Truthfully, I was scared out of my mind.
Knowing that I had an ability that would help me and experiencing that ability were two different things. Jumping out there with only that much was a leap of faith I wasn't ready for.
I needed something else. Something tangible I could latch onto.
I swallowed, suppressing my fear as I peered over my cover. But what did I have that these other people didn't? I wasn't strong, I wasn't fast, I damn sure wasn't a good fighter by any means.
No. Wait.
That's wrong.
Even before I had this system and even before I had this adapting ability, I relied on something else growing up—my brain.
These drones weren't hyper-intelligent death machines. They had a pattern.
They aimed. Fired. Hovered. Repeat.
It was mechanical. Predictable.
I can use that.
Gripping a sturdy shard of broken drone casing—jagged but solid enough to act as a makeshift club—I waited. My hands were slick with sweat, but I forced myself to focus.
"Come on," I whispered under my breath. "Come closer…"
A lone drone peeled off from the chaos and floated toward my cover, its glowing red eye sweeping side to side. It beeped twice, hovering lower as if it could sense me.
Now.
I launched forward like a spring-loaded trap.
The drone's eye locked onto me, starting to glow brighter—it was charging up—but I didn't give it a chance.
"Haah!"
With a desperate yell, I swung the metal shard like a caveman with a grudge.
CRASH!
The impact reverberated up my arms as the drone shattered under the blow. Sparks burst from its damaged core as it wobbled mid-air, its systems failing. A second strike smashed it completely, sending the busted sphere clattering to the ground.
"YES!" I shouted, punching the air. "Take that, you stupid—"
Two other drones immediately turned toward me, their glowing red eyes whirring to me as if I'd just waved a giant flag over my head.
"Oh, shit."
I didn't wait for them to fire.
I sprinted toward the closest one, zigzagging wildly.
The first drone's shot went wide, searing past my shoulder with a crackling hiss. I reached the second drone just in time, hurling the metal shard like a spear.
It wasn't pretty, but it worked.
The shard jammed into the drone's stubby cannon, sparks flying as the weapon overloaded. Before it could recover, I jumped up and grabbed its frame with both hands. It buzzed and bucked in the air, trying to shake me off, but I held on for dear life.
"DOWN YOU GO!" I shouted, wrenching it toward the ground with every bit of strength I had.
The drone slammed into the floor with a loud CRUNCH. Its light flickered, then died.
The second drone didn't miss, however.
I saw the blast coming a split second before it hit.
MOVE!
I threw myself sideways as the energy bolt grazed my shoulder, sending white-hot pain lancing through me. I hit the ground hard, my shoulder screaming in protest as my vision went black for a moment.
"Shit!" I hissed, scrambling to my feet. My gray jumpsuit was singed, the fabric smoking where the blast had hit. But as the heat slowly faded away, the pain started to fade as well—like my body was adjusting after exposure.
o–o
User has experienced extreme heat and survived. [Human Adaptability] is reacting…
Minor skill [Lesser Resistance: Heat] has manifested!
(+1 Body)
o–o
The system flashed in front of me, and with it, I felt something flow through me, soothing my pain even further.
My body suddenly felt weird—lighter, but… stronger, somehow. I flexed my fingers experimentally, marveling at how every movement felt just a little sharper than usual.
I felt… good.
The lone drone hovered closer; its eye glowing menacingly. This was no time to start power-tripping over a single stat point increase.
I needed to take this thing out now.
My eyes snapped to my cover—a jagged hunk of metal lay half-buried in the debris. I lunged for it, grabbing the heavy, twisted scrap with both hands.
The lone drone's cannon glowed red, priming to fire.
I sprinted toward the drone, gripping the heavy chunk of metal in both hands like a war hammer.
My legs burned, and my chest heaved, but there was no stopping now. The drone tracked my movement, its glowing eye narrowing.
Now!
The instant I saw its cannon flare, I dropped to a slide, my momentum carrying me under the drone as its energy blast streaked over my head. Sparks flew off the ground where it struck, but I was already moving.
In one fluid motion, I popped up to my feet and swung hard.
Sparks flew as the drone wobbled, flickering. I didn't stop.
I had no idea what I was doing, but swinging this thing around felt intuitive. Far easier than the feeling of powerlessness I got from being empty-handed.
I adjusted. More power. Steadier grip. Something more.
I swung—No, I pulverized.
CRUNCH.
The crumpled wreck hit the ground with a final, satisfying thud.
o–o
User has gained sufficient enough understanding to constitute a skill. [Vessel of the System] is reacting...
Minor skill [Ki Imbuement] has manifested!
(+1 Spirit)
o–o
That last attack drained me enough that I didn't bother reading the message, my eyes glossing over it and scanning the room instead.
My hands were trembling, adrenaline singing through my veins. For a second time, I felt stronger.
Around me, the chaos still raged. Energy blasts cracked through the air as drones peppered recruits with relentless fire. Some were holding their own—barely—while others weren't so lucky.
"Calm down," I muttered under my breath, forcing my aching legs to move again. "It's almost over, anyway. I can squeal about getting superpowers later."
The timer ticked down, but it felt like an eternity.
0:37 seconds remaining.
I clenched my fists tightly, blood pounding in my ears as I searched for any incoming threats. A drone zipped overhead, firing off a wild blast that seared the floor inches from my feet. My legs screamed in protest, but I couldn't stop now.
"Almost there," I whispered to myself. "Just a few more seconds…"
A final drone almost whirred past before abruptly froze. Its glowing red eye zeroed in on me standing there, the familiar hum of energy building in its cannon.
I froze, my body straining to react.
Being simply grazed almost made me pass out from the pain. I wasn't sure if I could take a head-on blast, even with my new resistance to heat.
And I really didn't want to test it.
I threw my makeshift weapon with everything I had.
Time slowed as the shard spun end over end, whistling through the air. The drone's blast was fully charged, ready to streak at me with excessive force.
But the shard struck first.
The impact shattered the drone's cannon, sending it spiraling off course. Its blast missed me a hair's breadth, searing past me so close I felt its heat graze my skin. The drone crashed to the ground, sparking and twitching as it joined the growing graveyard of metal.
A sharp, electronic chime cut through the room like a gong.
"STOP!"
The drones froze mid-air, their red eyes dimming to a neutral glow. The silence was deafening, broken only by the ragged breaths of the remaining recruits. I collapsed to one knee, hands on the ground to steady myself.
My whole body trembled with exhaustion, sweat dripping from my brow.
But I was still conscious. I'd made it.
o–o
Quest Complete!
[Beginner] – Galactic Patrol Trial
Objective: Survive for five minutes without being knocked unconscious.
Bonus Objective: Defeat as many training drones as possible. +1 [Body] stat per drone.
Reward: Title – [F-Class]
Bonus Reward: +4 [Body]
o–o