Still smiling in a way most people would describe as deranged, while walking backwards, Axel pulled the scale down towards the other side of the gym. All three pairs of our eyes remained on the arrow, as it grew further and further away. Soon, Axel had almost entirely crossed the gym, and I could only just make out the weight marked.

He took one step. Two steps. On his third step, he reached the back wall of the gym.

Axel was at least thirty metres away. He could go no further.

“Your ability has no range after it’s been applied.”

Jye took this in quietly. Being able to stay more than 30 metres away from their target was definitely something that supported Axel’s backline theory. But nothing about damage.

“This really still feels like a support skill,” I said. “I don’t see what you’re trying to–”

Jye pelted a new 2kg dumbbell into the air. Their muscles rippled as it left their hand, raising up through the air, clearing at least 15 metres as it reached the climax of its arc. Then I heard static bursts multiply in loudness. Like someone overlaying the same sound again and again.

I blinked and missed the weight’s descent.

CRACK.

Directly at Axel’s feet, the carpet had exploded apart from the force of the falling dumbbell, and it had punctured through to pierce the wooden floorboard beneath. The weight had disappeared into the foundation of the building. Smoke steamed off the edges of the singed floor hole. The words were still frozen in my mouth.

Axel coughed and waved away the fumes. Stepping carefully around the damage, he made his way back to us.

“Backline damage,” Jye said.

“Backline damage,” Axel confirmed.

With a sigh, I conceded, “Backline damage.”

I had taken some instant noodles from home, and using the gym’s kettle, we unpacked them in silence. Axel complained that they were tasteless as the flavour packets were missing. Last week, I had bought them on special, but I didn’t think about it. Eating noodles in hot water was probably about as enjoyable as eating raw dough.

“So, what can you do?” Jye asked, sipping at the noodle water like it was hot cocoa.

The small kettle in the breakroom hadn’t been large enough to fill three instant noodle cups, so I was waiting for it to click finish. As a cheap electrical device, it was taking ages to boil. It probably didn’t help that I was watching it. I could hear the saying from my mum in the back of my head.

Frowning, I realised I hadn’t actually read the description of my ability. “Well, I can [Channel]. Uh…” I thought about the menu screen and it opened in front of me. Focusing on the abilities, the [Channel] ability expanded to show more detail. Not having interacted with the menu screen since it first appeared, it unnerved me that it reacted as if reading my thoughts.

[Channel] Use a consenting party member’s skills.

“I can use someone else’s abilities?” I said.

Jye whistled. “That actually sounds pretty good. How does it work?”

The kettle clicked to announce the completion of its cycle. I poured the boiling water into my noodles and pressed the plastic lip back down to keep the heat in.

Jye wasn’t wrong. It seemed like a decent skill that suited my class. Depending on whoever’s ability I used, it could even be overpowered. Though I guess it would have to be someone who consented to it. In the corner of my eye, Axel mindlessly chewed on his instant noodles. I picked up my own and peeled the lid back to check if it was ready to eat.

“Can I use some of your abilities?” I asked.

“If I say no?” he smirked.

It was like the straw that broke the camel’s back. My patience had finally reached its limit. That was it. I slammed my cup noodles down onto the table so hard the liquid shot back up. It splashed over the edge onto my hand. Snatching my hand back from the instant sting of the boiling water, I hissed and wiped the water away on the edge of my shirt. The skin had already begun to redden. Shit. First degree burns were exactly what I needed right now. From the open menu screen, I heard a short pip.

Eyes wide, Jye blew at their cup noodle and then carefully sipped it.

“Your hand okay?” Axel asked, more as a courtesy than genuine concern.

My menu screen which had remained open showed I had taken 1 HP damage. I had 19 remaining. Holy shit. That’s all it took? If spilling boiling water on my hand resulted in a whole health point in damage… Didn’t that mean I was ridiculously weak? Did I have any health regen? How did you restore health? I thought I had a decent chance of being useful in our party, but if my health was this bad…

“How much damage did you take from Jye’s abilities?” I asked Axel.

“Only 1, but I had [Thick Hide] activated. It reduces damage taken.”

I grumpily ate the bland too-hot noodles, shoving the now too soggy carbs into my mouth, ignoring the minor pain. Of course he’d get an ability that’s so useful in combat. He was a combatant class after all. And of course he wouldn’t let me use them. This fucking guy. God. Before I knew it, the noodles were gone. Jye was staring at me in abject horror.

“You got a problem?” I asked, my lips stinging.

“I don’t,” they said, and then slurped up the last of their warm noodle water.

Axel cleared his throat. “It was just a joke. You can use [Channel] on me.”

I scowled. “Don’t wanna anymore.”

“Then use it on me,” Jye said.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Axel frown, but focused on Jye. “But I don’t know what your abilities are? Don’t you think I’d need to know what the names of them are?”

They shrugged. “You might as well try, especially since you don’t have any other abilities.”

Jye wasn’t wrong. If I couldn’t use [Channel], I was merely deadweight. Thinking about the ability, there was a rush of heat in my core. It built, and built, and the warmth spread over my body, flowing down my limbs and tingling in my fingertips. It was a completely unique experience. Strength was within me, but it had nowhere to go.

Turning my attention to Jye, my menu window popped up.

Bzzt.

The buzzer sound of the wrong answer in a game show. Accompanying this was a red written error: Player not in party.

Oh, there was an official party mechanic in this system. With my focus lost, the warmth dissipated, and I felt lightheaded. Only vaguely aware of it, I could sense, like a phantom limb, I must’ve used some mana. It was different from physical exhaustion. The closest I could come to comparing it with was pulling an all-nighter studying for an exam the next day. My brain felt tight in my skull. So when I failed to use a skill, there was a cost associated with even trying. At least that was good to know.

“It only works on party members.”

“Then I’ll join your party. Just send an invite.”

“Uh, invite Jye to party?” My confidence downgraded the request into a question.

Jye swore loudly, their hands snapping up to clamp around their ears. Groaning, they said, “What the fuck, dude. A little warning next time. This speaker feedback is earsplitting.” From under the hood of their eyelids, they looked up at what I assumed was their screen. “I got two unreadable options. Left or right?”