The controller felt heavy in my hands. It was a standard university-issue drone remote, but the moment my fingers wrapped around the joysticks, the System flared to life.
[Skill Activated: Drone Pilot (Advanced)]
My vision shifted. A translucent HUD overlaid my sight, feeding me telemetry data, wind resistance calculations, and thermal imaging options. I didn't just know how to fly the drone; I felt connected to it. I pushed the left stick forward, and the drone banked smoothly into the night sky, completely silent.
"Whoa," Nia whispered, watching the feed on her monitor. "You didn't tell me you had a pilot's license."
"I'm a fast learner," I said, keeping my eyes on the screen.
I guided the drone toward the financial district, hovering a few hundred feet above the Vanguard tower. The streets below were empty, bathed in the orange glow of sodium lamps.
"Thermal on," I muttered.
