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Chapter 5: Cadet Tournament — Part 2: Trials of Strength and Strategy
The arena had shifted again. Gravity fields oscillated subtly, forcing cadets to adjust every movement. Adrian's micro-jets hummed quietly under his armor as he recalculated vectors in milliseconds. Around him, the crowd of cadets and spectators observed the battlefield, unaware of the hidden calculations racing through Adrian's mind.
He had only minimal resources left from his one-time supply card, but each component—each capacitor, each composite sheet, each micro-actuator—was integrated with precision. Every gene in his hybrid module was at peak readiness. The dung beetle gene maintained brute strength, tadigrade resilience buffered the unpredictable arena hazards, spider reflexes anticipated opponent attacks, elephant energy storage powered bursts of force, immortal jellyfish regeneration mitigated micro-injuries, and the black viper module's defensive feedback remained dormant, ready to respond to lethal contact.
The first opponent of Part 2, a human cadet with a C-tier gene module, surged forward with a charging stance designed to test Adrian's ability to predict rapid, aggressive movements. Adrian leaped, micro-jets flaring, and landed atop a shifted platform. Reflexes matched against calculated momentum, he observed the opponent's gait. Using spider gene-enhanced prediction, he anticipated the angle and intensity of the next attack. A small pivot, powered by elephant energy storage, redirected the cadet's charge into a low-gravity wall. Impact absorbed by tadigrade resilience. Minimal energy lost.
Next came a hybrid species cadet: part Vultrinite equivalent, possessing electrical discharge capabilities. Adrian measured the frequency of sparks in real time. Adjusting his micro-jet output and posture, he executed a stepwise counter, redirecting the electrical arc into a temporary discharge channel he had created on his armor plates. The human observers did not see the energy deflected; they only saw Adrian land nimbly and prepare for the next assault.
Adrian moved systematically, analyzing environmental hazards: shifting gravity zones, low-hanging obstacles, and unpredictable projectile simulations. He calculated the potential energy of every object, the trajectory of every moving mass, and integrated this into his spider gene reflex network. Each movement, each dodge, each precise jump, and each counterattack was both defensive and observational, feeding data into his system.
Meanwhile, the spectators witnessed the chaos but missed the subtle brilliance. Each cadet's gene module had a distinct pattern. Some relied on raw speed, others on endurance, others on elemental manipulation. Adrian, however, combined all six of his species' capabilities into a synchronized, adaptive algorithm. His body became a living testbed for hybrid integration: strength, agility, resilience, regeneration, reaction speed, and tactical instinct functioning simultaneously.
The second round escalated with an Ocealith equivalent cadet. A sudden water surge displaced the platform, sending smaller cadets tumbling. Adrian projected his micro-jet trajectory, adjusting to the sudden fluid mass. Tadigrade resilience absorbed shock, spider reflexes calculated vector corrections, and elephant energy stored kinetic energy from platform recoil. He landed lightly atop a shifted obstacle, observing the Ocealith's movement.
Adrian's mind wandered briefly, a teen impulse flickering as he noted the elegance of the fluid manipulation—he remembered being an Otaku in his previous life, fascinated by anime battles. This mental observation did not hinder performance; instead, it merged with scientific analysis. Calculations of fluid density, momentum, and energy conservation ran in parallel to his reflexive responses.
As the rounds progressed, Adrian faced a sequence of trials designed to test every facet of his hybrid gene module:
Electrical bursts from energy-based cadets.
High-speed collision simulations requiring kinetic absorption.
Environmental hazards, including artificial storms, moving platforms, and low-gravity zones.
Strategy simulations, where opponents employed feints and traps.
Step by step, Adrian cataloged every response, every adaptation. The hybrid gene module evolved passively during the rounds, minor improvements absorbed automatically by the Newbie System. Every micro-reaction improved strength output, reaction timing, regenerative capacity, and environmental adaptability.
He paused briefly, glancing at the system's interface projected on his retina:
Strength output: +23%
Reflex augmentation: +31%
Regenerative efficiency: +27%
Environmental adaptability: +19%
Hybrid integration: 99.7%
These numbers were silent to everyone but him. To the crowd, he appeared calm, composed, and almost bored. The strategic analysis and gene absorption happened behind the scenes, invisible, silent, and calculated.
Adrian's next opponent approached: a hybrid combining insect DNA with terrestrial predator traits. The arena adjusted dynamically. Platforms rose and fell, creating complex vertical and horizontal planes. Adrian's spider gene allowed him to climb, cling, and adjust position fluidly. Elephant energy storage allowed sudden kinetic bursts to reposition himself instantaneously. Tadigrade resilience handled landing impacts. Dung beetle strength allowed him to pivot entire obstacles with minimal effort, creating tactical openings. The black viper module read subtle environmental cues, activating minimal shocks to trigger micro-reactions in the opponent.
Each clash displayed precise calculation and adaptation, but Adrian kept it subtle. The cadets and audience saw fluid motion, skill, and reflex, not the scientific system running billions of calculations per second behind the scenes.
Hours passed in what seemed like moments. Each round, each opponent, each environmental adjustment was recorded in the Newbie System. Data on energy efficiency, strength output, reflex optimization, and gene integration fed into Adrian's log, ensuring that each successive trial became easier to process.
By the end of Part 2's rounds, Adrian had successfully navigated all environmental hazards, outmaneuvered multiple opponents, and maintained a low profile, all while testing and refining his hybrid gene module. The cadets around him were impressed, yet none suspected the depth of calculation and hybrid efficiency operating silently.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, signaling the end of Part 2, Adrian stood amidst the battlefield, catching his breath. His mind cataloged the next steps:
Identify additional gene materials for next hybrid evolution.
Plan strategy for next rounds of cadet tournament.
Integrate environmental observations into module enhancements.
Maintain secrecy about true hybrid potential.
Above all, he recognized the growing disparity between his calculated approach and the brute-force tactics of most cadets. The tournament was just the beginning.
The system projected one final note: Resource inventory critically low. New gene materials required for further hybrid optimization. External acquisition necessary.
Adrian smirked. Tomorrow, the real hunt for materials would begin. The cadet tournament was a test, not a victory.
And in the shadows of the arena, silent observers from other species—some hostile, some curious—began to take note. Adrian's rise, quiet and methodical, was only just beginning.