Chapter 119: Enhancement

David recalled the training session from last night. The Eighteen Martial Techniques did indeed enhance agility, but only as a secondary effect after a significant boost in strength. He didn’t believe that one practice session could increase his agility by 0.1 points.

Integrating the Knowledge Orbs, aside from the Soft Body Technique which was somewhat unique, the rest were ordinary orbs and didn’t contribute to agility enhancement either.

David focused his attention on the Soft Body Technique, in which he had reached 65% mastery. He remembered the lightness that had coursed through his entire body after practicing it last night, and how his eyes had grown brighter.

Agility had always been his weakest attribute, partly because the Federation’s Eighteen Martial Techniques primarily emphasized strengthening constitution and power, with little effect on agility.

Previously, David had discovered a direct way to boost agility: extracting the speed talent Knowledge Orb from the soul of a Ripping Insect. But while hunting such level-one insectoids was easy during the city’s defense war, that conflict had ended. Now, if he encountered a Ripping Insect in the wild, the issue wouldn’t be killing it but rather escaping its relentless pursuit.

With this realization, David began to earnestly practice the Soft Body Technique. Today’s session was less painful than yesterday’s, and his joints tingled pleasantly as he stretched.

Giving more attention to the Soft Body Technique, he fully immersed himself in feeling the subtle changes it brought to his body.

He noticed that the extreme stretches were affecting his muscles and joints — muscles were forced to elongate, and joints grew more lubricated and flexible during practice.

After finishing, David once again felt that faint sense of lightness.

Opening his attribute panel, he saw no change in agility numerically, but he genuinely felt his agility had increased—just too subtly to register on the panel.

He recalled the mercenary who, even when locked onto by two heavy defensive machine guns, managed to perform astonishingly agile maneuvers. If David hadn’t ordered the rapid-fire cannon to seal the entrance in time, that mercenary might have escaped.

It dawned on him that the true secret behind that mercenary’s speed and nimbleness was the Soft Body Technique.

“Looks like I’m adding another fixed item to my daily training routine!” David thought excitedly.

His current regimen was already packed: the Eighteen Martial Techniques, spear, longsword, heavy axe, war hammer, large shield, plus sniper practice in the medium-sized server’s virtual environment.

Even if he didn’t attend school anymore, his daily workload was heavy.

“David, open up!” Jim’s shout came through David’s identity wristband while he was still practicing the longsword.

“Emma, attend to the door!” David didn’t stop his practice but instructed his intelligent assistant Emma through the wristband.

“David, where is he?” Jim was the first to enter the hall, asking Emma.

“The master is training in the gym!” Emma replied while preparing juice.

Behind Jim, Daly, Myron, and Dequincy walked in.

“Myron, this is the gap between you and David!” Dequincy said, turning to Myron.

“Dequincy, you talk as if you can compare to David!” Myron shot back immediately.

“We just came too early!” Jim laughed helplessly.

They had indeed arrived early today. Hearing that David was soon to leave Perlan City and that it was their day off, their tight-knit group all had free time and decided to gather at David’s place.

“So, what’s the deal with that newly transferred senior officer? I heard he doesn’t get along with David!” Daly looked at Myron and asked.

“How should I know? But if he really doesn’t get along with David, I’ll talk to my father about it later—maybe give him a little trouble!” Myron, now showing true official’s son confidence, said with a grin.

“I’ll bring it up at home too; it might work!” Dequincy, surprisingly aligned with Myron, chimed in.

“Don’t meddle in Officer Kush’s affairs,” David, just emerging from the basement, overheard their chatter and cut in.

“That’s minor stuff. David, you’re leaving Perlan City but didn’t tell us beforehand? That’s not right!” Jim waved his hand.

“The original plan was to gather everyone once everything was settled. How about we go out somewhere today? My treat!” David smiled, then shot a glance at Myron—it was clear the news had leaked from him.

“No need today. Got word this morning that the Mercenary Station canceled its mission against you. But for the next couple of days, better stay in. Some mercenaries might still be uninformed and try to come after you!” Daly quickly shook his head in warning.

Yesterday, two more mercenaries died, killed by defensive weapons after breaking into David’s courtyard. Although the news was sealed off, these few all knew.

With Daly’s warning, the others agreed.

“David, you had quite a haul yesterday. You took the weapons from those two mercenaries, right?” Daly, having heard the full story from his father, asked with a smile.

“Yes, I took them,” David nodded, smiling.

“They didn’t find their exoskeleton suits at the scene, nor their hideout. Does that mean…” Before Daly finished, Jim, Myron, and Dequincy all turned toward David, their eyes full of anticipation.

Officers highly valued exoskeleton suits. Even Daly’s father, an officer, never allowed him near his suit.

Similarly, Jim, Myron, and Dequincy, all of notable status, found it difficult to access exoskeleton suits. The more unattainable, the more they longed to examine them closely.

“Emma, bring those two exoskeleton suits and the two grade-one weapons over here!” David looked at the group, chuckling, and instructed his assistant Emma.

“Haha, I knew it!” Daly laughed heartily.

Soon, Emma brought two exoskeleton suit cases and two grade-one weapons, placing them before the group.

“David, can we open them?” Myron practically leaned over a case, asking eagerly.

“First, no trying them on. If you don’t want your bodies to burst, don’t attempt it!” David warned before unlocking them.

“Don’t worry, we’re not fools!” Myron hurriedly replied.

The suit cases opened and transformed into ready-to-wear states. Stepping into them would automatically don the suits.

They examined the suits for a while, and after their interest waned, turned to the grade-one weapons.

“David, this is a grade-one military dagger—quite rare!” Jim picked up the dagger, swinging it a few times in admiration.

“Jim, I forgot—can you get me a leg sheath for the dagger?” David gestured toward his lower leg.

“Wait up. I’ll scan it and send it to logistics to see if they have one in stock. If not, we’ll have them make one!” Jim said with a smile.

From scanning to sending the request to the military logistics department took just two minutes. In less than half an hour, the leg sheath was delivered to the door.

David looked at the excited soldier handing him a box, his eyes full of admiration.

“David, these two exoskeleton suits can’t adjust their size. If you need, I can have my father’s technicians help modify them for you!” Daly offered.

“Wouldn’t that be too troublesome?” David was pleasantly surprised.

He had been planning to ask a technician for help but didn’t expect Daly to offer first. Military resources weren’t easy for him to request due to sensitive regulations.

“No problem, it’s a small matter!” Daly smiled.

Jim glanced at Daly, and Daly returned the look. Both understood each other.

Modifying exoskeleton suits required extremely expensive materials. Even without labor costs, the expenses wouldn’t be small.

Yet Jim and Daly felt deep gratitude toward David. Thanks to his outstanding performance, their fathers had been promoted. This was their way of repaying David.