The next three weeks were the best weeks of my life.
I was on a strict grind hiatus. No training, patrols, and absolutely no commercials. I spent my days in my silk sheets, ordering room service, and playing video games. My bank account was full, my public approval ratings were steady, and nobody was bothering me.
It was perfect.
On a cold afternoon, I was sitting on my couch, eating a slice of stuffed-crust pizza while watching TV. I had the news playing in a small window in the corner of the screen.
"And now for the biggest story in the Hero industry," the anchor said. "The rookie draft is officially over. The top five defense contractors have finalized their selections from the Metropolitan Academy graduating class."
I paused my game.
The screen changed to a live press conference. The backdrop was covered in the logo of Forbe. Forbe was the third most powerful contractor in the country, and they had been desperately trying to catch up to Brand for years.
A tall executive in a gray suit stepped up to the podium.
"Today, Forbe Technical is proud to announce a new era," the executive said into the microphones. "We have officially signed two of the most powerful, highly anticipated S-Tier rookies in the country."
The screen behind the executive lit up, showing a picture of Marlon Shaw.
"First, we welcome Marlon Shaw. An S-Tier powerhouse with dual elemental control over fire and ice."
A clip played of Marlon from the tournament, blasting fire and ice simultaneously.
"And next," the executive continued, his smile widening. "Joining him on our flagship rookie team is the defending champion of the Metropolitan Tournament. At just seventeen years old, she is already Level 99. The S-Tier Master of Illusions... Chloe Fawn!"
The screen changed to a picture of my sister. She was smiling. They played a clip of her illusion on Marlon.
I stared at the screen, chewing slowly on my pizza.
I was shocked, but not too surprised.
Forbe had spent a fortune to get both of them. Marlon and Chloe were incredibly powerful, but they were also arrogant, self-centered, and hated each other. Putting them on the same team was going to be a fucking nightmare for whatever manager had to deal with them.
"Good luck with that," I muttered.
I went back to playing my game.
My peaceful week was officially ruined the next morning.
My phone buzzed with a notification from Brand.
ATTENTION ALL BRAND ROOKIES: WINTER EVALUATION MANDATE.
I tapped the screen and read the details.
Brand was hosting a mandatory survival test for all their newly signed heroes. It was scheduled to take place at Outpost 7, a remote forest camp owned by the company. The rules were simple: teams would be dropped into the forest and forced to survive against high-tier simulated constructs.
The team that lasted the longest would win a one-million-dollar prize.
I groaned and leaned my head back against the couch. A million dollars was nice, but a remote forest camp sounded like a complete pain in the ass. It meant cold weather, sleeping on the ground, and actual effort. I hated all of those things. But according to the fine print, if I skipped the evaluation, Brand would suspend my active status and freeze my endorsements.
I was stuck. I had to go.
My phone buzzed again. This time it was a direct text from Kevin’s office containing my team assignment. Because it was an S-Tier evaluation, Brand had paired the top rookies together.
I opened the text and looked at the names.
Team 3:
I didn’t know who Mai Golan was but she wasn’t important.
Koda.
The guy from the Dawn VIP box. He had apparently transferred with Brand as well.
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I let out a long sigh.
More fucking problems.
The next morning, I headed to Brand Tower.
I pushed the door open. The room was lit by a blue holographic projector in the center.
Two people were already there.
Mai Golan was standing by the projector, studying a 3D map of the forest. She was tall.
In the far corner of the room, sitting on a stool, was Koda. He had a wooden drawing board in his lap and was quietly sketching with a pencil.
"You're late," Mai said.
I checked my phone. "I'm exactly on time. The briefing starts at ten. It's nine fifty-nine."
She finally looked at me, her eyes narrowing. "I don't like lazy people, Seasons. Especially S-Tiers who rely on flashy rainbow shows to get sponsors."
"Sponsors love rainbows, Portal," I said, leaning against the wall. "They pay forty million a year for them."
"We aren't fighting for cameras tomorrow," she snapped. "We're fighting to survive. If you bring your lazy attitude into that forest, you're going to get us killed."
I shrugged. "I'll try to keep my sweating to a minimum."
I looked over at Koda. "You're Koda, right? I saw you in the Dawn box at the tournament."
Koda stopped sketching and slowly raised his head, his eyes locking onto mine. He didn't say a word. He just smiled.
Without breaking eye contact, Koda turned his sketchbook around so I could see it.
On the page was a highly detailed, incredibly lifelike drawing of me in my gold suit. But in the drawing, my head had been melted into a bubbling puddle of orange sludge.
"Cute," I said. "You're a real artist."
Koda turned the page back and went right back to sketching.
Before Mai could say anything else, the door slid open and Kevin walked in. He was wearing a black jacket with his hands in his pockets.
"Team Three," Kevin said, stopping at the edge of the holographic projector. "The S-Tier dream team. On paper, you three should absolutely dominate this evaluation."
"We will," Mai said.
"I like the confidence," Kevin smiled. "But don't get cocky. Outpost Seven is a simulated frozen forest. Ten square miles of thick snow, freezing winds, and high-tier constructs programmed to hunt you down. The auto-heal function is active, but the pain feedback is set to fifty percent. If you get hit, it’s going to hurt."
He tapped his tablet, turning off the holographic map. "Your transport leaves at six tomorrow morning. I suggest you get some sleep."
Kevin turned and walked out of the room.
Mai turned to face us. "Listen to me. I'm Level 105, which makes me the highest level on this team. I'm in charge. My portals will handle our mobility and escape routes. Koda, your job is to draw defensive barriers to keep the constructs off us. Seasons, you use your wind and temperature control to support us from behind. No flashy rainbow shit. Got it?"
Koda gave a silent nod.
"Works for me," I said, stretching my arms. "Sounds like I get to do the least amount of work."
Mai glared at me. "If you drag us down, Seasons, I will teleport you into a frozen lake. Understand?"
"I can swim," I said. "See you at six."
I turned around and walked out of the room. This evaluation was going to be a giant pain in the ass, but if I played my cards right, I could let Mai and the creepy artist do all the heavy lifting.
At six in the morning, the transport helicopter lifted off the Brand Tower helipad and headed north.
I sat in the back of the cabin, leaning my head against the glass of the window. Across from me sat Mai and Koda. Nobody was talking. The only sound was the helicopter blades.
I opened my Status Screen in my mind to check my numbers.
Level: 51
BP: 295/295
At Aegis, being Level 51 made me a god. But here at Brand, I was technically the baby of the group. Mai was Level 105. Koda was Level 102. Both of them had spent years grinding high-tier zones. On paper, they were absolute monsters.
But I didn't mind being the lowest level. Fewer levels meant fewer expectations, which meant less work for me.
Mai was busy double-checking the straps on her tactical boots. Koda stared out the opposite window, his hands resting on his drawing board.
"We're twenty minutes out," Mai said suddenly. She looked at me. "The rules for this evaluation are strict. Brand dropped the other rookies into different sectors of the forest. They’re surviving solo, so we won't have to worry about running into them. It’s just us, the trees, and whatever constructs the System throws at us."
"Sounds peaceful," I said.
"It won't be," she snapped. "Outpost Seven is a high-tier zone. Even at Level 105, I have to be careful. If you get lazy and slip up, the constructs will tear you apart."
I just smiled.
A few minutes later, the helicopter tilted sharply and began its descent. Through the window, the skyline disappeared, replaced by an endless expanse of pine trees covered in white snow.
The helicopter touched down on a landing pad at the edge of the forest. The side doors slid open, and a blast of icy wind rushed into the cabin.
Mai unbuckled her harness and jumped out into the snow. Koda followed her silently, carrying his drawing board under his arm.
I stepped out last. The moment my feet hit the ground, the cold air hit my face.
I warmed the air directly around my suit.
[Entered: Brand Outpost 7 - Simulated Tundra Forest]
[Objective: Survive 72 Hours]
[Difficulty: High-Tier]
"The gate is locking behind us," Mai said, pointing toward the fence at the edge of the landing pad. A shutter slammed down, sealing the exit. "We’re officially on the clock. Stay close."
She turned and marched into the snow, heading straight.
I put my hands in the pockets of and walked behind her at a leisurely pace. Koda walked slightly to my right, his eyes scanning the woods.
We had only been walking for five minutes when the temperature dropped even further. The wind began to howl through the pine needles, kicking up a flurry of snow.
Suddenly, Koda stopped walking.
I stopped too.
Deep within the woods ahead of us, a low growl echoed through the trees. The snow beneath our feet began to vibrate.
"Get ready," Mai whispered, her hands glowing. "They're here."