A knock on the door woke Nil on his first Monday. It was still dark outside, and the dim aetherscreen on his desk read four-thirty-three. He sleepily answered the door in nothing but his shorts. Wolf whistles followed.

“Wake up call,” the only man in the trio said. He stood several inches taller than Nil but had a significantly leaner build. Nil guessed he prioritized speed over power. His companions included a woman as wiry and toned as him and a shorter, squatter teenager. She looked like a female powerlifter. He had met all three the previous evening.

“When you said early, I didn’t think you meant this ungodly hour,” Nil said.

“If you want to get in good with the best trainers, it's best to do your warm-ups before they wake up,” the teenager said, her high pitch contrasted with her build. Lily. It took Nil a moment to remember her name.

“Yes, but—”

“Just because a trainer has a slot doesn’t mean they’ll take you on, you know,” Fatima added.

“Fine.” Nil sighed. “Give me ten minutes. I’ll see you downstairs.”

“We’ll be at the running track,” the man said. He stared at Nil a moment. “Something tells me you already forgot my name.” He got a sheepish grin in return. “It’s Theodore. Ted will do.”

The ludus housed an eclectic group of Mortals and Iron Realms hoping to pass the qualifiers. Nil had met most and agreed to train with the other melee fighters. He expected competition, but the bunch seemed keen on supporting each other. Several preliminary and qualifying events involved team fights or games. Brutes and knights often formed the frontline, while rogues functioned as scouts. Since the roles demanded working in harmony, individuals with the disciplines tried their best to work together.

Nil had encountered a handful of Mages, a Summoner, and an Arcane Warrior. His power aligned best with the last category. However, they relied on magic rather than physical fighting. Instead of using raw power like him, they developed spells and techniques to complement their martial abilities. As far as Nil could tell, Brutal Battery didn’t have scope for such development. It relied on physical combat and instinct far too much. Besides, he lacked the Mind to handle the mental strain of holding spells in his mind’s eye, manipulating, and channeling them.

It was a shame.

When he and Andrew daydreamed and played fights in his late teens, they emulated Adrian ‘Wildshape’ Wilson and Arthur ‘Technomancer’ Wilson, respectively. However, when alone, Nil would imagine himself as a mage, wielding lightning or some otherworldly force. Then, as he got older and the Nexus didn’t call on him, he told himself to settle for whatever the Schema offered. A couple of years after Aisha’s passing, he gave up all hope of ascending. If his Mind attribute’s potential was just a bit higher, he would’ve gladly picked the path of Mage or Summoner—the latter also got minor spells.

Now, he was glad for what he had. Nil’s unusual levels of Spark made him different from the average physical Summoned, but he was starting to get a feel for it and was starting to enjoy himself.

When he got to the running track, he set off relying on his natural strength, speed, and stamina. After a couple of laps, Nil added Absorb and Expend. As he picked up speed, the need for Finesse became more apparent. Maintaining his balance when Absorb didn’t activate in time or while going around the bend proved challenging. So, while his new training partners continued running, he switched to the obstacle course.

All quests provided Schema tokens. If not for his Feat, Nil would’ve invested his earnings in Finesse until it caught up to Might. Instead, he planned on adding all of his earnings in Spark until it reached the peak of Iron. Brutal Battery’s capacity was his lifeline, after all. The attribute would then empower Through Sheer Grit, making it easier to raise the rest through training.

Symbiotech’s equipment proved correct. After an hour of pushing himself on the obstacle course with only five minute breaks, the Schema sent him a notification.

Finesse has progressed to Mortal 7.

Expend has progressed to Mortal 5

* Might: Iron 0

* Finesse: Mortal 7

* Mind: Mortal 3

* Spark: Iron 0

Brutal Battery: Mortal 5

* Absorb: Mortal 5

* Expend: Mortal 5

Energy Instinct: Mortal 2

Feats:

* Haunting Visage

* Armsmaster’s Disappointment

* Through Sheer Grit

“You okay?” Lily asked. She hopped off the running track and joined Nil at the start of the obstacle course. “You look surprised.”

“I just got a little boost,” Nil replied, lying on the floor and still panting. “My Finesse and one of my abilities went up.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“One of your abilities?”

“My power has two halves. Both active. One is defense, and the other toes the line between utility and offense. The first is easier to raise. The other takes more effort and concentration.”

“Sounds complicated. Earthclad has just one passive. It increases my strength and stamina and lets me mold stone into armor.”

“All scaling with Might?”

Lily nodded. “Finesse is the secondary attribute. Maybe it plays a role in stamina, too. I think it mostly sharpens my ability to sense surrounding rocks and get a good sense of which is densest and best for armor. It's impossible to tell until I get to the higher ranks, of course. Standard brute-discipline stuff.”

“That sounds incredible. I imagine your defense and the force you can exert without concern is incredible.”

“I’m slow as fuck, though. A couple more ranks, and I can ascend my ability. It would be great if the Schema could give me something like weight control or improve my mobility. Otherwise, climbing beyond the Iron Gauntlet will prove challenging.” Lily stared at Nil as he sat up. He could feel her studying him. “What are you targeting? The climb or profits.”

“For now?” Nil started stretches instead of just sitting around as they spoke. “It's about the profits. I have a dad who should’ve already retired and two siblings who are still in school. All civilians. Earnings from the arena will help me move them somewhere nice. Decent degrees and stuff to help make a good living as a civilian would be nice, too. I’d love to at least get to Bronze or Silver for that. I haven’t thought about what to do afterward.” Lily had proven a polite and dedicated young woman when they last spoke. He didn’t mind being honest with her. “Helping the world with interdimensional resources, tech, and knowledge is great, but my family is my priority. What about you?”

“I want to go all the way.” Lily grinned. “And I’m not talking Gold or Platinum. I want to go beyond that. I’m talking Immortal, Demigod, God Realms, moving to a Control World, fighting in the higher tier arena, and targeting the Void and Cursed Ones where it hurts.”

“Did your caseworker tell you about all of this?” Nil asked.

Lily shook her head. “He just shuts down when I bring it up. Man won’t even touch the subject. But the forums are full of people who’ve learned a bunch of stuff during the quests. There is a lot more out there than the Nexus tells us. I can send you a link if you’d like.”

“That would be nice, thanks.”

During weight training, Lily and Nil paired up while Fatima and Ted worked together. The latter of the pair belonged to the knight and rogue disciplines, respectively, and used Finesse as their primary attribute. Nil didn’t tell them he had a Spark-focused power and prioritized pushing his muscles with high-weight, low-number lifts. Nil hoped it would help push his Iron-Realm Might to greater ranks, allowing him to use Expend more freely without concern of injury.

Afterward, they all had breakfast together. When Nil heard or read the word cafeteria, he didn’t expect decent cooking or variety. He was at the ludus to train, and when he wanted something nice, he planned on cooking it in the communal kitchen. As long as the offerings were nutritious, he didn’t care.

An assortment of bread, pastries, fruits, porridges, and much more awaited him. The buffet also featured several smoked meats and fish. Nil didn’t feel self-conscious when eating since he wasn’t the only one who piled sausages, bread, cheeses, and fruit on his tray. Most went for fried or scrambled eggs. Nil opted for boiled.

While everyone tucked into their meals, Nil made open-faced sandwiches. His favorite included cream cheese, sliced boiled egg, smoked fish, and dill. He indulged in three-mint tea instead of sugary juices. He had a bowl of fresh fruit and berries with yogurt for his sweet ending. A topping of chopped nuts added some necessary crunch.

Combat sessions followed. Everyone went with their trainers to brush up on martial skills, spell-slinging, or whatever else their power involved. The brawling and open-hand fighting trainers didn’t hold group lessons until later in the day, so he settled for the weapons training classes. The teacher didn’t mind. Extra sparring partners for his students always helped.

Much to Nil’s surprise, the session didn't just involved combat drills and fighting. They also watched Apocalypse Arena bouts, specifically focusing on melee fighters who used weapons.

“A difference in martial ability often compensates for power gaps,” the trainer said, pausing the video for the eleventh time. “The hammer-wielder here is either a knight or an arcane warrior. He might have passive abilities, but his core is a powerful active. He should be dominating most melee opponents unless they have the means to ground his lightning enchantments and nova. However, the swordsman is outclassing him with nothing but the passives he’s picked up across his ascensions. That’s why I insist on polishing footwork and technique until they’re instinctive and reflexive.

“Imagine how different things would be if Mr Hammerman didn’t rely on his lightning as a crutch. He could use his Might to eventually throw the swordsman off-balance and use his nova as a finisher. Right now, he’s wasting it on defense and covering his openings. I’ve seen some of the issues you are having. It's too late for Hammerman. He’s Silver Realm and has been at it too long. Breaking his habits will be impossible. It's not the same for you. You’re new to this. So, today, we’ll focus on breaking your habits. Who wants to go first?”

“Me. Please.” Fatima stuck her hand up. “Can Nil and I spar? Everyone here has long weapons and greater reach than me. I’d like to win for once.”

“Why pick on the newbie?” Ted asked, but she ignored him.

“It's not about winning or losing, Fatima,” the teacher said. “You’re here to get good enough until things like reach don’t matter. But sure. I’d like to see what Symbiotech sent us this time.”

“Sure,” Nil said. He followed Fatima into the basement arena. The walls apparently had enchantments to hold up against Bronze Rank powers. “Are we allowed to use our powers?”

“Of course. They’re a part of you. I’ll be here to ensure no one gets seriously hurt or killed. Don’t go for killing blows, of course. A good deal of people here only have passive abilities. They can’t turn themselves off. So, fight like you’re in the arena.”

The teacher handed out special suits. “You’ll feel the force of all attacks, but these are enchanted to protect against up to three crippling or killing blows,” he told Nil. “I don’t know what kind of training you’ve had or your background, but be aware that everyone here is trained to kill.”