Dawn broke over the facility, though light did not reach the deep training sectors. The interior corridors remained dim, fluorescent tubes flickering faintly, shadows pooling in the corners where no camera dared look. Blade stood in his quarters, muscles taut, senses alert, waiting for the signal.
The Blood Signal was not literal, yet its name carried weight. It was the first real indicator that Phase Two had begun. A discreet alert across the network of comms, encrypted messages from the council, and an activation of every subject's monitoring collar. It meant survival was now a living, breathing contest.
Crow entered silently, the black case from before clutched in one hand. "Today is different," he said calmly. "You are no longer training against simulations. Real opponents will challenge you. Not just one, but several each with unique enhancements and combat styles."
Blade studied him. The calm tone, the measured words, all hinted at a threat more dangerous than any previous encounter. Crow's eyes glimmered faintly, almost anticipating his reaction.
"I don't fight simulations," Blade said. "I fight what's in front of me."
Crow nodded. "Good. That is the correct mindset. The Blood Signal will mark the beginning. Your first opponents are being deployed as we speak. Watch your periphery, trust your instincts, and adapt. You will be evaluated not only for survival but for efficiency. The council will be observing every action."
Blade flexed his fingers, energy humming faintly beneath his skin. Temporal shift tingled along his nerve endings, his Insight Eye prepared to scan the environment, and his adaptive perception sharpened every sense.
Crow continued. "Remember, Blade. Your abilities are a gift, but control is your greatest weapon. Without control, survival is impossible. The others will push you to the limits. Not all will retreat."
Blade's lips curved faintly. "Good. I don't intend to retreat."
In another sector, Subject Seven, a muscular figure enhanced with neurochemical acceleration, received the same signal. His amber eyes snapped open, veins glowing beneath his skin. The Blood Signal pulsed in his collar, activating latent abilities, triggering awareness of nearby threats.
Across the facility, Subjects Three, Five, and Nine were preparing in their quarters. Each subject was unique: brute force, kinetic energy manipulation, stealth and camouflage. The Blood Signal activated their instincts, their training, and most importantly, their aggression.
Crow watched each feed silently, fingers dancing over the holographic interface. "Every reaction, every adaptation, will be logged. Blade is exceptional, but the council will compare him against all other subjects. This is not only a test of strength, but of efficiency and control. The hierarchy will reward results."
Blade exited his quarters. The corridor seemed endless, sterile, and yet alive with potential danger. Guards moved silently along the walls, drones hovering overhead, but they were merely background Blade knew the real threats were not machines, but the subjects themselves, enhanced and ready to kill.
He walked calmly, feeling the subtle energy shifts in the air the faint pulse of multiple nearby subjects. Three of them… no, more. The Blood Signal is stronger than I imagined.
The first encounter was abrupt.
A hulking figure appeared from behind a shattered wall, its body rippling with energy, muscles enhanced far beyond normal human limits. Blade moved before thought temporal shift activated, the world slowing for him as he calculated trajectories, dodges, and counterattacks.
The first strike came, a brutal punch that shattered the wall behind him. Blade rolled, the impact barely grazing him as sparks flew. Adaptive perception highlighted weak points, energy feedback through neural sensors guiding his strikes.
He countered with a swift elbow, targeting the shoulder joint, disrupting kinetic flow. The subject staggered but recovered instantly, muscles surging with raw energy.
Crow's voice in his comm was calm, analytical. "Efficiency levels at ninety-two percent. Your adaptation is remarkable. Subject One exhibits overcompensation focus on destabilization points to maximize control."
Blade's Insight Eye flared briefly. He calculated trajectory, impact, and regenerative speed. One strike, two strikes, then a pivot a kick that knocked the subject off balance. Sparks of energy flashed from the nodes along its arms.
The fight escalated. Each movement, a precise balance between aggression and control. Blade realized that the Blood Signal didn't just mark the start of combat. It activated every subject's latent abilities, increasing potency, aggression, and unpredictability.
He jumped, rolling over debris, colliding with another incoming opponent — Subject Nine. Smaller, faster, trained for lethal strikes. Amber eyes focused, energy channels glowing beneath his skin. Blade's temporal shift allowed him to predict motion, but the speed of attack was staggering.
He dodged, countered, and struck with precision. Sparks, blood artificial and synthetic flew across the arena. Every blow was a calculation, every movement a negotiation with raw power.
Crow observed silently. "Observe the interaction patterns. Blade's reaction time adapts to multi-target scenarios. Record neural synchronization, energy consumption, recovery rates. Every microsecond counts."
Blade gritted his teeth. He could feel energy surging in his body, regeneration already repairing minor injuries. Every subject was a variable, every attack a test. But he also felt exhilaration the thrill of survival, the rush of combat, the growing power within him.
They think this is a test, Blade thought. I am learning more than they realize. And I will survive.
Blade's breaths came in measured rhythm, each inhalation syncing with the faint hum of energy coursing beneath his skin. The arena around him had transformed into chaos incarnate: shattered concrete, overturned debris, and sparks arcing from energy feedback systems where the subjects' enhancements met the limits of their bodies.
Three more opponents converged simultaneously, each a different experiment. Subject Five, skeletal yet deadly, moved with a fluidity that defied normal physics. Subject Seven, hulking with raw kinetic power, charged with explosive force. Subject Two, stealthy and precise, struck from angles Blade hadn't yet predicted.
Temporal shift activated, stretching time for Blade. He saw trajectories before they happened. Each opponent's attack became visible as a trail of energy and motion. His Insight Eye flared faintly, highlighting points of instability, revealing potential strikes that could incapacitate without permanent damage at least for now.
Blade ducked under a swinging arm, countering with a precise kick to a node beneath Subject Seven's shoulder. Sparks erupted as energy nodes overloaded momentarily, throwing the subject off balance. But the other two were closing in simultaneously.
Crow's voice came through the comm, calm, almost clinical. "Efficiency levels are ninety-seven percent. Observe multi-vector interaction. Your adaptive perception is exceeding predicted limits. Subject Two exhibits predatory prioritization. Use temporal advantage to disrupt target hierarchy."
Blade's jaw tightened. Predatory prioritization… so they attack in order of perceived threat. Noted. He shifted his weight, his temporal manipulation allowing him to perceive each strike in advance. Each movement was a delicate dance between evasion and counterattack.
Then he felt it the faint pulsing behind his eyes. A subtle vibration, almost imperceptible until now. Insight Eye scanning revealed faint energy nodes in his vision, glowing intermittently beneath the skin of his opponents.
His hidden ability was stirring: the third power, the one that Crow had not yet disclosed, the one tied to seeing skills and capabilities.
Blade blinked. Focused. And suddenly, the world became a map of potential. Energy flows, combat readiness, skill proficiency all overlaid in golden patterns. Each opponent's ability was visible, their strengths, their weaknesses, their potential maneuvers, and their most dangerous attacks.
This changes everything, Blade thought. I know how to beat them… if I use it correctly.
He struck first, exploiting a weak alignment in Subject Two's kinetic nodes. The attack disrupted flow, energy pulsing backward through the body, causing staggered movement. Subject Five lunged, but Blade rolled, timing the attack to intercept with a calculated strike that overloaded a regenerative feedback loop.
Crow's calm analytical tone returned. "Ah, yes. Third ability manifesting. Observed skill recognition. Neural efficiency spike, seventy-eight percent. Adaptive patterning now exceeding projections. Fascinating."
Blade ignored the commentary. He pivoted, attacking Subject Seven, whose sheer kinetic power made him the most immediate threat. Utilizing temporal shift and adaptive perception, Blade sidestepped a series of blows that could have crushed a normal human. Each strike he made disrupted energy nodes, destabilizing the hulking subject's momentum.
The fight escalated further. Sparks flew from nodes colliding with his adaptive strikes, debris scattered in wide arcs, and the artificial arena shook under their combined power. Every subject was being pushed to limits they hadn't experienced before. Blade's third ability allowed him to anticipate and neutralize threats that would have overwhelmed anyone else.
He moved with lethal precision, not to kill, but to dominate. Each subject's attack became a puzzle, each reaction a clue. The Blood Signal had activated not only aggression but strategic cognition within the subjects. Blade's awakening countered that, turning their aggression into a canvas for his evolving abilities.
Crow watched, a faint smile forming. "This is remarkable. The triad of abilities temporal manipulation, precognition, and adaptive skill recognition is functioning in tandem. Survival rate projections for Blade have just skyrocketed."
Blade's body hummed with energy. Minor burns, bruises, and strains regenerated instantly as he calculated the next sequence of maneuvers. He leaped over Subject Two, delivered a precise strike to Subject Five's neural node, and pivoted to counter Subject Seven's crushing blow.
The arena was a storm of kinetic energy, temporal distortions, and glowing nodes. Blade was at the center, orchestrating the chaos like a conductor.
Then came a pause, almost imperceptible. A signal in his collar pulsed faintly — the Blood Signal's second stage. It was a reminder from Crow, from the council, that this was just the beginning. More subjects, more trials, and the true competition among the twelve doctors and their creations awaited.
Blade exhaled slowly, energy still thrumming beneath his skin. He realized something crucial: the third ability, the one Crow had not disclosed, was not just a gift. It was a game-changer. If he could master it, he could survive every trial, see every attack before it happened, and turn the council's tests against them.
The Blood Signal had activated the arena, but it had also awakened something in him that no one had accounted for: free will, adaptability beyond control, and an instinctive understanding of skill itself.
Blade flexed his fingers, preparing for the next wave. He felt alive, more than ever. This was not just survival. This was evolution.
Blade's body glowed faintly from residual energy. The arena, now littered with debris and scorch marks, reflected the intensity of the battle. Temporal distortions hung in the air like heat waves, and every subject had been pushed to their limits. Yet Blade remained standing, adaptive perception and Insight Eye fully operational, muscles primed, and mind sharp.
From the observation decks, Crow watched intently. Each strike, each movement, each microsecond of decision-making was being recorded, analyzed, and dissected.
"The subject is… exceptional," Crow muttered under his breath. "Adaptive skill recognition is now fully active. Neural synchronization is at maximum efficiency. Efficiency rating: 99.8 percent. The council will notice."
Even as Crow analyzed Blade, he noted the subtle changes occurring beneath the surface. Minor anomalies in neural firing patterns, unexpected regenerative spikes, and fluctuating energy nodes these were signs of evolution, adaptation beyond expectation. Blade was no longer simply a subject; he was a variable beyond control.
Meanwhile, the other subjects were regrouping. Some had suffered significant damage, energy nodes destabilized, and neural feedback loops overloading. Yet the Blood Signal had not only activated aggression but also forced instinctive coordination among certain subjects. This meant that future engagements would be less predictable and far more lethal.
Blade observed them from a vantage point atop a shattered platform. Temporal shift allowed him to analyze multiple combatants simultaneously, anticipating movements and energy flows. His Insight Eye highlighted the skills of each subject, revealing patterns, strengths, and weaknesses with unparalleled clarity.
So this is the real test, he thought. Not just to survive, but to understand. To see beyond their abilities, beyond the enhancements, beyond what Crow wants me to see.
Crow's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Phase Two escalation begins now. Subjects One, Two, Five, Seven, Nine you have been compromised. Redeploy and neutralize. Observe Blade. Measure adaptability. Ensure survival is consistent with council metrics."
Blade exhaled slowly, letting the energy pulse beneath his skin stabilize. Each new instruction increased pressure, but also provided information. The true challenge of Phase Two wasn't brute force; it was analysis, prediction, and execution. Blade was beginning to realize that his survival depended not only on raw power but on understanding the environment and manipulating the engagement to his advantage.
As the subjects advanced again, Blade leaped into motion. Temporal shift stretched perception, allowing him to dodge incoming strikes from three directions simultaneously. Sparks erupted from contact points, debris scattered, and kinetic energy arcs illuminated the arena like lightning.
His Insight Eye scanned rapidly, overlaying abilities on each opponent: regenerative patterns, kinetic vectors, combat tendencies, and latent weaknesses. Every movement became a calculation, every strike a measured response.
One by one, he targeted destabilization nodes: subtle points where energy feedback could be overloaded without permanently disabling the subject. Each strike caused temporary disruption, enough to gain an advantage while preserving data integrity. Blade understood that Crow and the council would be observing these tactical choices closely.
The subjects faltered, some barely recovering from precise strikes. Blade pivoted, dodging a lethal uppercut from Subject Seven while countering with a targeted kick to Subject Five's neural node. Sparks flared, a brief explosion of energy, leaving the subject staggered but alive.
Crow leaned forward over the console, eyes reflecting holographic feeds. "Notice the synchronization. Adaptive skill recognition is allowing Blade to anticipate not only movements but strategy. Observe the escalation. This is the evolution we intended… yet different. Fascinating."
Suddenly, the arena shifted. Hidden platforms emerged from beneath debris, altering terrain dynamically. Crow had activated environmental variables, testing Blade's ability to adapt not only to opponents but to constantly changing surroundings.
Blade's temporal shift allowed him to perceive the new hazards instantly. He leaped from a moving platform, rolling across a fractured wall, and intercepted a strike from Subject Two, destabilizing the opponent's momentum and sending him tumbling into a shard of concrete.
The other subjects were reorganizing, adapting to Blade's strategies. Yet the Insight Eye's golden overlay allowed Blade to predict attack vectors even as the terrain shifted, maintaining a tactical advantage.
Crow's analysis continued, almost whispering to himself. "Blade is not merely surviving. He is learning, adapting, evolving. The triad of abilities is functioning in concert. Survival probability projections now exceed all historical subjects at this stage."
Blade paused for a brief moment, scanning the remaining opponents. Energy flowed through his veins like liquid fire, muscles coiled, senses sharp. He realized the truth of Phase Two: it was not simply a test of strength, but a test of cognition, adaptation, and awareness. Those who could survive would not only possess power but insight.
And Blade had both.
The Blood Signal pulsed again, marking the end of the first stage of Phase Two. Subjects staggered, some recovering, some incapacitated temporarily. Blade remained standing, unscathed beyond minor abrasions, energy nodes glowing faintly beneath his skin.
Crow's voice came through the comm, calm yet filled with anticipation. "Phase Two, Stage One complete. Observational data recorded. Blade's triad abilities are exceeding predictions. Prepare for escalation. Multiple new variables will be introduced, and future engagements will test not only survival but initiative, creativity, and resource control. The council expects perfection."
Blade exhaled slowly, energy rippling beneath his skin. He flexed his hands, feeling the latent power of his third ability Skill Recognition stabilizing. He understood the potential now: he could perceive the abilities of any opponent, adapt in real time, and manipulate the battlefield to his advantage.
They think they are testing me, he thought. But I am learning. And soon, I will take control of this game.
The arena was silent now, debris still smoldering, energy arcs fading, yet Blade's body hummed with anticipation. The next wave, the next stage, the next test it would be unlike anything he had faced. And for the first time, he felt truly alive.
Crow observed silently from above. Holographic feeds displayed Blade's neural activity, energy distribution, and skill adaptation. "Very good," he murmured. "The subject is evolving faster than expected. Phase Two will be a crucible. The council will decide which subjects, and which doctors, deserve to continue. And Blade…" His voice softened, almost with a hint of awe, "is beginning to write his own destiny."
The Blood Signal faded, leaving only the lingering hum of the facility. But for Blade, the signal had not ended. It had awakened something deeper, a determination, a sense of purpose beyond mere survival. He was no longer a subject. He was an agent of change within the system.
And the system would never see him coming.