Day 2
The pit hadn't changed.
Same rusted tiers. Same uneven metal plates. Same noise pressing down on everything like a second layer of air.
Still—something felt off.
Not the place.
Me.
I noticed it before I even sat down. Slipped between two men arguing over bets without touching either of them. No bump. No shove. No insults thrown my way.
I was already inside before it registered.
"…you adjusted your center of balance unconsciously," Angel said.
"Yeah," I muttered. "I felt that."
I picked a spot halfway up the tiers. Close enough to see, far enough to stay out of trouble. Two fighters were already going at it—loud, messy, more energy than control.
I watched anyway.
Not everything.
Just the parts that mattered.
A step too far forward.
A guard that came late.
The split-second before impact.
Angel stayed quiet.
She didn't need to say anything.
By the third exchange, I knew who was losing.
Too much weight on the front foot.
No recovery.
He went down hard.
I looked away before it ended.
Didn't need to see the rest.
The otherworlders weren't around today.
That was obvious.
No polished armor. No quiet observers pretending they weren't watching. Just locals. Noise. Coins moving hands.
Normal.
Or close enough.
I stayed for a few more fights, then left.
No reason to stay.
I had something else to do.
Training.
That Night
The mine again.
Same creak overhead. Same dust.
My shirt stuck to my back before I even started. Not from heat.
Anticipation.
"Begin," I said.
This time, I didn't brace.
My body moved—faster than before.
Not stronger.
Just… cleaner.
The first strike didn't wobble. The follow-up stayed tight. My footing adjusted without overcorrecting.
I could feel it now.
Not control.
But awareness.
"Minor improvement detected," Angel said.
I huffed. "Feels major from here."
Day 3
Mary left early.
Same routine.
Her group passed by in a loose line—some barely awake, others already focused on whatever they trained for. She didn't say much. Just gave me a quick nod.
That was enough.
She had her path.
I had mine.
I checked what food was left.
One meal for me.
One set aside for her.
That didn't change.
The pit again.
Less crowded today.
People had work. Or they were out earning what they'd lose here later.
Different faces.
Same patterns.
I didn't watch everything this time.
Didn't need to.
A pivot.
A missed strike.
The way someone caught themselves before falling.
That mattered more than the hit.
At some point, I noticed I wasn't reacting anymore.
I was… ahead of it.
Tracking where they were going before they got there.
That felt strange.
"Your predictive processing is improving," Angel said.
"That's good, right?"
"It is."
I frowned.
"All this—what's it costing?"
"I am currently using energy derived from your sustenance."
Right.
That didn't sound reassuring.
On the Way Back
Dust picked up.
Not a full storm, but close.
People moved faster. Masks up. Heads down.
No one talked about it.
Didn't need to.
I adjusted mine, fabric scraping against my face.
"You should minimize exposure," Angel said. "Environmental interference increases energy consumption."
"Interference?"
"Your systems require energy to maintain function."
I slowed a step.
"My systems?"
No answer.
That was worse.
I kept walking.
Didn't like where that thought was going.
That Night
Training.
Longer this time.
Faster.
Less resistance from me.
Day 4
I stopped tripping.
Didn't notice when it started.
Just realized it hadn't happened.
Even on bad ground.
Even when I wasn't paying attention.
My body corrected before mistakes happened.
That wasn't normal.
The pit.
Same cycle.
Watch.
Filter.
Leave.
Someone tried to shove past me on the stairs.
I shifted.
He missed.
Stumbled instead.
I didn't turn around.
That Night
Training pushed further.
Angel didn't announce anything.
She didn't need to.
The variations came faster.
My body barely kept up.
Good.
Day 5
The pit was louder.
But not chaotic.
Focused.
I felt it before I saw it.
Two of them.
Otherworlders.
In the arena.
The crowd had changed. People leaned forward instead of shouting. Even the betting slowed.
That didn't happen often.
I moved closer without thinking.
Careful.
Not too close.
They stood apart.
Both armed.
Both calm.
Level 10.
At least.
The identifiers flickered—just long enough to confirm it.
No psi readings.
Didn't matter anymore.
The fight started without announcement.
No theatrics.
Just movement.
One stepped in.
The other held ground.
Steel met steel.
Clean.
No wasted motion.
I leaned forward slightly.
Didn't realize I'd done it.
Angel reacted immediately.
"High-value combat data detected. Initiating extended analysis."
The world narrowed.
Not completely.
Just enough.
They moved faster than anything I'd seen before.
Not wild.
Precise.
A feint high.
No follow-through.
The other didn't react.
Mistake.
The second strike came low.
Connected.
Small cut.
Didn't look like much.
But it would matter.
They circled.
Adjusted.
No rushing.
This wasn't for coin.
Something else.
"Multiple variations generated," Angel said. "Integration in progress."
I felt it.
Not fully.
But enough.
Small adjustments.
Muscles shifting without asking.
I stayed until the end.
Didn't even register who won.
That wasn't the point.
That Night
The mine felt… smaller.
Or maybe I just moved better inside it.
"Start," I said.
Angel didn't wait.
The sequence hit harder.
Faster transitions.
Sharper corrections.
New variations layered over the old.
My body struggled.
Good.
That meant it was working.
Sweat ran into my eyes.
I didn't stop.
Didn't want to.
At some point, I pushed back.
Just a little.
Tried to take control mid-motion.
The sequence didn't break.
It adjusted.
Blended.
That caught me off guard.
"Partial autonomy detected," Angel said.
I smiled.
Couldn't help it.
That was new.
Then it stopped.
Abrupt.
Like before.
I stood there, breathing heavier.
Finally.
My arms felt used.
Not weak.
Just… mine again.
I rolled my shoulders.
Tested a movement.
Cleaner.
Faster.
Still not enough.
Not yet.
"Status?" I asked.
A pause.
Then—
"You are ready for live testing."
I frowned.
"Meaning?"
Another pause.
"Your first fight."
I didn't answer immediately.
Right.
Of course.
I exhaled slowly.
Yeah.
That was coming.