Divine Milking System

But first, I needed sleep. I’d pulled off an A-rank gate clear, survived an assessment, climbed from rank 250 to 141, and banged Aurora Fitzgerald all in the span of 24 hours. I was operating on borrowed energy.

I stripped down and crawled into bed, inhaling Aurora’s lingering scent on my sheets. As sleep claimed me, my mind drifted to the question that would define my future:

Could I turn these stolen powers into a weapon capable of taking down Blair Davenport?

With 1,260 points in reserve and two weeks of life, for the first time, the answer seemed like it might be yes.

My alarm blared at 5 AM. I rolled over with a groan, feeling a deep ache in muscles I didn’t know I had.

"System status."

◆ DIVINE MILKING SYSTEM ◆

JACE MONROE

Level: 5

Experience: 650/5000

Lifespan: 10D 23H

Points: 1,260

I dragged myself out of bed, feeling the weight of Friday’s gate, plus the evening activities with Aurora. But beneath the exhaustion was something new—a sense of confidence. My abilities were upgraded. I had options now.

"Status check on Wave Motion," I murmured.

[Wave Motion - Bronze Rank]

Stamina Cost: ~15% per shot

Projectile Size: Basketball-sized

Wave Riding: Sustained glide, improved control

Range: 25 meters effective

I flexed my hand, feeling the energy rippling just beneath my skin. The upgrade had made the ability more responsive, more controlled. I’d need to test it properly, see just how much improvement I’d gained.

I pulled on gym clothes and stepped out into the common area. Hikaru was already there, sipping tea at the counter. Her eyes flickered to me, then away.

"Morning," I said.

"Good morning." She paused. "You had company again last night."

It wasn’t a question. I shrugged. "Sorry if we disturbed you."

Hikaru’s face remained expressionless. "You were quiet enough."

I unwrapped the protein bar, watching her carefully. "Heading to the gym?"

"Yes."

"Mind if I join you?"

She considered for a moment. "That would be acceptable."

Progress. From zero percent to acceptable. What a journey.

We walked to the gym in relative silence. Inside, the facility was nearly empty—only the truly dedicated or truly desperate came at 5 AM. I headed for the weights while Hikaru went to the pull-up bar, her movements graceful and controlled.

I loaded a barbell with more weight than usual, curious to see if my Strength stat had improved from the gate and training. To my surprise, it felt manageable. Not easy, but doable. I pushed through a set of deadlifts, feeling my muscles strain pleasantly.

"Your form has improved," Hikaru noted from across the room.

"Thanks. Been working on it."

"Your squad performed well on Friday. An alpha kill is impressive for lottery students."

I racked the weights. "You knew about that?"

"Everyone has. Blair was... displeased."

"I bet." I moved to the bench press. "How’s her burn unit coming along?"

Hikaru’s lips twitched—the closest thing to a smile I’d seen from her. "She is resilient."

"That’s one word for it."

We fell into a comfortable rhythm, each focused on our own workouts but aware of the other’s presence. After forty minutes, I felt properly warmed up and decided to test my upgraded Wave Motion.

"I’m heading outside for some ability practice," I told Hikaru.

She nodded. "The east training field should be empty at this hour."

I jogged out to the field, dew-covered grass soaking my shoes. The campus was silent except for distant bird calls. Perfect.

I settled into a stance and focused on Wave Motion. The energy gathered more quickly now, more eagerly. I aimed at a tree stump across the field and fired.

A basketball-sized sphere of golden-white energy shot from my palm, crossing the distance in an instant and exploding against the stump with a satisfying BOOM. Splinters flew everywhere as the top half of the stump disintegrated.

"Holy shit," I whispered.

At Copper rank, the blast would have dented the stump. At Bronze, it obliterated it. And I’d only used about 15% of my stamina, compared to the 20% drain before.

I tried the Wave Riding next, channeling energy through my feet. The burst launched me ten feet into the air, but instead of immediately falling, I found I could maintain a gliding hover for several seconds, directing my movement with subtle shifts in energy output. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

I landed softly, grinning like an idiot. This was game-changing. With proper control, I could move like a hunter now—darting across battlefields, changing position mid-fight, evading attacks that would have caught me before.

"Not bad."

I whirled around to find Hikaru standing at the edge of the field, watching me with those intense eyes.

"Thanks," I said. "Just testing some upgrades."

"Your ability is unusual." She tilted her head. "Energy conversion without mana depletion."

"Something like that."

She nodded, as if confirming a theory. "You should practice combining offensive and mobility applications. A moving target is harder to hit."

Before I could respond, she turned and walked away, heading back toward our building.

I watched her go, puzzled by the interaction. Had that been... advice? Was Hikaru Tanaka actually helping me?

My phone buzzed with a message from Belle:

"East field. 6:30. Bring your A-game and energy reserves. I want that Silver buff again before class."

I grinned. Belle was nothing if not direct. And with my newly upgraded Sensory Hijack, I had a few surprises planned for her.

Another message arrived, this one from Naomi:

"Morning! Hope you slept well. We have combat training at 10. Breakfast at 8?"

I texted back confirmations to both women, then glanced at the system interface again.

1,260 points. Eleven days of life. Three upgraded abilities. And a newly acquired Sensory Hijack that was about to make extraction sessions a whole different experience.

For the first time since waking up in this fucked-up world, I felt genuinely powerful. Not just surviving—thriving.

"Let’s see what else this body can do," I murmured, channeling Wave Motion through my feet again and launching myself across the field in a controlled glide.

By the time I landed, I was already planning my next move. Belle at 6:30. Breakfast with Naomi at 8. Combat at 10.

And somewhere in there, I needed to figure out how to stop Blair Davenport from burning me to a crisp when she finally lost her patience with my existence.

One day at a time.

Or in my case, one extraction at a time.