Part-29

  A determined glint shone in James' eyes as he raided his closet. The gym css memory had ignited a spark of hope, and he was determio exploit it. He emerged moments ter, clutg a plump pillow and a length of sturdy rope.

  In his room, James surveyed the space, his mind already formuting a pn. He secured one end of the rope to a sturdy fixture on his wall, the other end tied firmly around the pillow, transf it into a makeshift pung bag of sorts. He pulled on the rope experimentally, satisfied with its tautness. This wouldn't be easily dislodged.

  Now came the real test. He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and delivered a tentative sp to the pillow. The blue window flickered to life, but the message dispyed wasn't what he'd hoped for:

  **" Detected. Thunderot Activated. Minimum Aggression Level: 80%."**

  Disappoi hrough him. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. He needed aggression, and spping a pillow with kid gloves wouldn't cut it.

  He closed his eyes, picturing Ryan's smug smirk, the memory of Tony's menag approabsp; Anger, hot and potent, bubbled up within him. He ched his fists, feeling a surge of power course through him.

  With a primal yell, James unleashed a thunderous sp on the pillow. The force of the blow sent the makeshift pung bag swinging wildly. This time, the blue window dispyed a more satisfying message:

  **"Thundercp Executed! Thundercp Skill EXP + 1"**

  A triumphant grin split James' fabsp; It worked! He could train, hone his skills without res to random acts of violenbsp; He could el his anger, his frustration, into something productive.

  He unched into a series of thundercps, each blow eg through his room in a satisfying rhythm. With every hit, the blue window ticked upwards, the number beside his "Thundercp Skill" climbing steadily. He wasn't sure if this was the most ventional trainihod, but for now, it worked.

  As he tinued his unorthodox training session, a hought struck him. Could he modify the teique? Could he develop variations of the sp, each with its own unique properties? The possibilities swirled in his mind, fueling his determination.

  He g the blue window, the number beside his "Thundercp Skill" now a respectable 18/100. The road ahead was long, but for the first time, James felt a flicker of hope. He was on his way.

  Exhaustio James' muscles as he delivered the 25th thundercp. Each blow resonated with a satisfying thud against the pillow, but the once effortless movement now felt bored. Sweat beaded on his forehead, blurring his vision slightly. He g the blue window, a sliver of hope battling the growing fatigue. His "Thundercp Skill" had climbed to a much more respectable 34/100.

  Just a bit further, he thought, gritting his teeth. He could almost taste the aplishment of reag the upgrade point. But a nagging feeling of weakness began to creep in. His arms felt like lead weights, and a dull ache throbbed in his chest. He vaguely remembered the code dispyed earlier about Stamina being used with each thunderbsp; Had he overexerted himself?