The locals murmured among themselves, their reactions mixed. Some nodded approvingly, while others exchanged puzzled glances.
"Social Chameleon? What kind of fragment is that?" one of them muttered.
"Must be powerful, she also has an attribute same as the first girl."
Harry turned his attention back to the stage, where Caroline was stepping down, her expression calm but her eyes flickering with something unreadable. She returned to her seat, her friends and other students whispering to each other, some with admiration, others with thinly veiled jealousy.
The awakenings continued, one after another. The next few students awakened fragments that were… underwhelming, to say the least. One boy, whose stats were all below 10, awakened a fragment called Flame Spark, which allowed him to create small bursts of fire.
Even the locals snickered, some openly muttering in pity.
"A firestarter?" one of them muttered. "That's barely useful."
The boy's classmates weren't much kinder.
"Wow, you're really weak, huh?" one of them said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Guess you're not cut out for this."
Harry winced, his earlier amusement replaced by a pang of sympathy. 'Man, that's harsh. Even if he's weak, there's no need to rub it in.'
"Even I'm not that low, you know."
Tim stared at Harry as if he wanted to argue with him.
"What?"
"...Never mind."
"Hey-!"
Meanwhile, another student, a girl with timid eyes, awakened a fragment called Bookmark, which seems to allow her to memorize and recall information with perfect accuracy.
The locals dismissed it as useless. "What's she going to do, read the enemy to death?" one of them joked, earning a few chuckles.
But Harry had the opposite idea - most times, unusual abilities like these were actually useful. However, it depends on the individual.
He watched it all unfold, his earlier conflict resurfacing. 'This is exactly what I was worried about. They're already labeling people as strong or weak, useful or useless. What happens to the ones they don't think are worth their time? Will they exile them? Or 'kindly' show the way out of the fortress?'
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. 'Focus, Harry. You're not here to play hero. You're here to survive.'
"Hmm?"
'Speaking of a hero...'
His eyes landed on Max, who was sitting quietly, his expression unreadable as he observed the awakenings. Harry's lips curled into a sly grin.
'This guy...'
'Since he is a protagonist...'
Leaning closer, Harry whispered, "Hey, Max. Say 'Show Status' and tell me what you see."
Max blinked, turning to Harry with a puzzled look. "What?"
"Just do it," Harry insisted, his grin widening. "Trust me."
Max hesitated for a moment before muttering under his breath, "Show Status."
A faint glow appeared in front of him, and his eyes widened slightly as a translucent screen materialized. Harry leaned in, his curiosity piqued. Alas, he couldn't see Max's status himself.
__________
[ Personal Fragment ]
Name: Max
Status:
• Health: 90% (Amnesia)
• Stamina: 94% (Well)
Special Status: Memory Loss
Core Attributes:
• Strength: 15 (Max)
• Agility: 15 (Max)
• Vitality: 15 (Max)
• Intelligence: 15 (Max) (!)
• Wisdom: 15 (Max)
• Willpower: 15 (Max)
• Dexterity: 15 (Max)
• Perception: 15 (Max)
Skills:
• Demon Slayer
• Demon Destroyer Fist
Achievements:
• Tutorial Maniac
Special Abilities:
• Timeless Enigma's Favor [?]
End Points: 10 → 20
Attribute Points: 10
Items:
• Lesser Demon's Fang
• Lesser Demon's Blood
_______
"Hmm..." Max stared at his so-called status thingy.
Honestly, he didn't have any idea about what these texts really meant. And to his luck, Harry hasn't been able to teach him nearly anything since they left their room.
'But... why is he asking me now?'
Although curious, he started whispering those texts to Harry.
"...So, I really have a memory loss..." He commented as he told the special status.
"Told you, now continue, what are your attributes?" Harry urged him to continue.
"Hmm... There are 8 of them, and all of them are 15 with my name written beside the numbers." Max whispered after analyzing his core attributes.
"Hm, I see..." Harry muttered nodding slightly.
"..." Suddenly, his eyes widened, his head freezing.
He stayed like that for a few seconds and abruptly turned to Max.
"D-Did you say your name? And 8 of them?"
"Yes? Is there a problem?" Max asked confusedly, looking at the screen again to check if anything was wrong.
"..." Harry's lips and fists twitched, barely stopping himself laughing and punching this clueless protagonist's face.
"Sigh... Be glad you have an amnesia..." He muttered under his breath. "But this confirms my theory even more... You really are..."
"..." Max stared back at Harry, curious about who he was.
"...OP."
"Max leveled Max, huh? How funny..."
Harry ended his sentence with a bitter smile.
"Op?" Max tilted his head in confusion.
"It is a common phrase to describe overpowered people like you," Harry explained. "In simple, stronger than others, with a large margin."
"I see..." Max nodded although he didn't fully get it.
"Anyway, continue. I need to confirm something." Harry urged him back to the task.
"Oh, alright..."
"Hmm... I have two skills," Max replied and slowly told the rest of his status. Everything except the special ability.
On the other side, Harry stopped smiling, already convinced with his theory about Max's identity as a protagonist.
He stayed silent for a minute and turned back to Max.
"Hey, I have an idea. Listen here..."
Max lend his hear to Harry.
A few moments later.
"I-Is that... ok?"
"Won't they disagree?" Max asked with a worried expression.
"Hehe, trust me. The director herself will allow it."
"...If you say so..."
_____ ___ _
As time passed, the awakenings continued, one after another, each student stepping onto the stage with varying degrees of confidence and fear.
The 12th class students and two of the 11th classes had already finished their awakenings, leaving the order to the 11th 'C' class.
Director Evelyn stood at the side of the stage, her hands clasped neatly in front of her. She wore a gentle smile, her eyes scanning the room with a mix of satisfaction and quiet sorrow.
She was pleased with the results overall—many of her students had awakened fragments that showed promise, and a few, like Ashley and Caroline, had even drawn admiration from the locals.
But there were others, like that weak boy and the girl with the Bookmark fragment, who had been met with ridicule and pity. Evelyn's heart ached for them, but she knew there was little she could do to change how the locals and others perceived strength and weakness.
Lord Alric, standing beside her, noticed her expression and leaned in slightly. "You seem… satisfied, yet troubled," he remarked, his voice low. "Is something the matter?"
Evelyn turned to him, her smile softening. "I'm just reflecting on the results. Some of my students have awakened truly remarkable fragments, while others… well, they'll need time to find their place in this new world."
Alric nodded, his gaze shifting to the stage. "It's natural. Not everyone is destined for greatness, but even the smallest spark can ignite a flame."
Evelyn's smile deepened, though there was a hint of something else in her eyes—something Alric couldn't quite place. "You're right, of course."
However, he noticed her turning back to the stage as the next student named Harry was called to the stage.
"Hmm?" Alric raised an eyebrow. Because Evelyn's eyes seemed to express deep curiosity about the person.
"I feel like, you seem deeply interested in the boy. Even more so than the girl with Beacon of Hope."
Evelyn chuckled softly. "Was I that obvious?"
She passed a bit before continuing. "Yes. You are right. I'm more… intrigued by him. But I am more worried."
"Worried?" Alric's brow furrowed. "Why?"
Evelyn hesitated, her gaze drifting to the group of 11th C students. "Well… that boy is… a bit…"
Before she could finish, a commotion erupted on the stage, drawing everyone's attention. Evelyn's smile turned knowing as she muttered under her breath, "This is what I was talking about."