Chapter 3: The Weak Among the Strong
The gates of Emberlight Martial Academy stood tall and corroded—much like its reputation. Once meant to inspire, now they simply marked the beginning of survival.
Kai walked through them in silence. His eyes scanned the worn stone buildings and weed-cracked courtyards. Students gathered in clusters, eager or nervous, some already sparring in open dueling circles. In their minds, this was the first step toward glory.
In his, it was just another battlefield.
A list of names flickered on a nearby crystal slate, denoting room assignments and preliminary ranks. His appeared near the very bottom:
KAI – Martial Novice (Low)
Dorm 3C, Room 17
He didn't react. Rankings meant little to him. Labels even less.
"Hey. You look lost."
Kai turned slightly to the voice. A short boy with orange hair and too much nervous energy stood beside him, offering an awkward smile.
"I'm Ren. Ren Hollow. You?"
"Kai," he replied simply.
Ren squinted at the board. "You're ranked low too, huh? Don't sweat it. They say most of the high-rankers just had rich parents or private tutors. We'll catch up."
Kai didn't bother correcting him. Let them think he was behind.
⸻
Their first assembly was held in the cracked stone amphitheater at the academy's center. Students sat on concentric benches while a stern-looking woman with a scar over her right eye addressed them.
"I am Instructor Vale. You may call me Instructor or Ma'am. Nothing else."
She paused.
"Let me be clear. This academy does not exist to coddle you. We are not a sanctuary. We are a filter. Most of you will fail. Some of you will break. And a few of you—very few—might just claw your way toward something worthwhile."
A few scoffs echoed from cockier students.
Vale's eyes scanned them.
"You think this is a game? Good. I'll enjoy watching you bleed."
⸻
The first day was orientation. Combat assessments, resource distribution, and dorm settling.
Kai's assigned sparring partner was a smug brute named Daro, already ranked High Novice. His punch registered at 420kg—a decent margin from Kai's apparent 90.
"Try not to die, weakling," Daro smirked, wrapping leather strips around his knuckles. "I hear the last kid to fight me needed stitches."
Kai stepped barefoot onto the stone ring. His stance was loose. Relaxed.
Instructor Vale raised her hand. "Begin."
Daro charged in with wild confidence.
Kai didn't move.
The first punch came fast—but to Kai, it crawled through the air like molasses.
He shifted his weight half a step to the left. The punch sailed past.
With a subtle pivot, he let Daro stumble forward from his own momentum.
A tap to the back of the neck with two fingers sent Daro crashing to the floor.
Not knocked out.
Just humiliated.
The watching students were silent for a breath, then erupted.
"No way—did he just dodge it?!"
"Was that a technique?! I didn't even see him move—"
Vale raised her hand. "Enough. Winner: Kai."
Daro staggered to his feet, red-faced and snarling.
"You—! That was a trick! You cheated somehow—!"
Kai walked away without a word.
⸻
🟦 [System Notification]
[New Passive Unlocked: "Flicker Step" — Your movements when restraining strength are faster than most can track. +5 Agility when suppressing power.]
[Quest Completed: "Blend In With the Pack"]
Reward: +5 Hidden Stat Points
[New Quest: "Claim Your Place"]
Objective: Survive first group trial without revealing true Martial Style
Bonus: Maintain rank as 'Low Novice'
Reward: ???
Kai opened his status panel briefly as he settled into his dorm.
⸻
🟦 [STATUS PANEL – KAI]
Rank: Martial Novice
Punching Force: 120kg (Cap: 500kg)
KI: 6 / 50
Strength: 16
Speed: 18
Endurance: 23
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 15
Perception: 44
Willpower: 48
Special Trait: Reality Fragment – [Effect: ???]
Hidden Points: 5
⚠ Average Stats for Novices:
Strength (20–30), Speed (15–25), Endurance (20–30), KI (10–30)
Kai's physical strength and endurance remain below average for the academy's novices, but his speed, perception, and mental faculties far surpass his peers. KI output is still low, keeping him undetectable by conventional means.
⸻
Ren stumbled in carrying an armful of training gear.
"You were amazing out there, man!" he blurted, dumping his stuff on the floor. "That dodge? That neck tap thing? You've gotta teach me that."
Kai gave him a faint nod. "Just momentum."
Ren grinned. "Still! You're not what I expected from a 'Low Novice.'"
Neither are you, Kai thought. But he only offered a slight shrug in response.
⸻
That night, as moonlight spilled across the cracked walls, Kai knelt in his corner of the room.
He performed his old technique slowly—Fractured Reality Drill, Form One. A mental and physical loop designed to desynchronize perception from linear flow. To see the world as threads. To act between moments.
It took focus. Stillness. Breath.
He practiced for two hours without pause.
⸻
🟦 [Daily Quest Complete: Practice Fractured Reality Drill – 2 Hours]
Reward: +15 Stat Points
Penalty if Failed: None
[15 Stat Points available for allocation.]
Kai quietly funneled them into his core.
⸻
• Strength: 16 → 20
• Speed: 18 → 21
• Endurance: 23 → 26
• Intelligence: 38 → 39
• Perception: 44 → 46
• Willpower: 48 → 51
🟦 [Updated Punching Force: 120kg → 150kg]
The air around him sharpened as his ki smoothed, like a blade freshly whetted.
He opened his eyes.
Still weak in the eyes of this world.
But growing.
Faster than any of them could imagine.