Massachusetts General Hospital

  Leo woke to the smell of antiseptic and spiritual herbs.

  The ceiling above him was white. Institutional white. The kind of white that said "you are in a place where people come to be fixed, and I hope you have good health insurance."

  He tried to move. Pain lanced through his ribs.

  Right. The detonation. The collapsing domain.

  He had killed Lord Vaelithorn. And Lord Vaelithorn had very nearly returned the favor.

  "Ah. You're awake."

  Leo turned his head slowly. Every muscle protested the movement.

  Lord Newmont stood at the foot of his bed.

  The Nascent Soul Lord looked different than Leo remembered from the threading test. Gone were the casual cultivation robes of the dueling arena. In their place was a military uniform that belonged on a recruitment poster.

  An olive wool overcoat, double-breasted with polished brass buttons that caught the hospital's fluorescent light. Epaulettes sat on his shoulders, marking rank that Leo couldn't decipher. On his head sat a military cap with crossed golden arrows, the insignia gleaming.

  Lord Newmont looked like he had stepped out of a painting titled "Distinguished Officer Decorates Wounded Hero."

  "Lord Newmont," Leo managed. His voice came out as a croak.

  "The one and only." Newmont pulled a chair to Leo's bedside and sat. "How are you feeling?"

  "Like a Nascent Soul self detonated his cultivation next to me."

  "Accurate." Newmont's expression carried a hint of amusement. "You've been unconscious for three days. Your doctors say you'll make a full physical recovery. The spiritual channel damage is more complicated, but they're optimistic there will be no long term damage."

  Three days. Leo had lost three days.

  "The battle?" Leo asked.

  "Victory. Decisive victory." Newmont reached into his overcoat and produced a small tablet, pulling an after-action report. "We are now calling it The Battle of Fort Cambridge. The Cult lost approximately one hundred Nascent Soul Lords. Nine hundred sixty Obsidian Barges. Twenty-five Weeping Spires. The T3 spirit vein is secured. Fort Cambridge is already under construction."

  Leo let that sink in. One hundred Nascent Souls.

  "Our losses?" he asked.

  "Eight Nascent Souls. Ten Dreadnoughts. Sixteen Flyers. Six hundred transports." Newmont paused. "Approximately eleven thousand personnel killed or wounded."

  Eleven thousand. Leo thought about the transports he had watched flame out during the battle.

  "But two thousand encircled transports made it out safely," Newmont continued. "Thirty-two thousand personnel who would have been killed. Boston Catacombs has one of the lowest casualty rates of all twenty-seven theaters. Thanks to you."

  Leo felt something loosen in his chest.

  "You're a hero, Leo Chen."

  Leo blinked. "A what?"

  "A hero." Newmont said the word like it was obvious. "You saved thirty-two thousand lives. Single-handedly opened the corridor that allowed the Strike Element to withdraw. Killed two Mountain Domain Lords at Qi Refining cultivation, something that has never been accomplished in recorded history."

  "I had help," Leo said. "The Flyers who sacrificed themselves. The drones. The Nascent Souls who engaged the support Lords. And my teammates."

  "Yes, yes." Newmont waved a hand dismissively. "Team effort. Very humble. The point remains. You are a hero, and heroes get rewards."

  He reached into his overcoat again and produced a small box. Inside was a pin. A single gold bar.

  "Second Lieutenant Leo Chen," Newmont said. "Rank O-1. Congratulations."

  Leo looked at the pin. Then at Newmont.

  "Can I get O-2?"

  Newmont's eyebrow rose. "You want to negotiate your rank?"

  "I've killed two Nascent Souls. Seems more fitting."

  Newmont stared at him for a long moment. Then he laughed.

  "O-1," he said firmly. "Not CO-1. This is the real deal. You're in the chain of command now."

  Leo took the pin. It suddenly looked a lot heavier.

  "There's also the matter of your Elo rating," Newmont continued.

  "My what?"

  "Elo. The ranking system for Nascent Soul level combatants." Newmont pulled up another display on his tablet.

  "Your official Elo rating is seven."

  Leo processed that for a moment.

  "I thought Elo started at 1000."

  "It does."

  "So my rating is 1007?"

  "No. Your rating is seven." Newmont's expression remained perfectly neutral. "The Scorpion system itself counts as 1000 points. Any pilot interfacing with a Scorpion is considered to have a base rating of 1000 for mission purposes. Your personal contribution to that system is rated at seven."

  Leo stared at him.

  "Seven."

  "Originally it was going to be five," Newmont said. "But Command decided seven fit you better. Flyer Seven. Also something about the low numbers being basically the same anyway."

  "I feel so valued..."

  "You should. Most Gold Core Flyers have lower ELO than you." Newmont tucked the tablet away. "Now. The more important matter. Your battle achievements have earned you significant merit with Boston Command. Within reason, you can request almost anything as compensation."

  Leo's mind immediately went to the obvious choice.

  "The heavenly tribulation lightning formation," he said. "The one on the Scorpion claws. I want one."

  Newmont's expression shifted.

  "No."

  "No?"

  "Impossible. For several reasons." Newmont leaned back in his chair. "First, the formation requires materials capable of containing heavenly tribulation energy. Such materials can only be lifebonded by cultivators at the Deity Transformation level. Your divine sense, impressive as it is, falls somewhat short of that threshold."

  Leo deflated slightly.

  "Second," Newmont continued, "even if you somehow possessed the divine sense necessary for the lifebonding process, the act of bonding with a heavenly tribulation formation would trigger an immediate tribulation response. You would undergo baptism before the bonding completed."

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Baptism meaning..."

  "Die. Instantly. In a very dramatic fashion involving a great deal of lightning. Kind of like the Lords you used it on." Newmont shrugged.

  "There's a reason the Scorpion system counts for 1000 Elo points. Not just because the weapon is powerful. But because it's an unfair advantage. The closest comparison is the Great Atomic Qi Bomb."

  Leo lay back against his pillows.

  "What else can I get?" he asked.

  "What do you want?"

  Leo thought about it. He thought about the battles ahead. About the Divine Child, who would surely want revenge. About the Catacombs, and the war that would continue whether he was ready or not.

  "I want the best Foundation Establishment body refinement technique available. The absolute best."

  Newmont nodded. "That will be granted automatically when you reach Foundation Establishment. Standard practice for cultivators of your merit level."

  Leo didn't really know what else to ask for. Then he thought of his teammates back at the Yale Bulldogs. It was their final year, and Harvard was going to be a problem.

  "Good. Second..." Leo hesitated. "I need a way to beat Mateo."

  Newmont was quiet for a moment.

  Then he reached into his overcoat and produced a thin book. The cover was plain, the title written in simple characters.

  "The Heart of Flesh Technique."

  Leo took the book. It was thinner than he expected.

  "What is this?"

  "A cultivation technique," Newmont explained. "One of the oldest and hardest to master. It's the only technique that lets a Qi Refiner face a Divine Child without kneeling."

  "Can I beat Mateo with this?"

  "It will be difficult." Newmont stood, adjusting his overcoat. "I must apologize, Leo. I'll try my best to see if I can get your something more tangible. But for now this is all I can offer."

  "The Heart of Flesh technique is notoriously difficult to cultivate. Many have tried, including me. The path it requires is... unconventional."

  "But people have succeeded?"

  "Yes. Quite a few people on Earth have cultivated it successfully." Newmont met Leo's eyes. "But they cannot teach you. No one can. The Heart of Flesh must be found on your own. You will need to discover your own path to it."

  Leo looked at the thin book in his hands. The answer to Mateo. The key to fighting the divine.

  "Thank you," he said.

  Newmont laughed. He turned to leave, then paused at the door.

  "One more thing. Coach Williams left a message. He says if you miss the game against Florida, he will personally come to this hospital and drag you to the field by your broken ribs."

  Leo laughed. It hurt.

  "Tell him I'll do my best."

  Newmont smiled, tipped his cap, and walked out.

  ---

  The door opened soon after.

  Tom came through first, wearing a backpack, guiding something large through the doorway. Matt followed, pushing from behind. Vivian was outside, trying to explain the inexplicable to confused hospital staff.

  They were wheeling in a VR pod.

  Leo's face lit up like it was Christmas morning.

  "You brought it," he said. "You actually brought it."

  "Of course we brought it." Tom grinned as they maneuvered the pod into position beside Leo's bed, and pulled out Leo's tea brewer from his backpack. "We figured you'd be climbing the walls within a day of waking up. Now you can climb virtual walls instead."

  "Thank you." Leo tried to sit up, wincing as his ribs protested. "Ouch... Thank you."

  "Easy," Vivian said, closing the door on her way in. "You're still held together with spiritual stitches and optimism."

  "I need this." Leo reached toward the pod like an internet addict. "Three days unconscious. Do you know how much gaming time I've lost?"

  "Technically, you were in a medical coma, not unconscious," Matt said. "But yes, we figured you'd want to get back to Elden Ring."

  They helped Leo shift closer to the pod, careful not to jostle his injuries too badly.

  "So," Matt said, settling into one of the visitor chairs. "Now that you're Rated, have you given any thought to what you want to buy?"

  Leo blinked. "Buy?"

  "With your purchase qualifications." Matt pulled out his tablet. "You directly contributed to killing six Nascent Souls. That means you have six opportunities to buy from the Rated catalogue."

  Leo had no idea what Matt was talking about. He grabbed the tablet and looked at the screen, unsure what he was supposed to focus on.

  Matt's eyes gleamed. "Check out the Luxury Goods section."

  Leo scrolled through the interface, found the Luxury Goods category, and tapped it.

  His eyes went wide.

  The catalogue was filled with items he recognized from magazines and advertisements. Watches, bags, jewelry, vehicles. Brands that existed in stores his mom would never let him into.

  And the prices.

  "Everything is too expensive," Leo said. "What in the world! This watch costs more than my house."

  "Those are just dollars," Matt said. "Not merits. Don't look at the merit section by the way, unless you want to feel poor."

  "Just dollars?"

  "Basically free." Matt opened up his phone and flashed his bank account. He had a disturbing amount of money in it.

  Leo stared at the prices again. They were still astronomical by any normal standard. But Matt somehow still had more.

  "I don't usually care about luxury goods," Matt said, leaning forward.

  "But there's something in there that I really want. Check out the Rated section. This stuff is super exclusive. Only available to the Rated. Limited releases. Commemorative items."

  Matt pointed at the tablet. "Scroll down to watches."

  Leo scrolled. The watch section was extensive. Brands he had never heard of mixed with names he vaguely recognized from advertisements.

  "There." Matt jabbed his finger at the screen. "The Richard Mille Scorpion Watch. Limited edition. Released to celebrate the Scorpion Platform's combat debut."

  Leo looked at the watch. It was... a lot. Skeletal design, visible mechanisms, a case that seemed to be made of high end spiritual materials. The price tag had enough zeros to make his eyes water.

  "You want this?"

  "The only thing I want more is the real Scorpion." Matt's voice was reverent. "If you buy it for me, I'll front money for the rest of your purchases. Something for yourself, something for your parents too."

  "My parents?"

  "Your dad would love the Bombardier Flyer Chronograph." Matt scrolled to another watch. "Super classic. Military Flyer heritage. He'd never be able to buy one himself even if he had the money. Each Rated can only purchase one."

  Leo looked at the Bombardier. It was elegant in a way the Richard Mille wasn't. He trusted Matt.

  "And for your mom..." Matt switched to the bags section. "The Hermès Divine Beast Bag. Made with genuine T5 leather."

  The bag that appeared on screen was... a bag. Leo wasn't sure what else to say about it. It was orange. It had a clasp. It looked kindof boring. At least the watches looked really cool.

  "What's the function?" Leo asked.

  "Function?" Matt looked confused.

  "It's T5, right? What does it do? Storage formations? Defensive arrays?"

  Vivian snorted. "Hermès bags have no functions. They're a status symbol."

  "A status symbol?"

  "Your mom carries it, and everyone who sees her knows your family has money," Vivian explained. "That's literally it."

  Leo looked at the price. For that amount, he could buy a flying sword. And not just a foundation establishment one.

  "Women really care about this?"

  "Your mom will cry," Tom added. "Trust us."

  Leo added the bag to his mental list. His mother would probably cry. She had cried when he got into Exeter. Hopefully a T5 leather Hermès bag would help her forget how much school he'd skipped.

  "What about you?" Leo asked Vivian. "What color do you want?"

  Vivian's expression closed off. "I don't like luxury goods."

  "Come on." Matt gestured at the tablet. "We should all get something. First successful mission. Team bonding. Leo's buying."

  "I'm fine."

  "Vivian." Tom urged. "You managed the tether that saved Leo's life. You deserve something nice."

  "I was doing my job."

  "Your job that saved thirty-two thousand people." Tom crossed his arms. "Boston Command is going to put us on tour. Transport missions, convoy support, maybe operations in other Catacombs. We're going to be hunting Mountain Domains whenever we are free."

  Leo looked up. "We're a permanent team?"

  Tom explained. "Command is worried that when we start pushing to retake the Tier 1 spirit veins, the Mountain Domain Lords might start hitting convoys in response. Scorpions can't handle that domain on their own. They want flyer teams like us seeded into the transport convoys to ambush and kill the Lords if they try to attack. The cults never know which trucks have teeth."

  "So there will be plenty of opportunities for Leo to earn more purchase qualifications," Matt explained to Vivian. "Partial credit for every attributed kill. If we keep working together, he'll have more purchase opportunities than he knows what to do with."

  Leo turned back to Vivian. "So. What color Birkin?"

  Vivian was quiet for a moment.

  "Light pink," she said quietly. "If you insist."

  Leo smiled and added it to the list.

  "What about you?" he asked Tom.

  Tom didn't hesitate. He reached over, took the tablet, and scrolled directly to a specific watch.

  "Jacob & Co. Heavenly Tribulation Lightning." He turned the screen so everyone could see. "New release. Limited edition. The face actually displays a miniature lightning formation. It pulses when you channel spiritual energy into it."

  The watch was absurd. Diamonds, gold, and a tiny formation array crammed behind the crystal just to make lightning dance across the dial.

  "Done," Leo said.

  Tom's grin could have powered a small city.

  "What about you?" Vivian asked Leo. "You should get something for yourself."

  Leo thought about it. He had the watches for his parents. The bag for his mom. Gifts for his teammates. But for himself...

  "Is there anything that shows I'm Rated?" he asked. "Something everyone can see at a glance?"

  The three of them exchanged looks.

  "There is one thing," Tom said slowly. "Crossed golden arrows on a cap. Only the Rated are allowed to wear it."

  Leo's mind flashed to Lord Newmont. The military cap. The insignia gleaming under the hospital lights.

  He grabbed the tablet and scrolled through the catalogue. Hats. Military caps. Formal wear.

  There.

  A navy baseball cap. Simple design. But prominently displayed on the front, embroidered in gold thread, were crossed arrows. The description noted it was made from T5 spiritual threads, with formations woven into the fabric for durability and comfort.

  It was the most expensive baseball cap in human history.

  Leo added it to the order without hesitation.

  "Alright," he said, confirming the purchases. "Help me into the pod."

  Tom and Matt moved to either side of the bed. Vivian opened the pod. Together, they lifted Leo carefully, mindful of his injuries, and guided him into the cushioned interior.

  "You sure you're ready for this?" Vivian asked. "You could rest more."

  "Believe me, after everything we've been through, this is rest." Leo reached into his hospital gown and pulled out the thin book Lord Newmont had given him and scanned it into the system. "You guys know how much I need this thing."

  They all gave him a smile. Glad to see him unchanged.