Sector-3-72. High School #104. Advanced Training Hall.
The walk from the Gravity Chambers to the Advanced Training Hall was short, but the social gap was miles wide.
Kali adjusted the strap of his worn backpack, his breathing finally steadying. The lingering warmth of the Grade C Recovery Serum was spreading through his limbs, knitting the micro-fractures in his shins.
He touched the empty green vial in his pocket. Fifty credits. That tiny glass tube cost more than what his father, David, made in two weeks. Lana had tossed it at him like it was spare change.
"She's arrogant," Kali whispered, tightening his jaw. "But she saved me a trip to the infirmary."
He stepped through the glass blast doors of the main hall.
Immediately, the atmosphere shifted. This facility was the domain of the Elites.
In this era, humanity had expanded across the stars, terraforming dozens of planets into resource-rich paradises. But even with infinite resources, not everyone was equal. The "Elites" were the students born with high genetic aptitude, groomed from birth to enter the Top 10 Academies of Human Civilization. They were the future commanders, fleet admirals, and high-rank cultivators.
Then there were students like Kali—the "Ordinary"—fighting just to survive the local exams.
Kali ignored the stares as he headed straight for the "Sim-Hall."
The Virtual Battle Realm (VBR) was a massive amphitheater lined with pristine white pods. While ordinary students broke their bones in gravity chambers, the Elites lay in these gel-filled pods, fighting digital recreations of the universe's deadliest threats to sharpen their minds without risking a scratch on their real skin.
"ID Scan," the robotic attendant droned.
Kali raised his left wrist. He wore a scuffed, black Universal Link-Watch. It was an older model, the screen cracked at the corner, but it held his life: ID, banking, and comms.
He tapped it against the scanner.
[Student: Kali. Rank: Planetary 5. Authorization: Exam Prep.]
The pod hissed open. Kali climbed in, the conductive gel cold against his back. He pulled the neural-link helmet down.
"Link Start."
[System Initializing... Welcome to the VBR.]
The white room vanished.
Kali blinked. He was standing in a digital recreation of a Designated Hazard Zone—a dense, purple jungle. The air was thick with humidity, and the sky was a swirling nebula of green and gold.
A blue window materialized.
[Select Opponent.]
Kali didn't hesitate. He didn't come here to spar with a robot. He came here to hone his instincts against the real threats of the world.
"System," Kali said. "Simulation: Evolved Beast. Species: Iron-Hide Boar. Level 6."
[Note: Iron-Hide Boars are heavily armored. Weak points are concealed. Proceed?]
"Proceed."
The jungle shimmered. Fifty yards away, crushing ferns under its hooves, the beast materialized.
It was massive—easily twice the size of an Old Earth boar. These creatures were biological nightmares evolved by pure Cosmic Energy.
The Federation had deliberately preserved these beasts on Earth and the frontier planets for two specific reasons. First, to serve as a brutal training ground for the younger generation. And second, for the economy.
Hunting these beasts was dangerous, but it was the fastest way to earn money. Their bones made weapons, and their meat was saturated with Cosmic Energy.
Food, Kali thought, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the creature. If this were real, that meat would feed me and my little sister for a month. We both need that energy.
The boar snorted, scuffing the ground. It locked eyes with Kali.
ROAR!
The beast charged. It moved terrifyingly fast for something so heavy, tearing through the digital trees like a cannonball.
Kali didn't panic. His breathing slowed. The world seemed to sharpen.
Distance: 40 meters. Speed: Approx 80 km/h. Mass: 2 tons.
He didn't retreat. Retreating meant giving the beast momentum. He dropped his center of gravity, his boots digging into the digital soil. The 5x gravity training from earlier had rewired his nervous system—he felt heavier, rooted to the earth.
Now.
Kali didn't dodge away; he slipped inside the guard.
He stepped forward with his left foot, entering the danger zone. As the tusk slashed upward, Kali twisted his torso a mere inch out of range—a move calculated to the millimeter.
His hands shot out. Not to punch, but to control.
His left hand gripped the beast's coarse mane; his right hand clamped onto the base of the tusk.
Leverage.
Using the boar's own terrifying forward velocity, Kali pivoted on his heel. He didn't try to stop the 2-ton beast; he redirected it.
"Hup!"
With a sharp exhale, he pulled the head down and swung his hips. The massive boar's back legs lifted off the ground as its center of gravity collapsed.
BOOM.
Kali slammed the creature sideways into a massive tree trunk. The impact shook the virtual ground. The boar squealed, stunned.
Kali vaulted onto the beast's back. He didn't waste energy punching the armor. He targeted the auditory canal—the direct path to the brain stem.
CRACK.
One precise strike, reinforced with every drop of his Rank 5 energy. The beast convulsed and dissolved into pixels.
[Simulation Complete. Time: 28 seconds. Rating: S+.]
[Rank Progress: 99.9%]
Kali stood up, shaking his hand out. "Still not enough to break through," he muttered.
"System, log out."
The jungle faded. The pod hissed open. Kali sat up, wiping sweat from his forehead.
He froze.
He wasn't alone. A group of Elites had gathered near his pod. They were staring up at the overhead monitor, which was replaying the fight.
"That's Kali," one student whispered, looking at him with a mix of awe and pity. "The guy who spends all his credits on gravity training."
"His combat sense is terrifying," another muttered, adjusting his uniform. "Did you see that redirection? He took down a Level 6 Beast in under thirty seconds. If we were talking purely about skill, he'd be the best in the school."
"Yeah," a girl added, shaking her head. "It's a shame about his aptitude though. All that skill, but his Cosmic Energy is average at best. He's a wasted genius."
Kali climbed out of the pod, grabbing his bag. He was used to this. 'Great fighter, bad genes.' That was the label they gave him.
Suddenly, a slow, sarcastic clap cut through the murmurs.
The crowd parted. Standing at the front was a boy with perfectly styled blond hair and a smirk that masked a flicker of genuine jealousy.
Jace Rylan.
Jace was the definition of an Elite. Wealthy, talented, and already scouted by three of the Top 10 Academies.
"Impressive show," Jace said, stepping forward. He glanced at the monitor, his eyes narrowing as he watched the replay of Kali's perfect strike. "You really are a genius when it comes to violence, Kali. If the Top 10 Academies recruited based on fighting instinct alone, you'd be their number one pick."
The other students went quiet. It was rare for Jace to compliment anyone.
But then, Jace's smile turned cold. He decided to make a point.
He didn't move a muscle, but suddenly, he willed his energy outward.
BOOM.
It wasn't a sound; it was a sensation. An invisible wave of pressure crashed into the room. Jace had actively released his Aura. It was a targeted strike of pure presence, designed to suffocate.
The students standing nearby gasped, clutching their chests as the air suddenly felt like lead.
Planetary Rank 6.
Jace stepped closer, invading Kali's personal space. The pressure intensified, focusing entirely on Kali, trying to force his knees to buckle.
"But we both know that's not how the world works," Jace said, his voice smooth. "I broke through to Rank 6 last week. My energy reserves are double yours. And as you can feel... I can crush a Rank 5 without even lifting a finger if I choose to."
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You're still stuck at Rank 5. And there are only three months left until the Grand Selection."
Jace let the pressure linger for a second longer, just to prove he could, before pulling it back. The air in the room instantly lightened.
"You're running out of time, Kali. You can have all the combat skill in the galaxy, but if you don't hit Rank 6 before the Selection, you'll never see the inside of a Top 10 Academy. You'll just be a highly skilled security guard."
Kali met Jace's gaze evenly. He hadn't flinched under the pressure. He had stood his ground.
"Three months is a long time, Jace," Kali said calmly. "And a lot can happen in the arena."
Jace scoffed, turning his back. "Keep dreaming. Good luck tomorrow. You'll need it against real power."
Kali watched him walk away. He brushed past the other Elites, ignoring their whispers.
He walked toward the exit. As he stepped outside into the twilight, his Link-Watch buzzed violently against his wrist. A holographic notification projected from the small screen.
Kali looked up at the stars—at the colonized worlds glowing in the night sky.
"Three months," he whispered to the darkness. "I will do it on time."
[Alert: Annual Academy Exam Mock Schedule Released.]