Chapter 10
"Alright, Aethel! Your teams are set! Proceed to your designated entry points!" The booming voice of Instructor Valerius echoed through the Academy's vast hall. Jinn felt a mix of nerves and a strange, almost primal thrum in his veins as he located his team's gate, marked 'Group 37.'
Standing there were his two assigned teammates. Ren Tachibana, an Upper Class Aethel, was a lean, focused boy with sharp, calculating eyes and short, spiky dark hair. He carried himself with a quiet confidence. The other, Sora Maeda, a Commoner, was shorter, with wide, anxious eyes and a mop of brown hair that constantly fell into his face. He fidgeted nervously, clutching a basic-looking energy-emitting device.
"Jinn Alaric, right?" Ren asked, extending a hand. His grip was firm. "I'm Ren Tachibana. My ability is Kinetic Dampening – I can absorb and redirect physical force. Not flashy, but useful for defense." He gestured to Sora. "This is Sora."
Sora gave a shy wave. "Hi… My ability is… well, I can make really small, short-range energy bursts. It's not much, but I can use it to maybe distract things." His voice trailed off, clearly intimidated by the high-stakes environment.
Jinn felt a pang of understanding for Sora. It reminded him of his own anxiety before his life shattered. "Jinn," he introduced himself, shaking Ren's hand, then nodding to Sora. He kept the truth of his Nocturnus Bloodline to himself for now. The last thing he needed was to scare his teammates or draw unwanted attention from the instructors before he even understood his own powers.
"Alright, Group 37! Prepare for insertion!" a voice barked from a nearby console.
A shimmering, portal-like gateway activated, bathing the area in a soft, green light. Beyond it, Jinn could see the digital landscape of a dense, shadowy forest. It looked eerily real.
"Remember the objective!" the instructor's voice echoed one last time. "Acquire points by 'eliminating' hostile creatures and reach the extraction point! Good luck, Aethel!"
With a shared nod, the three stepped through the portal, the world shifting around them. The artificial light of the Academy vanished, replaced by the dappled sunlight filtering through a thick canopy of simulated trees. The air was cool and damp, filled with the sounds of chirping insects and rustling leaves.
"Okay, according to the map," Ren said, quickly pulling out a small holographic device that displayed their current location and the simulated monster zones, "our closest low-point targets are Stone Golems. They're slow, easy to take down, but not worth much. We should aim for something faster, like Wind Hounds, if we can find them."
As they moved deeper into the forest, Ren took the lead, his senses sharp, scanning the environment. Sora nervously clutched his energy emitter, his eyes darting from side to side. Jinn found himself relying on an instinct he hadn't known he possessed. His hearing seemed sharper, picking up subtle movements far off. His vision, even in the dim forest, felt enhanced, distinguishing shapes and shadows with surprising clarity.
Suddenly, Ren halted, holding up a hand. "Movement. Two o'clock."
Two hulking forms of rough-hewn stone lumbered into view, their eyes glowing faintly—Stone Golems. They were slow, predictable, just as Ren had said.
"Sora, try to distract one," Ren instructed, "Jinn, stick close. I'll engage the other."
Sora nodded, took a deep breath, and unleashed a small, crackling burst of energy that hit one of the golems, causing it to grunt and turn its attention towards him. Ren immediately moved to intercept the second, his body subtly absorbing the impact of its slow, deliberate punch.
Jinn found himself staring at the distracted golem. His heart pounded, not from fear, but from a strange, exhilarating rush. He felt a surge of raw power, different from the time-freezing incident, but no less potent. His muscles tensed, his vision sharpening even further, momentarily outlining the golem in a faint, crimson glow. His fangs, though still human-like, felt sharper, longer in his mouth.
An instinct took over. He moved.
It wasn't just speed; it was a blur of motion. Faster than he thought possible, he shot forward, surprising even himself. He sidestepped the golem's slow, lumbering swing, feeling the rush of wind as its stone fist narrowly missed him. He launched himself, not with a clumsy punch, but with a precise, almost predatory strike aimed at the glowing 'core' in its chest.
His fist connected with a sickening crack. The stone shattered, and the golem dissolved into glittering particles, indicating its "elimination."
Ren, who had just managed to deftly redirect the other golem's blow, stared wide-eyed as Jinn landed, breathing heavily. Sora gaped, his energy emitter forgotten.
"What… what was that?" Sora stammered, his eyes wide.
Jinn felt the power recede, leaving him breathless but exhilarated. The tingling in his body faded, his senses returning to normal. He glanced at his fist, then back at the sparkling dust where the golem had been. It was raw, untamed, but undeniably powerful. This wasn't just enhanced Aethel physiology. This was something else. This was the Nocturnus Bloodline.
Ren recovered first, his calculating mind already working. He didn't look scared, but intensely curious. "That… was impressive, Jinn. Very impressive. I didn't detect any ability signature from you when we entered."
Jinn forced a casual shrug, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. "Guess I just got lucky. Adrenaline, maybe." He needed to be careful. He wasn't ready to reveal the full truth, not yet.
Sora, still wide-eyed, finally managed a hesitant grin. "Lucky or not, that was awesome! We got our first points!"
They continued through the forest, the unspoken question of Jinn's "luck" hanging in the air. Jinn felt a growing awareness of his own body, a strange hunger that wasn't for food, but for something deeper, more primal. He was a Nocturnus, and this Crucible was quickly becoming his first hunting ground. The thrill was undeniable, but so was the terrifying realization of the beast within.