They Called Me Trash? Now I'll Hack Their World

Somewhere above the arena, in the instructor's viewing platform, a conversation was taking place.

"Did you see that?" A younger instructor leaned forward, staring at the unconscious boy being carried off on a stretcher. "He beat him."

"I saw it." Instructor Aldwin's expression was unreadable. "Though I'm not entirely certain what I saw."

"The boy's got technique. That sword style... I've never seen anything like it."

"Neither have I." Aldwin frowned. "And Thomas Greaves is a veteran. He's failed the exam twice before not because he lacks skill, but because he's been too old to start. This was supposed to be his last chance."

"And he lost to a broken-nosed kid who can barely stand."

Aldwin was silent for a long moment, his eyes on Jin's unconscious form as healers worked over him.

"Make a note," he said finally. "Jin Raith. Priority observation for remaining trials."

"Sir?"

"Something about that fight was wrong." Aldwin's frown deepened. "Thomas's sword balance shifted mid-swing. His grip faltered at critical moments. The sand beneath his feet seemed unnaturally unstable."

"Combat chaos. It happens."

"Perhaps." Aldwin didn't sound convinced. "Or perhaps we have a candidate who's more interesting than his file suggests."

He made another notation in his ledger.

"Priority observation. And someone inform the medical wing, I want that boy functional for Trial Two. I'm curious to see what else he's hiding."

*******

{Jin's POV}

----

My eyes blinked, and the first things I noticed was...

White ceiling.

Clean smell and something soft beneath me.

I came back to consciousness slowly, awareness returning in fragments.

Then I closed my eyes again, couldn't maintained them open.

Not dead. Somehow not dead.

Then suddenly—

"Extremely reckless," a woman's voice came from side.

"Another inch to the left and that shoulder wound would have severed major blood vessels. The broken nose is the least of his problems. He's got cracked ribs, severe lacerations, possible concussion—"

"Can he continue?" This one was male voice. Authoritative.

"Continue? He should be in bed for a week minimum!"

"That's not what I asked. Can he continue?"

A long pause.

"...Physically? With healing magic and stimulants, yes. But I strongly advise—"

"Your advice is noted. Heal him."

Then sound of footsteps going distant echoed, followed by door closing.

I tried to open my eyes again. Managed to crack them open slightly.

A healer stood over me, middle-aged woman with tired eyes. She placed her hands on my chest, and warm golden light spread through my broken body.

The pain didn't disappear. But it dulled, became manageable.

[HP: 52/200 → 95/200]

"You're awake," she said quietly.

"...Yeah!"

"You fought like an idiot."

"Thanks," I croaked.

"That wasn't a compliment." She continued healing, the golden light knitting tissue, mending bone.

She finished healing and stepped back. "You're functional. Barely. The rest will have to heal naturally, I've done all I can without permanent mana bond risks."

She moved toward the door and stepped out.

I lay there, staring at the ceiling.

A notification blinked in my peripheral vision.

[Quest Progress: Rise From Nothing]

[Trial One: Physical Combat - COMPLETE]

[Trials Remaining: 2/3]

[WARNING: Host condition suboptimal]

[Recommended: Rest before next trial]

This is going to be a very long day.

Outside my door, I heard voices passing.

"Did you see that fight? Raith's kid versus Greaves?"

"Brutal. Thought the kid was dead twice."

"Greaves went easy on him. Had to, or it would've been murder."

"Still counts as a win though."

"Barely. Kid's probably out for the rest of the exam anyway. Did you see how much he was bleeding?"

The voices faded down the hallway.

I lay there, staring at the ceiling.

Barely won. That's all they see. Just another desperate victory by a weak candidate who got lucky.

Then suddenly, the door burst open with a bang.

"JIN! YOU'RE ALIVE!"

Kyle's voice was way too loud for a medical wing.

He bounded over to my bedside, grinning like an idiot despite the bruises covering his face and arms. "Man, I thought you were dead! You were just lying there in all that blood and, wait, are you okay? You look terrible."

"Thanks," I muttered. "You look great too."

"I know, right?" He flexed, wincing immediately. "Okay, that hurts. But I won all three fights! Well, the second one was close. This guy with a spear almost got me, but I ducked and then, bam, got him with an elbow to the face!" He demonstrated enthusiastically, nearly hitting a medical tray.

"Careful!"

"And the third guy was huge! Like, massive! But slow, you know? So I just kept moving and moving until he got tired and then..." Kyle made an exaggerated punching motion. "Down he went!"

I couldn't help it. Despite the pain, despite everything, I almost smiled. "Glad you made it through."

"Of course I made it through! We both did!" He plopped down in the chair beside my bed, still grinning. "Though you look way worse than me. Did you actually break your nose? It looks really crooked."

"It's broken."

"That's so cool! I mean, not cool that it hurts, but like... battle scars, you know?" He leaned forward conspiratorially. "The girls love battle scars."

"Kyle."

"Yeah?"

"I can barely breathe through my nose and everything hurts."

"Right. Right. Sorry." He didn't look particularly sorry, still grinning. "But hey, we passed Trial One! That's like, a third of the way done! Two more trials and we're Academy students!"

"When's the next trial?" I asked.

"Tomorrow! We get the rest of today to recover, sleep in actual beds tonight, and then Trial Two starts tomorrow morning." Kyle stretched, groaning. "Which is good because I'm exhausted. Fighting is tiring, man."

"Revolutionary observation."

"I know, right?" He completely missed the sarcasm. "Oh, and there's food! They're serving dinner in like an hour in the main hall. You should come! You probably need food after all that bleeding."

"I'll think about it."

"Cool! I'm gonna go find somewhere to nap. Don't die before dinner, okay?" He stood, gave me a thumbs up, and bounded out of the room with the same energy he'd entered with.

The door closed.

Silence returned.

I lay there for a moment, processing.

Tomorrow. Trial Two tomorrow.

That gives me tonight to recover what I can.

My body ached everywhere. The healer had done good work, the wounds were closed, the bones set properly, the worst of the damage repaired.

The pain dulled as exhaustion finally dragged me under.