"Ding! Please make your choice."
"1: Apologize to the classmates. Reward: Slightly enhanced endurance."
"2: Refuse to apologize. Reward: Significantly tougher skin."
"3: Not only refuse to apologize but provoke the Instructor. Reward: Full immunity to magical powers."
At that moment, Finn heard the system's prompt loud and clear in his mind. He couldn't help but smirk.
Checking the details of the rewards, his eyes narrowed in focus.
Tough skin? Ten times defense boost?
Full immunity to magical abilities? Now that was something worth pursuing.
Finn quickly made his decision.
"Apologize?!" he thought. "To a bunch of children?"
His lips curved up mischievously. Definitely not.
Suddenly, Ain's cold voice echoed through the courtyard. "You two! Didn't you hear the Instructor? Apologize immediately or face the consequences!"
Tashigi, standing nervously beside Finn, tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Master, the Instructor is serious... we should... maybe we should apologize."
Finn didn't even glance at her, his eyes still fixed on Ain. His arms crossed in a defiant posture. "Apologize? To these little brats? If you want me to apologize, Instructor, you'll have to earn it."
"Ding! Congratulations, Host! Reward: Resistant Skin has been activated."
As the system chimed in, Finn felt an invisible, powerful energy ripple across his skin, settling in like a protective shield. The students watching gasped, some wide-eyed in horror, others in awe of Finn's audacity.
"Is he crazy?" one whispered. "No one crosses Ain like that…"
Ain's icy demeanor shifted slightly, her brows lowering as a small smile—a dangerous one—played at her lips. "So, you want to play tough, Monkey D. Finn?" Her voice was sweet as venom. "I love breaking cocky recruits like you."
She stepped forward, her hand lifting gracefully. From her palm, a bright, swirling blue flame materialized. "Let's see how tough you really are, Finn."
The students whispered among themselves. "That's it... he's going to be a baby. Ain's power is no joke. She can rewind your age twelve years with a touch of that flame! Once she hits him, he's done."
Ain didn't hesitate. Her hand lashed out, the flame striking Finn square in the shoulder.
And then... nothing happened.
Finn blinked.
Ain blinked.
The students blinked.
No one could understand what had just occurred. The blue flame, notorious for its devastating effect, had simply fizzled against Finn's skin.
"Wh-what?" Ain stammered, her eyes wide with confusion. She raised her hand again, this time more forcefully slapping Finn's shoulder with the flame.
Still nothing.
Finn simply raised a brow, looking down at where the flame had touched him and then back at Ain. "Is that all?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
The students, who had been eagerly awaiting his downfall, suddenly fell silent. Their laughter died in their throats, replaced with confusion and awe.
"How... how is this possible?" Ain muttered, her confidence faltering for the first time.
Finn, now fully enjoying himself, stepped closer to Ain. "Looks like your magic tricks don't work on me, Instructor. Maybe you should apologize for wasting my time." His voice was low, dripping with challenge.
Ain's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and rage. Never had she encountered a student who could resist her power—let alone someone so openly disrespectful.
Tashigi, still standing behind Finn, was equally stunned. She had seen her master do some incredible things, but this was on another level.
"Master..." she whispered, barely able to contain her shock.
But Finn wasn't done. He turned to the students, his voice booming. "You heard her! You all thought I was done for, huh? Well, guess what—I'm still standing! And you, little brats, better remember this moment."
As he finished, he turned back to Ain, giving her a mocking salute. "Nice try, Instructor. Maybe next time."
Ain clenched her fists, her fury barely contained. This wasn't over, not by a long shot. But for now, she had been bested—at least in front of the class.
"Class dismissed!" she barked, spinning on her heel and storming away, leaving Finn standing tall in the training yard, grinning from ear to ear.
"Well," Finn said, dusting off his hands. "That was fun."
And in the back of his mind, the system chimed one last time: "Mission complete. Resistant Skin successfully activated. Future magical abilities will no longer affect the Host."
Finn's grin widened. Time to see what else this world had to offer.