NOVEL NEXT Chapter 56 - Level Set
Jordan leaned back in his chair, studying Nick with the careful attention of someone who'd been waiting for the right moment to speak. The comfortable buzz of conversation around them in the Grounded Phoenix provided perfect cover for their private discussion.
"So," he said quietly, "want to tell me what really happened during your training yesterday? I know you're holding back."
Nick met his friend's gaze and took a deep breath.
"It's complicated," Nick began, then stopped himself. After the day's revelations and Marcus's warnings, both Jordan and Maggie deserved his complete honesty.
"Actually, it's terrifying," he corrected, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "The power I unlocked—it's beyond anything I expected. And I'm starting to understand why some people might see that as a threat worth eliminating."
For the next twenty minutes, Nick laid out everything. The mathematical precision his enhanced Mana Sculpt demanded. The instinctive flow of the Shield of Seven Forms that felt like channeling someone else's muscle memory. The moment when his aura shifted to silver and teal, unlocking synthesis capabilities that shouldn't exist. Most importantly, Arlize's emotional breakdown—his confession about failing to protect his own world.
Jordan listened intently, his expression shifting from curiosity to awe to something that might have been intimidation. When Nick finished, his friend stayed quiet for a long moment.
"The way you describe it," Jordan said finally, "it sounds like you didn't just advance your abilities. You fundamentally evolved as a person."
"That's exactly what it felt like," Nick agreed. "Like crossing a threshold I can't come back from."
Jordan's expression grew thoughtful, tinged with something that looked like envy mixed with determination. "Do you think... could I achieve something similar? I know Guardian abilities work differently from Codex Warden techniques, but the deep integration you're describing—"
"Jordan," Nick interrupted, leaning forward with quiet intensity, "your path is just as important as mine. Maybe more so." He glanced around to ensure no one was listening, then continued. "You have the potential to become what Arlize calls a 'Realm Anchor'—someone who can hold the line between dimensions when reality itself starts breaking down. That's not a lesser role. It's essential."
Your friend has natural resonance patterns that could stabilize entire regions during dimensional incursions, Arlize's voice surfaced in Nick's mind. In my time, we would have built entire defensive strategies around such individuals.
"Arlize says you have natural abilities that could stabilize dimensional breaches," Nick shared. "When the time comes for your evolution, it won't be about mathematical precision or consciousness synthesis. It'll be about becoming an unshakeable foundation that others can build upon."
Jordan's eyes brightened with renewed purpose. "That actually sounds incredible. And terrifying in its own way."
"Welcome to advanced magical development," Nick said with a rueful smile. "Where every step forward comes with exponentially higher stakes."
They finished their coffee in comfortable contemplation, watching the evening crowd of Mt. Cook City through the Phoenix's large windows. The temporary sense of normalcy they'd found here felt precious—like something that might not last much longer.
The shuttle ride back to the Academy passed in thoughtful silence. Both men processed the day's revelations while watching the city lights fade behind them. As they climbed through the mountain's interior, the Academy's defensive installations reminded them they were returning to a world of classified operations and hidden agendas.
They disembarked with a small group of other students returning from evening activities in the city. The Academy's corridors felt more oppressive after the open atmosphere of Mt. Cook City, that familiar weight settling on their shoulders as they made their way toward the Grayspire dormitory.
They'd just pressed the arrow on the elevator to take them to their suite when footsteps echoed behind them in the hallway.
"Well, well," came Liana's voice, dripping with false sweetness. "Look who's been playing tourist."
Nick and Jordan turned to find Kai, Riley, and Liana blocking their path near the entrance to their residential wing. Kai stepped forward aggressively, his combat specialist bearing making the corridor feel suddenly cramped and dangerous.
"Enjoy your little field trip?" Kai asked, his voice menacing. "While you were playing games, some of us were actually training."
"Is there something specific you wanted?" Jordan asked, positioning himself between Nick and the three antagonists.
Liana's smile was razor-sharp. "Just curious about the new team that keeps getting better and better. What are you hiding, Valiente? You know people only want to get on your good side because of that Codex Warden class you have. But it's nothing special. You haven't demonstrated any of your abilities in class. Are you a dud? Is that why your little bodyguard is standing there all protective?"
Nick felt his jaw clench, but before he could respond, he felt rather than saw Riley's probe. The intellectual's gaze swept over both Nick and Jordan, his systems checking for any weaknesses.
[Host, would you like me to target his system with a virus?] Sophia asked in his mind.
No, that'll just bring unwanted attention to you, and me by default. Can you just make sure his systems don't pick up anything from Jordan and I, please?
[Affirmative.]
"Your systems haven't changed since your class evolution. So you are a dud." Riley observed. Hearing this, both Kai and Liana's eyes flared with a sadistic gleam. "So a dud thinks he's better than the rest of us. A dud got his team to take our spots in the Alpha class. A dud—"
"Hey there! What's going on here?" called a voice from down the hall.
Kai had looked seconds from throwing a punch, his mana beginning to flare with the kind of aggressive energy that preceded violence. Nick felt his own mana stirring when the footsteps behind the voice grew closer.
"Fancy seeing you two here. Is this your dorm?" called a familiar voice. Looking behind him, Nick saw Emma from the Grounded Phoenix walking towards them, carrying what looked like a delivery bag. He smiled back at her. "Yeah, this is our dorm."
"Everything okay?" she asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
"Just having a conversation," Kai replied, his voice tight with barely controlled aggression.
Emma's expression hardened. "Well, since I'm here on Academy business—" she gestured to her delivery bag "—I should probably remind everyone about the policies regarding non-sanctioned fights."
She locked eyes with Kai, her stare carrying the weight of someone who'd dealt with plenty of aggressive students. "Fighting outside sanctioned training grounds means permanent bans from all city facilities and potential expulsion from special programs. That includes those gaming tournaments you were asking about a couple weeks ago." Kai's face turned red as she called him out.
The threat hit its mark. Access to Mt. Cook City wasn't just entertainment—it was social capital, networking gold, and the connections that could make or break careers in dimensional defense.
Kai's mana withdrew, though anger still flickered in his eyes. "This isn't over," he said, stepping back while keeping his glare locked on Nick.
"See you around, Valiente," Liana purred, her voice dripping with silky venom.
Riley stayed quiet, but her calculating stare suggested she was cataloging every detail for later use.
As the three wannabe antagonists vanished down the corridor, Emma's expression softened into something more genuine.
"Bullies are everywhere, am I right?" she asked.
Nick and Jordan both sighed. "Thanks for stepping in," Jordan said as she walked by them.
"No problem. The Phoenix has ears throughout the Academy—we pick up on things. Fair warning? Be careful of those three. They're trouble."
With that, she headed down the hall to finish her delivery.
"Well," Jordan said as they finally reached their suite, "that was interesting."
"And I have a feeling this is only the beginning," Nick replied grimly, swiping his access card.
The suite hummed with energy when they walked in. Maggie sat at her expanded workstation, bathed in the glow of holographic displays that painted the common area in shifting data patterns. Her enhanced processing was clearly running at full capacity, and the electric excitement radiating from her practically screamed major breakthrough.
"Finally!" she burst out without lifting her eyes from the interfaces. "I've been dying to share what I found."
"We hit some trouble in the hallway," Jordan said, dropping into a chair across from her workspace. "Kai, Riley, and Liana cornered us."
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That snapped Maggie's attention away from her screens. She whipped around, her expression instantly shifting to something dangerous. "What kind of trouble?"
Nick walked her through the confrontation, including Emma's perfectly-timed rescue and her warning about the trio already sniffing around their team.
"Fuckers," Maggie snarled, her fingers already dancing across interfaces. "I should have been monitoring the residential surveillance feeds. Give me five minutes and I'll have their entire conversation history from the past week."
"Maggie," Jordan said carefully, "maybe we should focus on the bigger picture before diving into immediate retaliation."
She glared at him for a moment, then took a breath and nodded. "Fine. But I'm still pulling their data. After what I discovered today about the surveillance network, we need to know exactly who we're dealing with."
"What did you find?" Nick asked, settling into the remaining chair.
Maggie's expression brightened with the excitement of someone who'd just cracked a complex puzzle. "Eli Carter and the Storm Weavers aren't just neutral—they're actively investigating the same things we are. They've been tracking Callahan Industries' infiltration of Academy operations for months."
She pulled up displays showing network analyses that looked like spider webs of connections. "The surveillance isn't just targeting us. Seventeen different student teams are being monitored—all with exceptional capabilities or rare classifications. But here's the interesting part: three teams, including the Storm Weavers, have been running their own counter-surveillance operations."
"Potential allies," Jordan observed, studying the data streams.
"Exactly. But there's more." Maggie highlighted specific nodes in her analysis. "The infiltration runs deeper than we thought. Callahan has people embedded in faculty positions, administrative roles, and even among the student body. But some of the faculty surveillance is actually Academy security trying to identify the infiltrators."
Nick felt his head spinning. "So we're dealing with corporate spies, the Academy counter-intelligence teams, and student factions all operating at once?"
"Welcome to inter-academic politics," Maggie replied with a bitter laugh.
She stood and paced with the energy of someone whose enhanced processing had been working overtime. "We need a three-pronged strategy. First, we approach Eli's team about a formal alliance—share information and coordinate counter-surveillance efforts. Second, we prepare a public demonstration during midterms that establishes our capabilities and deters further harassment from Kai's faction. Third, we start actively tracking Professor Vellian's movements to confirm his connection to the missing students."
"That's ambitious," Jordan said thoughtfully. "And risky."
"Everything's risky now," Nick replied. "The question is whether we take control of those risks or let them control us."
Maggie nodded emphatically. "Exactly. Plus, after tonight's confrontation, we know at least one team that won't leave us alone regardless of what we do. Better to engage from a position of strength."
They spent another hour refining their plan, with Maggie mapping out probable outcomes for various approaches. By the time they finally headed to their respective rooms, they had the foundation of a plan that balanced offensive and defensive elements.
As Nick prepared for bed, Sophia's voice carried a note of concern. [Host, tonight's confrontation triggered additional surveillance flags. Professor Vellian's monitoring protocols have elevated your team to priority status.]
"How much time do we have before they make a move?" Nick asked quietly.
[Unknown, but patterns suggest increased pressure during the upcoming midterm period. Recommend accelerating alliance-building efforts.]
Nick nodded, staring out his window at the Academy's nighttime silhouette. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but at least they wouldn't face them alone.
Sunday morning arrived with the kind of crystalline mountain air that made everything feel possible. Nick woke early, finding the suite quiet—Jordan and Maggie were probably still asleep.
He made coffee and settled at their common area table, staring at his communication device.
I should call them. The conversation with Marcus about his lack of contact weighed on his mind, especially after Sophia's revelation that they'd been receiving updates about his progress. I haven't really been the best grandson to them, have I.
[Host's stress patterns suggest family contact would be beneficial]
Nick smiled.
He activated the secure communication channel and waited while the connection established. Moments later, his grandparents' familiar faces appeared in holographic projection, their expressions immediately brightening when they saw him.
"Hola Abuela, Abuelo, it's been some time. I've missed you."
"Nicolás!" Maria cried, "We're so happy you called."
"Good morning Nicolás," Francisco said, smiling at him. "We've been looking forward to your call."
"I'm sorry it's coming so late. I was distracted by settling in and all the things that have been happening since, but that's still not an excuse. I should have called sooner."
"Mi hijo, we understand. Be at peace," his abuela said, smiling at him.
"Now tell us, how are you? And how is the school? You've grown a bit since we saw you a couple weeks ago. Marcus tells us it's because of your class change?"
Nick began telling his grandparents about everything that had happened to him and his friends over the past month since he'd last seen them. They'd oohed and ahhed as he spoke, and he'd promised to send pictures of Mt. Cook City and the non-restricted parts of the Academy.
When it came time to hang up, Nick hadn't realized just how much he'd missed them until that moment.
"Cuidado mi hijo. We know there are many things happening that you may not understand. Take care of yourself and take care of your team, sí?" Francisco asked him.
"Yes, sir. I will." Nick nodded seriously. At Nick's solemn nod, Francisco and Maria smiled.
"Te amamos," Maria said. "¡Hasta pronto, sí!"
"Los amo. Hasta pronto. ¡Adiós!"
After hanging up, Nick felt a strange calm wash over his heart. A mixture of homesickness and renewed determination filled him as a warm, peaceful feeling reminiscent of his abuela's mana settled in his chest. Perhaps he'd needed that conversation with his grandparents after all.
"You look better," Jordan observed when he emerged from his room an hour later.
"I talked with my abuelos," Nick explained, finishing his second cup of coffee. "They say hola, by the way."
Maggie appeared shortly after, her hair showing clear signs of someone who'd stayed up late analyzing data streams. "Please tell me someone made extra coffee."
"Pot's full," Nick assured her. "How late were you up working on surveillance programming?"
"Late enough to confirm that our problems are bigger than we thought," she replied, pouring coffee with the reverence of someone who treated caffeine as a vital nutrient. "But also late enough to identify some potential solutions."
After they'd all consumed adequate caffeine and breakfast, Nick proposed a change of scenery. "Want to take a hike? Beautiful day, and we could use some time to talk strategy away from Grayspire's surveillance systems."
"Good idea," Jordan agreed. "Fresh air might help us think more clearly."
An hour later, they were walking along one of the mountain trails that wound from the Academy's grounds into the surrounding wilderness. The path offered spectacular views of the valley below while providing the privacy impossible to find on campus.
Once they'd reached a safe distance from any potential surveillance, Sophia activated privacy protocols that created a bubble of sound dampening around their small group.
[Veil of silence established] she announced. [Conversation security confirmed.]
"Alright," Nick said, settling onto a fallen log that served as natural seating. "Now we can talk freely."
For the next hour, he walked Jordan and Maggie through every detail of his training experience—the deep mental integration with Arlize, the mathematical precision that advanced Codex Warden techniques demanded, and the consciousness synthesis that had fundamentally changed how he related to his abilities.
Both friends listened with expressions that mixed fascination and concern.
"The way you describe it," Maggie said when he finished, "it sounds like you achieved something that shouldn't be possible for someone at our level."
"Could we develop similar capabilities?" Jordan asked. "Obviously our classes are different, but the deep integration process you're describing..."
Your friends show exceptional potential, Arlize's voice stirred in Nick's mind. While I cannot directly teach them Codex Warden techniques, I could research foundational scrolls from the restricted archives. Their systems might adapt these principles to their specific classifications.
Nick relayed Arlize's assessment, watching both his friends' expressions brighten with hope.
"Sophia," Maggie said eagerly, "could you develop personalized training protocols based on the archive research?"
[Affirmative. Cross-referencing Guardian and Technomancer advancement patterns with Codex Warden integration techniques should yield adapted approaches suitable for Jordan and Maggie's development paths.]
"That's incredible," Jordan said, his excitement obvious. "When could we start?"
I would need several days to compile the appropriate materials, Arlize replied through Nick. But the foundational work could begin immediately. Your friends should focus on deepening their connections with their system interfaces and practicing advanced meditation techniques.
The conversation shifted to strategic planning as Maggie spread holographic displays showing her latest intelligence gathering. The surveillance network was more extensive than any of them had realized, but it also revealed potential allies and pressure points they could exploit.
"Three priorities," Maggie summarized, highlighting different sections of her analysis. "First, approach Eli's team about a formal alliance. Second, prepare a public demonstration during midterms to establish dominance and deter harassment. Third, begin active monitoring of Professor Vellian's activities."
"Timeline?" Jordan asked, studying the tactical assessments.
"Alliance discussions this week, demonstration during midterm period, Vellian surveillance starting immediately," Nick replied. "We can't afford to wait any longer—the pressure's only going to increase."
They spent another hour refining operational details, each team member claiming responsibility for specific aspects of their multi-pronged approach. By the time they headed back to campus, they'd crafted a comprehensive plan that balanced offensive and defensive elements.
The Academy's silhouette rose against the afternoon sky as they made their way back through the mountain trails. Their brief escape into nature had provided exactly the clarity they needed, but returning to campus brought the weight of their responsibilities crashing back down.
"Tomorrow starts a new phase," Nick observed as they approached the main buildings. "After this week, everything changes."
"For better or worse," Maggie added, though her tone suggested she was already savoring the challenges ahead.
As they entered their dormitory, Sophia's voice carried a note of concern that made Nick freeze mid-step.
[Host, surveillance activity around our residential area has spiked dramatically since yesterday evening. Multiple monitoring protocols have gone live, including some I can't identify.]
"How worried should we be?" Nick asked quietly.
[High caution advised. The surveillance patterns suggest they're preparing for action, not just watching.]
That evening, as they settled into their suite for what might be one of their last peaceful nights, each team member tackled their assigned preparation tasks. Maggie established campus-wide surveillance protocols, focusing on Professor Vellian's known haunts. Jordan studied Guardian tactical formations that could work for their emerging alliance strategies. Nick practiced advanced meditation techniques designed to deepen his bond with Arlize's consciousness.
Three floors underground in his private office, Professor Erasmus Vellian reviewed intelligence reports that painted an increasingly detailed picture of Nicholas Valiente's team and their activities. His enhanced analytical systems had flagged multiple anomalies in their behavior patterns, capability assessments, and social connections.
"Fascinating developments," he murmured, studying readings that revealed unprecedented mana evolution and system integration levels. "Far more rapid advancement than our models predicted."
He opened a secure communication channel and transmitted the complete intelligence package to a contact listed only as "Prof. K."
[Priority data package transmitted. Subject exhibits characteristics consistent with primary research objectives. Recommend elevation to active monitoring status.]
The response arrived within minutes: [Confirmed. Initiate Phase Two. Maintain observation distance until after midterm period, then proceed with acquisition.]
Vellian's smile. His years infiltrating this Academy would finally be paying off. He'd tracked exceptional students for years, but Nicholas Valiente was exactly the breakthrough his sponsors had been hunting for.
Soon, the boy's remarkable abilities would serve a far greater purpose than mere Academy training.