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Dabi stared at the glowing screen before him, his mind spinning.
For years, he had been trapped in the shell of his frail body, helpless to protect his siblings or change his fate.
Now, for the first time, it seemed the universe had thrown him a lifeline a way to finally grow stronger. But it wasn't the blessing he had imagined.
Every person at the Awakening Ceremony received a class. Some were elemental warriors: fire, water, earth, air, or even thunder. Others were magic users, able to manipulate energy or wield enchanted swords.
Everyone received something something that gave them a clear path to power. But Dabi's class was different.
It was nothing.
Instead of an elemental power or a unique skill set, Dabi was given a string of question marks: ❓❓❓.
He blinked, disbelief washing over him. Was this some kind of mistake? Could the system itself not understand what he was supposed to be?
His heart sank, but he forced himself to stay calm. After all, he had the system. That alone made him different. Even if he didn't have a class now, maybe it would reveal itself as he leveled up.
He held onto that hope, his mind racing with possibilities. He just had to wait—he had to earn it.
Dabi's thoughts turned back to the system screen floating before him. He opened the status window, examining his stats carefully.
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 6
Endurance:4
Intelligence:42
Memory: 45
His physical stats were pitifully low, well below average. The typical person had around 20 to 30 points in each stat, and compared to them, Dabi was weak, slow, and frail.
But his mind—his mind was exceptional. His Intelligence and memory were far beyond anyone else's. Dabi had always known he was sharp, but he never imagined just how much it would matter in a world that only respected strength.
As he continued to study the screen, a notification caught his eye. He had been awarded 3 stat points a gift from the system for his awakening.
It wasn't much, but it was something. He had to decide where to put them. His Intelligence was already far beyond normal, and while that was an advantage, his physical stats were embarrassing.
He wouldn't survive long inside a gate if a single monster could take him down in one hit.
With a sigh, Dabi made his decision. He allocated all 3 points to Endurance. He needed to survive, no matter how weak his attacks were.
Endurance: 7
The numbers on the screen flickered and updated. It wasn't a dramatic improvement, but it was a start. One small step forward in a journey that would likely be filled with countless challenges.
As Dabi closed the system screen, he glanced around the square. The Awakening Ceremony continued, the crowd buzzing with excitement as others received their powers.
Most of the 18-year-olds were warriors, physically strong and well-trained.
They cheered as they discovered their elemental affinities and unique skills, boasting about how they would crush the monsters inside the gates.
Dabi, meanwhile, quietly slipped away. He wasn't in the mood to celebrate. He had no class, no clear path forward. All he had was a system that seemed as confused about his future as he was.
He made his way back home, his thoughts heavy. As he entered the small house, Eli and Mira, his younger siblings, rushed toward him, their faces lighting up at the sight of their brother.
"How did it go?" Eli asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Did you get something cool?" Mira chimed in, tugging at his sleeve, her voice filled with excitement.
Dabi forced a smile, not wanting to burden them with the truth. "Yeah, I got something," he said, keeping his voice light. But deep down, he knew he couldn't hide his struggles forever. Sooner or later, they would find out.
---
In the days that followed, Dabi threw himself into training. He needed to understand how the system worked, and how he could grow stronger despite his lack of a class.
He learned that experience points could be earned not just from defeating monsters but also from solving problems, completing tasks, and, crucially, using his intelligence.
The system seemed to recognize his unique mind, rewarding him for crafting strategies, analyzing information, and finding solutions to complex puzzles.
It was as if the system knew he wasn't like everyone else and was giving him a path only he could walk.
Eager to test himself, Dabi ventured to the outskirts of town where low-level monsters occasionally roamed.
His first encounter was with a Grunt Wolf, a small but vicious creature with sharp teeth and quick reflexes.
Under normal circumstances, a monster like this would have been dangerous for someone with Dabi's low stats.
But Dabi wasn't like everyone else. He didn't rely on strength or speed.
The wolf lunged at him, snarling. Dabi dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding its sharp teeth. He didn't engage directly instead,
He focused on studying the creature, memorizing its attack patterns. Each time it moved, he anticipated its next action, staying one step ahead.
After several dodges, Dabi found his opening. He grabbed a sturdy stick from the ground and timed his strike perfectly, hitting the wolf behind its front legs, where its guard was weakest.
The strike wasn't powerful, but it was precise. The wolf staggered, confused.
Dabi repeated the tactic, using his intelligence and quick thinking to outmaneuver the creature.
After a few more well-timed hits, the wolf collapsed, defeated. A screen appeared before him:
+50 Experience Points
Level Up!
A rush of energy coursed through Dabi as the system announced his level-up. Another three points to allocate.
This time, he chose to balance his stats, putting one point into Strength, one into Agility, and another into Endurance.
His physical abilities were still far from impressive, but the progress gave him a glimmer of hope.
He wasn't like the others, but that didn't mean he couldn't grow. He had his mind, his strategy, and the system guiding him.
With each step, each level-up, he was carving his own path, a path that no one else could follow.
When he returned home that evening, Eli and Mira greeted him with their usual excitement, unaware of the battles he had faced that day. But Dabi felt different now.
For the first time in years, he felt like he had the power to protect them. It wouldn't be easy, and the road ahead would be long and dangerous, but he had something he had never had before hope.
And this was only the beginning. The world was about to see what happened when someone with a mind like Dabi's entered the gates.
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