"Power assessment day."
Professor Vance stood before a massive training dummy. Ten feet tall, metallic scales gleaming.
"Dragon scale composite. Takes Expert rank attacks without scratching. You'll hit it once. We measure impact force." She gestured at a display board showing zeros. "Average Beggar deals 100 units. Bozo, 200. Novice, 400. Questions?"
None.
"Drake Crimson. You're first."
Drake stepped up, flames wreathing his fists. He wound back and punched.
The impact boomed. Numbers flickered.
**[1,247 units]**
"Expert rank. Expected." Vance marked her tablet. "Next."
Students went one by one. Most hit between 300 600. Marcus landed a solid 890. The crowd cheered.
Elena stepped forward. Ice crystallized around her fist.
She struck once.
**[1,683 units]**
Whispers erupted. Vance nodded. "Sonnet rank with dual affinity. Impressive."
Then came a student Jayden hadn't noticed before. Tall, built like a fighter, cold eyes.
He hit the dummy barehanded.
The metal *cracked*.
**[2,104 units]**
**[STRUCTURAL DAMAGE: 12%]**
The dummy's chest plate showed a spiderweb fracture.
"Zain Corvus," Vance announced. "Expert rank, close to Master. First to damage the dummy this year."
Zain walked away without expression.
"Jayden Cross. You're up."
Jayden approached. His eye flickered, scanning the dummy involuntarily.
**[TARGET: Dragon Scale Training Dummy]**
**Durability: 15,000 units**
**Damage threshold: 2,000 units]**
*Fifteen thousand. Zain barely dented it.*
He clenched his fist. No affinity to channel. No manifestation to summon. Just raw force and whatever speed he'd gained.
*Should've asked for an OP ability. A leveling system. Something.*
The thought stung. Everyone here had powers. Real powers. He just had an eye that made him a target.
*But I didn't. So make the most of it.*
He wound back. His eye pulsed, analyzing his own body.
**[JAYDEN CROSS Strike optimization available]**
**Recommended: Full rotation, 47 degree angle, maximize momentum transfer.**
Omni showed him the perfect form.
Jayden followed it exactly.
His fist connected.
The impact rang like a bell. His knuckles screamed. The dummy rocked back.
**[743 units]**
**[STRUCTURAL DAMAGE: 2%]**
A hairline crack appeared on the dummy's shoulder plate.
The crowd went silent.
"Beggar rank," someone whispered. "He cracked it."
"Impossible."
Vance stared at the display. "743 units. 32% above class average." She looked at Jayden. "And you damaged it."
Jayden flexed his hand. Blood seeped from split knuckles. "Not much."
"More than anyone below Expert." She marked her tablet. "Interesting."
Drake glared. "He cheated somehow."
"How?" Vance's tone cut. "He hit it once, same as everyone."
"That eye thing "
"Is a talent. Like your fire." She dismissed him. "Next student."
Jayden walked back to Marcus, cradling his hand.
"Dude," Marcus muttered. "You cracked dragon scale composite as a Beggar."
"Barely."
"Still counts." He paused. "Your eye was glowing."
Jayden's stomach dropped. "Who saw?"
"Just me, I think. You need to be more careful."
"I know." His eye had activated on its own. Analyzed the dummy, optimized his strike. *Getting harder to control.*
After class, Vance pulled him aside again.
"Two things. First, excellent strike mechanics. Who taught you?"
"My father."
"He's a Master?"
"Was. Retired."
She nodded. "Second. Your eye. Half the faculty is talking about it."
"I can't hide it. It activates automatically in combat."
"Then don't hide it." Vance's voice dropped. "But control the information. Tell people it's just prediction. Don't mention the scanning, the growth acceleration, any of it."
"Why?"
"Because prediction is rare but manageable. What you actually have?" She met his eyes. "That gets you expelled. Or disappeared."
"The Academy would "
"The Academy would protect you if they could. But there are forces beyond us. Families. Guilds. People who won't tolerate someone breaking the natural order." She handed him a vial. "Healing potion. And a warning. Keep your head down. Stop cracking dragon scale dummies as a Beggar."
"I'm barely Beggar. My speed "
"I know. Your combat performance puts you at Novice minimum. But officially, you're Beggar until the quarterly assessment." She turned away. "Survive until then."
Evening. Jayden sat in the dorm, wrapping his knuckles.
Marcus watched from his bed. "You okay?"
"Thinking."
"About?"
"How stupid I was." Jayden laughed bitterly. "I got reincarnated, talked to a goddess, and asked for *charisma*. While everyone else here has fire, ice, lightning I've got a smile and an eye that'll get me killed."
"Your eye made you crack dragon scale."
"Barely. Zain broke 2,000. I hit 700."
"You're Beggar rank. He's almost Master."
"Doesn't matter." Jayden stared at his wrapped hands. "I should've asked for something broken. A leveling system. Unlimited power. Something."
"But you didn't."
"No. I didn't."
Marcus leaned forward. "So what now?"
Jayden was quiet for a long moment.
"Make the most of it. Fight stronger opponents. Let Omni adapt. Grow until the gap doesn't matter."
"And the faculty? The people watching?"
"Keep Omni hidden. Prediction only. No scanning, no stats, nothing." He flexed his hand. "Scare factor stays buried."
"You think that'll work?"
"Has to." Jayden met his friend's eyes. "Because the alternative is getting expelled. Or worse."
His eye pulsed faintly in the darkness.
**[OMNI Advisory: Current exposure level: Moderate risk. Recommendation: Reduce combat demonstrations by 40%. Maintain cover story: Prediction talent only.]**
Text scrolled across his vision, then faded.
"Tomorrow," Jayden said. "I fight Elena again. But I hold back. Make it look like I'm struggling more."
"You hate that."
"Yeah." He smiled grimly. "But I hate dying more."
Marcus nodded. "Smart."
They sat in silence. Outside, the Academy towers glowed against the night sky.
Jayden thought about the goddess. About his stupid wish. About Lucian Valeheart who'd had similar powers and ended up "dead."
*Should've asked for something better.*
But he hadn't.
So he'd make this work.
Even if it meant hiding his greatest strength to survive.