Seventeen-year-old Seven.
176 centimeters.
68 kilograms.
His height had settled.
Shoulders level.
Collarbones defined.
The thickness of his chest and back was no longer that of a boy—it had developed into a clear, three-dimensional presence beneath fabric.
The black uniform fit close to his body.
His chest lifted the cloth.
The muscles along his back shifted subtly with each breath.
The circumference of his upper arms was distinct, the fabric stretched into a smooth curve.
His forearms were clean-lined.
His fingers long, but not thin.
This was a clearly strong physique.
Not inflated bulk.
But compact, stable, dense.
The office was quiet.
Air conditioning flowed steadily from the vent.
The edges of paper trembled slightly.
The glass desktop reflected the cold white of the ceiling lights.
Seven sat across from Green.
Green's fingers rested at the edge of the desk.
His knuckles faintly pale.
He looked at Seven's shoulders—
then at the photograph on the desk.
In the photo, a four-year-old child.
Already able to walk.
Feet on grass.
Body leaning slightly forward.
Smiling with effort.
Green said, "This is the final upgrade exam."
His voice was lower than usual.
The ending drawn out, light.
The air felt slightly pressed.
He fell silent.
His gaze stayed on the photo.
"I didn't expect you to make it from first year to sixth."
Seven leaned back.
The chair made no sound.
His body relaxed, but did not collapse.
Shoulders naturally lowered.
"The sixth-year upgrade exam hasn't started yet. Aren't you thinking too far ahead?"
His tone was flat.
No smile.
No provocation.
Just a statement.
Green exhaled.
His fingers left the desk.
He tapped lightly on the glass.
"I don't doubt it anymore."
A pause.
"Go on. How do you want to take the test this time?"
Seven raised his eyes.
Light fell into his pupils.
No ripple.
"Just prepare a few AI combat robots."
"I believe this test will finally classify my ability."
His voice was steady.
No emphasis.
No declaration of confidence.
Just a conclusion already determined.
The office fell silent again.
The hum of the air conditioning remained even.
Green looked at him.
Nodded.
—
Seven · Seventeen · Sixth-Year Upgrade Exam
Underground testing field.
When the door slid open, the temperature dropped noticeably.
The metal floor echoed faintly.
Footsteps were absorbed after landing.
Ceiling lights spread evenly.
Cold white.
No blind spots.
Monitoring modules were embedded in the walls.
Red indicators blinked slowly.
Lab coats were no longer just observers.
They moved closer to the front.
Data panels activated.
Optical projections appeared.
The cursor flickered in the ability classification column.
They were categorizing.
The only sound in the air—
low-frequency machine operation.
Because the rule of the world was—
one person, one ability.
Seven had to be archived.
He stood at the center.
Feet fully grounded.
Knees slightly relaxed.
Back straight.
Breathing.
Steady.
Phase One: Camouflage · Insulated State
(Code Name: Escape Type)
The lights dimmed.
Not abruptly.
But gradually lowered.
Cold white faded into gray.
The walls sank in tone.
Infrared activated.
A faint red layer spread through the air.
Thermal imaging engaged.
Colored contours appeared on the monitors.
Electromagnetic scanning activated.
A low hum filled the air.
Seven stood at the center.
His breathing remained unchanged.
Shoulders rose and fell slightly.
Then—
he vanished.
Not invisibility.
His body was still there.
But—
the thermal signature dropped sharply.
The orange human silhouette on the display faded rapidly.
Color drained.
Approaching background noise.
Electromagnetic feedback weakened.
Signal bars on the scanning interface fell to zero.
Airflow patterns shifted.
Smoke test deployed.
Thin mist flowed around him.
Like encountering a void.
Robots activated.
Metal joints rotated.
Their sensors swept.
Red dots moved rapidly.
Searching.
Lock failed.
Targeting failed.
Target lost.
The terminal displayed nothing.
A researcher's pen stopped.
"Not invisibility. Isolation."
The voice was low.
Seven did not move.
He stood there—
yet did not belong to the field.
An attack robot charged into his original position.
High-speed advance.
Air split apart.
It grabbed nothing.
Mechanical arm struck the ground.
Clear metal friction.
Seven was already at its rear flank.
No wasted motion.
Just a slight sidestep.
Footsteps nearly silent.
He did not attack.
His breathing remained steady.
In camouflage state, his muscle tension dropped noticeably.
His shoulder line loosened.
This was a perfect disengagement tool.
Its weakness was equally clear.
No high-output capability.
Cannot withstand heavy pressure.
He had never used it for direct confrontation.
Lights restored.
Camouflage ended.
Thermal imaging reacquired him.
Phase Two: Soft Barrier
(Code Name: Buffer State)
Three robots entered simultaneously.
Metal steps shook the ground.
Seven stood firm.
Heels pressed down.
Breathing deepened slightly.
The air rippled like water.
No visible color.
But space bent ever so slightly.
The first punch came.
The fist entered the barrier—
like striking into water.
Velocity dropped sharply.
Ripples spread through the air.
The second punch followed.
Also sank in.
Impact absorbed.
Compressed.
The barrier surface dented inward—
like a pressed balloon.
Tension tightened.
Muscles tensed beneath fabric.
Seven did not step back.
Knees bent slightly.
A brief sharp breath.
Compression reached its limit.
Then—
pop.
A faint rupture.
The barrier broke.
Impact disrupted.
Force direction shifted.
The robot slid back half a step.
Metal feet scraped harshly.
Residual shockwaves spread slowly.
Researchers recorded rapidly.
High absorption.
Low penetration.
Unstable rupture.
Second wave struck.
Barrier reformed.
Thinner than before.
Shorter duration.
Under sustained pressure, it collapsed.
By the third strike, the membrane tore faster.
Seven's shoulders dropped noticeably.
His breathing deepened.
Soft barrier disengaged.
Phase Three: Hard Barrier
(Code Name: Structural State)
Field pressure increased.
Hydraulics beneath the floor activated.
Air density rose slightly.
Heavy units entered.
Larger frames.
Each step carried vibration.
Seven raised a hand.
Minimal motion.
The air solidified.
This time—
not elasticity.
But planes.
Transparent—
yet refractive.
Like invisible glass.
The robot's punch struck—
a sharp, crisp sound.
Metal met barrier with a piercing echo.
Cracks spread.
Polyhedral refraction unfolded.
Like diamond-cut surfaces.
Impact dispersed.
Force redirected across multiple angles.
The robot's wrist fractured.
Sparks burst from its joints.
Cracks continued across the barrier.
Then shattered.
Fragments dissolved into energy—
like dust of light.
Residual vibration lingered briefly.
A researcher straightened.
"He's simulating crystalline structures?"
The voice was hushed.
Seven's breathing deepened visibly.
Shoulder muscles tightened.
Hard barrier reconstruction required time.
He did not deploy it again.
Before the second impact, he stepped back half a step.
Avoided it.
Phase Four: Incomplete Barrier
(Code Name: Edge State)
The field fell briefly silent.
Seven did not expand a full domain.
Only his fingers moved slightly.
Air was drawn in.
Compressed.
Forming a thin boundary.
Almost invisible.
Only light bent faintly.
Like a blade.
It flew forward.
Not fast.
The robot shifted sideways.
At the moment of contact—
no explosion.
No sparks.
No cutting sound.
The mechanical arm detached.
Interface separated.
As if the connection itself had been canceled.
Parts split cleanly.
Fell.
Metal struck the ground.
The sound echoed.
Researchers immediately halted the test.
Red lights flashed.
The air returned to normal.
That was not energy attack.
Not cutting.
But nullifying connection.
Final Test: Four-State Switching
Five robots activated simultaneously.
Synchronized suppression.
The field trembled.
Seven stood at the center.
First second—
Camouflage.
His form faded.
Heavy units failed to lock.
Second second—
Soft barrier.
Impacts buffered.
Air dented inward.
Third second—
Hard barrier.
Direct strikes redirected.
Cracks spread.
Fourth second—
Edge state.
Thin boundaries flew.
Core structures separated.
Robots lost function one by one.
Collapsed.
Metal impacts echoed.
No delay in switching.
No preparation.
No incantation.
The air gradually settled.
Seven stood at the center.
Breathing heavier.
Chest rising visibly.
Sweat at his temples.
The researchers delivered the conclusion:
Ability Name: Barrier
Type: Variable-State Barrier
Classification: Single Ability
The data column filled.
The cursor stopped blinking.
Everyone exhaled.
The rule was not broken.
One person—
still only one ability.
Seven stood at the center of the field.
Seventeen years old.
No longer a mystery.
But more dangerous.
Because now—
his enemies knew he was a barrier-type.
Yet would never predict—
which state came next.