The training arena pulsed with energy. Ringed platforms gleamed under the bright artificial lighting, each bordered by low-energy barriers that shimmered faintly in blue. Ten identical rings stretched across the vast gymnasium, each ten meters in diameter and marked with bold numerical holograms.
Saurai looked toward the arena and started observing the cadets. Delphine, Kevin, and Andy were all in the first phase.
The combat rings buzzed with anticipation, excitement rolling off the students like waves. The first session of Phase One was underway, and all eyes were drawn to the central ring. Which was Ring One. Delphine Ray stood there, poised and silent, her long black hair tied neatly behind her. Her eyes were cool and distant, like storm clouds on the horizon.
Saurai wasn't in this group, but he stood with the others at the sidelines, waiting for his turn. He was curious about the combat training and even more curious to see what real talent looked like on this ship.
Then he saw Delphine's first fight.
Delphine took a single step forward, and the moment the countdown ended, she unsheathed her sword. It wasn't just metal. Lightning crackled up the blade, crawling along the edge like a living thing. It danced from hilt to tip, refracting blue-white light across the ring.
The dummy bots surged forward and three of them targeting her at once.
She vanished.
No, she hadn't vanished but she moved so fast it seemed like she had. With a flash of light and a sharp crack, the first bot was cleanly dismantled. A moment later, another spark of lightning lashed out as she turned, sweeping the second bot with an arc of her blade. The third bot tried to flank her, but the sword pulsed and extended mid-swing, a bolt shooting outward to paralyze it. It collapsed, smoking.
Saurai's eyes widened.
She wasn't just skilled but she was also very terrifying.
Bot after bot charged at her, but it was as if they were stepping into a storm. Delphine didn't just fight she controlled the tempo of the entire ring. Her strikes were fluid and elegant, her footwork never wasteful. Every movement was calculated, and the lightning seemed to bend around her with willful intelligence.
Saurai watched in stunned silence. This wasn't normal weaponry. This wasn't even elite skill.
This was something else.
He turned to Bryn beside him and whispered, "Wow... that's so cool."
Saurai wanted to goad Bryn into giving more information about Delphine's powers and Bryn, as expected, perked up.
"Right? That's Delphine Ray for you," he said, eyes gleaming with admiration. "Her whole family line is blessed with lightning affinity. She's what people call 'gifted.' Most high-level aristocrats have some kind of elemental trait. Unlike us normal folks, almost all of them awaken their powers. With her control and precision, they say she might even reach Level 8 or 9 one day."
"Level? Like strength levels?"
Bryn nodded. "Yeah!"
Saurai felt a small click in his memory. Something about strength levels. He smiled faintly. Every bit of conversation helped unlock more fragments of his forgotten self.
He now understood: to awaken his dormant memories, he needed to interact with familiar people, ask questions, and gather details. Information would act like puzzle pieces, helping his mind become whole again.
The normal system went from Level 1 to Level 10. But after Level 5, every rank was a huge leap. These levels didn't just represent strength they also reflected hierarchy, authority, and contribution to the nation. Anyone above Level 9 was considered a legend. On Artemis-5, the only known Level 9 was the ship's commander.
The way Delphine fought, she was probably already at Level 2.
Saurai nodded slowly, absorbing it all. So people here really do have super-powers. This wasn't just martial skill but there was something deeper. Something biological or magical. Many people awakened superhuman-like abilities. Some inherited their powers from their parents; others manifested something entirely different.
Saurai didn't know if he had any powers yet. He had a few more answers now but even more questions. Still, he wasn't disappointed. If anything, he was more curious than ever.
He looked again at Delphine, who had now single-handedly disabled seven bots. The rest of her team mostly stayed back, focusing on survival. She was the center of the ring like a solitary storm. She completely wiped out the bots before the time limit even finished.
In the next ring over, Kevin Welser was fighting as well. But unlike Delphine, he wasn't actively hunting bots. His long, silver spear spun fluidly in his hands as he deflected incoming attacks with casual ease. Every now and then, he made a clean strike to the side of a bot's head, knocking it back or out of the ring.
His movements were efficient. Lazy, even—but effective. He never moved more than necessary. Kevin hadn't shown any superpower yet. Maybe he was just too lazy to fight seriously.
At one point, he saved a teammate who was cornered. He spun his spear like a baton and landed a precise strike to the bot's back. It whirred and collapsed. The student thanked him, but Kevin just shrugged.
"He's strong," Saurai murmured.
Bryn nodded. "He's from the Welser family. Most of them are combat specialists or agriculturists. He's got both training and legacy."
Then their eyes drifted to another ring.
Andy was in Ring Seven, locked in combat with a single bot. Unlike Delphine or Kevin, he was struggling. He fought with a short axe, and though he wasn't unskilled, his movements were slightly clumsy and his strikes too forceful, too emotional.
He took blow after blow. For over five minutes, he grappled with the same bot, only managing to kick it out of the ring after exhausting effort.
Then, predictably, Andy looked toward Ring One, eyes scanning for Delphine.
But she wasn't watching.
Her focus had never once shifted from her ring.
Andy hesitated, frustration written plainly on his face.
Then he noticed Saurai looking his way.
Andy smirked and puffed his chest slightly, as if to say, See? I won too.
Saurai tilted his head, unimpressed.
Suddenly, a dummy bot darted in from Andy's blind spot. In one swift movement, it slammed into him with a spinning kick. Andy yelped, thrown backward like a rag doll and tumbled right out of the ring.
A few gasps rose from the crowd.
Someone laughed. Saurai didn't.
But when Andy looked up, face red and filled with fury, his eyes locked onto Saurai again. Saurai gave a polite, almost innocent smile.
To Andy, it looked like a mockery.
And in that moment, a silent rivalry ignited in him.