After exiting the game, Quinn collected his beat gear and the book and headed back toward his dorm, only to bump into Vorden.
where's Peter? Quinn asked
Vorden scratched the back of his neck, looking uneasy. "Yeah, we were hanging out at first, but then he ditched me for some new… friend he made. Honestly, it was surprising. Then he left me a message, promised he'd be back around this time, but—" Vorden's eyes hardened. "He still hasn't shown up. Something's off about his new friends."
Meanwhile, down a shadowed alley, a group of first-year students had Peter cornered. Earl, the first-year class head, smirked cruelly as he bent Peter's fingers backward one by one—snapping them—before letting a healer mend the damage just enough to repeat the process.
"So, Peter," Earl said with mock cheer, "will you accept our little task now? Or do we keep playing this game?"
Peter's face was streaked with tears, his mind spiraling from the endless cycle of pain and false relief. He had promised himself that he would never betray his friends again but eventually, broken in both will and spirit, he croaked out a trembling agreement to their deal.
At night Quinn sat up straight with his legs crossed and eyes closed , he was meditating just like Leo had told him to,
He imagined a small ball as small as a rice below his navel and focussed on it, as he tried to increase the size of the ball.
Vorden looked at Quinn's new routine and chuckled to himself and then went black to bed.
Quinn however continued do it.
In the day he spent nearly every free moment inside the VR room, diving back into Powerfighters. Each match gave him new insights into the abilities he had secretly gained—water and earth.
With each match he won, Quinn began attracting more attention in the gallery. Some spectators cheered him on, while others sneered, calling him a cheater or even a hacker for seemingly wielding two abilities in the game.
At first, Quinn held back, avoiding the strange powers his parents' book had granted him. But when the game announced a special event, the temptation to unleash them grew too strong.
He built a streak—ten wins, twenty, thirty—and the hunger to reach fifty consumed him.
During breaks, Quinn sparred in secret with Vorden, honing his water and earth powers further. Each duel pushed him closer to mastery, and before long, his watch registered his power level had risen to two.
At this stage, Quinn's control had grown sharper. His range expanded beyond the limits of level one, and for the first time, he could push his ability past that fragile threshold.
But progress always drew eyes. Del, his homeroom teacher, caught a fleeting glimpse of Quinn's watch, where the unmistakable glow of Level 2 betrayed him. Soon after, officials called him in. Cornered, Quinn spun a careful lie—claiming he had awakened an earth ability, taught under Vorden's guidance. Against the odds, they believed him, and the inquiry was dropped.
His classmates were surprised to learn about the fact. Whispers filled the room—most of them remembered the impossible stunt Quinn had pulled against the second years.
Even Peter—who had started the earth ability far longer—couldn't shape it as smoothly as Quinn now did.
By the end of the day, the story of Quinn's sudden rise had already spread far beyond his classroom walls.
In the second-years' quarters, Momo approached Duke with troubling whispers.
"My two level fours," Momo said, voice low, "can now barely use their earth and water abilities… and suddenly this first-year, Quinn, is flaunting a level two earth power? That's no coincidence."
Duke's expression darkened, his jaw clenching.
"If that's true," he muttered, eyes narrowing, "then that brat is hiding something. And from your description… I doubt his ability is as simple as earth."
"Bring out the file on Quinn Talen," Duke ordered, as he raised his wrist."
The results projected from the watch, lines of data scrolling. Duke's frown deepened.
"Not enough—the details seemed to be tampered with. Apparently, he was registered as level one with no ability. And he's been tagged with the suspicion that he might be from Pure. If he really is one of them…" Duke's gaze hardened, voice like stone. "What have they created? That boy is dangerous."
---
Few days have passed and as usual Quin was inside the VR pod
He was now up against a level 3.5 opponent in the game. After five grueling minutes, the match ended in his victory—but not without struggle. His opponent was a wind user, and just like Quinn, he was on his 49th winning streak. If either of them claimed this match, they would secure the coveted outfit and rewards.
The wind user didn't underestimate Quinn as he was already familiar with the infamous hacker in the powerfighter forums.
Razor-thin slashes of air cut toward him, nearly invisible to the eye. To counter, Quinn slammed the ground with his earth ability, spreading dust into the air. The haze revealed the wind's movements, allowing Quinn to dodge and prepare his counter.
The fight escalated. In the final moments, Quinn closed the distance before his opponent could retreat. With a sudden surge, he unleashed the red strike from his hand—crippling his foe's arm—then delivered the finishing blow to the neck. The arena declared his victory.
Some in the crowd roared in triumph, while others booed, accusing him of using unfair advantages.
Still, when the new skin appeared in his inventory, Quinn couldn't help but grin. Overjoyed, he muttered as he glanced at the book,in his inventory "I'm not going to use you again though. If I have to get stronger, it won't be by abusing your power."
Exiting the pod, Quinn froze. Standing in front of him was a boy—small, unassuming—but his eyes carried weight.
"Hello, Punisher," Logan said softly. "Looks like we finally meet."