Chapter Three: The Open Eight-Tenths

Su looked at Zhou. Perception would strengthen his Forecast and offer the clearest advantage. Zhou selected Coordination and pushed the point to her. Warmth flowed through Su's inner ear. The floor that had tilted for a year became still. “This time,” she whispered, “you learned.” Across the court, the Hounds' captain received his penalty. He opened his mouth, but no sound emerged. Before the light took him, he wrote a web address on the floor. Back in the shop, they opened it. An encrypted list recorded dozens of Midnight players, their real names, abilities, and scheduled defeat dates. Lin Ya occupied row seventeen: Depth vision—harvested. Zhou was on the final row: Defensive Forecast—to be harvested upon maturity.