Saturday morning involved more warm-ups on the running track and obstacle course. Nil could feel himself getting faster and more sure-footed. Finesse’s gifts weren’t as tangible as Might's bonuses. They showed more in practice than in physiological changes. However, Nil felt more flexible and limber than before. Fatima also claimed that he looked more toned and athletic than bulky. Nil didn’t see it, but he expected as much.

Might had done its job of helping through the early ranks, and Nil had no plans to waste more tokens on the attribute. He needed it more for the durability and healing than the strength. However, the last proved helpful when channeling Absorb or in the neutral. He hoped to achieve all future growth by training and Through Sheer Grit’s assistance. Nil planned to invest the bulk of his future Schema Tokens in Spark, increasing Brutal Battery’s stores and the benefits of the feat.

Of course, the latter would benefit Finesse’s growth, but since the attribute was significantly harder to train than Might, Nil also planned on occasionally spending Schema Tokens on it. Once he reached the Iron Realm, Nil would feel more comfortable about attempting quests with a Bronze danger level. They didn’t just pay better; the quest list often showed them paying out three tokens. Longer quests, like his last one, came with four.

Nil guessed most Summoned didn’t have the patience to grow their attributes naturally. Layla also suggested that feats that enhanced growth rates and overcame potential were rare or often limited to a singular attribute. So, most likely banked extra tokens and used them to ensure their secondary, tertiary, and low-priority attributes didn’t fall too far behind. Feats only did so much. A Might-focused Brute with Steady Charger gained balance and stability when moving in a straight line, but that didn’t assist with flexibility and their senses. So, they couldn’t get away with completely ignoring Finesse. Nil imagined it was the same for most other Summoned. Some probably got away with ignoring Mind or Spark, but doing the same with the other two attributes would get them killed. No matter their role or ability, anyone challenging otherworldly or supernatural threats needed some of each. If not for The Power Of Belief, Nil would've eventually needed to invest in Mind or find someone to help train it. Memory games alone felt insufficient for the task.

Instead of weight training, Nil pursued reflex and agility training. He enjoyed the sensation that accompanied increased Finesse far more than Might’s raw strength and dedicated himself to pushing the boundaries. Isabella’s training methods felt good for the direction but didn’t feel sufficient. Nil wanted to discuss lowering intensity with increased volume or vice versa.

Then, after lunch came weapons training, and as usual, Nil volunteered himself as a sparring partner. Fatima flashed him an excited grin. Xiang and Nowel weren’t regulars in the class, but both were present. They guessed the pair wanted to showcase their skill and ability in the hopes of getting picked for qualifiers. Lily and Mobi were also in attendance. The axe-and-fire-wielding Arcane Warrior seemed to have given up all hope of joining Viktor and the teenage brute’s party. He hung around Nil and Fatima instead, making casual conversation.

Nil had nothing against Mobi. He was skilled and powerful but wasn’t sure of the man’s attitude. Meanwhile, Fatima didn’t like the man at all. She and Nil agreed to keep him as the backup alongside Nowel. They needed to observe the Artisan-Knight hybrid. He had sufficient ability, but his personality was just as important to them.

Nil and Fatima found opportunities to spar with all three candidates.

“Bloody hell, those hurt,” Nil told Xiang after a loss. The woman proved significantly faster, and her chakrams also carried an energy that his ability failed to absorb. Shallow cuts crisscrossed his chest and back. “You’re pretty damn terrifying, you know?”

“Thank you,” Xiang replied, bowing. They had fought each other at the tail end of the training session. The weapons trainer stood in a far corner speaking quietly to Mobi. The conversation appeared heated. The Arcane Warrior had gone overboard, inflicting serious burns to his opponent. “You’re an excellent opponent, too.” Her words came out slow and measured. “Your martial arts make me regret not training harder.”

The loss wouldn’t have been as close if the woman’s technique were any better. Nil had avoided a good deal of her attacks. He almost got the upper hand a couple of times with grabs, but Xiang detonated her chakrams at point-blank range, forcing him back. The explosions charged Brutal Battery while the shards shredded skin and flesh. Nil sprayed himself with Symbiotech’s concoctions as they spoke and expected to end up with a handful of scars.

“We could train together,” Nil said, pulling on a t-shirt. “You can brush your martial skills against me, and I can train my Finesse.”

“I'll think about it. Thank you.” Xiang sounded hesitant. Nil couldn't help but wonder whether speaking English made her nervous. The woman could just as well speak Cantonese—Fatima claimed she hailed from Hong Kong—and the Schema would translate as it did for all Summoned. It seemed the woman was determined to avoid relying on the function. “Are you speaking to me because of the qualifiers?”

“It's why I insisted on sparring with you,” Nil admitted. “I wanted to see what type of combatant you were before asking you to join my team. As for speaking, I would've done so either way. You only attend these sessions on Saturdays. While I take it lightly and only indulge in personal training during the weekends. So, we just haven't had the chance to meet or speak.”

“Oh.” An inkling of a smile appeared on Xiang's face. She nodded. “I will come to Monday or Tuesday sessions if you let me train with you.”

“Excellent!” Nil exclaimed. The sudden rise in volume made the petite woman jump, and she took a step back from him, looking embarrassed. “Will you join our team, too? Fatima tells me incredible things about you, and I'm pretty sure you were holding back your chakram's destructive power. I think we could make an excellent team.”

Xiang watched him for a moment. “Viktor already asked me.” She spoke even softer than her low volume as she continued. “And Fatima scares me.”

“Have you said yes?”

She shook her head.

“Have you watched the Capture The Flag recordings?”

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Xiang shook her head again.

“In that case, why don't you check them out before making up your mind? Fatima might be scary, but she is an excellent and reliable combatant. I think we'll have an excellent chance at victory if we work together.”

Xiang stared at Nil for a moment, then nodded. “I will watch the recordings and get back to you,” she said.

“Thank you, Xiang,” Nil said. “I look forward to hearing from you.”

As soon as Xiang walked away, Fatima rushed over. “Why didn't you push harder?” she demanded, sounding annoyed. “I've been planting seeds about Viktor favoring Elisha. We could've closed and confirmed her as a team member. Xiang might hide and restrain herself, but she's as desperate to get into qualifiers as the rest of us.”

“Because you were right about her being a better fit than Elisha. Given the type of person she seems, being forceful or insistent would likely push her away.” Despite Nil's words, Fatima continued to glare at him. She didn't look particularly reassured. “Trust me on this. She'll watch the videos a few times and message us tomorrow. If she doesn't, we get an artillery mage. Either way, we win.”

“And Nowel?”

“Seems like a decent enough guy but far too slow. He’d be great if we were employing turtle tactics. I’d mark him as the final backup after Mobi.”

“Fine.” Fatima grumbled. She glanced at the trainer. Mobi appeared to be on the verge of running away from the man. “Let's get out of here before Mobi corners us. I don't want to deal with the idiot.”

“Good call.”

Nil swiftly showered and changed after returning to his room. Shina had called him into Symbiotech offices for an early evening meeting, and he wanted to arrive on time. Mobi exited the elevator just as Nil was locking his door. The Arcane Warrior started toward him, but Nil slipped into the stairway and ran. Fatima met him in the ludus's ground-floor lobby, and they set off together.

Weekend traffic made the commute annoyingly long. He reached his destination ten minutes late. Even though it was after dark on a Saturday, the building was abuzz with activity, with people rushing down corridors and multiple people in regular clothing getting fitted for equipment. A lab assistant guided Fatima to a higher floor before dragging Nil off for regular testing. Much to his relief, they agreed not to extract spinal fluid. The qualifiers were now a few days away, and he couldn't afford to miss training while dealing with the pain. He kept an eye on the visage while the staff went about their work. It continued to behave strangely as usual, looking far more eager to get through a wall than it did when investigating Layla’s chest.

Much to Nil’s relief, the staff didn’t waste any time on the usual stress tests. It was Saturday, and he guessed most wanted to finish and head home. They led him straight through the symbiote lab into the safe room. Nil had just finished stripping down to his underwear when Shina joined him. A technician followed close behind her, carrying the familiar heavy cases they used to transport the living armor. An automated trolley rolled behind them. Its middle shelves housed several scanners, probes, and surgical tools while an aetherscreen sat on top.

“It's nice to see you, Nil,” Shina said. “I apologize for delaying the symbiote's return. Since you and Fatima are heading into the qualifiers together, we wanted to ensure you got the best possible product.”

“I appreciate it.” Nil smiled. “I hear Battle Royales can get messy.”

The aetherscreen flickered on, and the display showed his silhouette and a bubbling white sphere, which he guessed was the symbiote.

“You look different. Have you experienced a big attribute change since our last meeting?” Shina scanned him with a rectangular device and found the answer before he could reply. “Oh wow! Your Finesse is almost at Iron Realm. Have you been focusing on it over Might?”

Nil nodded. “I get plenty of power from my ability, and it counts Finesse as its secondary attribute. Will that be a problem?”

“Not at all.” She rolled the trolley closer to Nil while the assistant opened the case and prepared the symbiote. Data Nil couldn’t make heads or tails out of what appeared on the screen alongside snippets of the last event. “I don’t know if this makes any sense to you, but after watching your match recordings, we tweaked the symbiote. The tissue threads loosen during your bursts of speed and movement. It won’t matter much while you’re in your defensive mode. But while in offense, the symbiote will absorb a fraction of the incoming kinetic energy to recharge itself.”

“You taught it to mimic my ability?” Nil asked, leaning closer to the screen. It now displayed the symbiote undergoing lesser versions of the durability and strength stress tests he experienced. Shina didn’t seem to mind when he grabbed the trolley and leaned in closer. Nil had stripped everything off himself except the pinky-sized aethertech device Andrew assembled. He stuck it under the lip of the top shelf—the level with the aetherscreen. “I don’t know whether to be concerned or impressed.”

“It's weak and never will be as potent as yours,” Shina said, flashing him a tired but annoyed smile. “The symbiote will perform best when it's bonded to you. There is no reason to worry either way, Nil. We only work in your and the nation’s best interests. The Nexus won’t give us decent enough tech or materials to mimic powers anyway.”

“Mr Roy, could you please interface with the symbiote?” The lab technician waved at a table in the corner of the room. The case sat open on it, and the symbiote writhed inside. Little finger-sized growths rose from the gelatinous surface, reaching for him.

“We leaned harder into the flame and heat protection,” Shina continued as Nil approached the Symbiotech creation. The blob shivered as he got closer. “If the symbiote feels either below your chest, it will extend down your legs to increase protection. You have minor lightning resistance now, too. Unfortunately, we failed to do the same for cold. Since Fatima is vulnerable against it, too, I’d suggest leaving anyone with related powers to your third-party member or avoiding them altogether until you’re down to the final few.”

Nil shivered when the symbiote coated his body. It was no different from the first version. He only felt the slimy discomfort for a moment, and then it faded. When he touched the back of his neck, a cold, wet feeling returned as the living organic armor retreated to behind his neck.

“You may take the containment vessel with you. I’ll try to attend the qualifiers and reclaim the symbiote for reading straight away. If I fail to be there, hand the case to Golden Aegis’ medical staff. They’ll have it sent over.”

“Thank you,” Nil said. “It doesn’t feel any different from the prototype except the minor drain on my stored energy.”

“The new symbiote is currently studying and adapting to you,” the technician explained. “It will stop soon.”

“Excellent.”

“Look out for Fatima, alright?” Shina placed a gentle hand on Nil’s shoulder. The close proximity helped Nil notice their height difference had once again increased. He had gained another fraction of an inch. “Both of you making it into the Iron Gauntlet together could do wonders for Symbiotech. I said the same to Fatima. There is a lot riding on this.”

“I intend to give it my all,” Nil replied.

If Andrew found something truly incriminating and the information became public, this time, the Nexus would ensure Symbiotech ceased doing business. The multiversal organization had more sway over Earth's governments than whoever funded the last cover-up. There was indeed a lot riding on qualifiers. If Nil failed and the company fell, he would end up without a ludus and scrounging for money to get into a new one. He needed the winnings that came from Apocalypse Arena to ensure that such an eventuality didn’t come to be.