Reyan stood on the open ground with the other students.
The field was wide, flat, and empty, surrounded by low structures that looked temporary. Groups of students stood scattered around, talking in low voices. Some tried to act confident. Others were visibly nervous.
The sky above was clear, but the air felt heavy, as if something important was about to begin.
A hand suddenly landed on Reyan's shoulder.
"Yo, corpse boy. So here you are."
Reyan turned his head slightly. Dev Millow stood beside him, wearing the same careless grin as always, his posture relaxed as if this was just another boring day.
"Oh. It's you," Reyan said.
Dev clicked his tongue. "What? You were expecting someone else?"
"No," Reyan replied calmly. "Quite the opposite. I wasn't expecting anyone."
Dev stared at him for a moment. "Damn," he muttered. "That's cold."
Before either of them could say more, a deep voice echoed across the field, cutting through the chatter.
"Students."
The sound carried easily, and the noise died down almost instantly.
"From this point onward, your assessment will begin," the voice continued. "You will be transported to a controlled training ground. There, your abilities and combat potential will be evaluated. Step forward when your name is called."
Names began to echo across the field, one after another.
Students stepped forward as they were called. Some walked confidently. Others hesitated before moving. Each group vanished moments later as teleportation activated.
Reyan waited quietly.
Then the voice spoke again.
"Reyan Sen. Dev Millow. Helena Swift. Shui Haishen. Step forward."
Reyan and Dev exchanged a brief glance before moving ahead.
As they walked, Reyan's eyes shifted briefly to the two girls called with them.
One of them moved with perfect composure. Her long black hair fell straight down her back, smooth and heavy, barely moving as she walked. Her porcelain skin looked untouched by the sun, cool under the light. Deep blue eyes observed everything calmly, revealing nothing. She stood straight, her presence quiet but heavy, like the sea before a storm.
The other girl was her opposite.
Her light brown hair fell in loose waves, a few strands refusing to stay in place. Her green eyes were sharp and alert, constantly scanning the surroundings. Her sun-kissed skin and faint freckles gave her a lively look. She stood casually, confidence clear in the way she carried herself, as if she was already ready to move.
Reyan looked forward again.
Four names. Four people.
Whatever waited on the other side of this assessment, he knew one thing.
None of them were ordinary.
They stepped onto a circular teleportation platform. A man standing nearby nodded to another officer. A faint hum filled the air.
In the next instant, the ground vanished beneath them.
When Reyan's vision cleared, he found himself standing in another open area. This place was more enclosed, surrounded by barriers and reinforced walls. In the center stood a large machine with four mechanical arms, its surface covered in sensors. Beyond it were several lanes blocked by transparent shields, and further back, mounted devices that looked like automated launchers.
Dev looked around with interest. "This place is nice," he said.
Reyan said nothing. His face remained blank, unreadable.
A woman stepped forward. She looked to be in her thirties, her expression neutral and professional. A tablet rested in her hand.
"You will step forward when your name is called," she said. "Your assessment will begin immediately after."
She glanced at her tablet.
"Reyan Sen."
Reyan walked forward.
The woman looked at her screen for a moment longer than usual.
"…You have no recorded ability," she said.
"That's correct," Reyan replied. "I don't have one."
She nodded slightly. "In that case, the military can assist. You may choose one of the four basic abilities."
She gestured to the man behind her. He handed her a flat tray. On it were four small badges, each marked clearly.
Fire.
Water.
Air.
Earth.
"You may choose one," she said. "If you accept, you will be placed into the corresponding ability class."
As Reyan looked at the badges, a notification appeared in his vision.
[Compatibility Check Complete]
Compatible option detected: Fire]
Compatibility rate: 16%
Reyan frowned slightly.
"That's new," he thought.
He focused on the system instinctively. "So I just touch it and learn the ability?"
[Response:]
Negative. Badge is symbolic only. Ability acquisition requires resonance intake.
"…Are you messing with me?" Reyan muttered under his breath.
There was no response.
Reyan looked at the tray again. "I'll choose fire."
The woman nodded and handed him the red badge. "This is your assignment."
Then she gave him a small vial filled with an orange, glowing liquid.
"This is fire resonance liquid," she said. "You will consume it later and attend the ability class. For now, you may continue the assessment if you wish."
Reyan looked at the vial briefly before nodding. "Not right now."
"Very well."
A moment later, his NIB flickered.
Stage 1
Level 1
Reyan glanced at it once, then stepped back.
The woman looked down at her tablet again. "Dev Millow."
Dev stepped forward with an easy smile.
"Alright," the woman said. "Begin."
Dev walked toward the machine. Instead of standing empty-handed, he pulled out a small box, no bigger than his palm.
Reyan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That's strange," he thought.
The box opened.
A soft, wax-like substance flowed out, moving unnaturally. It stretched, twisted, and solidified in Dev's hands, forming two daggers with smooth, sharp edges.
The machine activated.
The assessment began.
The mechanical arms began to move.
At first, the motion was slow and measured, like the machine was testing Dev. One arm swung forward, and Dev raised one of his daggers to block it. Metal struck wax with a dull sound, but the blade held.
The arm moved again. Faster this time.
Dev adjusted his stance, his feet shifting slightly as his hands followed the motion. The daggers moved with him, their edges catching the light as they deflected each strike.
The machine increased its speed.
The arms no longer paused between attacks. They moved in quick succession, striking from different angles. Dev's hands followed without hesitation, his movements smooth, almost casual.
Reyan watched closely.
The speed kept increasing.
At a certain point, the arms became a blur. Dev's hands blurred with them.
Reyan narrowed his eyes.
If I stepped in there, he thought, I'd be dead.
The machine suddenly stopped.
For a split second, everything went still.
Then the platform beneath Dev shifted, and the machine sank into the ground.
Reyan felt his focus sharpen.
Behind Dev, another mechanism activated.
A launcher rose from the floor, its barrel glowing faintly. Without warning, it fired.
A fireball shot toward Dev.
Dev turned at the last moment and dodged to the side. The heat brushed past him as the fireball slammed into the ground behind him.
Another one followed.
Dev didn't stop moving. He ran forward, weaving through the obstacles as they rose from the floor. Barriers shifted into place, platforms tilted, and launchers fired in intervals meant to slow him down.
He cleared them without hesitation.
He didn't rush. He didn't panic.
He moved like he already knew where everything would be.
In a few seconds, he reached the control unit at the center. He pressed a button on its surface.
The machines powered down.
The launchers went silent. The arms froze in place.
The woman looked at her tablet. "Assessment complete."
Dev walked back to his position, the daggers melting back into the wax-like substance and returning to the small box in his hand.
A moment later, his NIB flickered.
Stage 1
Level 4
Reyan's eyes lingered on the display.
Stage One. Level Four.
That was the upper end of the basic stage.
Reyan exhaled slowly.
So that's his real level, he thought.
He remembered Kaisav. The way he relied on brute force and intimidation. The way he threw rocks and assumed no one could stop him.
Against Dev, Reyan realized, Kaisav wouldn't last ten seconds.
Dev noticed Reyan staring and grinned.
"Told you," he said quietly. "I'm harmless."
Reyan didn't reply.
He looked back toward the assessment area, waiting for the next name to be called.
Whatever came next, he knew one thing now.
Dev Millow was not someone to underestimate.
The woman glanced at Dev, her eyes lingering on him for a moment.
This boy has potential, she thought. But there's something strange about him.
End of Chapter