The line across the table continued growing after Adrian withdrew his fist.
It slowly spread over the metal surface, split into three branches, and stopped a few inches from the edge. It hadn’t pierced the table or accumulated the three layers necessary to compromise its integrity, but the damage was real.
Adrian opened and closed his hand.
He remembered the stance of the child beneath the rain perfectly. The angle of the knuckles, the rotation of the hips, and the vibration he had to leave within the target remained as clear as if he had practiced the movement himself for years.
However, the memory wasn’t the only thing that had returned.
He stood in front of his bedroom mirror and raised both arms. At first glance, his body hadn’t changed much. He still possessed the muscles developed through years of training, but now there were subtle differences.
His right shoulder rested slightly lower. The muscles in his forearm tightened differently when he closed his fist, and the base of his fingers had developed a hardness that hadn’t been there the night before.
Adrian repeated the movement without striking anything.
His foot rotated.
His hips transferred the force.
His shoulder advanced without rising, and his fist stopped in front of the mirror.
There was no hesitation between the different parts of the technique. His body still lacked the instructor’s experience, but it had begun adapting during the time he spent projected into the future.
He opened his status.
[Starbreaker synchronized.]
[Temporal combat adaptation detected.]
[Neuromuscular patterns retained: 2.7%.]
[Physical conditioning retained: 0.4%.]
[Note: Adaptations acquired by the projected body may be partially reproduced by the origin body.]
Adrian read the final line twice.
The wrist the corpse had nearly broken was intact. His ribs weren’t bruised, and the cut on his cheek had disappeared, but part of the training performed within that projection had returned with him.
Not the injuries.
The adaptation.
If a single night had been enough to alter his body slightly, then the future didn’t only offer classes that didn’t exist yet. It could also become a place where he could train without retaining the damage after he awakened.
Adrian looked at the crack in the table.
"You’re becoming more useful by the minute."
[Starbreaker Fist]
[Level: 1]
[Mastery: Beginner — 0.2%.]
[Maximum Fracture layers: 3.]
[Growth requirement: Use Starbreaker Fist against resistant targets.]
He still needed another 99.8 percentage points to advance beyond Beginner mastery. The system didn’t specify how much progress he would gain from each target or what qualified as sufficiently resistant.
His communicator vibrated before he could conduct another experiment.
He had received one hundred and forty-three messages during the night.
Eleven academies wanted to offer him scholarships. Six guilds requested private meetings. Three companies sought permission to study his class, and one talent agent had sent him a photograph that seemed to have very little to do with professional contracts.
Adrian studied it for two seconds before archiving the message.
Then he found the official summons from Meridian Academy.
[POST-AWAKENING EVALUATION]
[Student: Adrian Vale.]
[Reason: Unregistered unique class.]
[Report at 8:00 AM.]
[Warning: Failure to appear will result in the temporary suspension of your Awakened license.]
Adrian checked the time.
7:41.
The academy was twenty-five minutes away.
He put away his communicator, grabbed his jacket, and left without breakfast.
He arrived at 7:58.
Evelyn was waiting beside the entrance to the evaluation building with two hot drinks. She wore the academy’s black-and-silver uniform, but a training sword was fastened to her waist.
She offered him one of the cups.
"I thought you weren’t going to make it."
"And miss the chance to see Examiner Bennett again?"
Evelyn pulled the drink away before he could take it.
"Then she can buy you breakfast."
"I thought that was mine."
"It was, before you spoke."
Adrian snatched the cup from her hand. Evelyn tried to pull it away, but he had already retreated beyond her reach.
The movement was too fast.
They both noticed.
Evelyn narrowed her eyes.
"You couldn’t do that yesterday."
"Yesterday, I hadn’t awakened a unique class yet."
"A unique class without any skills."
Adrian took a sip.
"Rumors travel fast."
"You destroyed a meter in front of three hundred people. Someone uploaded a recording this morning and claimed you were a beast disguised as a human."
"Did they mention my good side?"
"The comments are divided."
Evelyn began walking toward the entrance. Adrian followed.
The building was far more crowded than it had been the day before. Several students had returned to complete physical examinations, register their first skills, or meet with the recruiters stationed on the upper floors.
Adrian recognized some of the stares.
Other students recognized him as well.
"That’s the one with the unique class."
"Infinite Sovereign."
"They say he has zero skills."
"They also say he broke the meter."
"It was an equipment malfunction."
Adrian continued walking without paying them any attention. Evelyn took another sip of her drink and glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"You’re different."
"I changed shirts."
"I’m not talking about your shirt. The way you walk has changed."
Adrian looked down at his feet.
The change was subtle, but Evelyn had trained with him for years. Starbreaker kept his center of gravity lower and reduced the distance between his steps, allowing him to attack without readjusting his stance.
"I’ve been practicing."
"The Awakening ended less than sixteen hours ago."
"I practice quickly."
Evelyn stopped in front of him.
"Adrian."
The irony had vanished from her voice. She knew when he was hiding something.
Adrian took another drink.
"I’ll explain it once I understand it myself."
Evelyn held his gaze for several seconds before continuing.
"If your class is affecting your mind or body, you need to inform the examiners."
"My mind was already affected before this."
"That doesn’t make me feel any better."
They reached the secondary evaluation room. The doors opened when Adrian held his communicator near the scanner, but a red light appeared in front of Evelyn.
[Access restricted to candidates and authorized personnel.]
"I’ll wait for you in the stands," she said, pointing toward the side corridor. "Try not to destroy the building."
"I’m not promising anything."
"I know. That’s the problem."
The testing chamber was three times larger than the Awakening hall.
A circular platform stood in the center, surrounded by transparent barriers. Several mechanical targets remained concealed inside reinforced compartments, and dozens of sensors covered the walls.
Examiner Bennett waited beside a control table.
Her hair was tied back, and she held the same tablet she had used the day before. Beside her stood two technicians, a doctor, and a man dressed in the blue uniform of the World Awakened Authority.
Bennett checked the time.
"You arrived two minutes early."
"I didn’t want to look desperate."
"Punctuality wouldn’t have compensated for everything else."
"Then I made the right decision."
One of the technicians concealed a smile. Bennett ignored him and pointed toward the center of the platform.
"Today, we’ll evaluate the changes produced by your class, your mana affinity, and any skills that weren’t detected during the Awakening. Mr. Halden will observe on behalf of the World Authority."
The man in the blue uniform inclined his head slightly.
"Unique classes require additional supervision. This evaluation will determine whether you qualify for a provisional combat license."
"And if I fail?"
"You’ll be prohibited from entering dungeons, carrying offensive artifacts, or participating in guild activities until you complete further testing."
Adrian removed his jacket.
"Then I’d better not fail."
The first part of the evaluation confirmed what he already knew. All his physical attributes had increased, although the academy’s system couldn’t determine the exact cause.
His strength exceeded his pre-Awakening reading by forty-two percent. His speed had increased by thirty-eight percent. His reflexes and perception displayed even greater improvements.
The doctor reviewed the results.
"There are no signs of unstable bodily modification. His muscle density increased within normal parameters, but some fibers display adaptation patterns associated with several years of specialized training."
Bennett looked up from her tablet.
"What kind of training?"
"I can’t identify it. The shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints appear to have adapted to a repetitive impact technique."
Adrian remained silent.
The Authority representative tapped the results screen.
"He didn’t possess these adaptations yesterday."
"No," the doctor confirmed. "We have a scan taken minutes before the Awakening. They’re new."
Bennett turned toward Adrian.
"Did your class grant you a skill during the night?"
"You could say that."
"The correct answer was yes or no."
"Then the correct question would have to be less complicated."
Bennett placed the tablet on the table.
"Show us."
A compartment opened on the other side of the platform. A gray target emerged from the floor, consisting of a pedestal and a rectangular plate nearly twelve inches thick.
Several lines of mana lit up across its surface.
[Evaluation Target C-4.]
[Maximum recommended resistance: C-rank combat students.]
[Structural regeneration active.]
"First, we’ll measure a normal attack," Bennett explained. "After that, you may use any skill you’ve acquired."
Adrian positioned himself in front of the target.
He didn’t synchronize with Starbreaker.
He assumed a conventional guard, rotated his hips, and threw a straight punch at the center of the plate. The impact generated a wave of air that swept across the platform.
A number appeared above the target.
[Physical Force: 8,741.]
[Estimated Classification: C-rank.]
[Valid result.]
The technician examined the reading.
"That’s almost twice his pre-Awakening physical result."
"But it remains within the parameters of the bodily reconstruction produced by a unique class," the Authority representative said. "It doesn’t demonstrate a skill."
Adrian withdrew his fist.
"Can I hit it properly now?"
Bennett gestured toward the target.
"Use your technique."
Adrian opened the Class Archive.
The dark blue ring appeared before him and closed around his wrist.
[Starbreaker synchronized.]
His stance changed.
It wasn’t a spectacular transformation. No armor appeared, and no flames surrounded his body. He merely moved his left foot forward, lowered his shoulder slightly, and closed his fist.
Examiner Bennett watched him more closely.
"That stance doesn’t belong to any martial art registered by the academy."
"That’s why I’m here."
Adrian struck.
The plate barely moved. The sound was far less impressive than the one produced by his previous attack.
The numbers appeared above the target.
[Physical Force: 6,203.]
[Estimated Classification: D-rank.]
One of the technicians frowned.
"The force decreased."
Adrian had felt something different.
The vibration remained inside the plate. It was much weaker than it had been in the future, but he could locate it behind the layers of metal and regenerative mana.
[Fracture: 1/3.]
He withdrew his fist.
The target repaired the slight deformation caused by the impact. Its surface returned to its original shape, but the Fracture layer remained.
Adrian smiled.
Regeneration could restore the material.
It couldn’t erase the flaw.
He struck a second time.
The previous vibration responded. A blue line spread beneath the surface and vanished before the sensors could register it.
[Fracture: 2/3.]
[Starbreaker Fist mastery increased.]
The plate deformed. The regeneration system activated with greater intensity, closed the indentation, and stabilized the target.
Bennett examined the readings.
"The force was lower than his normal attack again."
"But the target’s mana consumption increased by nineteen percent," the first technician said.
"It shouldn’t have," the other replied. "The surface damage was minimal."
The Authority representative stepped toward the barrier.
"Perform another attack."
Adrian placed his knuckles over the same area.
He could feel the two vibrations waiting for him.
He struck.
The third layer sank into the plate.
[Fracture: 3/3.]
[Target integrity compromised.]
The target emitted a creak.
A crack appeared in the center and passed through all twelve inches of reinforced metal. Then it multiplied.
The entire plate fragmented.
It didn’t explode outward. Every layer of material separated along the internal lines created by the first two strikes and fell onto the pedestal in dozens of pieces. The regeneration system tried to reconnect them, but new cracks appeared as soon as the mana restored a section.
The platform’s alarms activated.
[Critical structural damage.]
[Regeneration insufficient.]
[C-rank target destroyed.]
No one spoke for several seconds.
Adrian studied his fist.
[Resistant target destroyed.]
[Starbreaker Fist mastery increased.]
[Growth threshold satisfied.]
[Starbreaker Fist reached Level 2.]
A warm current flowed through his arm. The basic stance adjusted itself within his memory, and new possibilities unfolded beside the technique.
[Starbreaker Fist]
[Level: 2]
[Mastery: Beginner — 1.0%.]
[Maximum Fracture layers: 4.]
[Fracture retention increased.]
[New effect: Fracture may persist through basic structural regeneration.]
Adrian read the information with satisfaction.
The level increase hadn’t automatically transformed the technique into something completely different, but he could now accumulate a fourth layer, and the vibrations would remain inside the target longer.
Bennett approached the barrier.
"What is that skill called?"
"Starbreaker Fist."
The technician searched for the name on his console.
"It isn’t listed in the national registry."
"Search the global registry," the representative ordered.
"I already did. There are no matches."
Bennett looked at Adrian.
"Where did you learn that technique?"
He turned toward her.
"I’d be willing to explain it over dinner."
"That wasn’t an invitation."
"Not yet."
Bennett closed her eyes for a moment.
In the stands, Evelyn struck her forehead against the transparent barrier.
The Authority representative didn’t share their patience.
"Mr. Vale, possessing an unregistered skill isn’t a crime. Deliberately concealing its origin during an official evaluation, however, may prevent you from obtaining a license."
"I received it through my class."
That wasn’t a lie.
"Infinite Sovereign didn’t have any registered skills yesterday."
"It still doesn’t."
The man pointed at the remains of the target.
"We just watched one."
"You watched a technique belonging to a class registered within Infinite Sovereign. It isn’t an Infinite Sovereign skill."
The representative stood motionless.
"Explain."
Adrian opened his status and allowed the console to read a limited section.
[Unique Class: Infinite Sovereign.]
[Registered Classes: 1.]
[Active Synchronization: Starbreaker.]
The technicians leaned toward their screens.
"He had zero registered classes yesterday," one of them said.
"I remember," Bennett replied. "The entire hall saw it."
The Authority representative moved his tablet closer to the scanning field.
[Starbreaker]
[Rarity: Unregistered.]
[Technique: Starbreaker Fist — Level 2.]
[Acquisition data: Restricted by Unique Class Authority.]
The final line appeared before he could request additional information.
The representative clenched his jaw.
"Your class can acquire other classes?"
"It appears so."
"How?"
Adrian looked at the warning protecting the acquisition data. Infinite Sovereign didn’t reveal the existence of the temporal connection, Class Souls, or the future.
For the time being, neither would he.
"Once I discover all the rules, you’ll be the first to receive a report."
"You don’t seem to understand how important this is."
"I understand that yesterday I had zero skills and this morning I destroyed your target. I’m quite satisfied with the progress."
Bennett intervened before the man could answer.
"Target C-4 isn’t sufficient to measure the technique. We need to repeat the test with a material that won’t be destroyed after three attacks."
The examiner entered an authorization on her tablet.
A second compartment began to open.
The technicians exchanged glances.
"Examiner, that target isn’t approved for newly Awakened students."
"We aren’t evaluating an ordinary class."
A black plate slowly emerged from the floor. It was smaller than the previous one, but the mana lines running across its surface formed six overlapping barriers.
Adrian read the information projected above it.
[Evaluation Target A-1.]
[Designed to withstand skills from students with A-rank combat classes.]
[Current Integrity: 100%.]
The Authority representative crossed his arms.
"One attack. If the sensors detect dangerous recoil, the test ends."
Adrian positioned himself in front of the plate.
Bennett studied his stance.
"Do you need to strike multiple times to activate the technique?"
"Yes."
"Then you may perform four attacks. Stop if the system issues a warning."
Starbreaker’s new limit matched the exact number of authorized strikes.
Adrian planted his left foot.
The first punch made the outer barrier vibrate.
[Fracture: 1/4.]
[Integrity: 99.97%.]
Several people in the stands laughed. Against an A-rank target, the attack had barely produced a measurable variation.
The second punch struck the same point.
[Fracture: 2/4.]
[Integrity: 99.82%.]
The outer barrier flickered.
The third impact produced a blue crack beneath the surface.
[Fracture: 3/4.]
[Integrity: 98.91%.]
[Warning: Unidentified damage pattern.]
The technicians stopped watching Adrian and focused all their attention on the readings. The loss of integrity remained small, but it multiplied with every attack.
Bennett raised her hand.
"Wait."
Adrian kept his fist ready.
"Is something wrong?"
"The machine can’t calculate the next result."
"We can stop if you’re afraid of losing another target."
The examiner looked at the plate, then at the six active barriers.
"Hit it."
Adrian felt the three overlapping fractures within the material. Each one amplified the previous vibration and waited for the final one to complete the pattern.
He rotated his hips.
The fourth punch didn’t appear any stronger than the others.
The outer barrier shattered.
The second held for a fraction of a second.
The third bent inward.
All six layers collapsed simultaneously, and the black plate split down the center. A pressure wave swept across the platform, struck the protective barrier, and forced several people in the front rows to cover their faces.
The pedestal sank eight inches into the floor.
[Fracture: 4/4.]
[Target integrity compromised.]
[Integrity: 0%.]
[A-rank target destroyed.]
The room fell silent.
Adrian withdrew his fist. The skin across his knuckles was red, but he hadn’t suffered any injury.
The technician attempted to run the analysis again.
"The direct force of the final impact only reached D-rank."
"That’s impossible," the representative said.
"All four attacks measured between D and C. None of them contained enough energy to penetrate even the first barrier."
"And he broke through six."
The central console emitted a sound.