The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint hum of engines and the murmur of distant crowds.Base City 5 was alive with motion, but within the courtyard of Central High, all that energy condensed into nervous anticipation.
Hundreds of students stood assembled in neat rows, their uniforms gleaming beneath the rising sun.Today was the day.
The Quasi-Warrior Certification Test.
Aiden stood among them, calm amid the anxious chatter. His pulse was steady, his breathing smooth. Darius fidgeted beside him like a man about to face execution.
"Bro," Darius muttered, "if I faint halfway through the test, promise you'll drag my body back."
Aiden smiled faintly. "Sure. But I'll charge you for the effort."
"That's cold," Darius groaned.
Before Aiden could reply, Instructor Kellan stepped forward, his voice carrying easily across the courtyard.
"Listen up! The Association branch is expecting us within the hour. Today, you prove your worth. Strength alone won't define you — control, focus, and composure will decide who walks the martial path and who fades into mediocrity."
His eyes swept across the crowd. "Now move!"
The students boarded the sleek, silver transport shuttles that waited at the edge of the courtyard.The interior hummed softly as anti-gravity engines lifted them into the air. Outside, the city shrank away, replaced by gleaming towers and vast energy domes protecting the inner districts.
Aiden watched silently from his seat, his reflection faint in the shuttle's window.The system's panel hovered faintly in the corner of his vision.
[Host: Aiden Cross]Physique: 25.6Spirit: 25.6Talent: Unawakened
He flexed his hand slightly.Even without activating anything, every movement felt effortless. The air resisted him differently now — his body's strength so great that even gravity felt lighter.
It's strange. Power keeps increasing, but I don't feel unstable.It's like the world adjusts to me every time I change.
He glanced around the cabin.Most students looked tense. Some whispered prayers. Others checked their wristbands for performance stats.For them, this test was a step into the unknown. For Aiden, it was just another day.
The Martial Association Branch Hall loomed ahead — a massive fortress of metal and light.Its walls were covered in engraved runes and alloy plating strong enough to withstand artillery fire.Inside, the air pulsed faintly with controlled energy, like a living heartbeat.
As the students filed in, holographic panels scanned them automatically. Each one displayed a unique identification number.Guides led them through the hall, past training arenas and holographic displays of legendary Martial Warriors frozen in mid-strike.
Finally, they reached a vast chamber filled with testing stations — each equipped with reinforced impact meters, sprint corridors, and vitality scanners.Instructors in dark uniforms stood watch, clipboards in hand, ready to record every detail.
Instructor Kellan turned to face his students."You'll be tested in three categories," he said. "Strength, speed, and spiritual stability. Pass all three, and you'll earn your certificate."
A low hum spread through the students.Then came the first call.
"Number 01—Ronan Drake!"
Of course.
Ronan strutted forward, his confident smirk back in place. He'd been waiting for this.
He positioned himself before the massive impact meter, his arms tense and aura faintly flaring. With a loud shout, he slammed his fist forward.
Boom!
The meter flashed red.[Punching Force: 712 kilograms]
The crowd murmured in approval. It was an excellent result for an unawakened student.Ronan turned, soaking in their reactions with a grin. His eyes found Aiden's briefly, and his smirk widened.
"Let's see you top that, Cross."
Aiden said nothing.
One by one, students took their turns. Results varied — 300, 450, 500 kilograms — a few even touching 600.When Darius stepped up, he clenched his fists hard, exhaled, and struck.
[Punching Force: 502 kilograms]
He stumbled back, panting, but grinning wide. "Ha! Passed!"
Aiden clapped him on the shoulder. "Told you you'd make it."
Darius grinned between breaths. "Yeah, yeah. Now it's your turn, monster."
When Aiden's name was finally called, the chatter dulled.
He stepped forward calmly. His movements were smooth, deliberate — too deliberate. Even the instructors noticed it.
He stopped before the meter and took a slow breath.
The hall was silent.
Then he punched.
There was no roar, no shout. Just a sharp crack, like thunder contained in a box.
The impact meter screamed as the reinforced alloy dented inward, the numbers flashing in wild succession before stabilizing.
[Punching Force: 25,380 kilograms]
The silence was deafening.
Someone gasped. Another dropped their clipboard. Even the examiners froze.
Instructor Kellan's eyes widened slightly before narrowing again, his composure returning almost instantly. "Check the calibration."
"It's accurate, sir," one of the staff whispered, pale. "We just recalibrated this morning."
Ronan's smirk shattered completely. "That's… impossible."
Aiden simply exhaled, lowering his hand. His expression was calm, almost bored. "Is that good enough?"
Kellan's lips twitched. "…Next test."
The speed assessment was next — a sprint through a 100-meter track equipped with motion sensors.
Ronan managed an impressive 26 meters per second, earning polite applause.Aiden, however, blurred the instant he stepped off the line — the sensors screaming in confusion as he vanished and reappeared on the other side in less than two seconds.
[Speed: 58 m/s]
The hall went silent again.
Aiden tilted his head slightly. "Do I go again?"
The staffer just stared at him, speechless.
Finally came the spiritual stability test.
Students were seated before a floating crystal orb — a tool that measured control of spirit energy. Most struggled to even activate it. A few managed a faint shimmer.
When Aiden placed his hand on the orb, it flared instantly to life — not faint blue, but deep silver. The light filled the entire chamber, reflecting across every polished surface like a silent sunrise.
Gasps filled the hall.
One examiner whispered, "His spirit energy density… it's higher than some Martial Masters…"
The orb finally dimmed, humming faintly.
Aiden stood quietly, waiting for instructions.
Kellan's eyes met his for a long moment. "You pass," he said simply. His voice was calm, but there was a sharpness behind it — a curiosity he couldn't hide.
By the time the results were announced, every student had passed or failed accordingly.Most were relieved, a few devastated, and one — Ronan — was pale with disbelief.
Darius was practically vibrating with excitement. "I can't believe it! We both passed! Dude, you shattered that machine! You're— you're a freak of nature!"
Aiden smiled faintly. "Guess I got lucky."
"Lucky, my ass," Darius laughed. "You're gonna get recruited by every martial university in the city!"
Aiden chuckled softly, but inside, his thoughts were quieter — more cautious.
Twenty-five thousand kilograms.Fifty-eight meters per second.And the System's still accelerating.
Something inside him stirred uneasily.He didn't know where this path would lead, but he was certain of one thing — if he kept growing like this, the world would notice.
And not everyone would see him as human.
That night, back home, Aiden stood by his window again, watching the distant towers flicker in the dark.
The city below looked peaceful — unaware that somewhere in its heart, a single student's strength had already surpassed the limits of human understanding.
His reflection shimmered faintly in the glass as the System whispered once more.
[System Notification]
Doubling Cycle Complete. New Cycle Initiated.Current Attributes: Physique 51.2 | Spirit 51.2
The faint light of the hologram faded. Aiden closed his eyes, his thoughts still and clear.
"One day at a time," he murmured.
And outside, far beyond Blue Star's fragile skies, unseen forces shifted — as if the universe itself had felt his existence.