Before the afternoon classes ended, movement had already begun around the laboratory building.
Students left the teaching area.
They did not enter the building directly.
Instead, they gathered at the field first.
Lucian stood at a distance.
He did not approach.
He simply observed along the direction of the flow.
The field had already been divided into sections.
Lines were arranged neatly.
No conversation.
No delay.
A staff member stood at the front, holding a clipboard.
No loud commands.
Only a headcount.
Then, training began.
Not ability release.
Physical conditioning came first.
Students started long-distance running around the field.
The rhythm was fixed.
Speed was controlled.
Not a sprint.
Sustained.
One lap.
Two laps.
Three laps.
No one dropped out.
No one fell behind.
Breathing grew heavier.
Fatigue began to show in movement.
But no one stopped.
Lucian stood still, watching the process.
He was not surprised.
Before ability training, the body was pushed into load.
Not an extra step.
A required prerequisite.
Distance accumulated.
Sweat became visible.
Some shoulders stiffened.
Some strides slowed.
But the formation did not break.
Only after reaching the target distance were students allowed to stop.
No prolonged rest.
Just brief adjustment of breathing.
Then they entered the laboratory building in groups.
Lucian followed behind and stepped inside.
The air density changed noticeably.
The training zones were clearer than the previous day.
The first floor was only for distribution.
No value in staying.
Students naturally moved into different areas.
He continued upward.
The main training level had already opened.
The space was wide.
The ground clearly segmented.
Reinforced materials covered the surface.
Boundaries were precise.
Each area had staff.
Not teachers.
More like regulators.
They did not train the students directly.
Only observed and corrected.
One group began ability release.
Simple movements.
Repeated.
Release.
Maintain.
Withdraw.
A staff member adjusted from the side.
"Output too high."
"Reduce the range."
"Do not break the rhythm."
The voice was steady.
Students corrected.
Continued.
It was not about pursuing intensity alone.
It was about maintaining control under fatigue.
Lucian watched for a moment.
Then his gaze shifted deeper.
There, reinforced glass separated the space.
Not sealed.
An observation layer.
He walked closer.
Through the glass, he saw the other side.
The training intensity was clearly higher.
One student was continuously releasing ability.
Breathing disordered.
Movements distorted.
Fluctuations turning unstable.
Already near the critical point.
The surrounding staff did not approach.
They only recorded.
The next second—
The student's body suddenly froze.
Movement cut off.
He collapsed instantly.
No warning.
No intervention.
As if consciousness had been severed.
Lucian's gaze stopped.
He quickly found the source.
A raised platform on the other side.
A figure stood there.
Nearly one meter eighty in height.
Military uniform, perfectly fitted.
Posture immovable.
No extra movement.
Just standing.
Yet the presence was overwhelming.
Like an unshakable mass pressing into space.
For the first time, Lucian clearly felt a form of pressure.
Not from released ability.
Not intentional intimidation.
But existence itself carried weight.
His gaze locked onto the man.
Lt. Colonel Iosef Kain.
One of the highest-ranking officers of the Valcyr ability forces.
The Valcyr Reaper.
Lucian did not look away.
The knockout just now was not physical.
It was an ability.
Remote activation.
Precise termination.
No hesitation.
No delay for observation.
Once the threshold was reached—cut immediately.
Clean.
Almost cold.
Like part of an execution protocol.
Another student continued training.
Also approaching the boundary.
Breathing unstable.
Fluctuations rising.
The next second—
Collapsed again.
No deviation.
Iosef's posture did not even change.
No emotion.
No fluctuation.
Only continuous observation.
Then termination.
Lucian stood behind the glass.
A brief silence.
A clear judgment formed in his mind.
He could not oppose this man.
At least, not now.
Not because of rank.
Not because of reputation.
But because the gap in strength was laid out plainly before him.
For the first time, he clearly understood—
There existed such a level in this world.
Not something he could reach yet.
Lucian's fingers tightened slightly.
Then loosened.
His gaze remained.
"So this kind of existence exists in the world."
The thought came naturally.
No emotional surge.
Just confirmation.
At that moment—
A disturbance appeared in another section.
A student's ability suddenly expanded abnormally.
Not nearing a limit.
Direct loss of balance.
People around immediately retreated.
Before Iosef could act—
Another figure had already entered the field.
Fast.
Not explosive speed.
But arrival within an extremely short time.
A young man.
Clearly older than the regular students.
His clothing was slightly different.
A distinct sleeve insignia.
Seventh-year.
Pre-graduation phase.
Not a standard enrolled student.
Lucian's gaze followed immediately.
After entering the target range, the young man did not touch the student.
He simply stopped.
The next instant—
The surrounding air changed.
Not visibly.
But the boundary could be felt forming.
An invisible structure unfolded.
The unstable fluctuations were confined within a range.
The ability did not spread.
No outward impact.
The surrounding facilities remained intact.
The rampage was sealed inside.
Like being enclosed by a transparent wall.
The student struggled within.
Fluctuations continued.
But nothing reached the outside.
Iosef stood on the platform.
No movement.
As if waiting.
Until the fluctuation reached its edge—
The student instantly lost consciousness.
Collapsed.
End.
The invisible structure dissolved.
The entire process ended quickly.
The young man stepped back.
No extra movement.
As if he had only completed a supporting task.
Then he left the field.
Lucian's gaze lingered for a moment.
Compared to Iosef's suppression—
This ability attracted him more.
Not termination.
Restriction.
Not cutting off.
But establishing boundaries.
"Oh?"
A slight shift appeared in his gaze.
"A barrier-type ability?"
More precisely—
Not a traditional shield.
But a form of range stabilization.
Containing anomalies within a localized structure.
Preventing spread.
This aligned more with his own thinking.
Closer to his ideal way of handling abilities.
Abilities could exist.
But they must not damage the whole.
Training continued.
The process did not stop because of what just happened.
New students filled in.
Continue releasing.
Continue maintaining.
Continue approaching the boundary.
Failures were terminated.
Risks were contained.
The entire system was split into two parts.
Iosef handled the ending.
Seven handled the containment during the process.
One extreme.
One controlled.
Lucian stood behind the glass, watching.
The structure in his mind gradually closed.
External academy logic.
Internal training logic.
Termination mechanisms.
Containment mechanisms.
Everything began to connect.
Time moved toward evening.
The number of students decreased.
But training did not end.
Some students left.
Others stayed.
Night training began.
Lighting shifted.
Fewer zones remained open.
But still active.
Not mandatory classes.
Free training.
Students entered on their own.
Practiced on their own.
Fewer staff.
But not fully withdrawn.
Iosef remained on the platform.
Did not leave.
Like a silent termination device.
And Seven moved occasionally between areas.
No fixed position.
Wherever risk appeared, he would be there.
Lucian stood still.
Did not leave.
This entire structure was more complete than he had expected.
Closer to an answer.
Not merely training abilities.
But dealing with loss of control itself.
He watched the field.
His gaze briefly paused between Iosef and Seven.
Two directions.
Two extremes.
One like an endpoint.
One like a possibility.
The night was long.
The observation was not over.