Talia watched as the silver mist erupted from Takai, engulfing him and the three Abyssal Squids.

The haze obscured half the deck, leaving behind only vague silhouettes visible through the fog.

“What is that?” Fiora asked, wincing as she clutched her injured arm.

They had never seen anything like that, and Takai had certainly not mentioned it when they had been together on the raft.

Now that Talia thought about it, in fact, she distinctly remembered Takai being quite evasive when talking about one of his Skills, saying it was not a big deal.

But if this was not a big deal, then Talia had just turned into a Stillfish.

“I have no idea what he’s doing,” Talia admitted, stunned by the complete change in his friend’s demeanor.

She'd never seen Takai use anything like this before.

A screech pierced the air, followed by the distinctive sound of something heavy hitting the deck.

Talia's grip tightened on her glaive.

Had Takai actually managed to take one down?

“Incoming!” The dagger-wielder's shout snapped Talia's attention back to their own battle.

A tentacle whipped toward her head.

Talia ducked, feeling it whistle past.

She silently cursed herself for getting distracted.

“Let’s focus on this one,” she said as much to herself as to the others. “We need to kill it!”

Fiora nodded through the pain.

“I can take it down, but I need you two to keep it busy,” Fiora told Talia and the dagger-wielding boy.

Talia didn't waste time asking questions.

“You heard her,” she told the dagger-wielder. “Let's give it something to think about.”

The boy grinned, dodging one of the tentacles with and winking at her midway through the motion.

“On it,” he said as he regained his balance.

Talia drew her glaive back and passed a hand over it, feeling the blood trickle down her palm.

She used her [Hemomancy] Skill to control the blood, coating the blade in a crimson edge.

She and the dagger-wielder moved in, attacking from each side of the monster.

Talia's glaive swept wildly, forcing the Squid to focus its attention on defending itself to avoid getting chopped up.

But that opened the monster to the guy, who tried to deliver as much damage as possible while Fiora did whatever it was that was was doing.

The Abyssal Squid lashed out with its tentacles, but now that there was only one to deal with, it wasn’t such a daunting task for the two aspiring Water Riders.

Talia batted a tentacle aside with the shaft of her glaive, ducking under another as she started to feel the exhaustion catching up with her.

She briefly looked over her shoulder and saw Fiora with both her palms out, breathing heavily, and with Mana flashing around her arms in small motes that seemed absorbed from the sun rays that bathed the deck of the ship.

It was as if Fiora was coalescing the light in the middle of her palms.

“Any time now, Fiora!” Talia called out, parrying another strike.

“Almost ready,” Fiora replied, her voice strained, and a giant orb of Sunwater Mana gathering between her palms. “Clear out!”

Talia and the dagger-wielder disengaged, creating space between themselves and the Squid.

Fiora's eyes blazed with golden light.

She thrust her hands forward, and a torrent of Sunwater erupted from her palms.

“Zenith!”

The golden liquid completely engulfed the Abyssal Squid, steam hissing where it made contact.

The monster thrashed, its screeches rising in pitch as the Sunwater scalded its flesh.

But the monster had placed its tentacles between itself and the attack, losing several while trying to defend but also preventing a one-shot kill.

“Now!” Fiora shouted.

Talia understood immediately.

The Sunwater was superheating the Squid's body, negating its regeneration.

This was their chance.

She charged forward.

As she closed in with the boy in tow, Talia swung her glaive.

The boy, instead, leapt with his daggers aimed at the creature's eyes.

Her blade cut through two weakened tentacles at once, the blood-edge sizzling as it carved through weakened flesh and created an opening.

The dagger-wielder's strike found its mark in the Squid's eyes, one for each dagger.

For a moment, everything seemed to pause.

Then, the Abyssal Squid collapsed, its tentacles twitching before going still.

[You have slain Abyssal Squid Level 8!]

Talia exhaled sharply, allowing herself a brief moment of relief.

“Good work,” she said to the other two.

Fiora managed a weak nod, clearly drained.

The dagger-wielder gave a quick thumb-up as he caught his breath and looked toward the mist.

Their reprieve was short-lived, though.

The silver mist on the other side of the deck began to dissipate, drawing their attention.

As the haze cleared, Talia's eyes widened.

Two Abyssal Squid corpses lay on the deck, their bodies chopped up by sword strikes.

Takai stood among them, his blade gleaming with a silver sheen.

“Takai?” Talia called out.

He turned, and Talia saw something different in his eyes as some of the mist still hugged his features – a focus, a confidence she'd never seen before.

Then he smiled, and she glimpsed the familiar warmth beneath.

“There’s only one left,” he said weakly, wobbling.

Talia opened her mouth to respond, but some movement caught her eye.

The remaining Abyssal Squid, forgotten in the aftermath of their victory, was making a desperate lunge at the huddled group of recruits.

“Look out!” Talia shouted, already knowing she was too far to intercept.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Takai reacted instantly, though.

He blurred into motion, faster than Talia had ever seen him move.

His sword flashed once, twice, three times in rapid succession.

The Abyssal Squid's tentacles fell away, all severed cleanly off, so fast that not one could regenerate before the others followed suit.

It tried to retreat, but Takai was right in its ugly mug again, his blade piercing it directly between its eyes.

Silence fell over the deck.

Talia stared at Takai with an open mouth, trying to reconcile the skilled swordsman before her with the hesitant friend she'd known for years.

“I leveled up twice,” Takai suddenly said, returning to his usual shy self and then collapsing onto the deck, his eyes fixated on the azure sky above. “Wow.”

Fiora and Talia simply stared at him with wide eyes while the dagger guy scoffed.

Then, a slow clap brought them back to reality, and they turned to see Professor Iakopo looking at them with a frown.

“Congratulations,” the Professor said, “that was impressive.”

Talia could clearly hear a sour note in the Professor's voice, which immediately made her suspicious.

Then, shouts and applause erupted from the other recruits.

They had all made it.

All of them.

But still, Talia couldn’t shake a thought as she turned toward a stiff Professor Iakopo.

It’s him, isn’t it?

He tried to eliminate me.

Why?

Does he know Mom?

Is it like Dad said, not everyone at the Academy supported Mom?

But she could also see that for someone famous for not letting more than ten percent of the students pass, like Shaker had said, having so many recruits passing the test was a problem.

In fact, Talia would put the survival rate of the recruits above eighty percent.

And considering that they had been somehow involved in the fight, they had most likely all been Initiated.

However, it was an extremely close call.

If she hadn’t immediately figured out that this was going to be a teamwork test, they might have all been eliminated. Abyssal Squids’ regeneration capabilities were no joke, and they would have all gotten tired sooner rather than later, which would have disqualified them. Professor Iakopo was clearly vicious in his methods.

For someone with such a weird inclination to eliminate entire batches of recruits, this meant he couldn’t be happy with them at all.

Professor Iakopo's frown deepened as he surveyed the deck, littered with Abyssal Squid corpses and cheery but emotionally and physically exhausted recruits.

His eyes lingered on Talia, narrowing slightly before moving on.

“Well,” he said, his voice devoid of any real enthusiasm, “it seems we have more survivors than usual this year. Congratulations indeed.”

Talia felt a chill run down her spine at his tone.

I’m right about him, aren’t I?

There was something in the way he looked at her, a mixture of frustration and... spite?

Shaker stepped forward with a sneer painted across his face.

“Don't get too comfortable, bilge rats. This was just the first hurdle. The Academy's got plenty more ways to weed out the weak.”

Professor Iakopo waved a dismissive hand.

“Yes, yes. For now, tend to your wounds and get some rest. We'll be arriving at the Academy in a few days.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group once more.

“And don't think this little display of teamwork means you're all friends now. There are no friends at the Academy. You better keep that in mind if you want to make it out alive.”

As the Professor turned to leave, Talia exchanged glances with Fiora and Takai.

“We should talk,” she murmured to them. “Privately.”

Fiora nodded, wincing as she cradled her injured arm. “Agreed. But first, could you?” The blonde nodded at the injury.

“Yeah,” Talia sighed, by now completely accepting that her abilities would sooner or later come out anyway.

She raised her palm above a Squid corpse and began siphoning its residual vitality to heal Fiora.

As Talia channeled the vitality from the Abyssal Squid's corpse into Fiora's wound, she felt the familiar tug of [Blood Siphon].

The blonde's injury began to knit close, the angry red flesh fading to pink and finally turning into unblemished skin.

When Fiora saw Talia stop after healing her, she slapped the girl’s arm.

“Don’t you dare let those corpses go to waste. We killed them. Go absorb all the stuff.”

Talia hesitated as she looked around, but for now, all the other recruits seemed to perceive them as heroes, with a couple of girls already approaching Takai and complimenting him.

With a deep breath, she decided to seize the opportunity.

She extended her hand toward the nearest Abyssal Squid corpse, activating [Blood Siphon].

A faint red mist arose from the creature's body, coalescing around Talia's outstretched palm.

As the energy flowed into her, she felt a familiar warmth spread through her body.

[You have absorbed Abyssal Squid Level 6 Life Force.]

[+0.1 to your Primary Mana Channel (0.44/1 to Level One)]

[+0.5 to your Constitution (0.9/1 to 1 Constitution)]

Talia's eyes widened slightly.

The gains were much better than the ones from the Abyssal Scuttlers.

Was it because these were bona fide monsters from the Deep – not just from the outskirts – and therefore, they had more Mana to live on?

[You have absorbed Abyssal Squid Level 7 Life Force.]

[+0.15 to your Primary Mana Channel (0.59/1 to Level One)]

[+0.5 to your Constitution (1/1 to 1 Constitution)]

[Congratulations!]

[You gained 1 Constitution!]

As she absorbed the third Squid, Talia felt a few curious glances from nearby recruits land on her.

[You have absorbed Abyssal Squid Level 7 Life Force.]

[+0.15 to your Primary Mana Channel (0.74/1 to Level One)]

[+0.5 to your Constitution (0.9/2 to 1 Constitution)]

Finally, she moved to the last corpse with a determined look on her face.

[You have absorbed Abyssal Squid Level 8 Life Force.]

[+0.2 to your Primary Mana Channel (0.92/1 to Level One)]

[+1.1 to your Constitution (2/2 to 1 Constitution)]

[Congratulations!]

[You gained 1 Constitution!]

As the last of the energy flowed into her, Talia let out a small sigh.

Her Primary Mana Channel was still frustratingly short of Level One, but she was making progress.

Also, there were a few more important notifications awaiting her.

[Lifestealer reaches Level 5!]

[You gain two Free Attributes!]

[You gain one Talent Point!]

[Blood Siphon reaches Level 4!]

[Blood Siphon reaches Level 5!]

[Crimson Wisdom reaches Level 4!]

[Eyes of the Abyss reaches Level 4!]

[Hemomancy reaches Level 6!]

Yet, the thing that left the biggest impression on Talia wasn’t the onslaught of Skill Levels she had just gotten.

As the Abyssal Squids turned to dust, drained of their vitality, the other recruits actually didn’t look at her with fear or prejudice but rather with genuine admiration.

A tall, lanky boy with curly hair stepped forward.

“That was amazing,” he said, his voice tinged with genuine reverence. “How did you do that?”

Before Talia could respond, Fiora interjected.

“It's her Class ability,” the blonde explained, her tone matter-of-factly. “She can absorb the energy from defeated monsters.”

Talia tensed, waiting for the inevitable backlash. But it didn't come.

“That's so cool!” a freckled girl exclaimed. “Is that how you healed her, too? I have a scratch here, could you…”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think of asking other people,” Talia apologized. “I already drained all the corpses.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem,” the girl shrugged. “We only passed the test thanks to you guys, anyway. We are very grateful.”

“Thanks, you’re… welcome?” Talia said, caught by surprise by their kindness again.

The dagger-wielding boy who had fought alongside them approached her, his expression thoughtful. “Interesting Class,” he mused. “I've never heard of anything quite like it.”

“What's your name?” Talia asked, realizing she still didn't know who he was.

“Keanu,” he replied with a slight bow. “And I must say, your abilities are quite impressive. All of you,” he added, nodding to Fiora and Takai too.

Talia stared into his eyes for a moment, seeing something that was vaguely familiar there. But her observation was interrupted by all the other recruits that pressed onto them, wanting to ask questions, congratulate them, thank them, or just touch them for a moment.

For the first time in her life, Talia found herself admired.

***

After finally getting rid of their new fans, Talia had brought Takai, Fiora, and Keanu in the storage room of the galleon.

“I have some info I think I should have shared with you earlier,” Talia said with a grimace.

“Why the secrecy?” Takai asked, confused.

“Shut up and listen,” Fiora snapped.

She wasn't happy about the fact that Takai had been getting much more attention than her.

“Sorry,” Takai said timidly.

“Anyway,” Talia cleared her voice. “I talked to someone who knows things about the Academy. I’ve heard that it’s actually much more dangerous than we think.”

“Like what?” Fiora asked, skeptical. “You mean, like, missions?”

“No, not just that,” Talia shook her head. “Politics.”

“Ok?” Fiora frowned. “That’s not new, is it?”

“No. But… Apparently, there’s a lot of backstabbing at the Academy. There are factions. I just wanted to take a second to warn you all,” Talia explained. “We should watch each other's backs.”

Fiora raised an eyebrow. “And who exactly told you this? Your mysterious source again?”

Talia hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. Someone who knows the inner workings of the Academy very well.”

Keanu leaned against a stack of crates, his expression thoughtful.

“It's not surprising. Any institution with power will have its share of politics and rivalries. But why tell us specifically—well, why tell me, I guess? You guys already know each other, right?”

“Yeah,” Takai nodded.

“Because,” Talia interjected, her voice lowering, “I think we might become targets. Or at least, I might. And since you helped us, you might get associated with us.”

Takai's eyes widened.

“What? Why are we targets?”

Talia took a deep breath.

“It's... complicated. But it has to do with my mother. And possibly my abilities.”

Fiora crossed her arms.

“Your mother? The Kraken Slayer? I thought she was revered at the Academy.”

“So did I,” Talia admitted. “But apparently, not everyone saw her the same way.”

Keanu's eyes narrowed.

“You think Professor Iakopo was targeting you specifically during the test?”

Talia didn’t know how to answer.

She had brought him here because he seemed like a solid guy, given how collaborative he had been during the test.

But she didn’t know whether she was ready to make such an accusation out loud.

Talia hesitated, weighing her words carefully. “I'm not sure, but—”

Her response was cut short by the sudden creaking of the storage room door.

All four students whirled around.

Professor Iakopo stood in the doorway.

“Well, well,” he drawled, a hint of amusement in his gravelly voice. “What do we have here? A little secret meeting?”

The tension in the room could be cut with a knife.

“We were just discussing the test, sir,” Talia said, trying to keep her voice even.

Professor Iakopo's lips curled into a smirk.

“Is that so?” He took a step into the room, his presence seemingly filling the space. “Well, I'm afraid I'll have to cut this little gathering short. Talia, I'd like to have a word with you.”

The way he said her name sent a chill down her spine.

“Alone,” he added, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“Of course, Professor,” Talia said, her voice steadier than how she felt.