Chapter 5 |Hunting Ground

Chapter 5: Chapter 5 |Hunting Ground

The training grounds were behind the main building, separated from the academic block by a long covered walkway that opened into something that looked less like a school facility and more like a controlled disaster zone.

Three separate arenas. Open sparring pads. A reinforced wall on the far end that had clearly taken a lot of punishment over the years and stopped complaining about it. The ground was a composite material; Firm enough for footing, forgiving enough that nobody died from being slammed into it.

Instructor Vael walked them down the covered walkway without preamble just after her class had ended.

No warm up speech. No safety briefing.

She pushed the double doors open at the end of the walkway and stepped aside.

"First day," she said. "Let’s see what you’ve all got.

The field’s yours. Lose yourselves a bit."

She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe like she was settling in for something mildly entertaining.

’First open session always tells you everything,’ she thought, watching the grounds erupt. ’Any student with real sense won’t just be cutting loose right now.

They’ll be cataloguing. Clocking every Sigil type, every activation tell, every output ceiling in the room. Building a mental file on every person they might face in three weeks.’

She scanned the grounds slowly.

A few of them were already doing it. She could tell by the eyes — moving between demonstrations, watching activation sequences, measuring output. Smart ones. The ones who understood that rank trials were won before they started.

The rest were just having fun.

Both had their uses. But only one type made it to the top three.

For a second nobody moved.

Then someone stepped forward and that was all it took before they all came crashing in.

The training grounds became a showcase immediately. Nobody could help it. Put teenagers with superpowers in an open space and tell them to cut loose and what you actually get is nineteen people trying to look impressive without technically showing off.

A girl near the left arena sent three arcs of electricity along the ground in quick succession, each one sharper than the last. A broad shouldered guy on the sparring pad compressed the air around his fists until they blurred. Two students near the reinforced wall were taking turns launching force bursts at it and comparing crater sizes.

Zane stood at the edge and watched.

The system was having a field day.

『 SIGIL ACTIVITY DETECTED — 7 SOURCES 』

『 Acquisition prompts available. Awaiting host approval. 』

’Seven at once?’ Zane thought.

『 The environment is target rich. I would recommend being selective. You have one slot remaining. Choose carefully. 』

Zane scanned the grounds.

The electricity girl was fast and precise — arcs landing exactly where she aimed them. High utility.

Might be Useful in the upcoming ranked trials. He filed her away.

The air compression guy was powerful but slow to activate. The wind up was visible.

Counterable if you knew it was coming.

The two near the wall were just hitting things. Power without control. Less useful.

He kept watching.

Then he saw her.

A girl on the far sparring pad, small frame, moving through what looked like a combat drill completely alone. No flashy output. No craters. Every movement was controlled and deliberate. She’d drop into a low stance, exhale sharp, and her whole body would blur for exactly half a second before snapping back to stillness.

Testing duration. Testing activation speed.

Not showing off.

’That one,’ Zane thought.

『 SIGIL ACTIVITY DETECTED 』

『 Bearer: UNKNOWN 』

『 Sigil: OVERDRIVE — C-RANK 』

『 Description: Temporarily enhances the user’s physical capabilities. Strength, speed and reflexes spike simultaneously for a set duration. User experiences brief fatigue upon expiration. 』

『 Acquisition window: OPEN 』

『 Awaiting host approval. 』

’Overdrive,’ he thought. ’Full body enhancement. Pairs with Impact Breaker perfectly enhanced strength means the shockwave hits harder.

Enhanced speed means I close distance before anyone sees the activation coming.’

He started moving toward that side of the grounds. Casual. No rush. Just a student finding a quieter corner.

He got within range.

’Approve,’ he thought.

『 Acquisition attempt initiating. 』

The warmth hit both hands simultaneously. Familiar now; The pulse moving up through his wrists, settling in his chest, quieter than the first time. Like the system had found the route and didn’t need to force it anymore.

『 ACQUISITION SUCCESSFUL 』

『 Sigil Absorbed: OVERDRIVE — C-RANK 』

『 Current Output: 40% of base 』

『 Slot: 2 / 2 FILLED 』

『 Degradation Timer: 7 days — use regularly to maintain. 』

『 System Notice: Both slots filled. Expand carry limit by securing a Bound Target. 』

’Working on it,’ he thought.

Both slots full. Impact Breaker and Overdrive. One hits. One enhances the hit. Simple enough to work. Limited enough to keep him humble.

He found a quiet corner near the reinforced wall and activated Overdrive at minimal output. A faint warmth spread from his chest outward through his limbs. Subtle. Like his body had woken up a degree sharper than normal.

He clenched his fist.

Slightly faster than usual. Slightly heavier.

’Forty percent,’ he thought. ’And it already feels different.’

『 At ninety percent output you will be meaningfully faster than any unenhanced opponent in this intake year. 』

’How long until I get there?’

『 That depends entirely on how well you get to know the girl you just stole it from. 』

Zane glanced across the grounds at her. Still drilling. Still alone.

’Great,’ he thought.

In the background near the wall a different student crouched and pressed his palm to the ground. A hairline fracture ran six inches along the composite surface in a perfectly straight line before sealing itself back up. Nobody paid much attention.

Zane filed him away anyway.

Now he had both slots full and two C-rank Sigils. Neither of them anywhere near their potential yet but might be enough to walk into a rank trial and not embarrass himself completely.

He found a quiet corner near the reinforced wall and crouched down. Pressed his palm flat against the composite ground. Focused. Pressure plus intent.

Boom!

A hairline fracture ran six inches along the surface.

Thin. Shallow. Nothing like what the girl had produced.

But it was there.

’Progress,’ he thought.

『 40% output. Manage expectations. 』

’I know,’ he thought.

He pressed his palm again. Another fracture. Slightly longer this time.

He was still there twenty minutes later when instructor Vael called everyone in.

"Time’s up ," she said from the doorway. She hadn’t moved the entire session. "Back inside."

She looked at Zane last.

Said nothing just gave him a straight look.

"We’re done for today," Instructor Vael said from the doorway, eyes moving one last time across the grounds. "Rest up. Head back to your dorms."

She turned and walked back up the corridor without waiting to see if anyone followed.

Classes we’re done so everyone went straight to their respective dorm room.

_ _

Back in room 714 Dex was already at his desk when Zane got back. He had his feet up and was watching something on his laptop with both earbuds in.

Zane dropped his bag and sat on his bed.

Dex pulled one earbud out without turning around.

"How were the training grounds?"

"Fine," Zane said.

"Mm." Dex clicked something on his laptop. Then after a pause — "My hands feel weird."

Zane kept his expression completely flat.

"Weird how," he said.

"Like the output is slightly off." Dex turned one hand over and looked at it. "Probably nothing. Happens sometimes." He shrugged and put the earbud back in.

"Might be the cold."

Zane looked at the ceiling and said to the system mentally.’ might it be a drain effect ’.

『 Drain effects are temporary and minor at C-rank. He will not notice again after tonight. 』

’And if he does?’

『 Then you should probably work on making him like you more. His familiarity percentage directly affects your output ceiling. 』

’So the solution to him noticing the drain is to get closer to him.’

『 It is basically an investment, not a liability. 』

Gerald wheezed.

Dex laughed at something on his screen.