The rush was incredible—not just from moving that fast, but from the raw physical sensation of breaking my body’s natural limits. For a brief, brilliant moment, I wasn’t Unmarked. I wasn’t baseline. I was more.

〘 [BLITZ] execution: 63% efficiency. Acceptable for initial attempt. Landing control requires improvement. 〙

"No kidding." My nose throbbed where it had connected with the wall. I stepped back to the center of the room and tried again, this time aiming for the opposite corner.

The second dash was cleaner. The third, I managed to stop without crashing. By the tenth, I could change direction immediately after the dash ended, stringing movements together in a way that made me feel like I was skating across the floor.

Each use drained my stamina heavily, but thanks to Boundless Stamina, I recovered quickly enough to try again after a short rest. The combination was powerful—burst speed with accelerated recovery.

"This changes everything," I murmured, walking in a slow circle to cool down. With Blitz, I could actually survive the Halloran entrance exam’s combat portion. I could dodge attacks from Aspect users, get in close enough to use Spectral Reach effectively, and reposition when threatened.

I checked my status screen, admiring the updated skill list:

ACTIVE SKILLS

Spectral Reach (Rare)

Blitz (Rare)

PASSIVE TRAITS

Boundless Stamina (Epic)

Not bad for less than two weeks in this world. If I could keep this pace up, maybe pull another Epic or even a Legendary before the entrance exam...

The training room door opened.

I froze mid-stretch, heart jumping into my throat as Diane Fitzgerald stepped into the room.

She wore silk pajamas in a deep navy color, her pink hair loose around her shoulders instead of in its usual perfect arrangement. Without her usual makeup and power suit, she looked younger, softer somehow. But her eyes were just as sharp as ever.

"Couldn’t sleep?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Just testing something," I managed, suddenly acutely aware that we were alone in a room together after what I’d done earlier.

Diane walked toward me, each step deliberate. My pulse quickened. Was this where she confronted me? Called me out? Kicked me out of her house?

"I saw the light on," she said, stopping a few feet away. "Thought I’d check who was up at this hour."

"Sorry if I woke you."

"You didn’t." She studied me, head tilted slightly. "Were you practicing with your new Aspect?"

I swallowed. "Something like that."

"Show me."

The command was gentle but unmistakable. I hesitated, then decided honesty was the safest path—or at least, partial honesty.

"I was working on movement techniques. Nothing fancy with the... telekinesis yet."

Diane nodded. "Smart. Many new manifestations focus too much on the flashy elements and neglect basics like mobility and defensive applications."

Was she... giving me advice?

"That’s what I was thinking," I said cautiously.

"You’re preparing for Halloran."

It wasn’t a question, but I answered anyway. "Yes."

Diane’s lips curved into a small smile. "I’ve watched you for nine years, Lukas. Always studying Heroes, always analyzing their techniques and strategies. Even when everyone told you manifestation was unlikely, you never stopped preparing."

Guilt twisted in my stomach. The original Lukas had spent years hoping, preparing, only for me to step in at the finish line and claim the prize.

"About earlier," I started, not sure where the sentence was going.

Diane raised a hand, stopping me. "I’m not here to discuss what happened in the theater."

Relief washed through me, quickly followed by confusion. If not that, then what?

"I’m here because I need to understand something." She stepped closer, close enough that I could smell her perfume again. "Why didn’t you tell me immediately when you manifested? Why did I have to find out while walking in on you and my daughter?"

The question caught me off-guard. "It just happened today. I was... processing."

"Nine years, Lukas. Nine years of watching you grow up in my home, and you didn’t think to come find me the moment something this significant occurred?"

There was hurt beneath the steel in her voice. Real hurt that made me feel like absolute garbage.

"I’m sorry," I said, and meant it. "Everything happened so fast. The manifestation, then training with Sloane, then..."

"Then making out with her on my furniture?" Diane finished, one eyebrow arched.

My face burned. "That wasn’t planned."

"Few things in life are." She sighed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "Sloane has liked you for years, you know. Even when you were withdrawn and quiet. Even when you barely acknowledged her existence."

I blinked. "What?"

"My daughter isn’t subtle, sugar. At least not to me." Diane shook her head, a fond exasperation in the gesture. "The way she picks fights with you, the way she watches you when you’re reading, the way she insists on training with you despite believing you were Unmarked. These aren’t the actions of someone who sees you as just a housemate."

The system hadn’t told me any of this. Sloane’s Gauge had started at 22% before I’d done anything. Had the original Lukas been completely oblivious to her feelings all this time?

"I didn’t realize," I said, which was true in more ways than Diane could know.

"Men rarely do." She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "I need to know your intentions, Lukas. Sloane is passionate, impulsive, and entirely too confident in her ability to handle complicated situations. If this is just... experimentation for you, I need to know now."

The question hung between us, heavy with implication. What were my intentions? To use Sloane’s Temptation Gauge to fuel my progression? To manipulate her feelings for gacha pulls?

Yes. But also no.

"I care about her," I said, surprising myself with how true it felt. "I don’t know exactly what this is between us yet, but it’s not just experimentation."

Diane studied me for a long moment, her gaze so penetrating I half-expected her to call me out as an impostor right there.

"Very well," she said finally. "I won’t interfere. But if you hurt her—"

"You’ll destroy me," I finished.

"Professionally, financially, and permanently." Her smile returned, warmer this time. "I’m glad we understand each other."

She turned to leave, but paused at the door. "Oh, and Lukas?"

"Yes?"

"Don’t forget about your physical boundaries in the future." Her eyes flashed with something unreadable. "Some lines, once crossed, can’t be uncrossed."

With that cryptic warning, she was gone, leaving me alone with a racing heart and the distinct feeling I’d just survived an encounter with something far more dangerous than any villain.

〘 Subject Diane Fitzgerald’s Temptation Gauge: 15% 〙

〘 Increased by 3% during conversation. 〙

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I whispered, staring at the notification.

〘 I do not "kid." Metrics are accurate. 〙

I collapsed onto the training mat, running my hands through my hair. Somehow, I’d just been given the shovel talk by Diane Fitzgerald and it had raised her Temptation Gauge. What the hell was happening?

〘 Data suggests subject found your accountability attractive. Powerful women often respond positively to direct confrontation when navigated respectfully. 〙

"Stop. Just... stop analyzing why Diane might be into me. That’s not a path we’re going down."

〘 All heroines are valid progression vectors. Limiting options reduces efficiency. 〙

I groaned loudly, covering my face with my hands. "You’re the absolute worst, you know that?"

〘 I am designed to optimize results, not your comfort. 〙

"Yeah, I got that memo." I sat up, suddenly exhausted despite Boundless Stamina keeping my muscles fresh. "Let’s just focus on tomorrow. IHL registration. Making my fake Aspect official."

〘 Quest probability of success: 76.4%. Significantly improved with Diane Fitzgerald’s involvement. 〙

At least something was going right. If I could get officially registered as a Channeler, I’d be one step closer to Halloran, one step further from being the pitied Unmarked kid.

I pushed myself up off the mat and headed for the door. Tomorrow would bring a new set of challenges, but tonight—

A soft ping sounded in my ears as a new notification appeared:

〘 MAIN QUEST: REGISTRATION DAY 〙

〘 Objective: Successfully register your fabricated Aspect at the IHL office with Sloane as witness. 〙

〘 Bonus Objective: Convince the examiner to classify your Aspect as Rare tier minimum. 〙

〘 Time Limit: 24 hours 〙

〘 Reward: 300 SP, Silver Gacha Pull〙

〘 Bonus Reward: 200 SP〙

I smiled. The system was a sleazy, manipulative nightmare, but at least it was predictable. And right now, it wanted me to succeed almost as much as I did.

Tomorrow I’d officially become a Channeler. Tomorrow the world would stop seeing me as an Unmarked orphan and start seeing me as a contender.

Tomorrow everything changes.