Chapter 6
When Lan Su Bing wrote her ability on the board, everyone was taken aback. Unlike [Summoning], a power like [Words of Power] seemed entirely out of place in F-Class.
After all, every student placed in F-Class shared one common trait: their abilities were practically useless. Even the weakest form of [Words of Power] would still hold value, so why was she assigned to the same class as those with "trash" abilities?
A few perceptive students watched her anxious demeanor and began to piece things together.
Thinking it was over, Lan Su Bing finally exhaled in relief. She quickly grabbed the eraser, erasing each word with the joy of a prisoner being freed. Her mind filled with fireworks, celebrating her escape.
But just as she put the chalk and eraser down, Meng Huai smiled warmly. "Su Bing, aren't you going to say hello to everyone? We're all classmates now; no need to be so distant."
The students immediately perked up, eyes bright and eager. —A pretty girl like her? It would be F-Class's loss if she didn't speak a little more!
Lan "Beautiful Girl" Su Bing dropped the chalk in shock, her heart feeling as though it had snapped in two, just like the chalk.
Wonderful, she thought. Now, she would truly become an "ice block" in F-Class. QWQ.
Of course, Meng Huai understood the impact of his request on someone as shy as Lan Su Bing, who'd rather retreat to her own little space, running in circles like a socially anxious hamster.
However, as her homeroom teacher, he also understood why she'd been placed in F-Class. One of his teaching objectives this month was to help her overcome her social anxiety, which was why he hoped she could say even just a word or two.
Don't underestimate the power of a few words. Once Lan Su Bing spoke, her subconscious would start seeing her classmates as people she could talk to. With a few more interactions, she might eventually be able to speak to them like she did with friends.
Unfortunately, he had underestimated the overwhelming effect of an unfamiliar environment on her. When dropped suddenly into the spotlight, her first reaction was to search for a familiar face—Jiang Tianming, her lifeline.
Sensing her gaze, Jiang Tianming raised his hand without a moment's hesitation. But before he could speak, Su Bei chimed in first, lazily saying, "How about writing 'hello, everyone' on the board?"
Su Bei's suggestion gave Lan Su Bing an alternative—if she couldn't speak, she could still manage with a written greeting.
This wasn't out of pure kindness. Su Bei wanted to ease any tension caused by his earlier comments and show the protagonist group he wasn't a threat, reducing any defensive suspicion they might have toward him.
This troublemaker! Meng Huai almost rolled his eyes, casting a warning glare at him. "Quiet, you."
Then he turned reluctantly to Jiang Tianming. "What do you want to say?"
Meng Huai knew Jiang Tianming and Lan Su Bing were close friends, and she'd only joined F-Class because Jiang was there. Otherwise, she'd have been placed in D-Class, even with her severe anxiety.
He understood Jiang's desire to help his friend. But this wasn't the right moment to intervene; Lan Su Bing's problem had to be addressed directly.
Still, Jiang wasn't intimidated. Though he understood the teacher's intent, he couldn't ignore Lan Su Bing's desperate look. Su Bei's idea gave him an approach, but it wouldn't actually help Lan Su Bing progress, nor would it honor the teacher's intentions.
He needed a middle ground.
Facing Meng Huai's scrutinizing gaze, Jiang confidently suggested, "Teacher, Su Bing can't speak in front of a crowd. Could I take her outside to record a greeting and then play it back here?"
Social anxiety wasn't something they could hide, so it was better to clarify from the start and avoid any misunderstandings later.
This was actually a decent solution. It wouldn't upset the class and would still fulfill the requirement for a greeting. The only issue was that it fell short of Meng Huai's desired effect.
The teacher wanted her to speak to her classmates directly, which would have a stronger impact on her confidence. Playing a recording wouldn't be nearly as effective.
But seeing her grateful look, Meng Huai knew he couldn't push too hard. Sighing, he waved them off, "Go ahead."
With that resolved, the class continued their introductions until it was Su Bei's turn, second to last.
He strolled to the podium confidently. "Hey everyone, I'm Su Bei, my ability is [Gears]. I plan to open a hardware shop one day. If anyone needs gears, come find me—I'll give you a classmate discount!"
His down-to-earth introduction made everyone laugh, and several students perked up, intrigued.
Many had resigned themselves to ignoring their "useless" powers after graduation, but Su Bei's approach made them realize even a "trash" ability could have its uses.
It might not be practical for combat, but with a little creativity, they could still find a way to make a living from their powers.
Only Jiang Tianming, sitting mid-row, frowned, whispering to Lan Su Bing, "Do you think he's serious?"
If his power was only [Gears], how could he have said what he did earlier?
Lan Su Bing shook her head and typed a response on her phone: "Maybe it's a cover."
As they spoke, the final student, Feng Lan, approached the podium. "I'm Feng Lan, my ability is [Prophecy]."
If the previous introductions had merely stirred the waters of F-Class, Feng Lan's announcement was a bombshell.
A [Prophecy] ability! Such a rare and valuable power! How could someone with prophetic abilities be placed in F-Class?
Even those with limited knowledge about the abilities world knew that [Prophecy] was highly prized. Even a weather prophet wouldn't be assigned to F-Class.
Those more knowledgeable recognized Feng's surname and realized he might belong to the Feng family, known for prophecy abilities. His straightforward mention of his power hinted at his high status within the family.
[Prophecy] was a rare category of abilities, covering a range of types—predicting the weather, luck, specific outcomes…
A pure [Prophecy] ability was extremely rare. According to what they knew, a pure prophetic ability in the Feng family usually guaranteed the position of family head.
In other words, if Feng Lan wasn't exaggerating, he was very likely the current head of the Feng family.
Everyone stared at him, hoping to glean more information and perhaps build a connection for a future prophecy.
Su Bei was equally shocked. He didn't have a background in the abilities world, so he didn't fully understand the importance of the Feng family, but he knew that a [Prophecy] ability was incredibly powerful.
So his ability was similar to Su Bei's?
This wasn't ideal. Similar abilities meant less uniqueness, and fans could split their attention. If Feng Lan had a powerful background, Su Bei would definitely be at a disadvantage in gaining popularity.
He frowned, deciding he'd need to ask Feng Lan about his ability. Only by understanding this could he plan his next steps.
On the podium, Feng Lan appeared unfazed by the crowd's stares and gave his brief introduction before calmly returning to his seat.
Clap clap clap!
Seeing everyone's attention still focused on Feng Lan, their eyes glued to him, Meng Huai clapped his hands to recenter their focus.
The new homeroom teacher thought over his remaining remarks before smirking slightly. "Surely you F-Class rejects aren't naive enough to think you can make a name for yourselves among ability users with your trash abilities? I thought Su Bei's idea was pretty good."
Hearing this, Su Bei felt his eyebrow twitch. He could sense how Meng Huai's words painted a target on his back, as a few less observant students started glaring at him resentfully.
But why would Meng Huai do this? Su Bei didn't recall offending his homeroom teacher.
After a moment's thought, he realized. His comment earlier must have caught Meng Huai's attention. The teacher was trying to provoke the class into testing him.
"But you'll be in the abilities world for three years," Meng Huai continued, solidifying his stance on the class's purpose, "so if you want to survive, improving your physical skills is your only path forward."
His calm tone struck a harsh chord, shocking the innocent students. They paused to process what he'd said before the room burst into protest.
"What do you mean by that?" A plain-looking boy with yellow hair and acne stood up angrily next to Su Bei, his tone indignant.
Seeing this, Su Bei quickly understood. The boy was about to become the teacher's example.
Sure enough, without even raising his head, Meng Huai casually picked up a piece of chalk from the podium's tray and, with a swift flick—
The chalk flew like lightning, hitting the yellow-haired boy squarely on the forehead.
Thud!
The boy collapsed instantly.