Iron Prince: A Progression Sci-Fi Epic (Warformed: Stormweaver Book 1)

by Bryce O'Connor

  ...

  Processing combat information.

  ...

  Calculating.

  …

  Results:

  Strength: Adequate

  Endurance: Lacking

  Speed: Adequate

  Cognition: Adequate

  Offense: Adequate

  Defense: Adequate

  Growth: Not Applicable

  …

  Checking combat data acquisition.

  …

  Adequate data acquirement met.

  Device initiating adjustments to:

  Endurance.

  …

  Adjustment complete.

  Endurance has been upgraded from Rank E7 to E8.

  With all the more reason to be grinning, now, Rei dismissed the upgrade notification in time to see Emble launch himself at the second D0 with a fervor. He wasn’t proud of it, but Rei couldn’t help but think the Brawler looked desperate again, his combat less clean than it had been in his second attempt.

  Sure enough—in what appeared to be a fatal flaw—Emble once again showed a penchant for getting flustered all too easily.

  “Time! First C0 reached! Total time: 5:05.75! I wanted to see more out of you, cadet!”

  Emble, for his part, stood heaving with his Device-clad hands in fists at his sides, staring at the place the woman he’d been fighting had abruptly disappeared. He seemed not to hear Bretz’s comment, nor the follow-up order to vacate the field, not even flinching until Sense passed him as he made for the center starting point. Only then did Emble whirl, his eyes finding Rei’s, and the two of them stared each other down while the chief warrant officer started barking at the Brawler with increasing annoyance.

  For a few seconds Rei wondered if Emble was going to lunge at him, and he pushed himself to his feet in preparation. Since being assigned Shido, he’d grown just over a quarter-inch a month—at least according to his regular checkups with Ameena Ashton—but his new five-foot-six-and-a-half frame, solid as it might be, still only came up to the livid cadet’s mouth.

  Just the same, he would have happily provided the fight Emble was looking for, if he’d been given the opportunity.

  Then, though, the Brawler paled and looked away, hurrying off the field with his head lowered like a cowering animal.

  “Keep your head, Ward.”

  The voice, steady and calm, was like cold water in Rei’s ear, and he went rigid for a moment. When his body allowed him to move again, he looked around slowly, unsurprised to find the tall, short-haired woman standing just behind his shoulder, her brown eyes on him with something like an amused smile playing at synthetic lips beneath the black line of her prosthetic that made up half her face.

  It had been some weeks since he’d spoken to Valera Dent directly. It wasn’t so much that the captain had seemed to be going out of her way to avoid him, but rather that—since her pressing him to get stronger after the incident with Logan Grant—the Iron Bishop had treated him with the same hands-off approach she’d graced the rest of 1-A with, preferring to leave the direct teaching to her sub-instructors except in rare occasions. It had been nice, in a way. Between Shido’s growth and evolution, his training with Aria, and his encounter with Mateus Selleck and the others, Rei thought he had enough jealous and curious eyes watching his every move.

  He was always pleased to be addressed by the woman, but he didn’t look forward to the mutterings and rumors that would start if Dent’s personal interest in him was made any more obvious.

  “You reached the C5s? Did I hear that right?” Dent’s eye was alive with text as she stepped to stand beside his circle.

  Rei swallowed, then nodded. Despite the fact that they’d talked several times, it still felt bizarre to be approached by “the Bishop” so directly.

  “Yes, ma’am. The first one. Just now.”

  “Impressive. Up from… E5? Very impressive.”

  Rei wasn’t sure what to say to this other than “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Seems you took my advice to heart. I’m glad. How has training with Cadet Laurent been going?”

  “Uh… Good, ma’am…” Rei hesitated, briefly wondering if he risked toeing a line before voicing his own question. “Are all the instructors aware of our pairing?”

  Dent chuckled, and Rei thought he heard Sense slamming one body or another to the ground from where his test had started on the field. “We are aware of every pairing and grouping of every student, Ward. Not just yours. No need to feel so special. Squad-formats at Sectionals are taken very seriously. We like to know who plays well with who.”

  That made sense, Rei admitted privately, looking around to watch Sense’s run. The Brawler was already into the Es, and didn’t look to be slowing down.

  Though Major Reese was the one in charge of the Intra-Schools, it was the captain who oversaw all levels of Galen’s involvement in the SCT levels above that. It had been implied, when the upcoming tournament had been first announced, that the three squad-leaders would have their pick of teammates, but Rei supposed it was only logical Dent, Reese, and whatever assistants they had would want a say in the groups who would be representing the Institute beyond the walls of the school…

  “Are you ready for next week?”

  The question was easy and pleasant, as though Valera Dent was striking up a casual conversation with a friend. Her tone, however, did nothing to stop Rei from suspecting there was more interest in his answer than she was letting on.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said firmly, watching Sense take down the first C0 with a punch-dagger to the throat. “I’m a little behind where I wanted to be, at this point, but I’ll be in fighting shape by Monday.”

  Dent nodded slowly beside him, her own eyes on Sense’s test. “Excellent. Initial pairings were made up Saturday. They’ll be sent out soon. Do you have an inkling of how you’ll deal with your first match?”

  It was asked in that same light tone, but Rei froze, and he had to stop himself from looking up and around at the captain. Her choice of words had been… odd. An ‘inkling’? As though to suggest he should already have an idea of how to handle the upcoming pairing? Rei would have bet his damn CAD there was more to this question than there appeared, more to be read between the lines.

  He got a bad feeling he was—in the fairest way Valera Dent could manage—being warned about something.

  “I… do,” he got out eventually, lowering his voice a little. Sense was squaring off with the first C5, now. “My CAD-Rank might have caught up to the tail of the class, but my individual specs are still a ways behind. I’m operating under the impression my first match will be stronger than I am. Possibly much stronger than I am.”

  “Probably a good assumption,” Dent said, and Rei saw her smile a little in the corner of his eye. “I caught a bit of your Speed & Agility test earlier. I’d say you’ve figured out where your strengths lie, as a User. Now it’s just about taking advantage of them.

  “Yes, ma’am. My Speed and Cognition have always been my stat leaders. If I can tap those properly, I can put myself on a more-even playing field.”

  “I like the way you think, Ward.” Then Dent, too, lowered her voice. “Just don’t forget what the name of you CAD means. Your tree’s growing, but you have yet to form your first branch.”

  Rei frowned, and couldn’t help but glance around at the Bishop, this time. She made no indication that she noticed, however, instead stepping away from him as Bretz called “Time!” and announced that Sense had reached the second C5. She intercepted the Brawler as he staggered off the field, and looked to be congratulating him and giving him a little feedback following his performance.

  This left Rei with ample time and excuse—as Warren reached the starting point—to consider the brief exchange he’d just had.

  He knew it. He knew it. If he wasn’t overthinking things, Dyrk Reese was going to throw him a curveball as his first matching. Rei might have been improv
ing fast, might have well surpassed Emble—and probably many others on the tail end of the first years—in every parameter test, now, but he still had a long ways to go before he thought he would feel confident enough to pair up against the likes of some of the others in their class. He found himself considering, trying to guess who he would set against, trying to figure out who would be sent to deliver Reese’s message. There was Grant, obviously, but the two of them hadn’t had much interaction since the morning after Rei had woken up in the hospital, and regardless he doubted the major would have been willing to be so apparently heavy-handed. Similarly, he discounted Aria, as well as Viv and Catcher for the same reasons. There were plenty of others as well, and Rei looked over his shoulder to where Mateus Selleck was sitting with his back to the Brawlers’ Field 2, wondering if enough rumors about the bruises they’d all shown up to class with that day would be enough to spark suspicion if the two of them were paired up.

  Then, though, Rei realized that the gap between someone like him and Selleck was no longer so wide that the Saber would prove a definitively overwhelming opponent…

  With that thought, the realization clicked, and Rei groaned.

  As much as he looked forward to sparring with Aria every evening, he was pretty sure he was going to have to ask Catcher to spare some time for him, this week…

  Warren, in the end, only reached the first C5, just like Rei, but did so more than two and half minutes faster than he had. Still, she didn’t look too pleased with herself, and was gritting her teeth as she ceded the floor to Gisham, who proceeded to cut another few seconds off her run in reaching the first B0. Dent had lingered to give fair feedback to both of them, and stayed to join Bretz on the field after the chief warrant officer had called them to break. Rei was watching the back of her head, wondering what a “normal” level of help was for higher officers to provide their students, when someone punched him in the arm.

  “Owe,” he grunted, looking around at Sense and Gisham’s grinning faces. “That hurt. Reactive shielding doesn’t do shit for that kind of thing, and you know it.”

  Sense snorted. “Says the guy who’s probably about to hit the S-ranks on this next test. Pretty sure your pain tolerance is gonna be a thing of legend, after today.”

  “You say that like it isn’t already,” Gisham said with a jealous expression, looking Rei up and down. She was still sweating from her attempt, water bottle back in hand. “What did you hit last time? C2, right? Unbelievable…”

  “I’ll trade it for my childhood back?” Rei joked, lifting and showing off one scared arm to make his point. “Forget my testing, though. B0! That’s amazing!”

  Sense jumped immediately in on fawning over the girl, and Gisham was blushing and glowing within seconds, seemingly happy to be the one basking in the attention for once. That suited Rei just fine. While he was looking forward to seeing how far he could push himself on the Fortitude test, he was also nervous. Not of the pain, of course. He could deal with the pain—though Warren’s green face from where she sat silently with Emble didn’t help. More so, Rei was concerned much for the same reasons he’d felt a little relief once Valera Dent had walked away from him.

  He really, really, didn’t need any more rumors flying around.

  Still… That didn’t mean he was willing to cut himself short on seeing how far he’d come.

  “Okay! Everyone pick a space! Let’s go!”

  Bretz’s shouted order marked the end of the break, which came almost 2 full minutes after the Sabers, Lancers, and Duelists had started their own Fortitude assessment all around the Brawlers. Rei would have felt bad—given that the delay in wrapping the Offense & Endurance test was very much his fault, and his alone—but he was too caught up in the clenching of his stomach as the group as a whole started onto the field.

  He might be able to handle the pain, but that didn’t mean he had to look forward to it.

  Emble and Warren crossed the field together quickly, clearly trying to put some space between them and the other three. As a result, Rei, Sense, and Gisham were left with the trio of closest standing markers, the double layer of red rings against the white of the field. Despite the shade of lighting being the exact same as the starting circle for every SCT matchup, Rei couldn’t help but think the glow felt ominous as he approached his spot after offering the other two a tense “Good luck” when they split to either side of him.

  He’d just settled into a set stance, shaking his arms and neck loose to prepare himself, when he found Bretz approaching him.

  “Ward,” the man said so that only Rei could hear him once he was close enough. “The captain wants me to pull you at C5, if you make it that far.”

  “What?!” Rei hissed angrily, gaping at his sub-instructor. “No! How is that fair?!”

  “Priority has to be given to your class as a whole over you,” Bretz said automatically, like he was repeating an answer he’d been fed, and he looked none-too-pleased with the situation himself. “Dent says you didn’t realize you were screaming by the end, last time?”

  “Oh…” Rei’s indignation dried up all at once, but came back as resolution a moment later. “Is that the only reason? If I can keep my mouth shut, will you let me keep going?”

  “Can you keep your mouth shut?” Bretz asked intently.

  Rei hesitated. Keeping his focus would mean not pulling away from the torture of the test, not curling into himself. He would feel everything this time.

  Then again, it wasn’t like he hadn’t experienced it all before.

  “Yes,” he said finally, hoping to convey his conviction as he met the chief warrant officer’s gaze. “Yes. I can. I swear.”

  Bretz frowned, studying him closely. Then his NOED flashed to life, and he looked over his shoulder to where the captain stood scanning the other Brawlers from the center of the field. At once Dent’s own eyes blazed, and she paused as she read the message. Turning her head to take in Rei waiting by the sub-instructor, she seemed to be contemplating him, looking him up and down like she was trying to read what his body was capable of.

  Then she held up one hand, forming an “O” shape with her fingers, and nodded.

  “Okay,” Bretz said, turning his attention on Rei again as the his frame faded from his retinas. “B0. That’s the best you’re going to get, cadet, so I suggest you take it.”

  “Yes, sir,” Rei said at once with a quick salute. The B-Ranks had been his goal anyway, so he wasn’t about to push his luck if Dent would at least grant him that.

  “Okay!” Bretz roared as soon as they were done talking, pulling away from Rei to look around at the group as a whole. “I doubt you’ve forgotten this particular drill, but quick recap of the Fortitude test: pain and sensory stimulation will start at an F0 Offense level, and increase a rank at a time from there. Muscular load will do the same. Attempt ends when you fall, or—” he smirked at Rei for a moment “—you take a knee. Questions?” Again he didn’t wait for any hands, his NOED popping up in his eyes again. “Excellent. In that case… Here we go!”

  The countdown appeared, flicking down in front or Rei’s eyes. When it hit 0, the chief warrant officer shouted once more.

  “F0!”

  Contrary to what Dent and Bretz might have been expecting, Rei didn’t immediately end the test as the prickling started teasing the ends of his fingers. He let it go for some time, in fact, passing through the Fs until he finally felt the pressure of gravity start to weigh on him in the low Es. Another couple of minutes he let the sensations press on and over him, waiting until the pain began just after D0, this time.

  Only when the irritating, snipping bite of the simulation started did Rei drop, earning himself nothing more than an exasperated look from Bretz and a crooked smile from Dent. The feelings faded almost at once, and Rei breathed easier.

  Good warmup, he thought, seating himself more comfortably to wait for the others to finish.

  He was, therefore, a little amused when Sense d
ropped to one knee not a rank after him, following closely by Gisham.

  Rei gave them each a questioning look, but the pair only answered with matching shrugs that said something like “Hey… If it works for you…”, and he had to stop himself from laughing out loud. Bretz looked a little peeved, but seemed to know better than to say anything by now, but Captain Dent was looking between the three of them curiously, her brown eyes lingering a while on Sense and Gisham each.

  Whatever she was thinking, Rei wasn’t sure he wanted to know, in that moment.

  Warren and Emble, predictably, appeared to want nothing to do with the shared strategy of the rest of the group, holding out for as long as they could. Warren fell first, giving a decent show of herself by reaching D8—three ranks higher than her initial results a quarter prior, if Rei remembered properly—while Emble stayed standing nearly a full minute more to reach a very respectable C1—four ranks higher than his already-impressive D7 record. As with the first test, however, the boy looked drained after he collapsed to the floor, and Rei knew that was the extent of his body, for the day.

  He almost wished Emble would take a knee for the next two attempts, if only to spare the rest of them the discomfort of watching the Brawler force himself through the agony.

  “Second attempt!” Bretz yelled after their short break, shooting Rei, Sense, and Gisham all an exasperated look this time, like he thought he knew what was coming. “Thirty seconds! On your feet.”

  Rei obeyed at once, as did the two on either side of him.

  And all three of them took a knee together again the moment the countdown reached “0”.

  Bretz’s glare was more threat than anger, speaking to the fact that they would be running laps around the campus for days if they didn’t prove their point in the third attempt.

  Rei only smiled when he was graced with his warning look, and could have sworn he’d seen the chief warrant officer roll his eyes while Captain Dent appeared to be trying to hide a smile by very deliberately not looking in the direction of the three cadets already planted on their asses as the F-levels went by.