Chapter 429:Other classes.

Chapter 429: 429:Other classes.

On the other side of the academy, Antony was discovering that Class Two’s instructor possessed considerably less patience.

"Again," the instructor said.

He stared at the strength machine.

"Sir, I’ve already done it."

"Male configuration."

Antony looked down at himself.

"Yes."

"Now I want female."

Several Class Two students laughed. Antony looked toward Rebecca who was openly smiling.

"You’re enjoying this."

"Immensely."

Antony sighed.

His body changed, the transformation taking several seconds. His frame shifted, muscle distribution changing with it as the genderless beast’s integrated ability altered his physical configuration.

The instructor watched carefully.

"Time."

An assistant recorded it.

Antony finished and turned to look at him. The instructor pointed toward the strength machine.

"Again."

Antony tested and the number dropped considerably.

Several students whispered most in excitement.

The instructor didn’t react.

"Speed lane."

He moved towards it. This time the difference went the opposite direction.

His acceleration increased dramatically, footwork became lighter, and reaction improved. He crossed the measured lane in a few seconds.

The display flashed.

Rebecca whistled.

"That’s unfair."

Antony turned.

"You have a spear."

"That’s not remotely comparable to that."

"It is emotionally comparable."

"That sentence means nothing."

Antony smiled.

The instructor pointed toward the starting line again.

"Repeat."

His smile immediately vanished.

Rebecca laughed.

Class Two’s baseline evaluation followed the same broad structure as Class Four’s, but the emphasis differed depending on their instructor. Antony’s transformation meant he effectively had to complete several physical measurements twice.

Strength.

Male configuration.

Speed.

Female configuration.

Resistance.

Male.

Reaction.

Female.

Endurance.

Both.

By the time the instructor finally allowed him to stop, Antony was sweating heavily.

"This feels discriminatory."

The instructor looked at him.

"Your ability has two physical configurations."

"I know."

"Then I require two baselines."

"I understand."

"Then why are you complaining?"

"Complaining helps me stay grounded."

"It doesn’t."

"It helps me."

The instructor stared blankly at him.

Antony sweetly smiled.

"Continue."

He immediately continued.

His weapon evaluation was less dramatic. Sword fundamentals were competent and firearm proficiency was considerably better.

He had trained enough with Silver and Ravenna that neither weapon felt unfamiliar, and the entrance examination had already demonstrated that he could conserve ammunition and make decisions under pressure.

Then came his role evaluation.

He stood before the display.

PRIMARY ROLE: ADAPTIVE VANGUARD

He nodded.

"Sounds impressive."

The next line appeared.

SECONDARY ROLE: SCOUT / RANGED FIGHTER

Then:

TACTICAL ADAPTABILITY: HIGH

COMMAND COMPATIBILITY: HIGH

Antony smiled.

"Very impressive."

Rebecca stood nearby with her spear resting against her shoulder.

"You’re talking to the screen."

"It understands me."

"No, it doesn’t. You sound crazy."

"You don’t know that."

She shook her head.

Her own evaluation had attracted plenty of attention. Leadership rank eight hadn’t been an accident.

Rebecca’s physical scores were balanced rather than exceptional, but the moment a spear entered her hands the difference became obvious.

Her reach management, footwork and ability to control distance were among the best in Class Two, and her entrance-exam performance had already established that she could function under pressure without becoming reckless.

Her classification appeared shortly afterward.

PRIMARY ROLE: MID-RANGE VANGUARD

SECONDARY ROLE: DEFENSIVE CONTROL

COMMAND COMPATIBILITY: HIGH

Antony looked at her.

"Eight."

Rebecca looked back.

"Five," she nonchalantly said mirroring him.

"That means technically I’m better."

"Your head is getting bigger."

"The academy officially ranked it."

"The academy ranked leadership potential."

"Exactly."

"Not your head or bulging ego."

"Same thing."

She drove the blunt end of her spear lightly into his boot. He jumped out of the way immediately.

Several students laughed.

Class Two was already beginning to feel less like an examination group and more like an actual class.

That was precisely what the academy wanted.

---

Class Five was quieter.

Jude Dero preferred it that way.

Unlike Antony, he hadn’t spent the morning trying to speak to everyone within hearing distance. He had chosen a seat, listened to his instructor and observed.

Leadership rank four meant people noticed him which Jude noticed them noticing.

He didn’t particularly care.

During the physical assessment, he performed well across every category without dominating any single one.

Strength.

Above average.

Speed.

High.

Reaction.

Very high.

Endurance.

Above average.

Then came ability demonstration. That was when Class Five stopped treating him as simply another high-ranked student.

He stepped into the reinforced area.

His instructor checked the file.

"Ability classification is listed as Kinetic Redirection."

He nodded.

"Correct."

"Demonstrate basic application."

An automated launcher fired a padded projectile.

Jude raised one hand and energy gathered around his forearm. The projectile struck; instead of stopping, the force shifted.

The projectile changed direction violently and slammed into a target positioned several meters to Jude’s right.

Conversation stopped as everyone looked on with fascination.

The instructor looked at the reading.

"Again."

Thd second projectile was launched, faster time time.

Jude redirected it left.

Third.

He angled the force downward and the projectile struck the floor.

"Can you return force directly?"

"Yes."

"Do it."

The next projectile fired.

He braced; the moment there was impact, energy shifted and the projectile flew backward along almost the same path.

Several students reacted in varying degrees of shock and amazement.

The instructor nodded slowly.

"Limitations?"

"Force," Jude answered.

"Explain."

"The stronger the incoming kinetic force, the more energy I need to redirect it safely. Directional changes are cheaper than complete reversal. Repeated heavy impacts strain my arms and shoulders even when I redirect most of the force."

"Living targets?"

Jude nodded.

"Possible."

"Weapon interaction?"

"Also possible."

The instructor recorded everything.

His result appeared.

PRIMARY ROLE: COUNTER-FIGHTER / DEFENDER

SECONDARY ROLE: BATTLEFIELD CONTROL

COMMAND COMPATIBILITY: HIGH

Jude looked at it without a single emotion and simply memorized it.

A student beside him whispered, "That’s why he ranked fourth."

Jude heard them but said nothing. He was already thinking about tomorrow.

---

Class One was not quiet.

It had become tense before the first formal explanation had even ended.

Dillian sat near the center of the room with the three women who had continued travelling with him nearby. They hadn’t all been seated together, but they were close enough to exchange occasional looks.

Cruella sat farther toward the front. Flencher Abeldon sat beside her.

Dillian hadn’t spoken to her since the assembly courtyard and didn’t intend to.

Unfortunately, Cruella seemed determined to behave as though there was nothing unusual about any of this.