The meditation hall was empty at dawn.
Jayden sat cross legged, focusing on the essence inside him. Seven days of Elena's training had pushed his speed to 9.3 units. Still not enough.
But today felt different.
Something stirred in his chest. A pull. A pressure building like static before lightning.
His hands trembled.
*What is this?*
The pressure exploded outward.
Dark mist erupted from his palms. It coiled, writhed, then solidified into something.
A blade.
Thin. Barely there. Flickering like a candle in wind.
But real.
**[MANIFESTATION UNLOCKED: Shadow Blade (Rank: F)]**
**[Dual Core Elements Detected: Shadow + Lightning]**
**[Automatic Rank Adjustment: Beggar → Novice]**
Text flooded his vision.
Jayden stared at the blade. It was pathetic. Weak. He could barely feel its weight.
But it was *his*.
"Finally," he breathed.
The blade dissolved. He summoned it again. Dismissed it. Again. Again.
Each time it flickered weaker.
*Stamina issue. Can't maintain it long.*
Didn't matter.
He had a manifestation now. Two affinities. He was officially Novice rank.
Not Beggar anymore.
His eye pulsed. Something shifted.
**[OMNI Mode Update]**
**Stealth Mode: Available. Prediction active while eye appears normal. Efficiency: 40%.**
**Full Mode: Maximum analysis. Eye turns red black. Efficiency: 100%. High risk.**
"Stealth mode?"
He focused. His right eye stopped glowing but information still trickled in. Slower. Weaker. But enough.
*Can use Omni without showing it.*
Perfect for staying under the radar.
Martial arts training. Professor Kane's class.
"Balance. Control. Power means nothing without precision."
Kane moved through forms. Sixty students mirrored him.
Jayden's body flowed through the motions. His speed made everything sharper now. Faster transitions. Cleaner strikes.
Kane paused. "Jayden. Demonstrate the sixth form."
He stepped forward. Executed it perfectly.
"Again. Full power."
Jayden reset. This time he pushed.
His fist cracked the air. Students flinched.
"Good. Your fundamentals are strong." Kane circled him. "But you're holding back something."
*Shit.*
"What do you mean, Professor?"
"Your body moves faster than your rank suggests. Your strikes carry weight beyond your essence level." Kane's eyes narrowed. "Either you're hiding your true rank or you have supplementary talents."
"Just good training, sir."
"Hmm." Kane didn't look convinced. "After class. We spar."
Kane was Master rank.
Jayden knew he was screwed.
They stood in a private training room. Kane held no weapon. Neither did Jayden.
"Begin."
Kane moved.
Fast. Too fast.
Jayden's eye flickered to stealth mode. Information crawled in.
**[Speed: 15.7 units. Disparity: 168%.]**
Not enough data. Not enough time.
Kane's fist came at his face.
Jayden dodged barely. The air pressure alone stung.
*Full mode. Just for a second.*
His eye flashed red black.
**[FULL ANALYSIS: Three strike combo. Left jab, right cross, knee strike. Timing: 0.3 seconds total.]**
Omni mapped everything.
Jayden slipped the jab. Blocked the cross. Twisted away from the knee.
His eye returned to normal before Kane could notice.
"Better," Kane said.
They traded blows. Jayden activated full mode only in split second bursts. Just long enough to read the next attack. Just fast enough to hide it.
Kane's speed climbed. Jayden adapted.
**[Speed: 9.3 → 9.8 units]**
Growing. Always growing.
But Kane caught on.
"Your reaction time improves mid fight. Interesting." He smiled. "One more exchange. Don't hold back."
*Can't use full mode again. Too risky.*
Kane blurred.
Jayden tried stealth mode. Too slow. The punch connected with his ribs.
He flew back. Hit the wall. Gasped.
"You're strong," Kane said, helping him up. "But you're fighting your own abilities. Stop hiding and embrace what makes you different."
"What if different gets me killed?"
Kane's expression darkened. "Then get strong enough that killing you isn't worth the cost."
He left.
Jayden slumped against the wall, ribs screaming.
*He knows. He definitely knows.*
Evening. Training ground seven.
Elena waited.
"You're late."
"Got held up."
"Excuses." She manifested her rapier. "Ready?"
"No."
She smiled. "Good answer."
They clashed.
Jayden used stealth mode. Predictions came slower. Weaker. But enough to keep up.
Elena pressed harder. Ice spread across the ground. Light flashed in his eyes.
*Need more data.*
His eye pulsed red black. Half a second.
**[Next strike: Right shoulder. Feint. Real attack: Left leg sweep.]**
Omni saw it perfectly.
Jayden blocked the shoulder strike. Jumped the sweep.
Landed a counter. His shadow blade materialized weak, flickering but it connected with her arm.
Elena's eyes widened.
"You have a manifestation now."
"Yeah. Weak one."
"Doesn't matter. You have two affinities. That makes you Novice rank minimum."
"Officially?"
"By default. Dual core users auto rank." She studied him. "When did you unlock it?"
"This morning."
"Of course you did." She attacked again.
Faster this time.
Jayden's stealth mode struggled. He used full mode in micro bursts. Just enough to predict. Not enough to show.
But Elena was too fast.
She vanished.
Omni screamed a warning but Jayden's body couldn't turn in time.
Cold steel pressed against his spine.
"Dead," Elena said from behind him.
Jayden froze. His eye had seen her move. His body just couldn't match.
"Speed differential is still too high," she continued. "You're 9.8. I'm 11.8. Until you close that gap, I'll always get behind you."
She stepped back.
Jayden turned. "How do I close it?"
"Keep fighting me. Every day. Your growth rate is absurd." She dismissed her blade. "Three weeks ago you were 3.1. Now you're almost 10. That's impossible."
"But it's happening."
"Yeah." Her expression shifted. Calculating. "Which means in another month, you might actually beat me."
"That a challenge?"
"A prediction." She walked past him. "Tomorrow. Same time. Bring your manifestation. It's pathetic but you need to train it."
"Anything else, your highness?"
She paused. "Your eye. The red black thing. I saw it flicker during our fight."
Jayden's blood went cold.
"Just for a moment. Most people wouldn't notice." Elena looked back. "But I'm not most people."
"And?"
"And I won't tell anyone. But others will notice eventually." Her voice dropped. "Whatever that eye really does, keep it buried. The Academy protects prodigies. Not monsters."
She left.
Jayden stood alone in the training ground.
His ribs ached. His manifestation was weak. His speed was still too low.
But he had Omni. Had stealth mode now. Had a way to grow without showing everything.
*Just need to survive long enough to get strong.*
His eye pulsed once in the darkness.
**[Current Status: Novice Rank (Official). Speed: 9.8 units. Risk Level: Moderate. Recommendation: Continue covert growth strategy.]**
He dismissed the text.
Tomorrow he'd fight Elena again.
And again.
And again.
Until the gap closed.
Until no one could get behind him.
**End of Chapter 6**
**[MILESTONE ACHIEVED: Manifestation Unlocked (Shadow Blade Rank F). Dual Affinity Confirmed (Shadow + Lightning). Official Rank: Novice. Omni Stealth Mode: Active.]**