After the intense battle, Alex, who had been pushing himself to the limit to protect Tanya and the others, finally allowed himself to relax once they returned to the classroom. The group had spent quite some time joking around, with Chris being the primary target of their teasing. Somehow, he always seemed to have the worst luck when it came to the purple scythe monsters, having faced them three times that day—each time barely surviving, though it wasn't clear whether he was incredibly unlucky or incredibly fortunate.
Once everyone had calmed down, Tanya suggested they pool together the spoils of their latest expedition to decide how best to distribute them. This time, their haul was more modest than before, consisting of just 17 N-class awakening stones.
The final blow on the purple scythe monster had been dealt by Sarah, so the loot had gone to her. Unlike last time, no R-class awakening stone dropped from the kill, but instead, Sarah received a dark green R-class gemstone. The stone could be used to enhance the quality of weapons, making them more powerful.
Initially, the plan had been to give the 17 awakening stones to the girls who had failed their previous attempts, but Tanya stopped them, glancing around the group before speaking up. "Since the school is temporarily safe and the effect of the blessing stone only lasts until tomorrow morning, going out at night isn't a wise choice. This means we can use the awakening stones now."
"Right!" Peter exclaimed, clapping his hands. "If we awaken now, we can use the energy potions today and recover most of our strength by tomorrow!"
Tanya nodded, clearly having already thought of this. "But since there's a chance of failure, I suggest that the boys use the stones first. If anyone fails, the remaining stones should go to them."
The eight girls didn't argue with Tanya's reasoning. After all, Alex and the others had risked their lives to bring the stones back, so they had every right to be prioritized. Plus, Tanya's logic made sense.
With the decision made, the boys started preparing to use their awakening stones. Just as they were about to begin, Alex interrupted. "I've got two R-class awakening stones here. I'll give the other one to you guys."
Peter and the others stared wide-eyed at the radiant silver stone in Alex's hand. The temptation was undeniable—an R-class awakening stone meant a significantly higher chance of gaining powerful abilities, and the allure was hard to resist.
However, after a moment of consideration, they all came to a surprising agreement. They decided to give the R-class stone to Tanya.
"You're the queen of this group. You've got the best luck and the strongest potential—don't let us down!" one of the boys joked.
Tanya, caught between amusement and gratitude, didn't refuse. She took the stone without hesitation and immediately used it. As the others watched in awe, the silver stone exploded into a brilliant light, enveloping Tanya in a radiant glow. Several seconds passed before the light began to fade.
The exaggerated display left Peter and the others speechless for a while before one of them nervously asked, "Did you awaken an SR-class ability?"
Tanya, her face glowing with joy, rolled her eyes playfully. "I wish! It's just R-class potential."
Despite it not being the mythical SR-class, the fact that Tanya had awakened R-class potential was enough to spark admiration and jealousy among the boys. Inspired, they each used their own awakening stones, hoping to ride on her luck.
Remarkably, one of the boys was also surrounded by a burst of radiant white light, signaling another R-class awakening. When the light dissipated, reactions were mixed. Some faces reflected disappointment, while others wore expressions of bitter laughter. Chris, however, looked ecstatic, as though he had just won the lottery.
"Did you hit the jackpot?" Peter asked, feeling slightly envious.
Chris nodded vigorously, his eyes gleaming. "Yep! R-class potential!"
His excitement left Peter and the others shaking their heads in disbelief. Clearly, this game had a lot to do with luck. Out of the 15 boys, only six had successfully awakened their abilities, and only one besides Tanya had gained R-class potential.
Peter, who wasn't one of the lucky few, turned to Alex with a nervous expression. "So, have you awakened yet?"
The room grew quiet as everyone waited for Alex's response. He chuckled wryly and shook his head. "Not yet. Honestly, I'm a little nervous."
Given that Alex already had an R-class ability, the pressure was on—no one knew if he'd be lucky enough to awaken something equally powerful this time. The idea of going from strong to mediocre wasn't something anyone wanted to face.
Still, with two classmates now possessing R-class abilities, Alex felt a bit of relief. Even if he wasn't so lucky this time, the group's overall strength had already improved significantly. Taking a deep breath, Alex decided to use his R-class awakening stone.
But then, something unexpected happened. A notification appeared in his mind: "You are about to begin the awakening process. Would you like to use the luck stone to increase your chances?"
Alex hesitated for a moment before quickly selecting "Yes." If the luck stone could boost his odds, maybe he'd awaken something even stronger.
As soon as he made his choice, the sky above the school darkened abruptly. A brilliant column of rainbow-colored light shot down from the heavens, startling everyone within the city, both human and monster alike.
Quinn, who was nearby, was dumbfounded by the sight, staring in disbelief. "Is this… the awakening of an SR-class ability?!"
The students in Alex's class were even more shocked, watching as the dazzling light swirled around him. Peter and the others were speechless, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief. It seemed Alex's luck surpassed even Tanya's.
The rainbow pillar didn't last long. After a few seconds, it faded, leaving Alex standing there with a satisfied grin. He looked at his friends, who were still staring at him like statues, and couldn't help but chuckle. "SR-class."
"WHAT?!"
"Boss!"
"God!"
The room erupted into chaos. Cries of disbelief, admiration, and even mock worship echoed through the classroom.
After everyone had calmed down, Alex took a moment to check his stats—and was left speechless once again. The SR-class potential was far beyond anything he had imagined.