Supervisors walked past them, collecting the gray cards one by one.
“You’ve passed the first level of surveillance… you’re now part of the system.”
“From this day forward, you will carry yellow cards.”
Team 117 looked at their new cards.
Rumo smiled:
“Finally… no longer just provisional trainees.”
Levan, however, stared at his card without expression—
As if it meant nothing to him.
The head supervisor stepped onto the platform:
“The fourth test: Ranked combat against a supervisor at Advanced Fighter level.”
Whispers surged through the courtyard:
“Fighter level?! That’s beyond our ability!”
“Is this a test… or a death sentence?”
The supervisor continued:
“We don’t ask you to win… but to show what you’re capable of.
Fight like it’s your last battle.”
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Teams were divided based on previous performance.
Only 12 teams advanced—including Team 117.
A supervisor announced:
“This is not an elimination test… but a fundamental evaluation.
Those who prove themselves will have their ranks officially decided.”
Each team was matched with a different supervisor.
Team 117 stood before a tall man, eyes unblinking, his aura suffocating.
Ena whispered:
“This isn’t just about strength…
They’re watching our hearts.”
The fight began.
Rumo charged in first—only to be blocked with ease.
Ena watched carefully, analyzing movements.
Levan didn’t move at first… until the supervisor suddenly darted behind Rumo.
In a flash, Levan leapt in and blocked the strike with his bare body.
Silence fell.
The supervisor stared at him… then smiled:
“Strange… no Tendency, no weapon… yet you move as if you see it.”
Above, a group of supervisors watched through tinted windows.
“Team 117… not flawless, but strangely synchronized.”
“That boy… Levan. He moves like someone who’s seen years of combat.”
One supervisor scribbled a note:
“Observe him closely.”
The supervisor suddenly raised his hand, ending the bout.
“You’re not the best…
But you didn’t back down.”
He walked off the field, and the round was declared over.
A nearby observer approached and whispered:
“Shall we consider them qualified?”
The supervisor smiled:
“Yes… not for their strength—
But for something we can’t see.”
Final narrator line:
“Sometimes… a person isn’t defined by what they possess,
But by what they refuse to surrender to.”
End of Chapter 17