Combat Power.

  CP for short. In a nutshell, it was a number that evaluated a Player’s power. His achievements. His standing in the world. And also, most importantly, his future. The higher you go, the brighter your future becomes.

  And today was where the future started for aspiring Players, Jin included.

  The instructor, Patrick Cho, was leading a group of twenty new and hopeful Players toward the Combat Power Evaluation Chamber. Some called it the Pressure Cooker, while others called it the Heaven and Hell Crossroad.

  Yet the negativity wasn’t shared by the more fresh-eyed future Player recruits.

  “I’m so excited!” said one of the youngest boys in the class, about ten years old. “This is my first time since I awakened as a Swordsman Class.”

  “Wow!” one of his friends beamed. “You’re so lucky. I-I’m just Healer, though.”

  “No worries!” the boy said with a grin, tapping his friend’s shoulder. “I’ll protect you! Leave all the baddies to me. You and the other Supporter Class type stay behind, OK?”

  Instructor Cho, who overheard the conversation, laughed. “Excited, aren’t you boys? And Timothy, since you’re a Swordman, would you like to be first to get evaluated?”

  The boy shot out a cheer, his arms raised high. “Yes, sir!”

  Jin, wearing a black face mask and standing behind the class, smiled. So much innocence, so much naivety. Precious in its own way.

  The class soon came to a tightly guarded heavy metal door. Two SeComm security officers stepped aside, acknowledging the instructor’s presence.

  “The list said twenty students, Instructor,” one officer said, scanning his tablet. “Where’s the other one?”

  Instructor Cho frowned. “Who do you think is late?”

  The officer sighed, shaking his head as he reached the end of the list. “Ah. That one. I guess we have no choice then. Proceed.” He then turned around and, with a poker face, continued. “And good luck, everyone. Whatever your results are, try not to break anything. Or each other. We don’t need the extra paperwork. Got it?”

  “Yes, sir!” Timothy answered with a salute. “Don’t worry, sir. As class leader, I’ll make sure everyone behaves!” He then turned around and shouted. “Follow the rules, everyone. If not, I’ll whack you with my sword.”

  His friends answered with such exuberance that it nearly brought the ceiling down. The rest of the class were either holding their laughs or went out of their way to ignore the precocious self-appointed leader and his merry gang of two.

  Jin was the former, chuckling under his mask. Something about Timothy reminded him of how Eleana acted when she was his age. Always taking charge, yet it led nowhere.

  Time really does fly, huh?

  The metal door unlocked with a clink, followed by a soft whirr. It slid open, and ahead, the evaluation chamber waited. Nervous glances were exchanged. Some fidgeted while some were already sweating a bucketload. Timothy and his two other friends, being the most oblivious ones, bolted in without a care in the world before the instructor could warn them not to run around.

  Meanwhile, Jin, being the oldest despite not looking like one, didn’t care about the whole process. Interested, yes. But to put his whole future and worth into numbers spit out by some machine?

  That was something he couldn’t wrap his mind around.

  ***

  The Combat Power Evaluation Chamber wasn’t simply any room. It was a theatre. Of power. Of human ingenuity. Of the future.

  Inside, it hummed with a low, rhythmic energy. As if the air itself had a heart. The lighting was warm and comfortable, casting soft glows on the polished floors and the walls.

  Sleek, dark panels embedded with shifting holographic displays lined up along the curved walls. Hundreds, or thousands of real-time data streams were displayed - CP rankings, Player profiles and other diagrams and numbers Jin couldn’t understand one bit.

  “Whoa!” Timothy’s voice echoed inside the chamber. “It’s even cooler up close! Look at the colours!”

  At the heart of the chamber, floated above a circular platform as if it were suspended by invisible forces, was the masterpiece.

  The Mother Lodecrystal. Also known as the Faustus Crystalus – the name given to the scientist who created it more than twenty years ago – it had served every Players that passed through this very door without any prejudice.

  Those who laid eyes on it for the first time, including Jin, were awestruck.

  It wasn’t simply a tool to measure one’s strength and power. Mother Lodecrystal was a monument highlighting one of humanity’s greatest creations. An obelisk of shifting colours, made from thousands of crystals with veins of light coursing through it like liquid energy. It pulsed, once, emitting a soft ethereal glow.

  Around the platform, researchers and technicians moved with purpose. Some monitored floating holographic screens, adjusting parameters or analysing anomalies. Others conferred in hushed tones, pointing at projections of Player stats or debating the implications of a sudden data spike.

  A few wore augmented reality visors, their fingers dancing in the air as they manipulated data only they could see. The atmosphere was electric but in a nerdy way. Old Man Sid might feel right at home here.

  Jin couldn’t help but smile as he realised something else.

  This wasn’t an evaluation. Or was it a benchmark of one’s achievements, determining his future. This was a performance – a dance on fate’s hand, and the Mother Lodecrystal was the guiding light.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  Whenever Old Man Sid ever asked him about his experience later, Jin had only one word to describe it – trapped in a room with a large diamond-shaped disco light ball in the middle.

  Crass, sure. Though for someone who spent his youth in bars, nightclubs and other shady areas collecting protection money, this Mother Lodecrystal had brought back afresh Jin’s long-forgotten memory.

  But Jin knew that this thing wasn’t used only as a guiding light either.

  It measured. It judged. And worst, it determined the fate of those who touched it.

  Instructor Cho went to one side where a group of SeComm officials stood near a curved console. One of them, a woman with a tablet and a no-nonsense demeanour, conversed with him, shooting a glance or two at the students the instructor brought over.

  With a nod, she then passed a device to one of her colleagues. “One or two are interesting enough. The rest are only a waste of time. Get over it fast.”

  The others couldn’t hear what she mumbled to her colleague, but if they could, there would most likely be some misunderstanding. As for Jin, the faster this was over, the better. Since the beginning, except for one or two short instances, he never felt like he belonged. Twice the age of the next oldest student was a big factor.

  Instructor Cho returned with a researcher next to him, who introduced himself as Dr Lee.

  “As Professor Mille’s assistant, I’ll be your guide for today. So, shall we begin?”

  Instructor Cho gave a quick look at his students, now gathered in front of him. “Do you mind if I remind them once more?”

  “Go ahead. More reminders are always good. Last thing we need is Players being pissed for not getting the numbers they wanted.”

  Instructor Cho then stepped forward, addressing the class.

  “Listen up, everyone. For many, this will be your first time. So, I’ll remind you again. Although we know CP is the total power of all your attributes as a Player, it is still about the you right now. Not in the future and not in the past. So, whatever numbers you get, don’t rejoice if it's high and don’t be disheartened if it's low.”

  “What number is high and what number is low, sir Cho?” Timothy, the self-appointed class leader, asked.

  “Good question. It depends on your age and Class as a Player. For example, let’s take you, Timothy. If you’re ten years old and a Swordman, any number above 5,000 is high. And low is when you get below 500.”

  “Hopefully, I get the high one, sir! Like our Star Rookie, Valkyrie!”

  Jin’s ears perked up. Did someone mention Valkyrie? Elyzabeth? But she’s dead way before Timothy was born.

  “Our latest Star Rookie is one of a kind. Not everyone will be blessed like her.” Dr Lee said. “Guess what she got for her first CP evaluation?”

  The class suddenly came to life.

  “5,000?” answered Timothy.

  “No. Go on. Give it a little thought,” urged the researcher with a big teethy grin.

  “8,000?”

  “10,000!”

  “50,000!”

  “No fucking way she’s that high,” one of the students said. “Neo-Tokyo’s record for newly awakened Player is 45,000!”

  “Yeah? I said she’s higher. She’s Triple Class after all. At least 100,000 CP. Plebs like us can only dream. I’m happy to get 500 CP as long as I get to touch the same spot she touched.”

  Laughter echoed inside the chamber. Jin, however, from being interested in the identity of this Valkyrie, started to get annoyed.

  Judging from the way those around him talk, it seemed that this new Valkyrie was none other than Eleana. His daughter. But he hasn’t heard of her nickname anywhere, even in the forums or websites dedicated to her.

  “Enough talk about Star Rookie Valkyrie for now. Besides, CP is not a competition,” Instructor Cho said, trying to bring back order to the chaos. “It is a measure of your improvement. Right?”

  The research cum assistant instructor nodded. “Without improvement, humans will cease to exist. Our enemies are beyond the RIFT, waiting eagerly for us to fail. To lose heart. To give up. And we mustn’t. Never! I don’t care what classes you are. What will you do with your power. That’s up to you. But never ever stop improving. Get your CP as high as you can. Now. In the future. For it belonged to those who take it in their hands and never let it go.”

  Damn. What a speech. Impressive. But hell if I let some crystals determine my-

  A chorus of shouts pierced through Jin’s thoughts.

  Instructor Cho and his assistant lifted their arms high and wide before ending with a fist pump. The rest of the class followed, feeling excited about whatever the results that would come their way.

  Jin smiled. Guess not everyone thinks the same, huh?

  Finally, it began.

  Timothy, as expected, went up first. A dim glow engulfed the Mother Lodecrystal after he placed his hand on a device nearby.

  “5,000 CP!” shouted out the assistant instructor who had his tablet ready since the beginning. “For your age and class, you’re top of the lot. Your future is bright, young boy.”

  Timothy, feeling enthusiastic by the result, wiped his nose and grinned. “Heh. You’re looking at the next Star Rookie, Mister.”

  After that, the rest followed with their combat power evaluation. While waiting for his turn, Jin went up to Instructor Cho. There was a question that needed an urgent answer.

  “Instructor, do you know of this Valkyrie?” Jin asked in a whispering voice.

  The instructor's eyes widened. “You a fan too?”

  “Uhmm, yeah? I mean, yeah. New fan.”

  “Great. Everyone here is her fan, too. Including the Prof.” Instructor Cho grabbed Jin’s hand for a handshake. ”Welcome to the club.“

  “Ha. Ha. Pleased to join the club,” Jin replied, almost embarrassed by the act of joining a club created for his daughter. “So, tell me this, instructor. What’s her Combat Power?”

  Instructor Cho’s lips curled upwards. “Interested, are you? Unfortunately, that’s secret.”

  Looked like Jin wouldn’t get any answer until he told the instructor something of equal value. Secrets never stayed secret as long as you have something else valuable that could be bartered.

  “But you were here that day?”

  The man nodded. “Here with the rest of them. President Hunter of White Raven was here, too. It was a buzz. And for most of us, it was our best day at work, ever.”

  “Ohhh…” Jin pretended to be amazed. “Then you’ll definitely like it if I share something that is not available anywhere else.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Instructor Cho leaned in; his tone showed more than just being interested.

  “Nah, nah. It’s a secret. But if you know about this little secret,”–Jin winked–“you’ll get closer to her.”

  “Damn! Really?!” He had to cover his mouth as the others stared their way. In a whispering voice, he continued to ask, “You’re not pulling my legs, are you?”

  “From one fan to another, there’s no way. Cross my heart.”

  Jin knew these types of people better than most. As long as he knew something they didn’t, they were basically dancing in his palm.

  “Well, since you’re my instructor and a fan of Valkyrie and all, I’ll come clean. She loves plain vanilla ice cream.”

  “Huh? That’s it?”

  “What do you mean, that’s it? If you ever meet her, and I know you will since you’re our important instructor and she’s the type that respects her elders, then she will be very impressed if you treat her favourite ice cream. She’ll remember you for life.”

  Jin was done being a snake oil salesman. The words that came out of his mouth disgust him – especially when he had to share something normal, albeit secret, about his daughter. But he must. Otherwise, he’d continued to grapple in the dark, trying to reach her.

  Instructor Cho's smirk widened. “Yes. Yes. You’re right. Frank Stein. I am impressed. Plain vanilla ice cream, right?”

  Jin nodded. “And her CP?”

  Instructor Cho leaned in. “Don’t tell anyone you hear from me, alright. It’s 300k.”

  Jin could hear his jaw drop to the floor.

  ***

  More than half of the class had taken their CP evaluation, all with varying grades. Some even recorded above 10,000 CP. Cheers and applause followed their results. One, however, got a record low CP of a hundred. The boy broke down in tears.

  “It’s alright,” Instructor Cho tried to calm him down. “It’s not the end. Only the beginning. You just have to work harder than the rest, and I’ll assure you, your next CP will be leaps and bounds. Besides, being a Supporter Class type meant your starting CP is always on the lower side.”

  “Y-You’re not lying, instructor?”

  “Why should I lie? It is in our data and-“

  Before Instructor Cho could finish his words, the metal door slid open with a sharp, sudden hiss that cut through the air like a blade.

  “What is this nonsense I’m hearing?!”

  And for that split second, the chamber fell silent, every eye snapping toward the entrance.