The crowd erupted into cheers and shocked murmurs. Recruits turned to each other with wide eyes, some pointing at Damian in disbelief.
Victoria stepped forward from the instructor's podium, her boots clicking rhythmically against the stone floor. Her red hair swayed gently as she walked and her red eyes remained fixed on Damian.
Her voice carried across the arena.
"Assessment complete." Victoria's gaze swept over the assembled crowd before returning to Damian. "Damian Kane passed."
Murmurs spread through the crowd. Students glanced at each other, eyebrows raised in surprise. It wasn't common for Head Instructor Victoria to pass someone so easily.
"He actually passed?"
"Didn't think he had it in him…"
The whispers grew louder as people processed what they had just heard. A few students crossed their arms, clearly unconvinced, while others simply shrugged and turned their attention elsewhere.
Victoria's red eyes remained on Damian for a moment longer, studying him, before she turned back toward the podium.
As the arena quieted down, she continued.
"Combat efficiency: Superior. Tactical adaptation: Excellent. Final score: 85 points."
Eighty-five points. In a system where passing was sixty, that number carried weight. Recruits gasped and few instructors exchanged glances from their positions along the arena's edge.
"you can all move back to your dorms, and wait for further instructions." Head Instructor Veronica said.
Damian slid his blood-soaked sword back into its sheath as he kept a steady pace towards the exit.
Behind him, the remaining recruits watched with mixed expressions. Some were still surprised while others were annoyed. A few whispered to each other, shooting glances his way.
"Did he really just pass on his first try?" A female recruit whispered to another.
"Impossible. Yesterday he collapsed just looking at a level 1 Beast. Today he killed a level 3 Horned- Crimson Salamander ?"
"And Instructor Victoria actually approved him…"
Damian kept walking, ignoring the stares and gossip . Although his body was exhausted, a small part of him felt satisfied, he had finally been able to fulfill the promise he had made to his family .
…
Finn caught up to Damian outside the arena, smiling. "Hey, that was really good. How did you do that?" he asked with a wild smile on his freckled face.
Damian managed to put in a weak smile. The rush of adrenaline was already wearing off, leaving his body exhausted from the fight. His ribs throbbed with each breath, and his left shoulder burned where a blow had nearly dislocated it.
"Just got lucky, I guess."
But Damian knew it hadn't been luck at all.
The system had directed each movement with careful precision. It noted the weak points in the salamander's defense, tracked the timing of its attacks, and suggested the best spots to strike. What seemed like instinct and training to the other recruits and instructors was really the system quietly turning what should have been a loss into a planned win.
[Ding!]
[System status: Fully integrated. Almighty Comprehension System online.]
A golden translucent display appeared in his vision.
"Comprehension System?" Damian whispered under his breath, careful to keep his expression neutral despite the shock racing through him.
[Affirmative. This system accelerates learning and understanding by 10,000 times normal human capacity. All concepts, skills, and techniques can be mastered through observation and analysis.]
"Ten thousand times faster learning?"
Damian tried to make sense of what he had just seen. The system wasn't just strong, it was far beyond anything he had imagined. With something like this, a person could go from barely holding their ground to winning fights that once seemed impossible. It was the kind of tool that could quietly shift someone from being average to standing out in any battle.
It was the exact system he needed to level up fast.
[Ding! Current analysis capacity: Basic combat techniques, fundamental soul energy manipulation, entry-level beast anatomy. Expansion possible through experience and study.]
"Damian!"
The sudden call made Damian flinch slightly. He hadn't realized how focused he had been on the system's display until the voice snapped him out of his thought. Turning toward the sound, he saw Instructor Harlan walking over with his usual steady pace.
The older man's expression was harder to read this time. Yesterday, his face had shown nothing but irritation and disappointment at Damian's poor performance. Now, he looked at him differently, as if he wasn't quite sure what to make of Damian anymore.
"That was…unexpected." Harlan stopped a few paces away, arms crossed over his broad chest. "Good work out there."
"Thank you, sir." Damian kept his voice level, professional.
Harlan watched him for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly as if trying to figure something out. Then he gave a short, simple nod.
"Head Instructor lodge wants to see you. Don't keep her waiting."
With that said, he turned and walked away, leaving Damian confused.
Finn grabbed Damian's arm, his hand trembling a little from excitement. His eyes were wide, and he was grinning so hard it looked like he could barely hold it in.
"The Head Instructor wants to see you personally! That's huge, Damian. Nobody gets called up on their first day."
Damian wasn't the same as before. The original Damian had been weak, scared, barely getting by. But now he had the system. He wasn't a nobody anymore. He finally had something that could change everything.
Damian headed toward the administrative building, the murmurs still followed him down the corridor. A few recruits glanced his way, whispering under their breath.
"Doesn't matter," someone said quietly. "He's still F-rank soul core. He won't last long."
Damian didn't look back. Whatever they were saying didn't bother him anymore.
He climbed the stairs toward the upper levels. He had bigger concerns now, more important things to focus on than the petty jealousies of insecure recruits.
The system was a real part of him now, integrated into his very consciousness. And if it truly accelerated learning by ten thousand times…
He was going to become much stronger than anyone imagined.
[Advisory: Recommend maintaining low profile regarding system capabilities. Excessive attention may prove destructive.]
Smart advice, Damian acknowledged silently. The system was right.
Power wasn't worth much if it drew too much attention. It was smarter to stay capable, but not stand out. Staying unnoticed gave him room to improve without pressure.
Damian stopped in front of Victoria's office, his hand hovering over the wooden door. He took a slow breath to calm himself.
It was time to find out what the Head Instructor wanted and to start moving up in Terra Nova's ranks.
He thought of his family, his parent, who still worked hard in the outer districts, and the twins Daisy and Lily who needed him to be strong enough to look out for them.He couldn't afford to let them down
Damian knocked.
Moment later, a soft, honeyed voice called from inside.
"Come in, Damian."