As Elias washed his face, his hands were trembling from the bizarre events unfolding. Suddenly, a white, transparent panel appeared in front of him, floating in the air. The glowing screen hummed softly, and he stared at it, his mind racing to make sense of what was happening.
The screen displayed a message:
System initializing…
Connection complete…
System active…
Senses active…
And then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the screen vanished.
Elias blinked, rubbing his eyes, thinking it was some sort of hallucination or sleep deprivation. But before he could think too much about it, the screen reappeared, this time showing something entirely different. The text on the panel was clear and precise.
Name: Elias
Age: 18
Physique: Celestial (GOD)
Intelligence: 999+
Class: None
Secondary Class: None
Mana: 100
(Regenerates 1 mana every 5 minutes)
Abilities: None
Skills: None
Blessings: None
A voice suddenly spoke from nowhere, clear and calm. "Hello, master. How may I assist you?"
Elias froze in place. He looked around, but no one was there. He swiveled his head from side to side, his heart pounding. "What... What is this?" he muttered, his voice shaking.
The voice replied in a soothing tone, "I am inside you. I am your personal Assistant of the system. How may I assist you?"
"Okay, so... What is this?" Elias asked, his mind racing, unsure of what he was dealing with. This couldn't be real, right?
The system replied, "This is the system. A tool designed to assist and guide you through this new world."
Elias took a deep breath. "Okay, but how is this thing here? How did it find me?" he asked, still trying to make sense of it all.
The system replied, its tone slightly apologetic. "Unfortunately, I don't know. I found myself here. I don't know how you have this system."
Elias frowned, his mind still spinning. "Okay... But why do I have no abilities, skills, or blessings?"
The system answered, "You can gain abilities as long as there is logic behind them. Skills can be acquired by using your real-world talents, or they can awaken as your class stats increase. As for blessings, you can gain them from mythical, powerful beings and entities."
Elias was beginning to feel a spark of excitement, despite the absurdity of the situation. "Man, fuck, this can't be real," he muttered under his breath, but even as he spoke, he couldn't help but accept that this was somehow, in some twisted way, his new reality.
"Okay, so how can I choose a class? Which one is the best?" Elias asked, eager for some direction. He had to figure out what this system was all about.
The system replied, "There is no 'best' class. You need to choose the one that you are comfortable with. Keep in mind that once you choose your class, you cannot change it. Each class has its own advantages and disadvantages, so choose wisely."
Elias nodded slowly, taking in the information. "Okay, so what is Mana? Is it like the magical energy in anime and video games?"
The system confirmed, "Yes, it is Mana. You gain 1 Mana every 5 minutes. Mana is required to use magic and abilities. However, the higher the level of the ability, the more Mana it will use."
Elias, now even more excited, opened his mouth to ask another question. But before he could speak, the school bell rang loudly, echoing through the washroom. His face paled as he remembered the teacher's warning. He had been in the washroom far longer than the five minutes she had given him.
The system spoke again, "Guess you are in trouble."
Then, just like that, the panel disappeared.
Elias quickly rushed back into the classroom, his heart pounding in his chest. The class was already empty; the students had all dispersed. He looked around, breathing heavily, and his eyes landed on the whiteboard. It read:
Meet me in the staff room.
Elias swallowed hard and walked out of the classroom. He found his best friend Jeffrey standing near the door with his backpack slung over one shoulder. Jeffrey gave him a knowing look.
"Guess you're in trouble," Jeffrey said with a smirk, not hiding his amusement.
Marie, who was standing next to him, spoke up. "You're about to face the wrath of Ms. Alicia."
Elias groaned, rubbing his face. "Yeah, yeah, why don't you two accompany me and back me up?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Marie raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Why? So you want us to sacrifice ourselves for you?"
Jeffrey chuckled. "We'll miss you," he said, deadpan, before turning away.
Elias sighed and shook his head, knowing they wouldn't be any help. He made his way to the staff room, his footsteps dragging as his mind raced with what could be coming next.
When he reached the staff room, he saw Ms. Alicia sitting at her desk, her back straight, eyes focused on a stack of papers. She was the youngest teacher at the school, only 22 years old, and she had been hired as a history teacher about six months ago. Known for her strict demeanor, she had quickly gained a reputation as a teacher who didn't tolerate misbehavior.
Her brown hair fell neatly around her shoulders, and her brown eyes glinted with intelligence. Despite her strict nature, Ms. Alicia was undeniably gorgeous, and it didn't help that every boy in the school had a crush on her. However, no one dared approach her, not with her tough attitude and the way she commanded authority in the classroom.
Elias entered the staff room and stood awkwardly in front of her desk. Ms. Alicia didn't even look up at him at first. She simply shuffled the papers in front of her, her eyes scanning them with meticulous care.
After a moment, she finally spoke, her voice calm but firm. "Do you know why you are here?" she asked, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Elias hesitated, his thoughts still tangled from the strange events with the system. "Yes, ma'am," he said, his voice a little too quiet. "I was late."
Ms. Alicia looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes," she said, "and you should have known better."
For the next hour, Ms. Alicia lectured Elias. She chewed him out, reprimanding him for his lack of responsibility and discipline. Elias remained silent, sitting there and taking it. His mind was only half in the room, the other half still processing what had just happened with the system.
But then, something unexpected happened.
As Ms. Alicia continued her lecture, Elias heard a voice—her voice—inside his head. "He looks so cute," it whispered, faint but clear.
Elias blinked, his eyes widening in surprise. What was that?
The voice continued, "He is so handsome."
His jaw dropped. The words weren't coming from her mouth, but from her mind. He stared at her in disbelief, but Ms. Alicia was still going on with her lecture, her lips moving as she scolded him. The voice continued to speak in his mind, clearly unaware that he could hear her thoughts.
Elias's heart raced, and a strange sensation ran through his body as a new voice echoed in his mind. "Congratulations, you unlocked a new ability: Mind Reading."