On the way to school, I used the Inspect skill on Luke's mother. Inspect was a skill unique to me—something the system had never granted to anyone else. It allowed me to see the full stats of others.
My eyes glowed blue as a soft, flame-like light leaked from them.
[Name: Cortney Harold]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 30]
[HP: 60 / 60]
[Ability: Healing]
[Attribute: Light]
[Strength: 30]
[Stamina: 30]
[Intelligence: 53]
[Total Power Level: 60]
Not bad, I thought. She wasn't weak—far from it. I had expected her stats to be much lower. A healer with a Light attribute and decent intelligence could be useful. Very useful.
She caught me staring and glanced over. I immediately shut the skill off.
"Did your eyes just glow blue?" she asked, laughing.
"Maybe," I replied with a nervous laugh.
"You might awaken a water attribute," she teased. "Or maybe even fire."
"Perhaps," I said.
Inside, I smirked. At least she isn't completely dumb.
"We're here," she said, smiling as she pulled the car to a stop.
I looked up at the building. The school was enormous—towering over the surrounding trees like a fortress hidden deep within the forest. Just looking at it made my instincts stir.
"I have to get to work," she said. "The hospital will probably be full of injuries already."
Right… she's a nurse, I recalled as Luke's memories surfaced.
"Have a good day," she said.
"You too," I replied, stepping out of the car.
The moment I reached the entrance, staff directed me toward the gymnasium. Inside, hundreds of students my age stood in single-file lines. The air buzzed with nervous excitement.
I resisted the urge to use Inspect.
Whenever I activated it, my eyes changed color—and the blue flames made it impossible to hide. Drawing attention right now would be foolish.
After watching for a while, I understood what was happening. Everyone was lined up in multiple single-file lines.
Each student placed their hands on a glowing orb. The color it displayed represented their attribute. Once a colour appeared, they were then told where to go and stand next to a number, depending on the strength of the attribute. Classes ranged from class 1-16 for first years, with class 1 being the strongest. Gasps echoed through the gym as different colors flared.
After what felt like an eternity, it was finally my turn. I stepped forward and placed my hand on the orb. For a brief moment—nothing happened.
Then a blinding golden light erupted, illuminating the entire gym. Students shielded their eyes. Teachers stumbled back.
The orb quivered, radiating three opposing colors
Pure white, endless black, and searing gold—each claiming a third of its surface.
Silence consumed everything.