The morning air in the neglected courtyard felt completely different exactly seven days later.
Crimson stood alone near the center of the cracked earth, his feet planted firmly as he went through a series of rapid, fluid stretching exercises.
The transformation of his physical body was undeniable.
The soft, unconditioned look he carried a week ago had completely vanished, replaced by a leaner, tightly packed musculature that moved with distinct purpose.
His posture was no longer slouched in defeat.
He stood tall, his breathing completely synchronized with his movements.
Mr. Gage leaned against the stone archway of the courtyard, his sharp eyes evaluating the scrawny teenager through his minimalist interface.
A translucent parchment window flickered into existence, displaying the dramatic shift in the boy’s base conditioning after a week of pure, double intensity physical hell.
Target: Crimson
Overall Potential Tier: S
Current Physical Attributes:
- Strength: E / B
- Endurance: D / A
- Speed: C / SSR
- Reflexes: D / SSR
The intense, daily endurance drills and high speed running regimes had successfully forced Crimson's speed parameter to surge from a baseline E rank directly into a solid C rank.
He was still incredibly far from his true potential ceiling, but his foundational movement speed was now vastly superior to any ordinary human civilian.
The quiet atmosphere of the training grounds was suddenly shattered by the heavy clattering of polished boots.
The iron gates swung open as the three Class A noble students swaggered into the yard, their silk embroidered uniforms pristine and their expressions full of arrogant amusement.
The lead noble, a tall boy named Vance who wielded a high tier fire catalyst wand, stopped a few paces away, his eyes narrowing as he scanned Crimson.
Vance paused, a subtle flicker of tension crossing his face.
Crimson looked noticeably taller, his shoulders were broader, and the absolute terror in his eyes had been replaced by a calm, unblinking focus.
"Look at this garbage," Vance sneered, trying to mask his sudden unease with a loud laugh.
"The commoner thinks a week of hiding in the dirt makes him special."
"We are here to finish what we started in the testing arena, trash."
"Grab your things."
"You are coming with us."
Before Crimson could even respond, the smooth, immaculate figure of Instructor Gage stepped out from the shadow of the stone archway.
He slid his hands into his suit pockets, his icy gaze locking onto the three noble intruders.
"If you wish to utilize my student for combat practice, you will do it according to the official regulations of Pristina Academy," Gage said, his low voice carrying a dangerous, smooth authority.
"I am proposing an official, registered duel."
"A three versus one combat evaluation."
"Three elite nobles of Class A against a single commoner from Class F."
The three nobles blinked in absolute astonishment before bursting into loud, mocking laughter.
"A three versus one?" Vance mocked, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You want us to fight this garbage together? We will completely incinerate him in front of the entire academy."
"If you want us to humiliate your student in the main public dueling arena, we will gladly accept."
"It will serve as an excellent reminder of where commoners belong."
The moment the lead noble uttered his agreement, a sharp, brilliant chime resonated directly within Gage's mind.
The deep crimson interface expanded violently before his eyes, cementing a brand new hidden directive.
System Quest Generated: The First Public Defiance
Objective: Guide Student Crimson to victory in the official 1v3 arena duel.
Potential Rewards: +20 Customizable Stat Points.
Special Bonus: 10% Feedback Reward activated. Host will permanently inherit 10% of Crimson's post victory attribute growth.
A quiet, dangerous smile touched the corner of Gage's mouth.
"Excellent."
"Then let us proceed to the public arena without delay."
The grand dueling arena of High Pristina Academy was a massive, tiered stone amphitheater, and within an hour, the stands were partially filled with noble students who had gathered to watch the unusual spectacle.
Whispers and mocking laughter echoed through the stone bleachers as Crimson walked out onto the white sand of the arena floor, holding a simple, unweighted wooden practice sword.
Opposite him, the three Class A nobles drew their expensive, glowing magical catalysts, their mana radiating with bright, colorful sparks.
The copper bell rang, signaling the official start of the match.
"Die, trash!" Vance shouted, waving his wand as a massive, swirling ball of crimson fire erupted from the tip, hurtling directly toward Crimson's chest.
In the past, Crimson would have frozen in pure terror.
But now, his C rank speed activated instantly.
To his newly conditioned senses, the fiery projectile appeared to move through the air with predictable clarity.
Crimson shifted his weight, his back foot driving into the white sand as his body blurred to the left.
The fireball slammed harmlessly into the earth behind him, exploding in a shower of useless sparks.
The crowd in the bleachers gasped in sudden shock.
Before the second noble could even chant his lightning formula, Crimson closed the distance with terrifying velocity.
His feet kicked up white sand as he appeared directly in front of the boy, swinging the flat of his wooden sword in a brutal, horizontal arc.
The wooden blade connected cleanly with the noble's ribs, a loud crack echoing as the boy was sent flying across the arena floor, his lightning spell dissolving into nothingness.
"What are you doing?!" Vance screamed, his face twisting in rage as he and the third noble immediately began backpedaling.
"Keep your distance! Cast the binding arrays!"
The fight quickly transformed into a prolonged, grueling tactical battle. Crimson utilized his superior speed to weave through a constant barrage of ice shards, wind blades, and explosive fire paths.
He fought with a style completely foreign to the academy, ignoring magical formulas entirely and focusing solely on the raw physical mechanics Mr. Gage had drilled into his bones.
He managed to successfully clip the second noble's shoulder, taking him out of the equation completely.
However, the sheer numerical advantage of Class A elites began to take its toll.
As Crimson lunged forward to finish the fight, the third noble secretly completed a silent casting spell beneath the sand.
A sudden, massive shockwave of localized kinetic force erupted directly beneath Crimson's feet.
The violent magical blast caught him completely off guard.
The sheer impact hurled his scrawny body through the air, sending him crashing heavily into the stone perimeter wall of the arena.
Crimson tumbled into the sand, his wooden sword spinning out of his grip as a thick trail of blood trickled from his lip.
His lungs burned, his muscles screamed in agony, and his vision began to blur into darkness as Vance slowly approached with a glowing fire wand raised high.
Get up, Crimson's mind roared, his fingers digging into the sand as he tried to force his trembling limbs to move.
His body felt completely empty, pushed to the absolute brink of its physical limitations.
As the shadow of defeat loomed over him, a vivid memory flashed violently through his consciousness.
It was a private lecture from earlier in the week, inside the dusty Class F courtyard. Mr. Gage had been standing before them, his cold voice explaining the hidden mechanics of human evolution.
“The system of this world judges you based on your current visible parameters,” Gage’s memory self had stated flatly, his eyes staring deeply into the students.
“But true evolutionary growth is locked behind specific physiological thresholds."
"When a human body is pushed to the ultimate brink of its current capacity, the DNA demands adaptation."
"There are three paths of awakening for every individual: The Awakened state, the Transcended state, and the ultimate Mastery state."
"Each path possesses entirely different, brutal requirements."
"To achieve the first stage, your mind must completely discard the fear of death, and your muscles must violently draw upon your latent, hidden potential cap.”
The flashback snapped shut.
Deep within Crimson’s cardiovascular system, something violently unlocked.
The massive, hidden SSR grade speed potential that had remained dormant inside his genetic code suddenly vibrated.
His heart hammered against his ribs like a war drum.
Alert: Unique Physiological Threshold Breached.
Student Crimson has successfully met the requirement for the first evolutionary path.
State Alteration: [Awakened] Activated.
Attribute Modifier: Temporary conversion of latent SSR potential cap into active parameters.
The entire world froze.
To Crimson's newly awakened perception, the oncoming fire spell from Vance's wand was moving so slowly that it appeared completely stationary in the air.
Crimson exploded off the ground.
The sheer kinetic force of his sudden movement shattered the stone wall behind him, creating a massive cloud of white dust.
He didn't just move, he completely vanished from the sight of the spectators.
Vance’s eyes widened in absolute, paralyzing horror as the commoner boy materialized directly in front of his face in the blink of an eye.
Crimson did not use magic.
He simply clenched his fist, drawing back his arm with the perfect, mathematical alignment Mr. Gage had taught him, and delivered a devastating punch straight into Vance's jaw.
A sickening crunch echoed through the arena.
Vance was lifted entirely off his feet, spinning twice in the air before crashing face first into the white sand, completely unconscious.
The remaining Class A noble did not even have time to scream before Crimson blurred behind him, a swift strike to the back of the neck sending the final attacker slumping into the dirt.
The massive public arena fell into an absolute, deathly silence.
Hundreds of noble students stood up from their seats, their faces pale and their mouths agape as they stared at the single, bloodied commoner boy standing victoriously over the three unconscious elites of Class A.
Crimson's chest heaved violently as the temporary Awakened state began to recede, leaving his muscles completely exhausted.
His knees buckled, and he began to tip forward toward the sand.
Before his body could touch the ground, a firm, immaculate hand caught him by the shoulder.
Mr. Gage stood beside him, completely unbothered by the stunned silence of the crowd.
Gage casually adjusted Crimson’s posture, supporting the boy's weight with effortless strength.
At that exact microsecond, the brilliant, translucent interface erupted before Gage’s eyes in a shower of golden light.
Quest Complete: The First Public Defiance
Congratulations. Student Crimson has achieved victory.
Rewards Granted: +20 Customizable Stat Points.
10% Feedback Reward calculation complete: Host has permanently inherited a substantial increase to physical attributes based on Crimson's Awakening breakthrough.
A genuine, quiet smile touched Gage's lips as he looked down at the unconscious Class A royals sprawling in the dirt.
He turned his gaze upward, his sharp eyes sweeping across the tiers of the arena.
Up in the high VIP boxes, a few powerful, heavily cloaked figures were leaning over the railings, their intense, calculating gazes locked entirely onto the mysterious instructor of Class F.
Gage knew that after today, people would begin to talk.
The powerful factions of the academy were officially watching him, but as he slung Crimson's arm over his shoulder and began walking calmly out of the arena, his expression returned to a state of absolute, fearless composure.
The game had officially begun.
Author's Note:
Hello once again.
Thank you for reading this chapter.
I hope all of you readers are enjoying the show so far below here I've attached Crimson's new stats.
Target: Crimson
Current Status: Awakened (Stage 1 Unlocked)
Current Physical Attributes:
- Strength: D / B
- Endurance: C / A
- Speed: B / SSR <-- (Permanently jumped to B rank after the breakthrough)
- Reflexes: C / SSR <-- (Permanently jumped to C rank after the breakthrough)