Morning came too fast.
Not peaceful.
Not quiet.
Heavy.
I opened my eyes—
And the first thought was the same.
Not enough.
The academy was already awake.
Students moving with purpose.
No hesitation.
No wasted time.
Yesterday was introduction.
Today—
Was execution.
We didn't talk much while walking.
No jokes.
No complaints.
Just understanding.
At the intersection—
We stopped.
Same three paths.
Library.
Training grounds.
Labs.
Sam cracked his neck.
"…Round two."
Zoya adjusted her sleeve.
"We push harder today."
Angle didn't speak.
She didn't need to.
I nodded.
"Same roles."
No objections.
No delay.
We split again.
The lab felt different today.
Or maybe—
I did.
Same rows.
Same holograms.
Same silence.
But now—
I understood the pressure.
I stepped forward.
Panel appeared.
Welcome, Candidate
Select Practice Module:
Basic Blueprint Design (Completed) Advanced Structural Analysis Combat Simulation (Locked) Material Familiarization
My eyes paused.
Yesterday—I guessed.
Today—
I chose.
Material Familiarization.
If I didn't understand materials—
Optimization meant nothing.
The world shifted.
A new interface opened.
Fragments of metals floated in front of me.
Iron.
Carbon composites.
Mana-infused alloys.
"Analyze and assign optimal usage."
No time limit.
I reached out.
Touched one.
Information flooded in—
Density.
Flexibility.
Stress tolerance.
Heat resistance.
"…Too much."
I stepped back.
Closed my eyes.
Think.
Yesterday—
No one rushed.
They observed first.
I opened my eyes again.
Slower this time.
One material.
Only one.
Iron.
Basic.
Reliable.
Limitations clear.
Then—
I compared.
Carbon composite.
Lighter.
Stronger under tension.
Weaker under compression.
"…So it's not about best."
It's about placement.
I started mapping combinations.
Slow.
Careful.
Mistakes came quickly.
Wrong pairing.
Stress imbalance.
Structural failure.
System rejected it.
Again.
And again.
Frustration built.
"…Why is this not working?"
I looked around.
A student nearby—
Wasn't touching anything.
Just watching the materials rotate.
Tracking.
Memorizing.
I stopped moving.
Watched.
Patterns started forming.
Not random.
Purposeful.
Materials weren't standalone.
They were roles.
Frame.
Support.
Edge.
Core.
"…I was building wrong."
I restarted.
This time—
From function first.
Then material.
The structure formed—
Cleaner.
Smarter.
Still not perfect.
But better.
Much better.
Sam was on the training grounds.
Sword in hand.
"…Alright."
No books today.
Just movement.
He swung.
Too wide.
Unbalanced.
Again.
Cleaner.
Still off.
He clicked his tongue.
"…Feels wrong."
A student nearby adjusted stance.
Minimal movement.
Maximum control.
Sam paused.
Watched.
Copied.
Adjusted grip.
Shifted footing.
Swung again.
This time—
Sharper.
"…Oh."
He tried again.
And again.
Repetition.
Correction.
Application.
Later—
He sat on the side.
Book open.
Sweat still dripping.
"Timing… efficiency…"
He looked between the page and his movements.
Connecting both.
For once—
Theory and action aligned.
Zoya was back in the library.
Same books.
Different mindset.
She didn't rush pages today.
She slowed down.
One diagram.
Fully understood.
Then next.
Mana pathways—
She traced them with her finger.
Visualizing flow.
"…In… out… cycle…"
She closed her eyes.
Tried to feel it.
Nothing.
Again.
Still nothing.
Frustration crept in.
"No… focus."
She inhaled slowly.
Calmed herself.
Tried again.
This time—
A faint sensation.
Warm.
Subtle.
"…There."
It vanished instantly.
But she froze.
Eyes widened slightly.
"I felt it…"
She didn't celebrate.
Didn't rush.
She repeated.
Again.
Again.
Holding it longer each time.
Slow progress.
Real progress.
Angle stood in the assessment wing again.
Same chambers.
Same risks.
But today—
She wasn't just observing.
She was predicting.
A student picked up the pill.
Angle's eyes narrowed.
"…Unstable."
Moments later—
The student trembled.
Exactly as expected.
Another—
Calm posture.
Controlled breathing.
"…Higher success rate."
She watched patterns.
Not reactions—
Causes.
Breathing.
Posture.
Mental state.
Variables.
Controllable variables.
A staff member glanced at her.
"You again."
"I'm learning."
"…From observation?"
"Yes."
A pause.
Then—
"…Keep your distance."
She nodded slightly.
Her mind already ahead.
Back to me.
Hours passed.
Faster than yesterday.
My structure hovered in front of me.
Layered.
Balanced.
Intentional.
System scanned it.
Evaluation: High Efficiency
I stared at it.
"…Better."
Not perfect.
But closer.
A new notification appeared.
Condition Met
Advanced Module Unlocked:
Combat Simulation
My chest tightened slightly.
"…Already?"
I hesitated.
Then—
Selected it.
The world shifted instantly.
The lab disappeared.
Replaced by—
A battlefield.
Open terrain.
Weapon in my hand.
My design.
"…So this is the test."
A figure appeared.
Opponent.
Basic construct.
No hesitation—
It attacked.
Fast.
I reacted late.
Too slow.
Impact—
Everything shattered.
Simulation ended.
Silence.
"…Again."
Second attempt.
I adjusted grip.
Positioning.
Waited.
Watched.
Attack came—
I moved earlier.
Blocked.
Barely.
Counter—
Too slow.
Hit again.
Failure.
But—
Better.
Again.
And again.
Each time—
A little sharper.
A little faster.
Learning.
Not from success—
From failure.
Evening came.
Faster than expected.
We regrouped.
Same place.
Different expressions.
Sam dropped beside me.
"…Okay. That was actually good."
Zoya sat down slowly.
"I felt mana today."
I looked at her.
"…Seriously?"
She nodded.
"Just a little."
Angle spoke calmly.
"Good. That confirms it's achievable within timeframe."
Sam looked at me.
"And you?"
I exhaled.
"Unlocked combat simulation."
Silence.
Then—
"…What?" Sam leaned forward.
Zoya blinked.
"Already?"
Angle's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…That's earlier than expected."
I leaned back.
"I lost every fight."
Sam grinned.
"Of course you did."
"…Yeah."
Pause.
Then—
"I improved each time."
Zoya smiled faintly.
"That's what matters."
Angle nodded once.
"Progress rate is acceptable."
Sam stretched.
"…Bar again?"
Zoya laughed softly.
"Already?"
"It's strategy," he said confidently.
"…Recovery phase."
I smirked.
"Fine."
The bar felt familiar now.
Less foreign.
Still quiet.
Still heavy.
But—
Easier.
We sat down.
Drinks came.
Conversation followed quicker this time.
Sam talked about syncing theory and movement.
Zoya explained the feeling of mana.
Struggling to describe it—
But trying anyway.
Angle broke down patterns she observed.
Success rates.
Failure risks.
Variables.
I talked about simulation.
Timing.
Mistakes.
Adjustments.
We weren't just venting.
We were sharing data.
Learning from each other.
That made the difference.
Time passed.
Again—too fast.
We walked back.
Night air cool.
Silence comfortable.
Not heavy like before.
Better.
At the dorm—
Sam dropped instantly.
"Dead again."
Zoya smiled slightly.
Still thinking.
Angle already planning.
Tomorrow.
Always tomorrow.
I lay down.
Staring at the ceiling.
Day two—
Better than day one.
But still—
Not enough.
I closed my eyes.
Tomorrow—
We go further.
No hesitation.
No limits.
Only progress.