For Eric Thompson, skipping class was an everyday occurrence. Just look at the shine in his hair—it was obvious he had just taken a shower. His eyes, too, looked a bit lazy, clearly from spending too long in the sauna.

Ashley White frowned slightly. According to Eric Thompson's usual pace, today was an important opportunity for him to achieve the warrior title. Otherwise, Miss Ashley White wouldn’t have waited on the playground specifically to observe Eric Thompson's performance.

But what did Ashley White see? It was Eric Thompson, who had just skipped class to take a shower and was now stretching lazily!

Such an attitude toward an important breakthrough? It made Ashley White angry. When she was breaking through to the warrior level, she had been so nervous that she couldn’t sleep for several nights.

“Even a Eric Thompson who isn’t taking things seriously can improve at a rate of one unit of force per day. What would happen if he gave it his all?” Ashley White was filled with curiosity and confusion, thinking to herself.

……

After entering the training center, Eric Thompson waited for the classmate ahead of him to come out of the training room. He let out a laugh, opened the door, and walked in, forcing himself to perk up.

The numbers on the screen were counting down. When the countdown hit one, that intense force pressure appeared again, weighing down on Eric Thompson's body.

In the past, every time Eric Thompson entered the Turtle Room, he would always be nervous, because the Turtle Room simulated facing a powerful enemy, as if he were in a life-or-death battle, with the enemy’s force pressing down on him.

This time, Eric Thompson suddenly realized that entering the Turtle Room in a completely relaxed state felt entirely different.

From total relaxation to tensed muscles, then to the force core running at full speed, force spreading throughout his body.

The sensation of this process was so clear that Eric Thompson could feel his body changing step by step, from a relaxed state to a combat state.

It was like fighting a battle without any preparation!

Starting training in a tense state meant getting into the zone quickly, with both mind and body ready. But this time, it was like a surprise attack, as if the unprepared Eric Thompson was suddenly thrown into a brutal battlefield.

Comparing the two, the latter was obviously more shocking for Eric Thompson, and in real combat, it was unlikely that the enemy would agree on a time and place with you—most battles were ambushes.

“I get it. This process is meant to simulate suddenly encountering an enemy!” Eric Thompson said, his eyes lighting up.

Colin said, “Exactly. When you suddenly feel the force pressure while relaxed, every cell in your body can clearly sense the changes around you, and your understanding of force will deepen. The reason you were made to soak in the sauna for so long was to relax your originally tense nerves.”

“According to the experience summarized by countless seniors on the Star Union Network, training is more effective when done in a relaxed state. If you can’t relax on your own, you need auxiliary methods like taking a hot shower.”

Eric Thompson nodded vigorously, then began practicing his long fist technique in the Turtle Room.

The experience summarized by the seniors wasn’t hard to understand. It was like someone who eats rice every day—eventually, it gets boring, but occasionally having a northern-style pancake feels fresh and whets the appetite.

Trying to adjust the body’s relaxation level before training was meant to create a sense of novelty for the body, to avoid falling into a rut from long-term, repetitive training.

After finishing a set of long fist, Eric Thompson felt as if a burning heat was accumulating inside him, about to burst out. This was a sign that his force level was reaching a bottleneck.

Colin hurriedly reminded Eric Thompson to stop practicing fist techniques and switch to footwork.

Footwork referred to the coordination techniques used in squad battles. Typically, a standard squad had five members: one scout, one rear guard, two main attackers, and one commander. They needed to coordinate seamlessly, making position changes extremely important.

Footwork training was naturally much easier than fist techniques, but what made Eric Thompson uncomfortable was the force accumulating inside him! Under the force pressure in the training room, he could no longer suppress it.

……

Five minutes later, the beginner warrior level—broken through!

Boom~

As Eric Thompson threw a punch, sweat shot off his fist like ice shards, splattering against the metal wall of the Turtle Room like a bullet.

“So this is what it feels like to become a warrior!?” Eric Thompson exclaimed in delight.

Colin said, “Quantitative change leads to qualitative change. One unit of force is the foundation of combat power. Only when your force is strong enough can your martial skills be fully unleashed. Don’t underestimate the small increase in your force—after breaking through, your combat power is truly elevated.”

“Congratulations, Master, on becoming a true warrior!”

There was still some time left, so Eric Thompson didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he stayed in the training room to test how it felt after his force level breakthrough.

Whether it was strength, speed, or neural response, Eric Thompson had improved significantly compared to before. He could clearly feel this improvement and was quite excited.

Eric Thompson walked out of the Turtle Room and suddenly noticed that Instructor Travis and classmates like Jason Carter were all looking at him in a very strange way.