The morning sun barely lit the courtyard when we were summoned to the briefing hall.
A large holo-map hovered above the table, showing the outskirts of the city where the Rift had opened. Dark tendrils crept across the land like ink bleeding through water.
Professor Lyselle stood at the head of the table, arms crossed. Her usual unreadable expression was… sharper than usual.
"Today, your class will participate in your first group Rift mission. You will work in teams of four. Your objective: clear monsters and stabilize the area until reinforcements arrive."
She paused, eyes scanning each student. Then they lingered on me."Zayle Cross. You will be in Team B. Do not die. I will not tolerate excuses."
I waved lazily."Yeah, yeah. Survived a Rift alone yesterday. No pressure, right?"
The murmurs from the other students were audible. "Alone? Yesterday? He's still Apprentice 2!"
Team Dynamics
Team B was… less than inspiring.
Rina — Apprentice 1, nervous, hands shaking as she gripped her staff.
Felicity — Disciple 1, sharp, serious, probably the only one who could actually follow orders without panicking.
Derek — of course, my class bully, Apprentice 2, glaring at me like I had personally ruined his life.
I introduced myself."Name's Zayle. I'll try not to murder any of you by accident. Let's go."
Rina whimpered. Felicity gave me a sharp glare. Derek looked like he might explode. Perfect.
Into the Rift Zone
The Rift loomed ahead. Dark energy twisted the air. The ground vibrated, faint growls echoing from unseen monsters.
I checked my stats quietly:
Strength: 34
Agility: 26
Stamina: 18
Spirit: 26
Perception: 21
Visible stats (to others):
Strength: 20
Agility: 16
Stamina: 11
Spirit: 15
Perception: 12
Yes, still enough to make them sweat while maintaining plausible deniability.
First Encounter
Three small shadow beasts emerged from the Rift. They were fast, low-level, but aggressive.
Rina screamed, backing away. Felicity raised her staff, trying to cast a binding spell. Derek tried to swing his sword, but one monster sidestepped easily.
I sighed."Seriously? You're letting the snacks scare you?"
One leap. One punch. One monster exploded into black smoke.
[SYSTEM LOG]Strength +1, Agility +1
Another spin. Another monster disintegrated midair.
[SYSTEM LOG]Stamina +1
Derek's jaw dropped. Rina clutched her staff like it was a lifeline. Felicity's eyes narrowed, silently calculating "How is he doing that with numbers similar to ours?!"
I shrugged."Visible stats aren't everything, pal. Consider this a free lesson."
eamwork… Kind Of
After a few more monsters, the team started following my lead.
Felicity coordinated attacks.
Rina managed minor spells without panicking.
Derek… well, he mostly stayed alive and tried not to look completely useless.
Even with my guidance, everyone had to move fast. The Rift's energy was spreading. Small tremors indicated bigger monsters might appear.
[SYSTEM LOG]Hidden Passive Triggered: Host thrives under extreme punishment. Growth accelerated.
I could feel my body subtly adapting mid-combat. Every scrape, every minor injury, every burst of adrenaline… feeding me more strength.
Surprise Rift Burst
A larger creature emerged. It had four limbs ending in jagged claws, eyes glowing like molten metal. Its roar shattered the air.
The team froze. I didn't.
I measured distances with my perception, adjusted for agility, and charged. Derek muttered something about "Cheating stats", but I ignored him.
One dodge to the side.
Quick step behind.
One punch straight into the creature's flank.
[SYSTEM LOG]Strength +2, Agility +2, Stamina +1
The monster staggered but wasn't finished. Its claws swiped at me. I rolled, narrowly avoiding a fatal hit. Pain shot through my side.
[SYSTEM LOG]Pain Conversion Activated: Host converts damage into growth → Strength +2, Stamina +2
Felicity and Rina gasped. Derek's face turned white.
I muttered:"See? Pain is fun. And apparently… productive."
Aftermath
The monster collapsed. The Rift stabilized, temporarily, thanks to our intervention.
Team B stared at me in disbelief. Felicity whispered:"How… how is he that strong? His numbers barely look higher than ours!"
Exactly. Mission accomplished: the visible stats suggested only a slight advantage, but in reality… I was leagues ahead.
We returned to the Academy, battered but alive. Lyselle waited at the gates. Her violet eyes were sharp, unreadable, yet there was a hint of something… approval.
She didn't say anything. She just watched, silently noting every move, every calculation I made during the mission.
I grinned inwardly.She's paying attention. That's all I need right now.