rolling a few times after landing.

Like he mentioned, Aldrin took the first move and the first clean hit!