Finn stood in Training Ground C and watched Kaito Vermillion introduce himself to the group like he was already their leader.
"Kaito. Third Gen, fire and lightning fusion. I've trained for academy combat scenarios my whole life, so if you're smart, you'll listen when I make calls." He said it with a smile that somehow made the arrogance feel like confidence. "What about the rest of you?"
The girl spoke first. She was tall, maybe five-nine, with black hair pulled into a practical braid and the kind of build that suggested she spent more time training than sleeping. "Lin Zhao. Second Gen. Enhanced strength and durability. I can take hits and dish them out."
One of the guys went next. Stocky, broad-shouldered, with a nervous energy that made him shift his weight constantly. "Marcus Holt. First Gen. Earth manipulation. I can reshape terrain, create barriers, that kind of thing."
Not the Marcus. Just someone with an unfortunately common name. Finn forced himself not to react.
The second guy looked younger than the rest, maybe seventeen. Thin, with glasses and the perpetually startled expression of someone who wasn't sure how he'd ended up here. "Theo Park. First Gen. Healing. Minor injuries only, nothing dramatic. And before anyone asks, no, I can't heal myself while fighting."
That left Finn.
Four sets of eyes turned toward him. Kaito's gaze felt particularly heavy, like he was already evaluating whether Finn would be useful or dead weight.
"Finn Porter. Fourth Gen. Spatial manipulation." He kept his voice neutral. "Teleportation, short-range phasing, and offensive constructs."
Kaito's eyebrows rose. "Fourth Gen? That's rare. You just awaken?"
"Recently."
"And you're already here testing?" Lin looked skeptical. "Most people wait months to build control before attempting academy entrance."
"I'm a fast learner."
"We'll see." Lin didn't sound convinced.
Before anyone could press further, an instructor approached. A woman in her forties with graying hair and the weathered look of someone who'd spent decades in the Outlands. She carried a tablet and had the expression of someone deeply uninterested in whatever complaints might be coming.
"Group 7," she said without preamble. "I'm Instructor Reeves. Your teamwork evaluation is simple in concept, difficult in execution. You'll enter a simulated combat zone with a specific objective. Complete the objective while keeping your team alive. You'll be evaluated on coordination, communication, tactical decision-making, and adaptability."
She gestured toward a building behind her. "The simulation runs for thirty minutes maximum. Your objective will be revealed once you're inside. Equipment lockers are available if you need gear. Questions?"
"What's the difficulty level?" Kaito asked.
"Appropriate for academy applicants. Some of you will find it easy. Some will struggle. That's the point." Reeves consulted her tablet. "You have five minutes to prepare. Use them wisely."
She walked away, leaving the five of them standing in uncomfortable silence.
'This wasn't in the original story,' Finn thought, mind already working through implications. 'I wrote individual practicals. Solo evaluation. This team dynamic is completely new.'
Which meant he couldn't rely on author knowledge here. Had to adapt in real-time without the advantage that had carried him this far.
"Alright," Kaito said, taking charge exactly like a protagonist would. "We've got five minutes. Let's establish roles. Lin, you're frontline. Marcus, you're support and terrain control. Theo, you stay protected in the middle and focus on keeping people alive. Finn, you're mobility and flanking. I'll handle primary offense and shot-calling."
He said it like it was already decided. Like his assessment of their abilities was obviously correct and any disagreement would be stupid.
The annoying part was that he was right. Those roles made tactical sense given their abilities.
"Works for me," Lin said. "I'm used to taking hits."
Marcus nodded quickly. "I can work with that. Just tell me where you need terrain modified."
Theo looked relieved not to be expected to fight directly. "I'll do my best."
Everyone looked at Finn.
'He wants to see if I'll challenge him,' Finn realized. 'Testing whether I'm going to be cooperative or difficult.'
"Fine," Finn said. "But if I see a better angle, I'm taking it. Don't expect me to wait for permission if something time-sensitive happens."
Kaito's smile widened. "Fair enough. Initiative is good as long as you don't get people killed. We clear on the plan?"
"Crystal," Lin said.
They moved toward the equipment lockers. Finn didn't need much since his abilities were self-contained, but he grabbed a utility knife and some basic supplies just in case. The others armed themselves with various weapons and gear suited to their combat styles.
"One more thing," Kaito said as they assembled near the building entrance. "This is an evaluation, but more importantly, it's our introduction to each other. Some of us might end up in the same classes or teams after enrollment. Let's make a good impression, yeah?"
He was doing it again. That protagonist thing where he made people want to follow him through sheer force of personality and apparent competence.
'I created that trait,' Finn thought with something between pride and irritation. 'Wrote it specifically to make him compelling. And now I have to deal with it in person.'
The door opened automatically as they approached. Beyond was a dark corridor lit by emergency lighting.
"Here we go," Marcus muttered nervously.
They entered. The door sealed behind them with a pneumatic hiss that felt ominously final.
The corridor extended about thirty feet before opening into a larger space. As they advanced, screens mounted on the walls flickered to life.
SIMULATION INITIALIZED
OBJECTIVE: EXTRACT CIVILIAN FROM HOSTILE TERRITORY
MISSION PARAMETERS:
- LOCATE CIVILIAN MARKED WITH TRACKING BEACON
- ESCORT TO EXTRACTION POINT
- SURVIVE ENEMY ENCOUNTERS
- TIME LIMIT: 30 MINUTES
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS ACTIVE
ENEMY COMBATANTS: VARIABLE
"Civilian extraction," Lin said. "Could be worse. At least we have a clear goal."
"Tracking beacon means we won't waste time searching," Kaito added. "But hostile territory with variable enemies means we don't know what we're facing."
The corridor opened into a large chamber that had been transformed into something resembling urban ruins. Collapsed buildings. Rubble piles. Narrow passages between structures. The lighting was dim and inconsistent, creating shadows that could hide anything.
A holographic display appeared in the center of their vision, visible to all of them. A map with their position marked in blue and a red marker approximately two hundred meters away.
"Target is northeast," Finn said, already analyzing routes. "Three possible approaches. Direct through the main street, flanking through the eastern buildings, or circling through the western ruins."
"Main street is probably trapped or watched," Lin said. "Too obvious."
"Eastern flank then," Kaito decided. "Finn, you scout ahead with your phase ability. Stay within communication range. Everyone else, tight formation. Marcus, if we need quick cover, you're up first."
They moved out. Finn activated Phase Step and blinked forward, putting distance between himself and the group while staying close enough to warn them of threats.
[PHASE STEP ACTIVATED]
[SPARK CAPACITY: 14/14 → 9/14]
The ruins felt wrong. Too quiet. In real urban environments, even abandoned ones, there were sounds. Wind through broken structures. Debris settling. Small animals or insects.
Here, there was nothing. Just the sound of the team's footsteps behind him and his own breathing.
'It's a simulation,' Finn reminded himself. 'They probably didn't bother with ambient sound design. Or they removed it deliberately to increase tension.'
He advanced through the eastern route, checking corners and high positions for threats. The path wound between partially collapsed buildings that created natural chokepoints.
Then he saw movement. Fifty feet ahead. Something human-shaped but moving wrong. Too jerky. Too mechanical.
Combat constructs. Like the one Hayes had used during physical evaluation but designed to look more threatening.
Finn held up a fist, the universal signal for stop. The team behind him froze.
He counted three constructs patrolling an intersection ahead. They moved in a pattern that suggested basic AI programming. Predictable routes with overlapping fields of vision.
Finn moved back to the group and reported quietly. "Three hostiles at the intersection. Construct-type. Patrol pattern gives us a window every thirty seconds where two of them are looking away simultaneously."
"Can you take one silently?" Kaito asked.
"If I'm fast."
"Do it. We'll push through when you clear the first one."
Finn moved back into position and waited for the patrol cycle. When two constructs turned away, he Phase Stepped into range and activated Spatial Blade.
[PHASE STEP ACTIVATED]
[SPARK CAPACITY: 9/14 → 4/14]
[SPATIAL BLADE ACTIVATED]
[SPARK CAPACITY: 4/14 → 0/14]
The blade manifested around his hand. He struck at the nearest construct's neck joint. The spatial edge cut clean through. The construct's head separated and it collapsed without making significant noise.
'Empty,' Finn thought, seeing his Spark Capacity at zero. 'That's a problem.'
He couldn't use any abilities until his energy regenerated. He was effectively a normal human for the next few minutes.
The team moved through the intersection while the remaining constructs were still looking away. They cleared the area and regrouped on the other side.
"Good work," Kaito said. "You good to keep scouting?"
Finn shook his head. "Need a minute. Used too much energy,"
"Fair enough. Lin takes point then."
They adjusted formation. Lin moved to the front, her enhanced durability making her the logical choice for taking unexpected hits. Finn fell back with Theo, frustrated at being temporarily useless but knowing it was the smart call.
'I used too much too fast,' he thought, mentally calculating regeneration rates. 'Maybe one point per minute. I'll be useful again in five minutes but not at full capacity for fifteen.'
The path continued northeast. They encountered two more construct patrols that Lin handled through brute force, her enhanced strength letting her tear through the mechanical enemies. Marcus created earth barriers at key chokepoints to prevent flanking attacks.
Finn felt his reserves slowly rebuilding. After five minutes he had enough for a Phase Step if needed. Not ideal, but better than nothing.
They reached the red marker on their map. A building that had partially collapsed, creating a maze of rooms and hallways on the ground floor. The civilian marker was inside, roughly centered.
"Bottleneck situation," Kaito observed. "If we go in and something's waiting, we'll be fighting in tight quarters with limited visibility."
"Could Finn phase through and verify the target first?" Marcus suggested.
"Not enough juice yet," Finn said. "I can manage one short-range phase if we need emergency escape, but I can't scout extensively right now."
"Then we do it the old-fashioned way." Kaito looked at Lin. "You and I go first. Marcus, you're right behind us ready to create barriers if we need quick cover. Theo and Finn stay at the entrance. If things go wrong, Theo runs and Finn gets him out with whatever mobility you can manage."
"Sending the healer away seems counterintuitive," Theo said nervously.
"Sending the healer into a potential ambush is how healers die." Kaito's tone softened slightly. "We need you alive to be useful. That means keeping you safe."
They entered the building. The interior was dark, lit only by failing emergency lights that created more shadows than illumination. Rubble made footing treacherous. Every step crunched on broken concrete.
The civilian was in what looked like it had been a storage room. A holographic figure marked with a glowing beacon sat in the corner, arms wrapped around knees. Not moving. Not responsive to their approach.
"Weird," Lin said. "It's just sitting there."
Kaito approached cautiously. Reached out to touch the hologram.
The moment contact was made, alarms blared. The building's lights switched to hostile red. The holographic civilian disappeared.
"It was bait," Finn said flatly.
Doors sealed. Walls shifted. Suddenly they were surrounded by constructs emerging from hidden panels. At least a dozen. More than they'd faced in all previous encounters combined.
"Defensive positions!" Kaito shouted. "Marcus, barriers now!"
Marcus slammed his hands down. Earth rose from the floor, creating walls that blocked several approach vectors. But there were too many angles. Too many enemies.
Lin engaged the nearest constructs, her enhanced strength letting her trade blows with multiple opponents. Kaito unleashed his fire-lightning fusion, burning through enemies with controlled bursts that avoided hitting teammates.
Finn felt his reserves at maybe a third. Enough for one Phase Step or a few seconds of Spatial Blade. Not enough for sustained combat.
'Think. Analyze the situation. What's the actual objective?'
The civilian marker had disappeared when Kaito touched it. Which meant it had transferred to Kaito somehow. Their objective wasn't to find the civilian. It was to extract whoever was carrying the marker.
"Kaito!" Finn shouted over the combat noise. "Check your gear! I think the marker transferred to you!"
Kaito patted himself down while dodging a construct's swing. Found a small device clipped to his belt that definitely hadn't been there before.
"Got it! The civilian was us all along!"
"Then we need to get you to the extraction point!" Lin yelled back, smashing a construct's head with her bare hands. "Where the hell is extraction?"
The map updated. A new green marker appeared back near where they'd entered the simulation. At least three hundred meters away through hostile territory.
"Of course it's back at the start," Marcus said, sounding defeated. "Because why would anything be easy?"
"We run," Kaito decided. "Fighting everything will drain us dry. Marcus, make me a path. Lin, you're on Kaito defense. Finn, Theo, stay close and don't die. Move!"
Marcus started throwing up earth walls as they ran, creating barriers that blocked pursuit routes. Lin stayed next to Kaito, intercepting any construct that got close. Theo and Finn ran in the middle, the healer gasping for breath and Finn calculating whether his remaining reserves would be enough to get them out if things went completely wrong.
'About five points,' Finn thought, dodging rubble and trying not to fall behind. 'One Phase Step or brief Spatial Blade usage. Not enough to fight through a dozen constructs but maybe enough to create an opening if we get completely pinned.'
They hit the main street. The direct route they'd avoided earlier. Constructs poured from buildings, the simulation apparently spawning enemies faster than they could be avoided.
"Too many!" Lin shouted. "We're not making it through at this rate!"
Kaito's fire-lightning fusion blazed brighter, consuming his energy rapidly as he cleared paths. But even protagonist powers had limits. He was clearly burning through his reserves keeping them mobile.
"Finn!" Kaito yelled without looking back. "I need an opening to the extraction point! Thirty-second window, that's all I need!"
'Thirty seconds. One Phase Step won't do it. Not enough range. Not enough duration.'
Finn looked ahead. Saw the extraction marker roughly one hundred meters away. Saw the constructs blocking the path. Saw the side passages that could flank them.
Then he saw it. A support column that looked structural but was probably part of the simulation. If it came down, it would block the side passages and force all remaining constructs to approach from a single direction.
"Marcus!" Finn pointed at the column. "Bring that down! Block the flanks!"
"That's load-bearing! The ceiling will—"
"It's a simulation! The ceiling's not real! Trust me and drop it!"
Marcus looked at Kaito. Kaito nodded. Marcus redirected his earth manipulation, pulling support from the column's base.
The structure groaned. Then collapsed. The ceiling above it didn't fall because Finn was right—it wasn't real architecture. But the falling debris blocked both side passages perfectly, funneling all remaining constructs into the main street.
"One direction!" Lin shouted. "I can hold one direction!"
She planted herself between the team and the constructs, enhanced durability letting her tank hits that would have killed anyone else.
Kaito's fusion burned through the remaining obstacles. Marcus created a final barrier behind them to buy seconds. Theo kept pace, somehow finding the stamina to run despite looking like he wanted to die.
Finn ran on fumes and tactics, his mind already cataloging every mistake he'd made. Using abilities too freely early. Not managing resources properly. Relying too heavily on author knowledge that didn't fully apply.
They hit the extraction point. A green holographic zone at the building's entrance.
Kaito crossed the threshold.
MISSION COMPLETE
OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED: CIVILIAN EXTRACTED
TIME REMAINING: 4:32
TEAM SURVIVAL: 5/5
The simulation ended. The constructs froze and dissolved. The lighting returned to normal. The ruins faded, revealing the training ground's actual interior—padded floors and safety equipment.
Finn dropped to one knee, breathing hard. His reserves sat at near zero. His legs felt like they'd been replaced with cement. But they'd made it.
"Everyone alive?" Kaito asked, somehow still standing upright despite having burned through more energy than anyone.
"Barely," Marcus gasped.
"Intact," Lin confirmed, though she had scorch marks and dents in her clothing from construct attacks.
"I think I'm having a heart attack," Theo wheezed. "Is that normal?"
Finn just raised a hand in acknowledgment, too tired to form words.
Instructor Reeves appeared with her tablet, her expression remained unreadable. "Group 7. Adequate performance. You completed the objective with all members surviving. Time was slower than ideal but acceptable for academy applicants. Individual evaluations will be provided separately."
She made notes, then looked at them properly. "Teamwork showed promise. Your shot-caller made effective decisions. The spatial manipulator showed tactical awareness when it mattered. The earth manipulator adapted under pressure. The tank did her job. The healer survived, which is surprisingly uncommon."
High praise from someone who looked like she'd never complimented anything in her life.
"Results will be posted by evening," Reeves continued. "Return to the main assembly area. You're dismissed."
She walked away, leaving the five of them standing in exhausted silence.
"Well," Kaito said finally. "That was something."
"That was bullshit," Lin countered. "The civilian bait into ambush design? Who thought that was fair for entrance testing?"
"Someone who wanted to see how we'd adapt to unexpected complications," Finn said, finally catching his breath. "It wasn't about completing it perfectly. It was about showing we could adjust when plans failed."
"Smart assessment," Kaito said, giving Finn an appraising look. "You pulled through when it mattered. That collapse call was solid thinking."
Finn shrugged. "Just saw the opportunity."
"Still. Good work." Kaito extended his hand.
Finn stared at it for a moment. The protagonist offering respect. The character he'd created, acknowledging the creator without knowing it.
He shook Kaito's hand.
"If we all get in," Kaito said, "I wouldn't mind teaming up again. You guys have potential."
"Bold of you to assume you're getting in," Lin said, but she was smiling.
They walked back to the assembly area together. The exhaustion and shared stress of the trial had created the beginning of something. Not friendship yet, but the foundation for it.
Finn stayed quiet and let them talk. His mind was already working through everything he'd learned.
The academy wasn't exactly like what he'd written. The tests had changed. But the fundamentals remained the same. Power mattered. Tactics mattered. And most importantly, reputation mattered.
He'd passed. He was reasonably confident of that. And in the process, he'd made contact with the protagonist without revealing who he really was.
'First step complete,' Finn thought. 'Get into the academy. Build power. Watch the heroes. Learn their patterns.'
'Then destroy them.'
The assembly area was crowded with applicants finishing their evaluations. Finn spotted Peter in the corner and made his way over.
"How'd yours go?" Peter asked immediately.
"Survived. You?"
"Apparently building a functional communication device from scrap under time pressure is harder than I thought, but I think I passed." Peter lowered his voice. "Some of the other support applicants are insane. One guy built a working Spark amplifier in fifteen minutes."
"You'll get in."
"Hope you're right." Peter looked at the crowd. "Now we just wait for results and hope we didn't waste all that money."
They waited. Hours passed. The crowd thinned as people gave up and left to check results later. Finn and Peter stayed, both too anxious to leave.
Finally, as the sun started setting, the screens throughout the academy grounds flickered to life.
ADMISSION RESULTS - BASTION SEVEN DEFENSE INSTITUTE
Lists appeared. Names arranged by category. Combat students. Support students. Accepted. Waitlisted. Rejected.
Finn found the combat list and scanned for his name.
There. Halfway down.
PORTER, FINN - ACCEPTED
Peter found his name on the support list a moment later.
CLARK, PETER - ACCEPTED
They looked at each other.
"We're in," Peter said, sounding like he couldn't quite believe it.
"We're in," Finn confirmed.
Around them, reactions varied. Some people cheered. Some cried from relief or disappointment. Some just stood in stunned silence.
Finn felt something settle in his chest. Not quite satisfaction. More like the acknowledgment of a checkpoint reached.
He was in the academy. The same academy that had trained Marcus, Vanessa, and Joel. The institution that had given them the resources to become S-rank heroes.
Now it would give Finn the same resources.
And he'd use them to tear everything those three had built straight down to the foundation.