Published at 21st of May 2026 6:51 am

Chapter TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY EIGHT: New Pressures

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

288

******

Now we have floating island strategies that could be initiated by every member of the team. Except Everly. Vandy Carisson ran a highlighter over a line shed written in her notebook, then capped it and lifted blue eyes to regard the tall, brunette girl in the green tank top who sat across the table from her. Their team was having a planning meeting in one of Celena North Librarys group study rooms. But I dont think we can count your strategy, Heloisa. Its too uncontrolled. It might kill some of us.

No risk, no victory! Heloisa said, high-fiving Rebecca in the seat to her right.

Thats how we do it, said Rebecca.

I came up with something I could do for the island, said Everly, crossing her arms over her chest. But it would use up my spell impression casts, and it would take too long. Its not like we need to have a strategy for everyone on the team. And its all right if I dont get to run this week. I got to go last Friday.

Vandy nodded at her, then looked pointedly at Heloisa again. People can have victory without risk. Thats the best way to have victory.

Is it winning if you win against a baby? Heloisa asked.

Im not sure how that relates to this.

You understand what Im saying, dont you, Maricel? Heloisa held her hand up toward Maricel in the seat beside her. Maricel didnt look over. She was watching footage of one their two runs from last week as it played on the wall, frowning critically at the small image of herself trying to shape an earthen ramp.

Too slow, she said quietly. Ill need Hasten Call.

Good for you, said Heloisa, reaching farther to wave her hand in front of the other girls nose. But wont it probably be a few affixations before the System offers you that since you didnt take it the first time around? I dont keep track of whats usual for other classes, but I thought youd gone more for the versatile Shaper route. Youre fast enough at moving dirt around anyway.slow at returning your friends high fives, though.

Maricel batted at her hand, then stuffed her own hands back into the pockets of her hoodie and continued watching the video.

Tuyet looked at Maricel and then turned to Everly with a pleading expression. Everly shook her head. Their exchange went unacknowledged by anyone else at the table.

Starting with that skill would be silly, so of course Mari didnt do it, said Jupiter. Shed spent the past hour making a grass skirt for Heloisas teddy bear purse, but shed been frequently updating the shared group notes through her interface, so they all knew she was paying attention. Theres no point in making the element move faster than your normal limits if you dont have anything interesting to do with it. What would an enhanced-speed basic push be for her? Just a little sand blower. People who start with obedient element spells are wrong, too. Shapers need to learn to make shapes. Isnt that right, Mari?

If theres a chance to make another ramp on Friday's course, Ill take it, Maricel said.

Well Vandy said, you did what you wanted a couple of times last week, and it worked out. But I dont want us to think so individually. Just because theres an opportunity for a ramp, it doesnt mean thats whats best for the run. Were practicing being a team, using communication before and during gym time, not making up our own rules

I dont think I could ramp all the way to the floating island, so Ill follow your plan for that.

Tuyet looked to Everly again. This time, Everly sighed. MaricelI think Vandy means that you were pushing ahead of the rest of us too much last week. You were doing great. But we werent expecting you to be so far out in front building things on your own, and we didnt know you were going to take the second attack opportunity. Tuyet had positioned herself to snipe, and she was just waiting for Vandy to pick the timing.

Maricel blinked. Oh. She looked at Tuyet. I thought since you werent going

Everly uncrossed her arms. She was going. It was only four or five seconds before you jumped in, Mar

Its fine! I wasnt upset. Im not upset. Tuyet smiled at Maricel. Lets just talk more during our next run, so that were all together.

Maricel looked around the table. Sorry. I didnt realize I was bothering any of you.

Its okay.

Dont worry about it, Maricel.

Plans fall apart all the time in the gym anyway!

People can make plans that wont fall apart. Ideally

Vandy, honestly

I understand because sometimes you just have a brainwave about a way to kill someone, and not trying it out right away is hard.

Ive never had a brainwave likethatJupiter.

The girls chattered, reassuring Maricel and one another about their upcoming performance until Vandy slapped the table a few times to call them back to order. Tonight and tomorrow, everyone should be sure to make it to bed on time. I found a visualization exercise for team sports, and I think Ive made it work for the obstacle course. Im sending that to you all. Remember that being prepared on strategy day and course day is homework. Instructor Ash may ask any of us questions at any time tomorrow, so know how youll answer if youre the one who has to explain our strategy to him in more detail.

I dont think hes going to do that, said Everly. I think hes going to skim whatever we give him, drink sugar, pick some teams, and then leave before any of us can complain.

I get that vibe, too, said Rebecca. I dont have a major problem with the instructor since hes not boring to listen to when hes explaining all the video, and he told me hed seen a Brute invert Bounce Repeater, which Ive never heard of before. Ill be figuring that out or trying to make the System show me whatever add-on talent makes it possible. But the mans not into teaching much.

And hes not very nice, said Tuyet.

Hes not nice at all, said Rebecca. Id have stabbed him with a pen if I were Alden on the first day.

You would be expelled, said Vandy.

It would have been self-defense. I was so embarrassed for him.

Maybe Instructor Ash was jealous of his rings, said Jupiter. Im jealous of both of their rings.

You cant kill them for their jewelry, Heloisa whispered.

Most of the girls burst into snorts and giggles.

All right, said Vandy once it had subsided. I was going to suggest fifteen more minutes of planning strategies against specific members of the other teams, but we dont know most of them well enough yet. And were getting too unserious, so I think a nutritious supper and heading back to our rooms for rest is the right call.

I dont mind being unserious. It feels like everyones morelike this. Everly held up a tightly clenched fist and scowled at it. This term. Compared to last, its like were not arguing as much, but its because theres more tension instead of less. Is that only me?

We lost a couple of class members to Elites, a couple to dropouts, weve got the new people in Combat I adding pressure, said Rebecca. Those all combine into something.

Are they adding pressure? Vandy asked. I fought Opal in a duel on Tuesday. She seems friendly. There wasnt pressure.

Rebecca rolled her eyes. I didnt mean the B-rank could pressure an S like you in a one-on-one, Vandy. I meant that having living examples of people who have to retake Combat I among us is reminding everyone that were really in this program now, and even if its not Li Jeans Elites, there are standards.

Heloisas face fell. The new strongman and I fought. And I know hes had a couple more months of practice than me, but I thought Id be better than him since heyou know, he must have been one of the worst members of the group ahea of us or he wouldnt be taking this with us. That makes sense, right?

Some people who dont move forward on schedule probably just recognize they need to go a little slower, said Everly.

But if you need to go slower at something than everyone else in a group, and you dont have a special situation like Sorens, doesnt that mean you were one of the worst at the thing? Heloisa asked. Im not trying to say he should be terrible. But a Strength Brute isnt a Light Shaper. There are tons of us, and our powers arent complicated, and the teachers know how to teach us. So I thought the one who was retaking this class must have been a slacker last term or naturally clumsy. Maybe even that he had some kind of personal restriction that made things harder for him, like how Lucille loses when she shouldnt because she wont risk delivering lethal damage.

She needs to get over that, said Rebecca.

I think its important to have principles, Everly countered.

What Im saying is the new guy doesnt have anything like that going on. Hes normal. A normal Strength Brute like me. Maybe even a little better than me since he won? By a pinch, a hair, an F-rank crumb! But he did win. And thats

Pressure, Everly and Rebecca said at the same time.

The S-ranks in the room looked unconcerned except for Maricel, whod gone back to brooding over her footage.

Rebecca sighed again. Its not like you all getting an extra gym period while A-ranks are playing tennis or whatever in our fitness class doesnt contribute. I dont blame you, but we hear people saying how much more challenging it is without the A-ranks around and talking about how much you might improve because of it.

I havent said anything like that, said Tuyet.

But plenty of people are saying things like that.

As and Bs are in the fitness class, said Heloisa. Dont leave out the Bs, Rebecca, or youre as bad as them.

Actually, I do think Opal might be a little behind, said Rebecca. Doesnt she seem worse than Alden and Max?

Does she? asked Vandy. She wasnt as good as either of them, but it was our first duel so she didnt know anything about me.

Again, Vandy, youre not a good judge of this.

I dont know, Rebecca, said Everly. As a fellow Adjuster, I think Opals fine. Our starter Bs are above average. Max is really tricky. And Alden beating Winston last quarterI know Winston was trying too hard to show off, but that flicking a heavy bag thing Alden came up with

He should have been doing that all term! Heloisa said, leaning across the table toward Vandy. He should be doing that in class now so I can hit it back at him.

Vandy leaned away from her. Why are you telling me about it?

Kon and I tried to figure out how heavy of an object he could do that move with by comparing what weve both seen of his skill holding weights and then guessing how much swinging something that way pushes him to magical fatigue. But then we realized we had no idea. He hardly ever lets himself get fatigued in class. By the way, did you finally watch him beat Winston with the bag and paracord, Maricel? It was great, wasnt it?Maricel? Annndshes zoned out again. Everlys tone was frustrated.

Maris zoned in. On improving herself, said Jupiter. She shook the bear purse so that its skirt swayed, and Heloisa reclaimed it from her with a squeal.

Anyway, Winstons another example of the new pressureor seriousness, whatever were going to call it, taking hold, said Everly. Hes winning in gym. Hes not posting as much online. I love posting for my fans, so Im not someone who should criticize too much, but I think thats a good idea for him. Since hes so obsessed with it.

Well see, Rebecca said doubtfully. I looked into his eyes when I tried to explain to him that he shouldnt be a useless traitor that day we worked together as a class to beat Klein, and I didnt see my words landing in his brain if you know what I mean.

I think he might really be doing better. Now would be the perfect time for the old him to be more active online, since Finlay has left and cant even post anything about Elites because of that social media break theyre making all their students take.

Do you think theyre going to get the Elites to level up some before they let them talk about their training? Tuyet asked.

Thats what everyone thinks, Everly replied. Its to build hype.

And because of things like that, the public isnt using their gym suits on Sunday mornings.

Dont complain about that again, Rebecca. You grossed me out in the locker room.

Whoever got to borrow my suit smelled like cheese! I know they didnt clean it afterward. I had to go through a whole class in someone elses cheesy sweat stink. Im not turning it in this time to be shared. Principal Saleh can come right through my bedroom wall to take it back if she wants to try, and Ill tell her to her face about what happened to me.

Thats enough. Weve gotten much too unfocused, said Vandy, standing. Nutritious dinner and bed. Do you all want to eat together? I was going to the grab-and-go spot, but if you wanted to eat at Cafeteria North?

Kons in F-city training with his team. He offered to bring me something, so Ill probably eat with him.

They all looked at Everly.

Theyre training? Heloisa asked eagerly. Not just sitting around talking in a study room like us? What are they doing?

Ill ask. She moved her fingers through the air, typing the message. A few seconds later, she scoffed. That! Look what he sent me!

She added Konstantins message to the group notes under Jupiters last update.

[Thats secret team business, ice spider. We got an outdoor gym training session in thanks to Alden. Tomorrow well be at the top of the run list. The next day, well destroy you + Vandy + the rest of them in battle. Be prepared. Want gimbap? Or pesto ravioli from that place? Im starving. <3<3 xoxo but I respect you enough to kill you in class <3]

Three more hearts, a spider, a snowcone, said Jupiter. A knife. An arrow through a heart. A corgi. A tongue?

You dont have to repeat his emojis aloud, Jupiter. I didnt mean to include all of those.

How dare he say hell destroy us!? Heloisa exclaimed so loudly that Maricel jumped in her seat and returned her attention to the group. They didnt even get to run last week. Hes in no position to look down on us. Hes not even in the game yet. And does he only know your name and Vandys? Were just the rest of them!

Did you expect him to list all of our names in a text?

He did list Vandys, Jupiter pointed out.

Waitwait Heloisa held her bear to her forehead and then slowly lowered it. I have an idea.

Did the bear give it to you? Rebecca asked.

Kon and Alden and their teamthey still owe me favors from our class welcome party. Her face was alight. Im hungry. Where are they in F? Its my supper theyll bring.

Your supper?

In addition to yours. If theyre so impressive, Im sure they can get you ravioli, too.

******

******

Your skill is really something.

The compliment came from Konstantin while Alden stood by a metal table at a goose-shaped snack kiosk in the park.

You dont have to praise me just because your text made Heloisa start calling in her favors from the bonding potion drinking contest. This is minor as far as magical favors go.

Delivering a ridiculous supper to the girls doesnt come close to the last favor I asked for. Teleport me straight from my dorm room to the Primarys house without telling his family, please.

One of Aldens plastic rain ponchos had become a tray for a growing number of the golden egg fried ice creams the kiosk sold. Kon had just handed off a few more, and Haoyu and Lexi were waiting or the final orders at the windows below the goose. Ignacio had gone to meet a delivery person who was bringing a bunch of food from an Italian restaurant. Mehdi, after reminding everyone that he had been the co-winner of that drinking contest along with Heloisa, had decided to enjoy one of the egg snacks by himself in the grass while he watched a couple of girls and a guy from Franklin High play with some kind of shiny Wrightmade hoop.

I wasnt guilt-complimenting you. I mean it, said Kon.

Not letting snacks melt is the best part of my superhumanity. And lookI can even turn them upside down. Alden flipped his poncho tray over and shook it. The ice creams and the paper nests they were served in stayed safely in place. Turning a box full of stuff upside down to see what happened was actually one of the first things I ever did as an Avowed.

And ice cream had been the first thing he preserved when he recovered from his last affixation. It was a good combo.

You can fling us by our clothes one minute and be the ice cream Rabbit the next, said Kon. Thats what Im talking about. And if one of us had face planted

Haoyu did face plant. More than once.

One of us who couldnt handle that kind of thing, Kon clarified. He took a seat on the bench attached to the table, stretching his legs out in front of him and leaning back against the tabletop. Unlike the others, hed made it through their practice without looking like hed been hurled down a mountainside. Alden hadnt started throwing him until the experiment became slightly less experimental. You could have preserved us and taken us to the hospital if someone got hurt. That kind of skill variety is cool, Alden. And it doesnt seem like youre running out of ideas for it yet.

Thanks, man.

Alden already knew it, and he knew more truly amazing things about his skill than Kon had an inkling of. He was grateful for so much these days. But spending hours practicing with this bunch did make him feel like he was behind in other ways. His arms were tired. His legs were worse than tired from a quick game of tag theyd played so that they could all get a better sense of how each teammate was able to move when an opponent invaded their course. He was very fit, and he could use his trait; but hed still ended up needing a break while some of them were going strong.

Tagging an Agility Brute hadnt been the most realistic goal to set for himself.

I was there when you realized that if you hauled people around by preserving their clothes they would get carried by your skill effect instead.

Thats right. After we had to move Astrid across the gym during combat assessment.

You seemed like a fun globie. A little mysterious. You pointed out I could repair that umbrella weapon youd brought with a single spell cast instead of multiple. I thought, The fun globie knows some things. Wonder if hell get in.

Here we are, said Alden.

If youd told me that day that wed be here in this park practicing for our obstacle course team together on this day, with this group of guys, Id have been surprised. Only, its the least surprising thing thats happened since then.

Kons head fell back so that he could stare up at the cloudless, sunset-colored sky.

The least surprising thing, thought Alden.

That would have been an understatement coming from a lot of people on Anesidora these days. From Kon, it was even more so.

Alden righted his tray of eggs. Are you finewith everything?

A public park wasnt the place to be more specific than that. There was a toddler sitting at the next table, trying to feed herself ice cream while her mom caught drips with napkins.

Kon glanced toward where Lexi was.

I am. Justdigesting still. That meeting you arranged was an eye-opener. I really needed it. Im talking about you, though. Your skills so cool. I think Im a little jealous of it.

I could tell him the name of it right now. I could tell him all about it.

Alden didnt intend to do that, but this happy thought had been coming to him periodically ever since Ro-den had released him from the secrecy agreement. His brain must have needed to stretch and appreciate the room he now had to do what he wanted, no matter how inadvisable it would be.

He was still trying to decide if he should keep the tattoo itself as a reminder not to go along with any ideas presented by sketchy wizards.

I might be jealous of your rank, too, Kon said in a would-be light voice. Want to swap?

Alden side-eyed him.

Kon straightened. I said that wrong. I made it weird.

Nah. It was just a joke.

What exactly did Esh-erdi tell Kon about his future? Should I really share something about mine? Another thought followed on the heels of that one. Should Stuart and I tell Esh-erdi anything about me?

There was a part of Alden that wanted to. More than a little, to his own surprise.

Stuarts parents are off the table for now, but what about a real knight? that part said. What if a real knight said yes to what I am, too?

It was a risk, but such a tempting one.

Esh-erdis been so understanding about everything else. It could happen.

Stuart and I should talk about telling him and Lind-otta about Bearer, at least. We wouldnt have to mention me being a wizard yet necessarily.

And as for Stuart

He could call any second. If he did, Alden would be ditching Kon with these ice creams and calling in another teleportation favor.

Ive been staying pretty focused on Stuart, but its all so much bigger out there. Its not crazy that Kon wishes for a different rank right now.

One day, if I summon someone, even someone who agrees to go, will they have awkward moments with their friends like this?

I must have made it really weird for you! Kon exclaimed, suddenly standing.

Alden realized he hadnt been hiding his facial expressions very well. You didnt. I just started thinking about something else.

Im sorry. I dont want to be a B-rank. B-ranks suck.

Multiple people who have no idea what were talking about overheard you saying that, Alden said in a lower voice than Kon had just used. Theyre going to think youre really an esshole.

Kon looked around and reddened when he saw the toddlers mom staring at them disapprovingly.

Dont sweat it, said Alden. [Ask me for a flight on the nonagon if you ever want to vent in private. Well go scream at the ocean. Ive done it. Its not bad.]

He swapped the tray to one hand and slapped Kon on the back.

Ow.

Im a B-rank, and youre my S-rank team captain. Youre not allowed to say ow when I give you a tap like that. Tell Mehdi to get over here unless he wants to be left. Its about time to go. And, you know, I think Heloisa was serious about making Lexi and Ignacio carve a couple of them into roses for her, so its good weve bought extra.

Talking about nothing serious for the next minute or two, he laid the poncho tray on the table. When Haoyu and Lexi approached, they quickly distributed all of the ice cream. The golden eggs had a hot fried exterior and a molten butterscotch yolk inside the ice cream layer, so they turned into puddles rapidly. Unless you had a Rabbit with The Bearer of All Burdens at your beck and call.

Ignacio ran up with the Italian food right before he re-preserved, and Alden let him add it to the poncho.

Before the seven of them left, he took another look around the park. Kids ate ice cream. Couples were taking sunset strolls. An old man was arguing with someone through his interface.

Almost everyone I can see is an Avowed, or will be one.

Kon was in action, smoothing the conversation between the other guys as easily as always.

What does someone like Esh-erdi really see when I show him around Anesidora? Its just people living their lives, but thats a lot to look after. A lot to live u to.

He couldnt quite unpack everything he knew was hiding in that thought, but he could feel that it would stick with him for a long time.

I think I want to step up to it. Meet it head on.

I really want to do well. In Coursing and at everything else Ive got going on. He didnt get that comment out until theyd made it all the way back to Celena North and disembarked from the nonagon in front of the library. His words, simple and obvious as they were, disappeared into a cacophony of louder words from the others as they took in the impromptu celebration Heloisa had arranged in honor of herself. Shed called on the manpower of more than twenty teenage Avowed who either owed her favors or whod gotten caught up in the spectacle.

There the food boys are! she declared from her high perch atop a loft bed being carried by other students. Alden assumed theyd gotten it from her dorm room, but he didnt see how theyd moved it outside unless theyd taken it apart and reassembled it. Vandy told me to get sleep and nutrition! Im now prepared for both.

This is not what I meant. This wasnt my idea, Vandy said to Alden as he approached with the food, as if she was afraid he might think she approved of all this.

Its not a problem, Vandy. She earned this moment fair and square by drinking blenders full of that poison they made at Kons party. Where do I put all the nutrition?

Up here with me! Heloisa said from above him. Our final piece will be here soon.

Up there on the bed? All of it?

Bring it up!

Alden was going to hop up there himself, but some people, overcome by the magnificence of the project, grabbed him by the legs. Jeffy, Astrid, dont!

They tossed him up toward the loft. He landed on the foot of the bed on his knees, so close to the other side that he was perilously close to falling off before Heloisa grabbed the back of his shirt. My feast, she said, inhaling deeply. It smells good.

You cant smell anything. Its preserved.

Dont bother me with the details, Mr. Rabbit. Look! Here comes the final piece!

She pointed over his shoulder, down the long walkway. At first when he looked in that direction, he noticed Maricel sitting on a bench to the side of the group that was parading around with the bed. She seemed to be staring off into space or watching something on her interface, and he wondered what could be more interesting than the nonsense right in front of her. Then he saw that Heloisa was pointing farther into the distance, and he caught sight of a figure running toward them. The person flashed below lamps and past buildings so quickly that he arrived almost as soon as Alden realized who he was.

Hey! Finlay! he said, excited to see Finlay for the first time this term. Other voices joined him, mostly welcoming their former classmate or booing him good-naturedly.

Heloisa, youre mad! Who asks someone to run across the island at night with a single chili?! What sort of a favor is that?

Did you bring it?

Alden tried to keep his poncho tray out of the way as Finlay jumped up. Glaring at Heloisa, the speedster held onto the frame of the bed with one hand and presented a bright red pepper with another.

Spice for my meal, she said, taking it. Stolen from Li Jeans kitchens. So you do remember our bond.

Finlays glare faded. Yeah.

Hows your new school? asked Alden.

Other people were calling out questions about Elites, too, or asking questions about Febri. Jeffys voice was particularly loud.

Nothing wrong with it, said Finlay after a moment. A bit hard. Different people. Got to get back, though. We have a curfew.

Come on, tell us more than that! Mehdi protested as Finlay dropped back down.

Go on, Finlay! Tell us!

Give us the details.

What did you do today? Be specific.

I want to hear about your teachers, the training tips youve gotten, your maid

Its a professional cleaning service that comes when were out, of course. I dont have a maid that works just for me or whatever youre imagining. Its fine. Stricter. More gym time is the main thing.

How much more? Maricel had managed to make her way through the crowd to stand beside Finlay.

Hi there, Maricel. Itsa lot more. Every day. I feel like I never leave. Im nervous one of the instructors is going to come here and drag me back even though were supposed to be finished for today. Theyve actually done that once already. Ha.

Alden thought Finlay sounded overwhelmed, but he could see Mehdi and some others getting starry-eyed.

Well, its good to see you all. Im sorry I have to go. But I have to go.

Wait, Finlay, said Heloisa. You can have some icecream.

Hed already taken off.

I cant order anyone to chase him, she said, blinking after him. I thought he might want to hang out a while. Oh well. Alden!

Alden was finally able to set down his tray.

He didnt get to eat anything since the goose kiosk hadnt offered vegan ice cream. But he did get the satisfaction of partially fulfilling the strange vision hed had for himself while running on Thegund. Riding around the library on a loft bed was a little like being carried on a palanquin.

Im not doing a great job at the being lazy part of that vision, though, he thought as he jumped down and left the group behind to head to the cafeteria. Its all right that Im not. I really do want to do well.

He could have said the same thing last term, but for such different reasons that it didnt feel the same.

I think Im a little proud of what Ive chosen. Even beyond the personal desire and beyond supporting Stuartdoing the knight thing right is something that matters.

A long battle he could give his full strength to.

A new dream for himself.

Something he wanted to believe in.

******

Share