The city was quiet, deceptively calm. I could feel the tension in the air, the way shadows clung to corners, waiting. I had survived my first external threat, handled my first moral choice, and tested my skills in ways I hadn't imagined. Yet something told me the next trials would demand more.
"Preparation is essential," Notice said. "Skills alone are insufficient. Strategy and adaptability will define success."
I nodded, pacing the small rooftop I had claimed as my practice ground. Best Welder hummed at my fingertips, Enhanced Perception sharpened my awareness, and the points I had saved burned in the back of my mind. I needed to plan, to anticipate, to combine everything I had learned.
I started with small experiments. I welded a broken pipe into a makeshift staff, testing its balance, flexibility, and reach. Then I visualized using Enhanced Perception to predict the trajectory of attacks, combining it with quick movements and precise strikes. My heart raced with excitement. Every small adjustment made the system feel more like an extension of me.
"Efficiency increasing," Notice noted. "Creativity accelerates skill integration. Prepare for the first complex challenge."
I paused, thinking beyond just skill combinations. What if my judgment failed under pressure? What if fear clouded my perception? I closed my eyes, imagining worst-case scenarios, running simulations in my mind. Each failure taught me something new. Each solution, no matter how imperfect, added confidence.
Then I experimented with rhythm. Music, one of my earliest unlocked skills, could influence timing, calm my own mind, and even help anticipate movements. I tapped a steady beat on the rooftop railing, coordinating it with my welding and perception exercises. My hands moved almost on their own, precise and deliberate.
I exhaled, feeling a surge of clarity. This was what Notice had been preparing me for—not just survival, not just reaction, but anticipation. Integration. Planning. Judgment. Control.
"The first complex test approaches," Notice said quietly. "Your readiness will be measured not by your skill alone, but by your ability to combine them under pressure."
I smiled faintly, fists clenched, heart steady. I wasn't just Mizu anymore—the broken boy hiding from the world. I was learning, growing, preparing. And when the storm came, I would be ready to face it.