Finn stared at Kaito Vermillion and felt something twist in his chest.
This was the protagonist. The hero he'd spent months crafting. Red hair that caught light like fire. Confident posture that suggested he'd never doubted himself. That easy smile that made people want to follow him into danger.
Finn had written every detail. The backstory about hero parents and an older brother who'd graduated. The natural charisma that drew people in. The destiny that would eventually make him humanity's savior.
And now he was standing right there, offering friendship like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"You two look like you might actually make it through," Kaito said again, his grin widening. "Most people here are either overconfident or terrified. You guys seem like you're actually thinking."
Peter recovered first. "Peter Clark. Support track. And yeah, we're thinking. Thinking about how expensive this was and how screwed we are if we fail."
"Optimistic. I like it." Kaito turned to Finn. "What about you?"
"Finn Porter," he said, keeping his voice even. "Combat track."
"Combat, huh? What generation?"
The question was casual but loaded. Generation determined everything in this world. Your potential. Your value. Your entire future.
"Fourth Gen," Finn said.
Kaito's eyebrows rose slightly. "Fourth? That's rare. What's your ability?"
"Spatial manipulation."
"No shit? That's versatile." Kaito looked genuinely impressed. "I'm Third Gen. Fire and lightning fusion. Parents said I got lucky with the combination."
Of course he did. Finn had written him that way. A fusion-type ability that screamed protagonist. Flashy, powerful, and perfectly suited for dramatic battles.
"Lucky," Finn echoed.
"Maybe. Or maybe I just work harder than everyone else." Kaito said it without arrogance, just stating what he believed to be fact. "Either way, I'm getting through today. You guys should stick with me during the teamwork test if we end up grouped together. I've got strategies."
Peter snorted. "Confident much?"
"Realistic. I've been preparing for this my whole life. Know what to expect. Know how to adapt." Kaito glanced toward the stage where Aurora had been standing. "That third test threw me off though. Teamwork evaluation wasn't what I expected."
'You and me both,' Finn thought.
"What were you expecting?" Peter asked.
"Individual practical application. Complex scenario testing everything at once. But I guess they changed it up this year." Kaito shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Teamwork just means I need to make sure my group doesn't screw up."
The casual assumption that he'd be carrying his team should have been annoying. Instead, it just felt accurate. That's exactly what protagonists did. They elevated everyone around them through sheer force of competence and destiny.
Finn's wristband buzzed.
He looked down. Numbers appeared on the small screen: //47//.
"Looks like you're up," Kaito said. "Good luck in there. Try not to overthink it."
Finn nodded and stood. Peter's band hadn't buzzed yet, which meant they were being called separately. He'd be doing this alone.
The crowd was thinning as people got called for testing. Finn followed the flow toward a corridor branching off from the main hall. Signs directed different numbers to different rooms. His led to a door marked "Testing Room 3."
Inside, the space was smaller than he expected. Maybe twenty by twenty feet. Plain walls. A single chair in the center facing a large screen. A woman in academy uniform sat at a desk in the corner with a tablet.
"Finn Porter?" she asked without looking up.
"Yes."
"Sit. We'll begin momentarily."
Finn sat in the chair. The screen in front of him flickered to life, displaying the academy's logo.
The woman tapped her tablet. "Mental evaluation assesses tactical thinking and decision-making under pressure. You'll be presented with scenarios. For each scenario, you'll have multiple options. Choose what you believe is the best course of action. There are no strictly wrong answers, but your choices will be analyzed for patterns. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Begin."
The screen changed. Text appeared alongside a tactical map.
//SCENARIO 1: SWARM NEST DETECTION//
//Your patrol discovers signs of a Razorwolf nest approximately three miles from Bastion Seven's outer wall. The nest appears to contain 15-20 wolves based on track analysis. Your team consists of four people: yourself (Fourth Gen Awakened), two Second Gen Awakened, and one non-Awakened specialist.//
//OPTIONS://
//A) Report to authorities and wait for official response team//
//B) Engage immediately to prevent nest growth//
//C) Conduct surveillance and gather more intelligence before deciding//
//D) Retreat and monitor from safe distance//
Finn read through the options. This was basic threat assessment. The kind of decision hunters made constantly.
'Option A is the safe bureaucratic answer. Option B is the aggressive hero response. Option D was cowardice disguised as caution,'
'Option C is correct. Gather intelligence before committing resources. Understand what you're facing before making decisions that could get people killed,'
He selected C.
The screen shifted to the next scenario.
//SCENARIO 2: CIVILIAN EVACUATION//
//A Swarm incursion has breached the outer wall. You're tasked with evacuating civilians from sector 4. Your route to the safe zone passes through an area with confirmed Swarm activity. You have 30 civilians, including children and elderly. Your team has 6 combat-capable members.//
//OPTIONS://
//A) Take the direct route through Swarm territory for speed//
//B) Take the longer safe route around Swarm activity//
//C) Split the group, sending fast-movers through danger while protecting slower civilians on safe route//
//D) Request backup and shelter in place until support arrives//
Finn considered. This was testing priorities. Speed versus safety. Risk calculation.
'Option A would get people killed. Option B might take too long if the situation deteriorated. Option D assumed backup was available and could arrive in time,'
'Option C is the tactical answer. Maximize survival by playing to strengths. Fast-movers can navigate danger while the main group stayed safe,'
He selected C again.
The scenarios continued. Each one presented different tactical situations. Resource allocation during supply shortages. Dealing with hostile civilians during emergency operations. Choosing between saving a smaller group immediately or attempting a riskier rescue of a larger group.
Finn answered each one methodically. Not going for the hero option or the safe option. Just the option that made tactical sense given the information provided.
After fifteen scenarios, the screen went dark.
"Mental evaluation complete," the woman said. "Proceed to physical evaluation. Testing Room 7."
Finn stood and left. The corridor was busier now, people moving between rooms in both directions. He found Room 7 three doors down.
This space was larger. Forty by forty at least, with padded flooring and equipment storage along one wall. A man in academy uniform stood in the center, arms crossed. He was built like a tank, muscular and imposing, with scars visible on his forearms.
"Finn Porter. Fourth Gen, spatial manipulation." The man consulted a tablet. "I'm Instructor Hayes. Physical evaluation tests combat capability. For Awakened applicants, we want to see what you can do with your abilities. Demonstrate control, power output, and practical application."
He gestured at the open space. "Show me your abilities. Start with basic demonstration, then I'll give you challenges to test application."
Finn moved to the center of the room. This was the moment. He'd been hiding his abilities since reincarnating. Only Peter had seen hints during their escape from the hero celebration, and even then the chaos had obscured details.
Now he had to show enough to pass evaluation without revealing everything.
"Spatial manipulation," Finn said. "I can place anchor points and teleport to them. Phase step for short-range mobility. And I can manifest spatial constructs for offense."
"Demonstrate the teleport first."
Finn activated Anchor Point, placing a marker in the corner of the room.
[ANCHOR POINT PLACED]
[ANCHORS: 1/3]
Then he walked to the opposite corner and activated the ability.
[ANCHOR POINT ACTIVATED]
[TELEPORTING TO: ANCHOR 1]
Space compressed. For half a second he existed nowhere. Then he was standing in the original corner.
Hayes nodded, making notes on his tablet. "Range?"
"Five hundred meters currently. With time and training, I hope to increase it,"
"How many points can you maintain?"
"Three simultaneously."
Hayes made more notes. "Show me the short-range ability."
Finn activated Phase Step, blinking fifteen feet forward.
[PHASE STEP ACTIVATED]
"Range on that?"
"Five to ten meters depending on the phase]
"And the offensive construct?"
Finn hesitated. Spatial Blade was his most dangerous ability. Showing it meant revealing he could cut through almost anything.
But holding back too much would fail the evaluation.
He activated the skill.
[SPATIAL BLADE ACTIVATED]
The space around his right hand compressed into a cutting edge. Faint distortion marked where the blade existed, like heat waves focused into a weapon.
Hayes's eyes narrowed. "Demonstrate on that." He pointed at a training dummy in the corner. Reinforced materials designed to withstand Awakened attacks.
Finn approached the dummy and swung. The spatial blade passed through the torso section without resistance. The dummy separated cleanly, the cut was so smooth it looked like it had been manufactured in two pieces.
Hayes walked over and examined the cut. Ran his finger along the edge. "No resistance? Cuts through materials regardless of composition?"
"Mostly. Haven't tested it on everything."
Hayes made extensive notes. When he looked up, his expression had shifted from neutral evaluation to genuine interest. "Your ability set is well-rounded. Mobility for positioning, teleport for escape or flanking, and a high-damage offensive option. How long have you had this?"
"Weeks"
"Weeks?." Hayes repeated it like he was confirming he'd heard correctly. "You just awakened?"
"Recently."
"And you already have this level of control?" Hayes studied him. "Most Fourth Gen Awakened take months to master their abilities. You're demonstrating proficiency that suggests significant practice."
Finn kept his expression neutral. "I pick things up quickly."
"Apparently." Hayes made final notes on his tablet. "Combat scenario. I'm going to simulate an opponent. Use your abilities to engage and neutralize. Show me you can think and not just raw power."
The instructor moved to equipment storage and pulled out what looked like a training construct. A human-sized figure made of articulated parts that could move and respond. He activated it and the construct came alive, adopting a combat stance.
"Begin when ready."
Finn assessed the situation. The construct was faster than a normal human and probably programmed with combat patterns. Straight engagement would test his ability to adapt and apply his skills under pressure.
He placed an anchor point behind the construct, then activated Phase Step to close distance from the front.
[PHASE STEP ACTIVATED]
The construct reacted, swinging at where he'd appeared. Finn ducked under the strike and activated his second anchor point at his current location.
The construct pressed forward with a combination attack. Finn phase stepped again, creating distance, then teleported to the anchor behind the construct.
[ANCHOR POINT ACTIVATED]
He appeared behind it. The construct started to turn but Finn activated Spatial Blade and struck at the joint where its arm connected to the shoulder.
[SPATIAL BLADE ACTIVATED]
The arm separated. The construct adapted, switching to one-armed combat patterns, but Finn had already placed another anchor and teleported away.
The fight continued for two minutes. Finn demonstrated positioning, target selection, and ability synergy. He didn't go all out, didn't show the absolute limits of what he could do. Just enough to prove competence.
Finally, Hayes called stop. The construct powered down.
"Excellent tactical application," Hayes said, genuine approval in his voice. "You understand positioning and ability synergy. Most new Awakened just spam their strongest ability and hope it works. You're thinking three moves ahead."
Finn nodded, not trusting himself to respond without revealing too much satisfaction.
"Physical evaluation complete. Your performance will be reviewed along with your mental evaluation. Proceed to the assembly area for teamwork evaluation assignments. You'll be notified of your group within the hour."
Finn left the room feeling cautiously optimistic. He'd demonstrated enough to pass without exposing his full capabilities. Now he just needed to survive the teamwork evaluation without drawing too much attention.
The assembly area was back near the main hall. Dozens of applicants milled around, comparing experiences and looking nervous. Finn spotted Peter in the crowd and made his way over.
"How'd it go?" Peter asked immediately.
"Fine. You?"
"They had me demonstrate tool efficiency and problem-solving. I think I did okay." Peter lowered his voice. "Some of the other support applicants have serious backing. Corporate sponsors providing equipment and training. I'm competing with people who've had advantages I never had access to."
"You'll be fine. You're better than you think."
"Hope you're right." Peter glanced at his wristband. "Still waiting for teamwork assignment. You?"
"Same."
They waited. Minutes stretched. The crowd grew as more people finished their evaluations. Conversations buzzed with nervous energy.
Finn's wristband buzzed.
He looked down. New text appeared: //TEAM ASSIGNMENT: GROUP 7. REPORT TO TRAINING GROUND C.//
Peter's band buzzed a moment later. He checked it and frowned. "Group 12. Different from you."
"We'll compare notes after."
They separated. Finn followed signs toward the training grounds, joining a flow of other applicants heading the same direction. Training Ground C turned out to be an outdoor area with obstacle courses and combat zones clearly visible.
Four other people were already waiting when Finn arrived. Three guys, one girl. All looking as nervous as he felt.
Then a fifth person jogged up, slightly out of breath.
Red hair. Confident grin.
"Group 7?" Kaito asked.
Of course. Of course the protagonist would end up in his group.
Finn nodded slowly.
"Perfect," Kaito said. "Let's show them how it's done."