Wang Yanfei stood in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection. Suddenly, the words from the school chatroom's overenthusiastic nerds popped into his mind.
"No way… is this actually real?"
He chuckled, half in disbelief, muttering under his breath.
As he clenched his hand, he felt something stir within him—a warm current flowing subtly through his body. Startled, he focused, and the energy responded, surging into his fist.
Looking down, he saw it—a thin, translucent green aura enveloping his knuckles, shimmering like polished jade.
"Holy crap…" His heart pounded.
Excitement flared in his chest. His first instinct? Test it!
Drawing in a breath, he stepped back, wound up his arm, and punched the wall with full force.
BAM!
Silence.
The wall was perfectly fine. His hand was… also perfectly fine.
His initial thrill fizzled out almost instantly. He blinked, staring at the undamaged surface, then down at his own unscathed fist.
A few seconds of awkward silence.
Then, he sighed.
"That's it? That's all I get?"
The green light faded away like it had never been there. He scratched his head, smirking wryly.
"Guess I've still got a long way to go before I'm a real protagonist."
With that thought, he grabbed his backpack and headed downstairs.
The familiar scent of fried dough and hot soy milk immediately hit him. His stomach growled right on cue.
"Morning, Xiao Wang! The usual?" The street vendor greeted him cheerfully.
"Yeah. Soy milk, two tea eggs, and an extra order of fried dough."
Finding an empty seat, he dug into his breakfast.
But as he finished, he paused.
"Wait a second… why am I still hungry?"
His stomach still felt empty—like he hadn't eaten at all.
Confused, he went back to the stall.
"Boss, another two fried dough sticks and another tea egg."
The vendor chuckled. "Got quite the appetite today, huh? Eating more means you're growing!"
But even after scarfing down a second helping, the strange emptiness remained.
"No way. I still need more?"
"Another bowl of tofu pudding."
Finally, after finishing the last bite, his stomach felt slightly full.
Then, his gaze landed on his wristband balance—880 credits.
His expression stiffened.
There were still 18 days left until his monthly stipend. Normally, this amount would have been plenty—but with how much he just ate…
"If my appetite stays like this, I'm doomed before the month is even halfway through."
He groaned.
"Guess I'd better start rationing my meals."
On his way to school, Wang Yanfei found himself subconsciously looking for Su Yuqing.
She wasn't there.
The usual soft smile, the quiet presence—it was missing.
For some reason, it left an odd emptiness in his chest.
But before he could dwell on it—he realized he had completely forgotten about Lin Yi.
As soon as he stepped into class, the chaotic noise from the back caught his attention.
A chubby student stood in the center of a growing crowd, grinning from ear to ear.
A small flame flickered in his hand.
The tiny orange fireball danced over his palm, casting its glow onto the stunned faces around him.
Gasps. Whispers. Excited chatter.
"Damn, bro! You actually awakened?!"
The student laughed, spinning the flame between his fingers.
"Told you guys! This is what real superpowers look like!"
Eyes gleaming, he smirked dramatically before placing a hand over his chest.
"Alas, with my body type, I was never destined to be the main character… But!"
"I was born to be the protagonist's loyal, battle-tested best friend!"
The class burst into laughter.
"Bro, shut up!"
"That fireball's cool and all, but it kinda just looks like a glorified candle."
"You have no idea!" The chubby student rolled his eyes, then clenched his fist. The flame vanished.
A second later—BAM!
It roared back to life— bigger, hotter, and more intense.
The crowd let out a collective "Oooohhh!"
"I call it the Phoenix Rebirth!"
Wang Yanfei watched the display, his expression unreadable.
This time, he wasn't just watching—he was feeling.
That fireball. The heat. The energy.
His own hand tingled, like something inside him was responding.
The warmth he had felt earlier—was it the same?
"So… it's not just me."
The classroom door swung open.
Their teacher, "Old Ban," stepped in.
The moment his eyes landed on the crowd, his expression darkened.
"Sit down."
The murmurs died instantly. Students scrambled back to their seats. The fireball disappeared in a flash.
Old Ban's sharp gaze swept over the room before fixing onto an empty desk.
His frown deepened.
"Wang Yanfei, where's Lin Yi?"
At the mention of the name, Wang Yanfei's breath hitched.
Lin Yi…
He hadn't seen him all morning.
Why hadn't he noticed that until now?
"I—I don't know," he admitted. "I didn't see him today."
Old Ban's voice turned stern.
"You two live in the same neighborhood, don't you? Call him."
Nodding, Wang Yanfei quickly pulled out his phone and dialed.
Ringtone.
"Please pick up, please pick up…"
Nothing.
The call rang six times.
No answer.
"Did he pick up?" Old Ban's voice was tense.
Wang Yanfei shook his head. "No answer."
A heavy silence settled over the classroom.
For the first time since the meteor incident, Wang Yanfei felt real unease creeping in.
Lin Yi wasn't the type to skip school or go completely silent.
Something was wrong.
"Try again." Old Ban's voice was sharper now, a hint of urgency slipping through.
Wang Yanfei swallowed, redialing the number.
All eyes in the room locked onto him.
Ringtone.
Ringtone.
Still no answer.
His fingers tightened around the phone.
Why wasn't he picking up?
His gut twisted uncomfortably.
Old Ban's expression hardened.
He scanned the room, voice low but firm.
"Does anyone else here live near Lin Yi? Did anyone see him yesterday?"
Silence.
No one spoke.
One by one, students turned to look at Wang Yanfei—the one person closest to Lin Yi.
Pressure built in his chest.
The usual cheerful, loud, annoyingly smug Lin Yi—
Was nowhere to be found.
Old Ban clapped a hand onto his shoulder.
"Don't panic yet." His voice was calm, but there was a weight behind it. "Try calling him again during the break. If there's still no response, we'll contact his family."
Wang Yanfei nodded slowly, but his hands were already clammy.
Something wasn't right.
Something was very wrong.