Jesse stood up, eager to try out his first-ever skill.
[Call out "Inspect" to use skill]
"Inspect," Jesse called lowly. The view in front of his eyes was barely altered; nothing looked different or felt different.
With a look of confusion, he turned to Maxwell, who had an equally confused expression on his face. However, beside Maxwell, a tab hung.
[Name: Maxwell Ike]
[Race: Human]
[Status: Awakened]
[Ability: God's Wrath]
[Tier: Basic]
"Cool." Jesse's eyes widened in astonishment, 'What is that?' He thought, staring at the ability bar.
The ability was one he had never heard of, though it could be characterized by thunder, rain, or perhaps both. While there were different unique abilities in this world, they all fell under specific groups: Aether, Arcana, Mentis, and Vitalis. Every ability in the Aether class had to do with nature or the control of the planet's life force or divinity. Elemental abilities were grouped under Arcana. Mind control or illusion abilities fell under Mentis. Vitalis concerned healing abilities and life manipulation. Hence, Maxwell's ability would be under the group of Aether, as it related to divinity.
[Level: ??]
[Level up the Inspect skill to view more information]
Jesse turned to the other students, peeking at their various information. If this was a screening test, knowing the abilities of his fellow students would be a great advantage. However, he couldn't engage in a standoff with any of them since he had no idea what level their abilities were, nor did he have an ability to combat theirs.
Keeping the skill on, he looked around the entire field. In the short distance, a red light beamed so dimly it was barely noticeable. Sliding his hands into his pockets, Jesse made his way toward the red light, accompanied by Maxwell, who tagged closely behind. His chatter had stopped when he realized Jesse paid him no attention.
Reaching the dim light, Jesse knelt down.
"Inspect," he murmured, but only the light beamed dimly. Nothing popped up. Hidden within the soft green grass, the red button pulsed with a faint light and a low sound. Even in a thousand years, the rowdy, unfocused students would never have discovered the button.
"You sure you wanna do that?" Maxwell asked when Jesse stretched out his hand. His habit of touching and pushing things hadn't changed, even after pushing a baby fist-sized gem into his chest. Jesse looked up at the white-haired kid, whose lips were downturned in a disapproving frown.
"What if the whole place blows up? Who knows, this place could be filled with landmines or some super-nuclear stuff," Maxwell said, his accent and common knowledge unique to the residents of the seventh city.
"Well, I guess we'll have to find out," Jesse muttered, pushing the button as fast as he could.
[Your nonsensical courage knows no bounds]
[Steel Mentality: 25 +1]
[Steel Mentality: 26]
Interrupted by the sudden pop-ups, Jesse failed to notice the unusual event that had the other students in a panic.
"Well, as long as it's not a landmine," Maxwell muttered, snapping Jesse out of his reverie.
Indeed, the landscape had changed. A large wall, similar to the seventh wall, stood before them. Behind them stretched a large expanse of dry land, extending farther than the eye could see. The feeling of dryness and the rustling wind that blew lightly against them made it feel as though they had suddenly been dumped behind the seventh wall.
*Thump.*
The dull sound of Jesse's heart pounding loudly in his chest was interrupted by a 'ding.'
[Steel Mentality has been implemented]
His racing heart calmed, and his head cooled off as if a bucket of cold water had been emptied on him.
"Inspect," he calmly murmured.
[Skill level is too low]
The system's reply came like a knife jabbing at his sides—and at his mind.
[Steel Mentality is being implemented]
[Steel Mentality is being implemented]
[Steel Mentality has been implemented]
He breathed out.
"Dude, what did you do?" Maxwell backed away slowly toward the wall.
"Wait! That kid did it!" a student yelled, pointing at Jesse, who stood a few meters away.
"What are you talking about?"
"He definitely touched something! I swear! I saw it with my own eyes!"
"He's just—"
"No! He did some weird stuff, and then suddenly everything changed!"
"Keep in mind that this could just be an illusion... caused by a machine or a person," a girl walked out of the crowd. Her short black hair fluttered over her face, blown by the wind. Despite her small figure, her astute voice and aura made way for her through the crowd.
"And so? What matters is that he—" The student paused, turning to Jesse, "—is the cause of this."
"It's a test, dimwit. What did you expect? That we'd sit and await failure?" she asked, walking forward. "Whatever he did, we need something similar to pass the test and get out of here."
"Even though it means—"
"Oh, please, you won't die," she interjected. "Stop being such a coward."
"Well then, guys, what do you say? Should we go hunt some zombies?" She smiled, a silver shoge slipping down her sleeve as she made her way into the wild with a large number of students.
"That bitch," the other student cursed, clenching his jaw so hard Jesse could hear his teeth grinding. The bloodshot eyes of the angry student turned toward Jesse, and he unknowingly used his skill due to the intense pressure that the student emitted.
[Name: Silas Dohwa]
[Race: Human]
[Status: Awakened]
[Ability: ??]
[→Supposed class: Mentis]
[Tier: ??]
[Level: ??]
Though Jesse knew Silas' hostility stemmed from the argument between him and the strange girl, he couldn't help but back away. A student from the Mentis class was someone Jesse wanted nothing to do with.
Silas soon walked in the opposite direction with his group of students, leaving Jesse, Maxwell, and a few lone students who hung around the wall.
"What's your ability? We'll have to know each other's abilities to team up. Mine's thunder," Maxwell said, sitting on a fallen tree's stem.
"I don't have an ability," Jesse replied nonchalantly.
"What?!" Maxwell jerked up. "How do you expect to survive then? No, how did you even get here?"
"I don't know... Anyhow?" Jesse shrugged. The kid didn't doubt him—others would have thought it was a bluff to get the upper hand.
"Then do you have a weapon?" Maxwell asked again.
"..."
"Just my luck." He clicked his tongue at Jesse's silence. "Stay behind me. I'll protect you."
[You have received a Main Quest]
[Pass the test]
[Failure to complete the quest will incur a punishment]