The Altered Fighting Academy E-Book

JKSManga

• Herausgeber: Podium Publishing
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: My Werewolf System
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 683

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

The beastly LitRPG fighting series continues as a teen werewolf shifter takes his next step toward greatness . . . or is it to his doom? Ever since he became gifted with the high-tech Werewolf System, Gary Dem's life has gone completely barking mad—but in a good way. He's risen from a nobody street scrapper to forming his own fighting gang, the Howlers, now dominating the low-tier burg of Slough. He's got respect, money, and some serious bite. Life is good. Just not good enough for Gary. That's why he's joined the Altered Fighting Academy, in which the toughest, fastest, most savage fighters pit their unique powers against one another in battle to survive and join the professional ranks, where glory is won and fortunes are made. But the going isn't easy. Even though Gary can brawl with the best, technically he's not really an Altered. So, in addition to maintaining control of his moon-powered rage, he has to keep his true nature a secret. Not exactly easy when your entire class schedule is based on merciless bloodsports. Meanwhile, something else is afoot at the AFA. Powerful forces behind the Academy's facade have plans for Gary and his fellow fighters far more sinister than one-on-one combat. And far, far more deadly . . . The fifth volume of the hit urban fantasy series—with more than five million views on WebNovel—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

Leseprobe

JKSMANGA

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission from Podium Publishing.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living, dead, or undead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2025 by Kawin Jack Sherwin

Cover design by Husa

ISBN: 978-1-0394-8003-2

Published in 2025 by Podium Publishing

www.podiumentertainment.com

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 TEEN LOVE

CHAPTER 2 STARVING WOLF

CHAPTER 3 HUNGER IS PAIN

CHAPTER 4 DON’T FIGHT

CHAPTER 5 LOCK ME UP (PART 1)

CHAPTER 6 LOCK ME UP (PART 2)

CHAPTER 7 A STRONG WILL (PART 1)

CHAPTER 8 A STRONG WILL (PART 2)

CHAPTER 9 ANOTHER HOUR (UPDATE)

CHAPTER 10 DON’T EAT HIM!

CHAPTER 11 WALKING ZOMBIE (PART 1)

CHAPTER 12 WALKING ZOMBIE (PART 2)

CHAPTER 13 THE NEXT MEAL (PART 1)

CHAPTER 14 THE NEXT MEAL (PART 2)

CHAPTER 15 STRANGE BLOOD? (PART 1)

CHAPTER 16 STRANGE BLOOD (PART 2)

CHAPTER 17 FAKE BLOOD (PART 1)

CHAPTER 18 FAKE BLOOD (PART 2)

CHAPTER 19 THE PLAN (PART 1)

CHAPTER 20 THE PLAN (PART 2)

CHAPTER 21 UPDATE FROM THE OUTSIDE

CHAPTER 22 THE FIRST DAY

CHAPTER 23 SPECIAL LESSON (PART 1)

CHAPTER 24 SPECIAL LESSON (PART 2)

CHAPTER 25 SPECIAL LESSON 1 (PART 1)

CHAPTER 26 SPECIAL LESSON 1 (PART 2)

CHAPTER 27 THE RED TEAM (PART 1)

CHAPTER 28 THE RED TEAM (PART 2)

CHAPTER 29 THE BLUE TEAM (PART 1)

CHAPTER 30 THE BLUE TEAM (PART 2)

CHAPTER 31 SECRET MEAL (PART 1)

CHAPTER 32 SECRET MEAL (PART 2)

CHAPTER 33 EATING A BEAST

CHAPTER 34 THE BEST FOR THEMSELVES

CHAPTER 35 A MESSAGE FROM HOME

CHAPTER 36 I AM A WEREWOLF

CHAPTER 37 THE SECOND MOON (PART 1)

CHAPTER 38 THE SECOND MOON (PART 2)

CHAPTER 39 THE SECOND MOON (PART 3)

CHAPTER 40 THE SECOND MOON (PART 4)

CHAPTER 41 GRAY VS. BROWN

CHAPTER 42 LEAVING SLOUGH

CHAPTER 43 A LAST MEAL

CHAPTER 44 THE BIG AUCTION

CHAPTER 45 TIER 1 CITY

CHAPTER 46 A WORLD OF GANGS (PART 1)

CHAPTER 47 A WORLD OF GANGS (PART 2)

CHAPTER 48 DARK GUILD (PART 1)

CHAPTER 49 DARK GUILD (PART 2)

CHAPTER 50 FIVE MILLION DOLLARS

CHAPTER 51 EVERYONE IS HERE

CHAPTER 52 STARTING BID! (PART 1)

CHAPTER 53 STARTING BID! (PART 2)

CHAPTER 54 WHO GETS WHAT?

CHAPTER 55 THE ONE-STAR HUNTER

CHAPTER 56 THE HUNTERS CHOOSE

CHAPTER 57 AN ALLY OR A FOE

CHAPTER 58 SKILLED HUNTER

CHAPTER 59 GROWING QUICKLY

CHAPTER 60 ONE DAY

CHAPTER 61 A NEW ALTERED IN THE HOWLERS (PART 1)

CHAPTER 62 FIGHT FOR THE PRIZE (PART 1)

CHAPTER 63 FIGHT FOR THE PRIZE (PART 2)

CHAPTER 64 THE LAST PROBLEM

CHAPTER 65 ONE LESS PROBLEM

CHAPTER 66 TIER 4

CHAPTER 67 NEW ALTERED (PART 1)

CHAPTER 68 NEW ALTERED (PART 2)

CHAPTER 69 FULL TRANSFORMATION

CHAPTER 70 THE PERFECT FORM

CHAPTER 71 A NEW SLOUGH

CHAPTER 72 CHANGING SLOUGH

CHAPTER 73 BLACK AND GOLD RETURNS

CHAPTER 74 THE LEADER RETURNS (PART 1)

CHAPTER 75 THE LEADER RETURNS (PART 2)

CHAPTER 76 A SPECIAL BOY (PART 1)

CHAPTER 77 A SPECIAL BOY (PART 2)

CHAPTER 78 BROTHER AND SISTER

CHAPTER 79 LETTER FROM A FATHER

CHAPTER 80 BUSINESS TYCOON

CHAPTER 81 THE FAME OF THE HOWLERS

CHAPTER 82 THE BIG BOSS

CHAPTER 83 NOTSBURG

CHAPTER 84 A TIER 2 BOSS

CHAPTER 85 A TIER 2 DEAL (PART 1)

CHAPTER 86 A TIER 2 DEAL (PART 2)

CHAPTER 87 SOLVING THE PROBLEM

CHAPTER 88 BACK AT THE AFA

CHAPTER 89 TWO LIVES

CHAPTER 90 A CONFESSION LETTER

CHAPTER 91 A DEBUT (PART 1)

CHAPTER 92 A DEBUT (PART 2)

CHAPTER 93 BECOMING A DEBUT STUDENT?

CHAPTER 94 A SPECIAL GUEST

CHAPTER 95 THE END GOAL

CHAPTER 96 SIX VS. ONE (PART 1)

CHAPTER 97 SIX VS. ONE (PART 2)

CHAPTER 98 A WINNER

CHAPTER 99 A SPECIAL REWARD

CHAPTER 100 REACH ME

CHAPTER 101 SPECIAL LESSON 2

CHAPTER 102 A SPECIAL ITEM (PART 1)

CHAPTER 103 A SPECIAL ITEM (PART 2)

CHAPTER 104 SPECIAL LESSON 3

CHAPTER 105 NEW SKILL ACTIVATED

CHAPTER 106 A CRYSTAL

CHAPTER 107 A LESSON LEARNED

CHAPTER 108 A LITTLE TASK

CHAPTER 109 FOR HOURS

CHAPTER 110 THE DATE (PART 1)

CHAPTER 111 THE DATE (PART 2)

CHAPTER 112 WHY ME?

CHAPTER 113 A SPARK OF POWER

CHAPTER 114 A CRY FOR HELP (PART 1)

CHAPTER 115 A CRY FOR HELP (PART 2)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER 1

TEEN LOVE

There were multiple reasons why Gary had decided to join the AFA. It had been his dream since he was a kid, and he was now living out his fantasy, but one reason was because someone had advised him to.

When he entered the AFA, it was full of trials and hardships that were different compared to when he was in Slough.

With new friends he had managed to get through his troubles, and it was finally time for them to join the real AFA, but before that Eddy had one more surprise for them, and that was when Gary laid eyes on a certain individual in the Academy’s training room.

“Xin!” Gary called out.

Everyone in the room had heard them call each other by their first names, and judging by their slow and awkward movement, it was pretty obvious that this wasn’t the first time they had met. Slowly they inched forward toward each other, and when Gary was about a yard away, he stopped.

Now, the real question on everyone’s minds, in both groups, was the connection between Gary and Xin.

“Hey.” Ian gave Izzy a nudge. “From the way he behaves, Gary seems to be head over heels for her. I hope you didn’t have the hots for him yourself, because their feelings might actually be mutual.”

Izzy didn’t say anything to that. Honestly, she wasn’t sure herself about what her true feelings were with regard to the green-haired teenager. She still remembered how she had schemed against him to increase her chances to make it into the AFA. He might have forgiven her for that, but she still felt bad. On top of that, they had made it out of the facility together, but everything that had happened inside had made their relationship more than complicated.

The one thing Izzy did know was that seeing him act like a love-struck fool annoyed her.

“Hey, Xin.” Ryan, the boy with blond spiky hair, nodded toward Gary. “Who exactly is Greeny over there to you? Is he your boyfriend or something?”

Xin and Gary looked at each other. Neither one was sure how to answer the question. Both of their faces lit up bright red, and Gary was struggling to control his heart as always. Any second now, he could end up transforming.

Ryan had merely asked it as a joke, yet seeing their reaction and neither one refuting it, he was more than just a bit shocked.

No way … are they really a thing? How is that possible? Is this really the same Xin who won’t slow down for anyone? I mean, she rejected me … four times!

Gary and Xin had been unable to properly date, or get to know each other very well, because of the circumstances back in Slough. Nevertheless, Gary had made it clear how he felt toward her, and she hadn’t completely denied him. On top of that, Xin was also thankful for him saving her.

Still, she hadn’t really processed those feelings herself yet. She had thought they would be in the past. Her immediate goal was to go through the AFA and become a well-known AFC fighter, so she could live her life how she wanted.

“How did you manage to get in?” Xin asked eventually. “I mean, you weren’t an Altered the last time we met, right?”

“Ah!” Gary scratched the back of his head, trying to come up with a good excuse. “I was sponsored by a … company. You know how I was always into fighting? They saw potential in me, and so they helped me apply for the AFA. Well, one thing led to another, and so I ended up here. It was just a stroke of luck, really.”

There was a pause and an awkward moment between them. Gary had played this moment many times in his head. The reason for him coming to the AFA wasn’t completely because of Xin, but it wasn’t like she had nothing to do with that, either.

The last time he had met Xin’s brother, Jayden had advised him to join the AFA and to go chasing after her. Now that she was before him, he was questioning if that was really the best thing.

“I’m happy to see you’re doing well,” Gary blurted out. “It can’t have been easy to make it through, but you got to this place all with your own power. It’s … good to see you again.”

Eddy clapped loudly, as he didn’t want to continue watching this teen drama catch-up. There would be time for that later. Besides, he had noticed Ryan mumbling profanities under his breath as he was trying to murder his fellow student with his eyes. However, that wasn’t the main reason why he had called the students to this place.

“These students are the current top of the top that the AFA has to offer. The other teachers and I have given them our blessing to have their debut match in the AFC in the near future. Before that, though, they’ll be showing you guys what it means to be the top dog in the real AFA.”

Seeing the smirk on Eddy’s face, Izzy quickly figured out the meaning behind his words. “Are you telling us to fight them? On our very first day?”

The others looked toward Eddy, semi frightened. Even Sty, who had acted cocky and confident, looked uneasy.

“I see that your files weren’t lying when they described you as smart cookies,” Eddy commented with a light chuckle at their over exaggerated reaction. “Even though you have made it into the AFA, you can’t just take it easy, and this sparring match will be good for you, to remind you that there’s always someone stronger than you.”

The students looked across at their opponents. It was hard to tell how strong the others were, but they had had the advantage of attending the academy for some time already.

“Ryan, would you mind?” Eddy asked.

With a new wave of energy inside him, Ryan nodded and walked past the others. He stared at Gary, who was unaware of why Ryan was pointing his anger toward him.

Then, stopping in front of the black bag that they had all been standing in front of earlier, he readied his fist and threw it out, connecting with the bag with a loud thud as it swung widely back and up into the air.

The others who had tried to hit the bag earlier gulped. The difference between the performance of their groups was evident.

“Don’t worry,” Eddy said. “You will not be fighting today. Just like with any match, you’re given a certain amount of preparation time. You have today and tomorrow to prepare as you see fit. Feel free to use the training facilities or rest during that free time.

“The day after tomorrow, though, you’ll have to challenge one of these five.”

Gary’s mind went blank for a second.

“Sir … did you just say we have two days until our match?”

Eddy nodded, and the other students with Xin started to smile. They thought that Gary feared that it would be impossible to catch up in such a short period of time. Xin thought it was unfair, but she herself had been forced to challenge the future AFC fighters, and that experience had been both humiliating and encouraging.

However, the werewolf was worried for an entirely different reason. After all, he would have to fight during the day of the full moon …

CHAPTER 2

STARVING WOLF

In two days’ time, the five students would officially enter the AFA by battling the current top five of their student body. For the time being, though, Gary and the others were taken to a temporary room. They were free to rest there as the temporary bedrooms were being prepared.

As the only girl among the group, Izzy was very happy about that last fact. The temporary room was located in the sparring building. On every floor, there was a large octagon filled with equipment for Altered to train with.

After placing their belongings down, everyone was allowed to order some food. Once more, the former top rankers were free to order whatever they liked. Eddy had even recommended that they use this opportunity to have their last “cheat meal.” Once inside, their dietitian would decide what they were and weren’t allowed to eat.

The teenagers didn’t waste this chance, as they wished to gain every bit of energy before their matches. An Altered’s body required a lot more calories on a daily basis than that of a regular human. Their bodies digested food in a short amount of time, which allowed their body to absorb it and produce the energy they needed to fuel themselves, especially if they wanted to transform.

Everyone was different in how fast that process was, but some could eat an entire three-course meal and fight right off the bat without it affecting them at all. Gary’s friends had long since accepted that he was that type of Altered, so it came as a big shock when he only asked for one measly steak with potatoes on the side.

“Is everything all right with you? Does that measly meal even count as your appetizer? Usually you order steaks by the dozen. Are you feeling sick, or something?” Ian asked worriedly.

“No, it’s not that. I’m just … not that hungry right now,” the werewolf replied in a dejected manner.

His friends looked at each other but didn’t say anything. They thought that he must simply be nervous about fighting in front of his old girlfriend. They couldn’t blame him, as they themselves felt nervous about the tough fight in front of them.

What the fuck do I do? Gary screamed internally; his mind had been like this for a while now. How can I get out of this situation? I can’t tell them that I’m not feeling well when they have state-of-the-art machines to check me out. They won’t take me seriously, especially not if there’s nothing visible wrong with me! They’ll just think I’m scared of fighting. Oh God, I don’t want Xin to think of me as a loser when we finally meet.”

The werewolf still had no idea about what to do to avoid having to fight on that day. He knew only one thing; he had to make sure his Energy stayed under 30 that day. Thanks to the experiment during the last full moon, he had discovered that the key to surviving it was to starve himself so that he would lack the Energy to transform.

However, while he had already proven the success of that method, it came with a number of big problems. First of all, the overwhelming desire to eat made him act far more snappy than usual. He was also more likely to give in to his natural urges. Ideally, he would have preferred to avoid interacting with anyone at all, just to make sure he wouldn’t accidentally devour anybody.

Shit, why couldn’t it have been the day before or after? Am I really just meant to fight on an empty stomach? Should I just surrender and live with the shame? Gary wondered. He didn’t like that course of action, but if he didn’t come up with anything better, that might just be his fate.

When everyone’s food arrived, the green-haired teenager enjoyed his meal … for roughly thirty seconds. After that, he had to force himself to stop glancing at the meals of the others. The scent alone made him hungry, and his stomach started to grumble. Nevertheless, he pretended that everything was fine.

In his head, he imagined his mother and sister in a room with him. No matter what, he would suffer through whatever it took to avoid eating them. This scenario helped him come to terms with his fasting.

Sty was the first one to leave the room. The Fly Altered knew that he was on thin ice, so he ignored everyone else in the room. After all, he knew perfectly well that they all hated him. He headed toward one of the empty rooms to train for the fight.

“What do you guys want?” Gary asked as he noticed that Izzy, Ian, and Numba were all looking at him expectantly. Izzy was a bit startled by the werewolf’s tone of voice. He sounded annoyed, nearly angry.

“We just thought that you could teach us … You helped us improve before, so we hoped you could help us again. With only two days’ time, we should do our best.” Ian explained their reasoning, also having noticed Gary’s erratic behavior.

“No! … Now is not the best time.” The werewolf shook his head. He could see the looks of disappointment on their faces. It sucked, but he couldn’t explain that he wanted them to keep their distance from him because he was afraid of hurting them. The hungrier he got, the more likely he might snap at them, and he had yet to find out how strong he currently was.

“I’m sorry, I need some time to myself. With how long I’ve been asleep, I want to focus on some basic conditioning training. Just repeat what we’ve been doing in the past, and you guys should be golden.”

Before they could reply, Gary ran out of the room at his top speed. This way, he was continuously using up his Energy and it allowed him to focus on something besides his protesting stomach.

“I guess we were being a little selfish.’’ Numba sighed. “We have relied on Gary for a while; it’s not right for us to keep relying on him. We’re in the AFA now, so we need to start acting like it.”

Izzy and Ian let out a sigh each as well, but they agreed with Numba. Taking Gary’s advice to heard, they headed over to a training room. After warming up together, they each trained in their own way, before they started to lightly spar with each other.

Late that night, Eddy called in the AFA students for a meeting.

“I hope all of you took the time to check out our batch of students. As is tradition, your rank 1 will fight their rank 1 and so on. I’m sure you all remember how it goes.”

On the TV screen, the faces of the AFA students appeared with a number below each one. Numba at rank 1, Gary rank 2, Sty rank 3, Ian rank 4, and Izzy rank 5.

“This is great!” Ryan smiled to himself. “Let’s see Xin continue to ignore me after I kick her boyfriend’s butt!”

CHAPTER 3

HUNGER IS PAIN

“Is it just me, or do these guys look kinda weak?” Shingi, one of the top students soon to debut in the AFC, asked while twirling thick strands of his black curly hair.

“I guess you could say that,” another student chimed in. Stark had the appearance of the typical Altered celebrity, with his neat blond hair and a perfect V-shaped body. “The last batch gave us quite a surprise, so it should be expected that nearly anyone after them would seem weak in comparison. Hey, Xin, you seem to know that green-haired guy. Is there anything you can tell us about him? It would be great if we could finish things early.”

The reason he asked was that other than name and rank, no other information was given to them, to keep things fair between the two teams. The only thing they had to go off of was what they had seen earlier in the day.

Xin didn’t really know what to say. She had only fought against Gary once, and at the time he had proven to be a hot-headed fighter who charged forward recklessly. Nevertheless, the one thing she still remembered was his tenacity. Despite her attack, which had even received Jayden’s praise, he had stood up after it. And that was before he even became an Altered … at least she thought that was the case.

“My only advice would be to not go easy on him. I think he’ll be a tough opponent for any of us,” Xin replied eventually.

“Ha-ha, really?” Ryan chuckled. “A tough opponent? The guy didn’t even make rank 1. Just look at the group of people he ended up passing with. You know the students get worse as the year goes on, since the top of the top have already left. Anyway, I’ll take your advice, and I won’t go easy on him.”

“Just don’t forget to do your due diligence,” Shingi reminded him. “You know, if there is a conflict of interest and that crap. We should check out their backgrounds, and if it messes with any of ours, report it to Eddy, so we can change who we fight.”

The others agreed and began doing their research for the rest of the night, while Xin was left wondering what had happened to Gary after she left.

The next day, Gary was down to 100 Energy. While the others were enjoying their breakfast, he had ordered a small meal once more, making his friends even more concerned for him. They could see the visible struggle on his face, not to mention the sounds of protest coming from his stomach.

“Hey, bro, I know you’re meeting your girl and stuff tomorrow, but you don’t need to diet for her. You look fine,” Ian joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Alas, Gary didn’t say anything and instead left the room to go train. Usually he would have at least let out a courtesy laugh, but right now every little thing was annoying him. Just during breakfast, he had felt his teeth starting to grow out, urging him to feed on something. The only thing keeping him sane was letting out stress by training.

During the last full moon the pack had come together and, following Kai’s suggestion, they had performed a little experiment to discover the optimal way to deal with their common condition. After drawing straws, Olivia got to power herself out completely and barely ate anything during the previous seventy-two hours. Gary’s task was to continuously power himself out for that same duration, whereas Kai was to power himself out completely on the last day.

From what they had been able to tell, Olivia’s method had led to her being the most irritable of them all because of her prolonged hungry state. On the other hand, Kai had been the most aggressive, since his body had the least amount of time to cope with his starved state. Gary’s path had been the middle ground, yet it was hard for the other two to copy because the alpha werewolf was the only one who could actively check how much Energy he had left, thanks to the system.

Unfortunately, this time, not only was he on his own, he also didn’t have the luxury to tie himself up to make doubly sure he couldn’t attack anyone. Tomorrow it would be a mental game; he would have to constrain himself in front of all those people, so he wanted to get used to the feeling of hunger and build up some resistance.

The hunger is one thing, but this stupid full moon is also making me feel like everything is pissing me off! Gary thought as he practically drained the entire water bottle in a few gulps. He was huffing and panting in the training facility.

Seeing how agitated Gary was, the others decided to stay out of his way for lunch and dinner. In the end, they also had to worry about their own training for tomorrow’s match. Although they had been told that this match was mostly for show, none of them wanted to let themselves get beat up.

Around eleven p.m. all of them had gone to sleep. Only Gary remained in the training room, not feeling sleepy in the slightest.

My Energy is still high, and this damn pain is pissing me off! The werewolf cursed silently as he punched the bag in front of him. He continued to hit it with all his power, again and again.

“ARGHHH! Just a little more!” Gary shouted, and threw out an almighty punch.

Shingi was planning to go for a late-night training session himself. He was whistling as he walked down the hallway when he overheard the sound of someone hitting something.

No way, someone other than me is training this late? Man, what’s up with these new guys? It seems like that Wu guy isn’t the only gym rat. Oh well, the more the merrier, Shingi thought, amused.

Heading to the door, he decided to open it and take a look at whoever was powering themselves out before their big match. To his surprise, the green-haired teenager was only a few feet away from him, covered in sweat.

Shingi wanted to say something, but Gary’s eyes seemed lost as he walked past him and down the hallway.

So it’s Greeny training this late, huh? I mean, a light session is okay, but going that hard, he’s not going to be able to fight tomorrow, Shingi thought as he got ready to train himself.

However, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed the state of the training bags. At the very end, the black bag, the heaviest of them all, had several large holes through it. It looked like cannonballs had been shot through the bag.

I … I’ve never seen anyone do something like this before. I need to warn Ryan before his fight tomorrow. If he doesn’t take it seriously, he might end up with a hole in his body.

CHAPTER 4

DON’T FIGHT

It was finally the day of the big match. Izzy, Ian, Numba, and even Sty were dealing with their nervousness in their own ways to give it their all. As for Gary, he was currently sitting on top of his bed, his eyes closed. The werewolf had barely gotten any sleep. Unlike the rest, he cared little about the outcome of his fight, far more worried about the state his opponent might end up in.

During the last full moon, the werewolf pack had found out some interesting things, among them that it wasn’t just the night that they had to worry about. Even before the moon came out, one was at risk of snapping. In Kai’s case, the gray werewolf shapeshifter had gotten feral during his transformation, forcing Gary to subdue him, with help from Olivia, before he could cause any damage.

“Gary,” Izzy called out in a soft voice as she knocked at his door. “It’s time for us to head to the octagon.”

The green-haired teenager slowly opened his eyes, wincing, like he was in pain. He took some controlled breaths before he changed into the outfit the AFA had prepared for them.

At the same time, in another room, the five that the group would be fighting today were also getting ready. Only the students from the AFA weren’t in the least bit worried about today’s matches. In fact, most of them saw these matches as nothing more than an annoying task that came with their position.

I … I just can’t get that bag out of my head, Shingi thought in the boys’ changing room. It had not just one but multiple holes ripped right through it. The power had even reached the wall behind it. How the hell do I tell Ryan about this? It would be a total embarrassment for him to throw in the towel in front of a newbie.

As the boys exited their changing room, Shingi tapped Ryan on the shoulder. The other two boys continued to walk toward the octagon, barely noticing that half of them had stopped.

“Hey, Ryan, I need to talk with you. Look, I know we haven’t exactly been best friends in here. If anything, we’re more like rivals, but I hope you know that I at least respect you in that capacity,” Shingi began.

“Oh, come on, if you say it like that, it makes it sound like I’m the bad guy. We might not have hit it off at first, but as far as I’m concerned, you’ve proven in those tag-team trainings that I can trust you with my back,” Ryan replied with a grin, not sure where his fellow Altered was going with this.

“Good, ‘cause I want you to take what I’m about to say seriously, man. You see, yesterday, I went to train like I usually do at night … and I saw the black bag ripped to shreds.”

Ryan had no particular reaction to that piece of information. Sure, the black bags were famous for being durable and sturdy, but they were a far cry from being indestructible. “So? Eddy or one of the other teachers must have been using the room. What’s that got to do with me?”

Shingi shook his head. “Eddy is the only teacher who would come down here, and he’s been busy with other stuff. No, it wasn’t any of the teachers, man. Now I haven’t seen him do it, but right before I entered, that green-haired kid left the training room.”

Ryan laughed. “I didn’t take you to be the funny type, Shingi, but that was just what I needed right now. There’s no way it could have been him. I’ve done my research. The guy’s a nobody. Someone who simply lucked out during the assessment and made use of the vacancy the last lot left.”

“I told you I wouldn’t joke about such matters,” Shingi insisted with a serious look on his face. “I’m not talking about some teensy-weensy hole in the black bag. It looked like Swiss cheese, as if he had some grudge against that damn thing. If you get in that ring … you better take things seriously!”

Ryan placed his hand on Shingi’s shoulder. “Are you even listening to yourself? If their rank 2 is already scarier than most of our teachers, doesn’t that mean their rank 1 would wipe the floor with Xin? Did any of them look capable enough of such a feat?

“I’m telling you, it must have been one of the teachers. I got one of my contacts to look into Greeny’s background. He’s from the same town as Xin. The only difference is that he’s a nobody who got picked up by a no-name gang.”

“What did you just say?” a female voice asked from behind the two teenage boys.

Turning their heads, they both saw that Xin had come out of the girls’ changing room and was ready to fight. She wore the same yellow-and-white AFA top that they did, only hers was like a sports bra, revealing her midriff and abs.

“About what?” Ryan questioned. “The backing of your old friend, you mean? His sponsor is this gang who call themselves the Howlers. My contacts told me they’re not a big deal, but you should probably know better.”

When she heard the name, certain conversations flashed through Xin’s head. She hadn’t been in contact with her family since joining the AFA, but she did remember her father angrily commenting about a new gang that was on the rise. She also recalled a news report about more and more businesses coming under the Howlers.

So that’s why you avoided my eyes when telling me a company sponsored you. You actually became an Altered by joining a gang. Xin had hoped that Gary would have done better, especially after she herself had been captured by a gang. The fact that he had actually joined one didn’t sit too well with her.

“The name doesn’t really ring a bell. Come on, let’s go and show these guys what we got,” Xin said.

CHAPTER 5

LOCK ME UP (PART 1)

Eddy had arrived in the dormitory of the newly joined students. He had a big smile on his face as he looked over everyone, though he noticed that nearly all of them weren’t looking too good, especially one of his favorites.

Hey, hey … don’t tell me the pressure is getting to him as well, Eddy thought, looking at the sweaty and tired Gary. I guess these guys are kids after all. They don’t have much experience yet, but I thought he was different. Maybe I was wrong in the end.

“Everyone, remember, the outcome of this match doesn’t matter whatsoever,” Eddy reminded those from the facility. “Even if you lose in one punch, you will still be granted entry to the real academy. You have already made it. That being said, I advise you to try and avoid that fate unless you want to get teased by your peers about it.”

The joke made some of them chuckle, at least. “These fights are tradition and their purpose is to show you how far you still have to go, and of course what you can achieve by giving it your all during your stay in the AFA! If you give it your best, one day you’ll be the ones teaching others a lesson!”

Eddy’s little pep talk had lightened the mood a bit, especially for Izzy, Ian, and Numba. All they needed to do was show their best, and that was exactly what they intended to do.

The group followed the teacher through the large double doors, and just outside the fighting octagon, the students were seated on a bench, waiting. All the nerves that had disappeared from their bodies came back in a second when they saw their opponents again.

“Man, I’m worried I might let out a log during the fight. I should have gone to the toilet or something,” Ian commented.

“You’re so disgusting, you’re going to make me sick,” Izzy replied.

“Please don’t be sick; when someone’s sick, that just makes me sick,” Numba replied.

The others could all hear this conversation and couldn’t help but smirk, but at the same time, it just made the other group more confident that this whole thing was going to be a walk in the park.

Xin moved her head, trying to get a look at a particular student, and that was when she saw Gary, walking sloppily behind the rest of the group.

He looks quite pale … and he’s already sweating, I think I just saw some drip from his nose. Is he really sick or something? Xin wondered. She couldn’t help but worry, but the conversation from before had entered her head, making her clench her fist.

I’m sorry, I don’t know what your situation is, Gary … but if what Ryan found out is true, I don’t really know how to act.

Numba, along with the others, sat on the bench on the other side of the cage. Both groups could see each other but only through the cage, so they were unable to clearly see one another.

“The order of the matches isn’t fixed, and I’ll use a random generator app to put you in random order!” Eddy held out his phone, showing everyone. “A number between one and five will be assigned to you, and you will have to enter the ring and face your opponent.

“Just to let you know, your own rank will determine who you face on the other side, if you know what I mean.”

Izzy certainly understood; both rank 1s would go against each other. Which meant that there were going to be no easy matches for any of them.

When Eddy pressed the button on the app, the numbers rumbled through and eventually stopped at 3. All heads turned to the first person, which had surprised them all.

“Ha, you guys are already shaking in your boots,” Sty said, standing up confidently. “If you’re worried about something like this, then you’ll never make it far in the AFC.”

For a second, Sty paused his tough talk as he looked at Gary, who still had his head held down and a towel over his head. The whole time he had consistently been drinking water, re-hydrating himself.

No one had talked to him today. He had made it clear to his friends that something was up with him, so they had collectively decided to not bother him, at least not until his match was over and done with. “As for you, I’m the most disappointed in you out of all of them. I can’t believe I lost to someone like you.”

Sty walked over and entered the octagon, while his opponent did the same. Standing opposite Sty was a tall specimen of a person. If one thought Blake was the ideal candidate to become an Altered, then they had yet to see the student known as Stark, who was built like the superheroes in the movies they all used to watch.

“Rank 3, huh. Let’s see if your group is as interesting as the last lot,” Stark said, crouching down slightly with his fists away from his face, preparing to fight.

“Oh trust me, I’m the best of this bunch of losers, so tough luck!” Sty shouted as his whole body transformed. His wings came out, his mouth elongated into a fly’s proboscis, and immediately he flew straight toward Stark.

Just like in the battle against Numba, Sty shot out a strange liquid from his mouth. Using just his toes, Stark pivoted, avoiding the strange liquid, and spun his body backward, throwing out a fist at the Fly Altered.

At the last second Sty flew upward, avoiding the attack. “Oh, you have fast reflexes. I guess this won’t be a boring fight after all. Let’s see if you can entertain me as much as that Wu guy,” Stark taunted as Sty flew toward him, kicking out his leg.

CHAPTER 6

LOCK ME UP (PART 2)

Once again, Stark pivoted on his foot, changing position and making Sty miss. As Sty flew up into the air, he fired out more of the strange green liquid, hoping to hit his opponent, but Stark avoided it with swift minimal movements.

“Sty has gotten faster than before, but he still can’t do anything against that other guy,” Numba commented from the sidelines.

“It’s because he’s also just reacting,” Izzy replied. “That Stark guy has managed to completely minimize his movements, just using his toes to pivot and swivel. Against someone like Sty who starts his attacks from a distance, it’s easier for him to see everything coming.”

“Easy?” Numba replied. “Trust me, Sty can change direction in a split second, which is why I could never hit him.”

“I said it was ‘easier.’ Nothing easy about this, to move your body, to not blink or get scared, and to focus without losing sight of a flying opponent. The most impressive thing is that he’s doing all of this without having transformed into his Altered form,” Izzy explained.

For a while now Sty had been on the attack and hadn’t managed to land a single hit. He was getting frustrated and tired, so instead of hoping for a lucky hit, he decided to take a risk. He flew up directly above Stark and immediately dove down.

While doing so, Sty spun his body with his fists held out, ready to hit Stark at the right time. The attack was faster than anything Sty had done before. Seeing this, Stark spread his legs wide in a sumo wrestler’s stance.

As the Fly Altered approached, he leaned back to avoid the punch, grabbed Sty by his shoulders, and threw him into the ground. The others heard his body breaking when his head slammed into the canvas.

It bounced a bit as the material was flexible, but it was designed for Altered fights. Blood spilled out from Sty’s nose and mouth. When he landed on the canvas again, he didn’t get up.

“Fuck! Is he dead?” Ian shouted. “Damn, I hate the guy, but it seems like he is always getting beaten badly these days.”

Stark knew the fight was over, so he picked up his opponent’s body and carried him out of the cage. A few teachers seemingly appeared out of nowhere to collect Sty and take him away.

“Don’t worry, guys, it takes a lot to actually kill an Altered. All of you should know that.” Eddy laughed.

However, it didn’t seem like a laughing matter to the others. For Izzy, Ian, and Numba, Sty was next to impossible to beat. So how would they fare against the rest? Before Stark headed back to the other group, he looked at those on the bench.

“You guys aren’t as good as the last ones; it looks like it’s going to be a boring day,” he said before walking off.

He must mean Apollo and his friends … I wonder how they did, Izzy thought. It was hard to tell, because they had just seen Sty, who was originally part of Apollo’s top five gang, get beaten without putting up much of a fight at all.

On the other hand, Ryan couldn’t stop laughing.

“Come on, Shingi! Is this supposed to be the fighting group that I need to be so scared off? You have to be pulling my leg. If their number three guy couldn’t even get Stark to transform, how strong could Greeny be?”

Shingi didn’t reply. Ryan’s mockery was annoying, especially since he had shared that information because he was worried about him. Now he was starting to think that it would be for the best if Xin’s boyfriend could teach him a lesson. The only problem was, if what he had seen was true, then Ryan wouldn’t just get taught a lesson, he would never be able to walk again.

His legs shaking nervously, Shingi didn’t know what to do.

“So, what do you think about Xin? It looks like your friend has come with quite a weak group. Although maybe their rank 1 will give you a run for your money. That Apollo guy sure as hell had you sweating last time.”

Xin looked at Numba. She didn’t like judging a book by its cover, but he also lacked a certain aura that rank 1s usually had. Unless he was an actor worthy of an award, he seemed to be really nervous about their fight.

“If Gary has continued to improve from the last time I met him, I would not underestimate him. Least of all now that he has become an Altered who has managed to get to his position in record time. Which means I shouldn’t underestimate their current rank 1, either. You should never judge a book by its cover,” Xin said, serious about everything as always.

She seemed to be the only one in a fighting mood, and she had been the only one who warmed up beforehand.

“Gary, what did you think?” Numba asked. He already knew what he and the others thought, but Gary was beyond all of them, just like the people in front of them.

Honestly, having Sty lose like that was embarrassing, and Numba felt there would be more embarrassment on the way, but there was one person who could perhaps change that: the one right next to him.

“I …” Gary finally said. “It … hurts so much … I just want to make it stop … can’t this day end quicker … please …”

Only Numba heard Gary’s mumbling, but he was unable to make sense of it. He leaned in closer, because it looked like Gary had more to say.

“Numba … favor. Please … after the fight … lock me up … hold me back. Make sure I’m far away … from anyone,” Gary mumbled again.

Numba wanted to ask what he meant, but Gary was clearly struggling just to get the words out.

“Sure, I’ll help you with whatever you need after this, Gary,” Numba replied, no longer caring about the outcome of the fight but instead worried about the person at his side.

“What is happening to you? I don’t think you’re just sick anymore, Gary. You’ve been acting strangely these last few days … I wonder if there is anyone who would know how to help?”

The Goat Altered looked at Xin, thinking she might know the answers.

“All right, everyone, stop thinking about the last match and get ready for the next one. Remember, just show us the best you can do.” Eddy smiled and pressed the button on his phone. Finally, it stopped at the number 4.

“Ah, shit! I was hoping to go last!” Ian said, standing up. His legs were shaking as he walked toward the octagon, but strangely he saw that his opponent seemed to be a bit absent-minded.

Shingi wasn’t looking at Ian but at Gary, who was sitting down on the other side.

“How do you think he will do?” Numba asked.

“Well, these guys are strong, no one can deny that, but Ian was able to get through the facility without using his Altered form, and now that he can, I think they might be in for a surprise,” Izzy answered with a smile.

CHAPTER 7

A STRONG WILL (PART 1)

“Teacher!” Numba called out. “Do we have to fight today? I don’t exactly feel well.”

The fight had yet to start. As the two opponents were getting ready in the ring, Ian was jumping up and down, trying to get the nervous energy out of his body. At the same time, Shingi couldn’t stop looking past him.

“Hmm, I would say it’s best if you just fight today and get it over and done with, even if you are sick,” Eddy replied. “It’s very rare for an Altered to get sick in the first place. However, if it’s severe enough for you to be distressed, we can take you to the medical office and get you checked out.”

Just then, Gary grabbed Numba by the forearm tightly. The Goat Altered was about to scream out in pain from the strength of the werewolf’s grip, and he was barely able to stop himself.

“No, it’s okay … it must just be my nerves,” he said, excusing his earlier behavior. Fortunately, the teacher had been too focused on the two in the ring, so he hadn’t noticed Gary’s movements.

“These students are on a busy schedule, as they are currently the most promising ones in the AFA. It might be hard to find another window of time for a match, so I recommend you don’t miss this opportunity.”

As the fight started, Eddy’s attention was now fully focused on it, and Numba could finally breathe without a claw of death holding his arm. The werewolf, as preoccupied as he was with his condition, registered that his friend had just been looking out for him, trying to give him a way out. Unfortunately, getting checked out today could only end badly. Either they would find nothing … or they might find something that would land the werewolf in much more trouble.

“Begin!” Eddy gave them the signal to start.

Still bouncing on his feet, Ian darted off toward Shingi the moment his feet touched the ground. He threw a punch, but just as in the previous match, the soon-to-be AFC fighter pivoted and moved away from it with ease.

At the same time, Ian had overthrown his punch and tumbled forward. Just before he hit the ground, though, Ian used his arms to lift his body and legs, then performed a side kick, hitting his opponent.

“That was a nice hit,” Shingi said, holding his arm up to block the kick. “Still, you’ll need to hit harder than that to take me out.”

Pushing Ian’s leg away with his forearm, Shingi threw a kick of his own. Just as he did so, he noticed Ian’s smile and wondered, Does he have something planned?

The image of what Gary had done in the training room flashed through his head, and instead of kicking Ian when he had the chance, Shingi decided to retreat, making sure he could react in time to whatever was coming.

“Boo! What are you doing? We’re here to show them who’s boss!” Ryan complained from the sideline. “Come on, this isn’t a serious match. Why are you being so careful?”

The fighter glanced at his taunting teammate. It was frustrating; no matter how annoying Ryan was, Shingi knew that his rival was right. If this were any other fight, he wouldn’t have hesitated to use that opening. It was only because of what he had seen before that he was second-guessing Ian’s capabilities.

“Hey!” Shingi changed tactic. “Why haven’t you transformed? Do you really think you can beat me without transforming?”

“Right back atcha. Do you think you can beat me without transforming?” Ian taunted him, easily seeing through Shingi’s trick to rile him up. “Besides, I got through the facility without needing to use my Altered form, so I don’t see why I should use it now.”

The others were quite surprised. They wondered if they had ever heard of anyone achieving such a feat and if it was something they could have done. However, it certainly did make those on the AFA side pay closer attention to the match. Of course, it had been a secret that Ian had actually only advanced this week because of special circumstances.

“If you’re not going to come to me, I will keep coming for you!” Ian shouted as he ran forward; it looked like he was going for a punch, but once again, he leaned down and bent backward. He seemed to be falling, but with his powerful arms he pushed off the floor and flung out his legs, kicking Shingi in the chest.

Landing on the ground, Ian quickly got up and spun once again, trying to do a spinning back kick. This time, however, Shingi blocked the attack, yet more came his way, one after another.

“Is something wrong with Shingi?” Stark asked, noting that he seemed to be unfocused.

“Pfft, he’s got it in his head that those guys have some hidden ace up their sleeves, that’s all. I guess he’s just being more cautious about the fight,” Ryan answered, not sharing the whole truth, as the story about the black bag just seemed beyond ridiculous.

In the end, Shingi knew that he couldn’t stay on the defensive. Ian’s prowess was merely a conjecture on his part and when he saw the leg coming toward him, rather than avoiding it, he readied his fist and threw it out, sending it straight into Ian’s shin. The strong punch caused the boy’s leg to swing backward and his whole body to spin.

“Oh,” Ian remarked, rubbing his shin. “Now, that was more of what I was expecting. I thought you might have forgotten how to punch.”

Honestly, Shingi was surprised that his opponent’s bones remained intact. It might have been a single hit, but the attack had been at close to full force.

“Unfortunately for you, someone on our team hits a lot harder than that,” Ian said while standing up and heading toward Shingi again. If there was one word to describe the Altered, it would be persistent.

Ian spun his body, trying the same spinning kick as before, and Shingi decided to punch him in the shin again, only this time he would use more strength, aiming to break the other leg.

I can’t let this guy’s words or what I saw get into my head. I’m about to head into the AFC. My mentality can’t be this fragile! Shingi threw his punch at the perfect time and faster than before, hitting Ian in the shin once again … yet this time there was blood.

CHAPTER 8

A STRONG WILL (PART 2)

Because of the angle of the hit, it was hard for the spectators to see who the blood belonged to, and since they were close to each other, even as they stood up and tilted their heads it was hard to tell.

Blood trickled down, dripping onto the mat. There wasn’t a lot, but it was clear someone had been hurt; in the end, it belonged to Shingi. The blood was coming from his knuckles, and judging by the look on his face, it was more than just a flesh wound.

Shingi’s fist had indeed struck Ian’s leg, yet the leg had suddenly sprouted a load of dark brown, golden bristles, sharp little spikes that came out of his skin, and now they were stuck in Shingi’s hand.

I was so caught up in trying to throw a punch that I was overthinking and missed the obvious. What is wrong with me? the Altered thought, chiding himself for his rookie mistake.

Observing how Shingi was stuck—with his leg in the air—Ian was able to hop forward on his other leg and throw out a fist. It wasn’t an ordinary fist, though. Shingi raised his arm to block, and the moment it hit more bristles popped out from Ian’s knuckles and dug deep into Shingi’s shoulder, causing it to bleed.

Ian actually doesn’t seem to be doing too bad out there, Numba thought. Maybe we can do something against them after all.

After seeing Sty lose in such a drastic manner, they had all lost some of their confidence. However, seeing how Ian fared so well against one of the best the AFA had to offer, as someone who hadn’t been scouted, it made them believe that there was a place for them in this academy after all.

“Screw this!” Shingi shouted. “Why am I trying to be as impressive as Stark?” He took a step back, feeling each bristle as it dislodged from his skin. They were painful, but nothing he couldn’t tolerate.

Immediately, he jumped back a few more steps until his back was up against the cage wall. Ian was quite a distance away, too far to land a punch or a kick, yet Shingi suddenly threw out his arm. The next second, Ian felt a hand on his head followed by his forehead being slammed against the canvas floor. He couldn’t see what had happened, but the others had seen it clearly.

Shingi’s arm had stretched in the middle of him throwing a punch, and it had done so faster than the punch itself. Before Ian had a chance to regain his footing, Shingi slammed the fist at the end of his long-limbed arm into the back of Ian’s head, and his opponent was no longer moving.

“The fight is over!” Eddy declared with a concerned look on his face. He rushed in to check Ian’s vitals. The latter’s eyes twitched, and seeing his breathing, the teacher let out a big sigh.

“Did you really have to transform?” Eddy turned around and asked the other student.

Usually, Shingi wouldn’t have had to, especially against an opponent like this, and perhaps if he’d let the fight go on longer, he could have tired Ian out and still have won. However, Shingi just wasn’t in his normal fighting mood. He knew this from the beginning, and after getting played around, he had decided to take the extreme step to transform himself.

Before Eddy could give him an earful, Shingi decided to turn around and leave the area.

Damn it, it’s embarrassing that I had to transform in front of a newbie like that. I guess I still have a lot to learn, Shingi thought.

“Hey, hey, before you try warning me, you should take a look in the mirror and improve yourself,” Ryan said, mocking his rival.

“Whatever, man. Screw you and your stupid face,” Shingi replied before turning away. “I won my match at least. Feel free to ignore what I said, but don’t come crying to me if you get your ass kicked.”

Shingi leaned against the wall rather than sit with the others; the wounds on his body had already begun to heal.

“That was some strange transformation,” Izzy commented. “I guess as we get closer to the academy’s top, we are more likely to see the unique Altereds and less of your typical kind.”

Just as Izzy finished giving her judgment of the others and the fight so far, Ian came back to join the others while rubbing the back of his neck.

“It looks like I got knocked out in the end, but at least I didn’t break any bones … this time.” Ian chuckled, looking at Gary. Alas, he got no response; their friend just continued sitting there, his head held down.

“Gary said you did well while you were out. The training paid off, and he’s proud of you,” Numba chirped, answering for him. “You really managed to show them.”

The blood on the floor was being cleared, and while the cleaners were busy, Eddy announced the next pair. There were only three more fights, yet none of those from Izzy’s group wanted to go next.

The next number shown on Eddy’s phone was 1.

“Whoa! Well, it looks like you’re up, Xin!” Ryan cheered. “Go on, go show them what a real Altered match should look like.”

On the other side, Numba stood up. He glanced at Gary for a moment, hoping he would say some encouraging words. Then again, he would be going up against his buddy’s girlfriend, so would it be fair to expect him to cheer for him over her? Well, it didn’t matter; the werewolf wasn’t in the mood to support anyone right now.

“Numba, whatever happens, you have already achieved so much just getting in the ring, and don’t underestimate the girl. She’s ranked above them all for a reason,” Izzy warned him.

“Numba … don’t go easy on her … show her everything you have.” A weak voice suddenly came from the stands as the two of them entered the ring.

Turning around, Numba saw that Gary no longer had the towel on his head and was keeping an eye on this fight. Although his opponent was Xin, Gary was going to support the person who was currently at his side.

Xin … let’s see how much you’ve improved.

CHAPTER 9

ANOTHER HOUR (UPDATE)

At first, the talented top students from the AFA hadn’t expected much from Gary’s group. After all, it was common knowledge that as time went on, those who passed from the facility would get worse and worse.

On top of that, the last lot had proven to be beyond what any of them had expected. Although nobody on the AFA’s side had lost their matches, they had been forced to take those fights far more seriously than they had anticipated. Apollo and his gang had been better than some of the students who had already been studying in the AFA for a year.

In fact, with their skills, they would be able to do relatively well if they were placed in the AFC right now. After all, the AFC accepted students from all Altered academies, not just the AFA. It was just that those directly from the AFA had an advantage because of their connections.