Chapter 8
Bumi gets up, checking his jacket for damage. Unfortunately for him, it is filled with holes.
Pain suddenly shoots through his body as the adrenaline fades. He drops to his knees, trying to play it off, but inside, he's screaming at himself.
Fortunately, the medic arrives just in time. "Hold still, please. 8% release."
"Authorized," a robotic voice echoes.
As part of Synarc safety protocol, the average person is not allowed to exceed 5% release. Only those in specific occupations are granted access beyond that limit, and whenever they do, everyone within the radius hears the system authorizing its usage.
"Cast—Internal Healing."
Bumi's pain disappears as quickly as it came, relief washing over him.
The medic then turns to Bumi's torn jacket, offering to fix it, which Bumi gladly accepts.
"Cast—Quick Fix." Particles gather around the jacket as the holes and tears in the windbreaker slowly close up.
When Bumi returns to the spectating ring, he can feel the glares around him.
At that moment, a notification pops up on all the examiners' phones—the results of the first two tests have been announced.
For the first test, anyone scoring below the average mark of 260 fails. Out of the thousand applicants, five hundred passed.
For the second test, those five hundred are further evaluated. Half of them fail, resulting in two hundred fifty candidates being eliminated.
The remaining two hundred fifty successfully pass the second test.
However, since the requirement is to pass at least two out of three tests, these two hundred fifty candidates are already qualified and will not need to participate in the third test—for instance, Aurora. They are instead given time to prepare for the written examination.
This leaves the two hundred fifty candidates who passed the first test but failed the second.
These remaining candidates must now take the third test in order to secure their qualification.
Realizing what this means, the glares directed at Bumi intensify. They don't want him there. His success in the second test must have been a fluke—after all, even those with Synarc had failed.
Exhausted and wanting to avoid attention, Bumi heads to the furthest corner.
The moment he sits down, he notices Aurora walking up to him.
"You're reckless," she comments coldly.
"Yeah… but it's a gamble I'm willing to take," Bumi replies.
"No. I don't mean the fight," she says. "I mean, you being here at all. You could get seriously injured. Choosing to join the SSS is reckless—and frankly, stupid."
"Are you going to help me find the culprit behin—"
"You're still on this?" she cuts in. "Is this why you're here? Really?"
"Aurora, listen, I have proof."
"And? Does your proof show your dad didn't kill my parents?"
"Ye—well… not really. Technically, no."
"I don't need technicalities, Bumi… I don't even know why I'm trying to reason with you. You don't even seem to know what you're trying to prove…"
"My dad isn't a murderer…"
"You say that, but when I ask if your dad killed my parents, you can't give a straight answer," Aurora replies, disappointment clear in her voice.
"Look, SSS isn't for you. You're going to get yourself hurt proving nothing." She turns and walks away, but not before leaving one last comment. "Leave, Bumi. Before you get yourself hurt."
"I will now commence the third test briefing," the chief SSS examiner announces.
Bumi snaps out of his thoughts immediately.
"In this test, you will engage in a one-on-one fight. The arena will simulate a gravel path environment. As before, no Synarc tools, outside interference, or performance-enhancing substances are allowed."
"You will be paired based on your deviation from the passing score of 260. For example, those scoring 261 and 259 will go first, while the furthest pair—0 and 380—will go last."
"That zero-percent still made it? Ha, that makes my opponent easy," a voice boasts.
"It's unfortunate Jake's Synbeast was tough!"
"Yeah! You would've passed if you got the wolf like that Synarcless guy!" His two lackeys chip in. "Jake, you should embarrass him!"
"Yeah, make him surrender!"
"No, that would be too cruel. After all, he guarantees me a pass," Jake—the man with a score of 380 and Bumi's opponent—replies.
"The rest who failed, leave the premises immediately," an SSS instructor commands. "Loitering will be considered trespassing. First pair, proceed to the arena."
Finally, Bumi is left to his own thoughts. He looks up at the ceiling, frustrated; "Why did I stumble on my words? Why couldn't I argue back?"
"Argh… this is so annoying…" he mutters.
"What's so annoying?" an unfamiliar voice asks.
Bumi looks up, realizing he had been spacing out. He is greeted by a girl with curled dark green hair with pink accents, dressed in baggy clothing.
"Oh… it's nothing."
"Were you the one who fought the wolf earlier? That was impressive!"
"Uh, yeah… that was me. Sorry, who are you?"
"Oh! My apologies! I'm Yuko Fujiwara! I'm aiming to become an SSS investigator!"
"Same here. I'm Bumi Tiang. Nice to meet you."
"Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask for advice. I didn't pass the subjugation test…" she says nervously. "I passed the first test, though. Barely—286…"
"Oh, so you're near the front?"
"I'm going third…"
"What do you think went wrong?"
"I… didn't want to hurt it. I don't want to hurt anyone…" she admits, blushing.
"Someone who doesn't want to hurt others… trying to join the SSS…" Bumi mutters—only realizing too late he said it out loud.
"Hey! You don't have Synarc and you're trying to join the SSS," she fires back.
Bumi immediately covers his mouth, realizing his mistake, and bows. "I didn't mean that! I was just surprised!"
"Apology not accepted… unless you coach me," she says smugly. Her bubbly personality is a bit overwhelming, but after what he said, Bumi doesn't dare refuse.
"Alright. I'll help. But I don't think you need to change. Wanting to avoid hurting others is fine. Let's figure out how you can win without offensive spells."
Bumi sighs as they begin planning.
"Next pair, please proceed down!" Not long after, it was Yuko's turn.
"Remember," Bumi said, watching her head toward the arena, "all you need to do is immobilise him. You don't need to knock him out."
"Got it! Wish me luck!" Yuko replied, stretching her arms.
"You'll do fine." Bumi reassured.
A few minutes later, the arena lit up once more as the entire building hummed to life.
Yuko stood on one side, facing one of the lackeys who had been mocking Bumi earlier. "I really don't want to hurt a girl, so if you'd be so kind—"
"Nah," Yuko cut him off immediately.
"Well, it's your death wish," the lackey shrugged.
"4.99% release!" Both of them activated their Synarc at the same time, particles flaring to life around their bodies.
"Cast—Lightning!" The lackey made the first move. Yellow Synarc particles surged around his hand before firing forward in a flash.
"Cast—Barrier!" Yuko reacted instantly, raising a shield just in time. The lightning slammed into it, sparks scattering outward as a loud crack of thunder echoed through the arena. Smoke filled the space between them.
As the smoke began to settle, faint glows of white and red flickered—both preparing their next move.
"Cast—Temporary Creation." A piece of cloth slowly materialised in Yuko's hand.
"A cloth? What's that supposed to do?" the lackey scoffed. "Cast—Fireball!"
A blazing sphere formed above his palm before being hurled straight at her.
"Cast—Bubble!" A mass of water expanded outward, colliding with the fireball. The moment they made contact, the water rapidly evaporated. A thick cloud of steam began to rise where the two spells met.
For a brief moment, both fighters paused. Sweat formed along their faces. The air was getting heavier.
"Cast—Frozen Path!" Yuko broke the silence, sending ice spreading across the ground and climbing up the walls behind her.
"These spells… they're not even targeting me," the lackey said, frowning. "Are you insulting me?"
"Know what? Let me show you how to actually use ice spells." His irritation quickly turned into anger. "Cast—Icebreaker."
Blue Synarc particles flared as numerous icicles formed midair, all aimed directly at Yuko.
Yuko's eyes widened slightly. "This is it… just like Bumi said…"
The stage was all set for Yuko as she exclaimed: "Cast—Fog!"
The moment the spell activated, the already humid environment reacted instantly. The arena was swallowed whole in dense mist.
From the audience's perspective, everything turned into a sea of grey.
From Yuko's perspective, she couldn't even see her own hands.
"…How is that possible at 4.99%?" someone in the audience muttered. "That fog is way too dense…"
"You think this can stop me? Cheap trick!" the lackey shouted. "Cast—Wind Cutter!"
He focused, trying to locate her through the fog. Then, a faint green glow could be seen. The same direction where Yuko had last cast her spell.
"There you are." He fired. But the moment the attack cut through the air, only the sound of ice breaking echoed.
The wind cleared a small path showing the lackey that he missed as the cleared path got immediately swallowed by fog.
"Damn it—where are you?! You bit—MMPH!!" His voice was cut off instantly. A cloth had wrapped tightly around his mouth. Before he could react, Yuko had tackled him from behind.
They both crashed to the ground. She pinned his arms with her body weight, quickly binding his limbs with the rest of the cloth.
"You… really talk too much…" she whispered into his ear, her voice low and steady.
He struggled violently beneath her, but it was useless.
"Don't worry," she added, tightening the bindings. "I don't want you to get hurt. So please… stay still."
She raised her hand one last time. "Cast—Freeze."
Ice spread over the cloth bindings, locking them in place completely. As the cloth she created slowly disintegrates.
Slowly the fog started to dissipate and the arena became visible again.
Yuko stood up slowly. Then looked up toward the spectator stands before breaking into a wide grin.
She raised both hands, giving Bumi an exaggerated double thumbs-up before launching into a series of over-the-top victory poses: flexing nonexistent muscles, T-posing over her opponent, even doing a small celebratory dance.
Bumi couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "…And she was asking me to wish her good luck."
"Due to complete immobilisation, Yuko Fujiwara passes. Derrick Zheng fails." The SSS agent declared.
A short while later, Yuko returned to the spectator ring, practically glowing with excitement. "That was amazing!"
Bumi nodded. "Congratulations."
"You're a genius, Bumi! A genius!" she said, patting his back enthusiastically. "How did you make my fog so much bigger than it should be? My spell's area shouldn't even reach behind him!"
"It wasn't me," Bumi replied calmly. "You did the work. I just told you to make the environment humid, then cool it down before using fog."
"But why 'Frozen Path' instead of 'Icebreaker'?"
"Because 'Frozen Path' affects a wider area over time," Bumi explained. "It cooled the environment gradually and also acted as a decoy once the fog formed."
Yuko blinked. "Decoy?"
"When your opponent tried to clear the fog using wind, he needed a reference point. Movement, sound—anything. But the most reliable signal is visual. The ice reflects light of his own spell resulting in him assuming that you are there."
Yuko sat there, mouth slightly open. "…You predicted all that?"
Bumi shrugged slightly.
"Think of it like a fly buzzing around you while you're busy. You can't stop everything just to deal with it, so you start ignoring it. He couldn't get rid of the fog completely, so he shifted his focus to ending the fight quickly."
"And even if he tried clearing it—" Bumi continued.
"I would still be able to track him using the glow of his spells," Yuko finished.
"Exactly."
Bumi paused, then glanced at her. "Now that your test is over… Aren't you supposed to be studying for the theory test?"
Yuko froze before letting out a small concerned laugh. "Theory test, what's that?"
Bumi could tell she was being sarcastic, or perhaps she was in denial as visible panic set in. As she turned toward him, "…Help. Please?"
Bumi sighed. "I'll tutor you. But no promises you'll pass."
"Can the last two examinees proceed down to the arena?" About two hours had passed and it was finally Bumi's turn.
"You got this." Yuko gave him a double thumbs-up and a wink. "Break a leg!"
"I'd rather not," Bumi chuckled as he stood.
He stepped out of the lift and walked down the dim corridor toward the arena. With every step, the noise of the crowd grew louder as he approaches the light at the end of the hallway. The moment he entered, the environment shifted.
The solid tiled floor dissolved into a rocky path layered with gravel. The walls rose into jagged cliffs, and the ceiling opened into a clear blue sky.
Standing across from him was his final opponent.
"Hey! Zero!" the man called out. "Look, I'll give you one last chance. Forfeit before you get hurt. Don't make me do this the hard way."
"Thanks for the offer," Bumi replied calmly, removing his jacket and tying it around his waist, "but I can't accept it."
Jake clicked his tongue. "Tsk. You should've taken it. Now I'll make you regret wasting my time."
"4.99% release—Cast: Icebreaker."
At the same moment, Bumi moved. He burst forward into a sprint, closing the distance immediately.
Icicles formed midair and came crashing down toward him but Bumi didn't stop.
He weaved through them, gravel kicking up beneath his feet as shards shattered just behind him.
"Look at the spell, predict its angle…" He recalls his combat notes.
"Cast—Frozen Path!" Ice spread across the ground in front of Jake, forcing space between them and preventing Bumi's advancement.
Bumi didn't hesitate. Instead, he bent down mid-sprint and grabbed a handful of stones from the gravel path.
In one fluid motion, he untied his windbreaker, stuffed the stones into the hood, and swung it around. He had made a makeshift Shepherd's slingshot.
As he released one end of the sling, the stones shot forward. He repeats the motion, flinging the remaining stones.
"Cast—Barrier!" A translucent wall formed, blocking the barrage of projectiles.
Jake knew he could not stay on the defense, waiting for Bumi to run out of stone. The moment Bumi was out, Jake raised his hands, pointing at Bumi. "Cast—Lightning!"
Bumi upon hearing the cast, started circling him. He kept a constant pace, purposely making himself predictable. Luring Jake to track him instead of react.
"Three seconds…" He counted internally. "One… two…"
Jake's hand tracked him, following Bumi easily.
"Three."
Bumi abruptly stopped and reversed direction.
The lightning fired hitting air as the sudden switch up caught Jake off guard.
It was an opening for Bumi as he surged forward. In a second, the space between the two vanished.
Jake tensed seeing that Bumi had closed the gap. He prepared another spell. "Cast—Frozen—"
But then as the side of his eye, he saw it. Bumi is swinging his jacket again. Jake hesitated. "Is he going to shoot another stone at me?"
He abandoned the initial cast. "Cast—Barrier!"
Bumi smiled. "Got you."
Instead of a stone, he let go of the jacket itself. The windbreaker flew straight toward Jake's face.
Panic flickered causing Jake to react instantly. "Cast—Fireball!"
Flames burst forward, consuming the jacket midair.
Bumi's eyes widened for a split second realising that Jake had overcommitted and that was all Bumi needed as he lunged forward.
Jake saw it too late. "He's already here—" ran through his mind as he raised his hand desperately. "Cast—Barrie—"
It was a desperate attempt to create distance—but Bumi threw a handful of gravel straight into his mouth.
Jake choked instantly resulting in the spell breaking. As Bumi landed his tackle, sending both of them crashing to the ground. One knee locked his arm. The other pressing into his torso.
His free hand drew the army knife. Jake's eyes locked onto the blade.
All thoughts froze. All confidence, gone. Jake sees his life flashing before him as the knife came down—
Bumi stopped just before contact. Simultaneously, a barrier materialized between them.
Silence.
"Enough, the match is over." The SSS examiner intervened.
Jake coughed violently, spitting out dirt, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Due to the opponent being unable to continue—"
"Hey! I'm still able to fight!" Jake turns to the referee and argues.
"You would be dead if he went through with his attack and I had not used my barrier to intervene."
"He has a weapon tool, surely that's against the rule!"
"It doesn't contain any Synarc related tech though." Bumi corrected. "The test only prohibits Synarc tools, not regular tools. You lost not because you were weak but because you kept making the wrong decisions."
Bumi stood up, as the simulated terrain returned to its original state. He had done it, he had passed the partial test.
"Your first mistake was tracking me, not predicting my movement when casting lightning."
Jake clenched his jaw.
Bumi continued. "You had the tools to stop me. Frozen Path alone could've controlled the distance."
He held up his torn jacket slightly. "But your second mistake cost you the fight."
Jake didn't respond.
"You prioritized the wrong target." Bumi showed his now charred jacket. "You focused on this…instead of the real threat."
Silence. Jake replayed it. His decision, hesitation, reaction.
Bumi turned away checking on his injuries. As he waits for confirmation.
"Jacob Reeds, fail." The agent declared.
"Buni Tiang…"
"Pass."