As another grueling day of training drew to a close, Leo Shaw finally slowed his steady jog to a halt in the vast desert simulation. Sand crunched under his boots, the grains still radiating the day's accumulated heat like a lingering furnace. His breath came in deep, controlled rhythms—no longer the desperate gasps of the early days, but the measured cadence of someone who'd conquered the immediate challenge.
Yes—he could jog now, even in the full training suit.
The crushing five-ton load that had once forced him to crawl now felt... manageable. Not light, never light, but integrated. His legs pumped with power, muscles coiling and exploding in harmonious bursts despite the relentless pressure. Sweat poured off him in sheets, soaking the suit's interior and tracing salty paths down his
