Commander Lyr made no further comments after the successful trial.
She simply had Zaya and Kael retrieve Axel and guide him into the Academy's main residential section.
It was a sterile world of white walls and humming lights, filled with young men and women in various stages of combat gear, all radiating the quiet, focused power of the Awakened.
Zaya led Axel to a high-security locker room. "This is yours. Use the decontamination unit. We'll find you later for a proper brief. You've earned a couple hours rest."
Axel was still riding the high of the fight and the Level Up. He stripped off his filthy, ragged gear. The System immediately updated his [INVENTORY]: the tattered clothes were marked [Junk].
He stepped out of the decontamination unit feeling physically clean for the first time in months. He quickly dressed in the provided basic Academy fatigues—durable black trousers and a charcoal grey shirt.
As he was securing his new lockbox, a voice—smug, sharp, and laced with palpable contempt—cut through the quiet of the room.
"Look at that. The trash from the surface finally made it to the big leagues."
Axel turned. Standing a few meters away was a figure about his age, perhaps a year older, with impeccably groomed dark hair and a uniform that looked custom-tailored. The young man's eyes, a cold, striking blue, radiated arrogance.
He wore a distinct silver arm band, a detail Axel immediately registered.
"Didn't you hear, Scavenger?" the rival continued, moving closer, his steps slow and deliberate. "Commander Lyr had to halt the afternoon training schedule just for your little circus act on the Foundry Floor. It screwed up my sparring rota. We don't appreciate delays here, Marble."
Axel checked the System. The young man didn't register as a [Threat], but the raw hostility coming off him was undeniable. Axel's WIS 15 kept his temper in check, but his STR 21 made his hands twitch.
"Who are you?" Axel asked, his voice low, still slightly rough from disuse on the surface.
"I'm Marcus Thane," the rival spat the name like an insult. "And unlike you, I've been training for this since I was five. I'm a Rank A student, and I have the fastest acceleration time in the standard assessments." Marcus gestured contemptuously at Axel's new, basic uniform.
"You reek of the street, and you took down a rusty Golem that was already half-shorted out. They called you Critical Rank only because you're a goddamned System-Born. It's nepotism, plain and simple."
Marcus leaned in, dropping his voice to a dangerous whisper. "I don't care about your System or your Critical Rank, Scavenger. This Academy is a meritocracy. And I am going to make sure you fail out. You brought your filth in here, and I'm going to personally scrub it out."
Axel straightened, meeting Marcus's gaze. "Go to hell, Thane. I got here the hard way. You got here on a clean uniform and a schedule."
"Oh, you'll regret that, Scavenger," Marcus hissed. "Dammit, I hate your face already. Just wait until our first combat exercise. I'm going to make you beg for the surface."
Marcus turned and stalked out, slamming the door. Axel clenched his fists. The pressure of the Academy was immediate—it wasn't just monsters he had to worry about, it was the most dangerous part.
Axel took a moment to let his anger cool, channeling the aggressive energy into pure focus. Marcus Thane was a problem for later. Now was the time to become stronger. He had 5 Stat Points left, and he needed a perfect build before his formal training began.
His current stats were:
| STAT | TOTAL | ROLE |
| STR | 21 | Kinetic Damage, Carry Capacity |
| VIT | 19 | Health Pool, Damage Absorption |
| AGI | 20 | Speed, Evasion, Reaction Time |
| INT | 13 | Analysis, Energy Pool (EP) Size |
| WIS | 15 | EP Regeneration, Mental Resilience
The build was excellent, powerful and balanced. But his INT was still the weakest physical-related stat, limiting his maximum EP and, more importantly, his ability to rapidly process complex tactics and skills—the very thing he'd need to outsmart rivals like Marcus.
He decided to double down on his strategic advantage gained in the factory: Intelligence.
He focused his will, allocating all 5 remaining points into Intelligence (INT).
> [INT +5. INTELLIGENCE: 18]
> [HOST'S MENTAL PROCESSING SPEED AND ANALYTICAL CAPABILITY SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED.]
> [ENERGY POOL (EP) EXPANDED: 65 \rightarrow 80]
>
The shift was overwhelming. It wasn't just that his thoughts were fast; it was that his internal system felt like it had been upgraded to a supercomputer. Every noise, every structural stress point, every flicker of light in the room was instantly mapped, analyzed, and filed away.
The EP increase from 65 to 80 was a massive boost, giving him enough energy to launch multiple powerful Kinetic Punches before needing to pause, with his WIS 15 quickly refilling the pool.
His final, optimized Level 9 status was:
| STAT | BASE | BONUS | TOTAL |
SYNERGY
STR 21 - 21 High Damage Output
VIT 19 - 19 .High Survivability
AGI 20 - 20 High Mobility/Evasion
INT 13 + 5 - 18 Large EP, Tactical Processing
WIS 15 - 15 High EP Regeneration/Sustain
Axel looked at the near-perfect 21/19/20/18/15 distribution. He was a complete fighting machine.
Marcus can talk all the shit he wants, goddammit, Axel thought, feeling the raw, controlled power of his System humming.
I'm ready for anything they throw at me now.
He walked out of the locker room, his back straight, the grime of the surface officially scrubbed off, replaced by the lethal confidence of a newly optimized System-Born.
The First Briefing
Zaya was waiting for him outside the locker bay.
"Looking less like street trash," she noted neutrally, then her expression hardened. "Did Marcus give you trouble?"
Axel shrugged. "Thane. Yeah. He seems to hate me."
"He hates everyone who didn't grow up rich and coddled," Zaya replied dismissively. "He's powerful, but he relies on the Academy's structure. You rely on instinct. You will eventually clash. Don't let him get under your skin. Now, listen. The Academy won't teach you basic combat. It will teach you how to use your Awakened Abilities."
They arrived at a small, tiered auditorium. Commander Lyr was standing at a console.
"Welcome to the first step of your integration," Lyr began without preamble. "You have proved your physical viability. Now we test your potential for true power."
Lyr brought up a holographic projection—a complex diagram of crystalline energy flowing through a stylized human figure.
"All Awakened channel the cosmic energy through their personal System," she explained.
"This energy is not limitless. It is contained by your Energy Pool (EP), which your INT and WIS govern. You currently know one basic ability: Kinetic Punch. We are about to change that. Your Level 9 status grants you access to your first major upgrade: a Skill Point."
> [SKILL POINT ACQUIRED!]
> [NEW SKILL TREE UNLOCKED: MARBLE MANIFESTATION]
> SKILL SLOT 1: LOCKED
> SKILL SLOT 2: LOCKED
> SKILL SLOT 3: LOCKED
>
"Focus on your System, Marble," Lyr commanded. "You have access to a new ability based on your core System affinity. Choose wisely. This defines your primary combat profile."
Axel looked down at the System prompt. The [MARBLE MANIFESTATION] tree was complex, but one skill was immediately available, pulsing with raw power.
> [NEW SKILL AVAILABLE: MARBLE SKIN]
> Type: Defensive/Passive
> Cost: 5 EP (Activation)
> Effect: Temporarily hardens the user's epidermis, converting it into a dense, crystalline layer for 30 seconds. Provides a significant boost to Vitality and an innate 50% resistance to kinetic damage.
>
A defensive skill, Axel realized. His VIT was already 19. If he could boost that further, he would be virtually unstoppable in a head-on fight. This was the perfect complement to his high STR and AGI.
He didn't hesitate. He willed the Skill Point to the ability.
> [SKILL POINT SPENT: MARBLE SKIN ACQUIRED!]
> [SKILL: MARBLE SKIN (LEVEL 1) ADDED TO SKILL SLOT 1.]
>
"Good," Lyr said, seeing the slight shift in Axel's focus. "Now, to the training arena. You will learn to use it now. The Academy waits for no one."
The training was beginning, and the gloves were definitely off.