Harry sauntered up to the stage, hands stuffed casually in his pockets, his grin as wide and carefree as ever. The elder woman, her silver hair catching the light, gestured for him to close his eyes, her voice calm but firm. "Please, clear your mind. The ritual will begin shortly."
Harry tilted his head, his grin stretching further. "Nah, I don't think I will."
The elder woman blinked, her composed demeanor cracking for the briefest of moments. "I beg your pardon?"
"I said, I don't want to," Harry repeated, his tone light but unyielding. "I already figured out how to see my status. I can see it anytime I want. Just say 'show status' if you don't believe me." He turned to the students, raising his voice just enough to carry across the hall. "Go on, try it!"
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. A few curious students muttered the words under their breath, their eyes widening as translucent screens materialized in front of them. Gasps and exclamations followed.
"Whoa, it works!" one of them exclaimed, staring at their own status.
"I can see mine too!" another added, their voice tinged with awe.
The elder woman's brow furrowed, her gaze flicking to Lord Alric and Director Evelyn. She hesitated, her mind racing. 'Is he hiding something? Is he… weak? Afraid of being ridiculed?'
Director Evelyn, standing at the edge of the stage, gave a subtle nod. The elder woman sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Very well. If you've already awakened your status, we'll proceed with the Essence Awakening. You haven't discovered how to do that yet, have you?"
Harry smirked, crossing his arms. "I know how it works, but if you insist, let's do it your way this time." His tone was teasing, almost playful, like a child reluctantly agreeing to a game they'd already mastered.
The students erupted into laughter, some amused by his antics, others rolling their eyes.
"Typical Harry," Tim muttered, though there was a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
Max nodded, slowly understanding what kind of person Harry was.
The elder woman sighed again, clearly exasperated, but she gestured for Harry to close his eyes. "Very well. Please close your eyes and remain still."
Harry complied, his smirk lingering as he shut his eyes. The elder woman placed the Awakening Crown on his head, the runes etched into its surface glowing faintly. The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on Harry.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, the crown's glow intensified, and the air around Harry seemed to shimmer. Unlike the others, who had trembled, flinched, or shown signs of struggle, Harry remained perfectly still. His expression was calm, almost serene, with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
The elder woman watched him closely, her brow furrowed in confusion. 'Why isn't he reacting? Is the crown not working? Or is he… resisting it somehow? Is his willpower that high?'
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Harry's eyes snapped open. The light from the crown faded, and a translucent screen materialized above him, displaying his essence and fragment.
_______
[ Essence ]
Name: The Fool
[ Personal Fragment ]
Name: Fool's Logic
_______
The hall went silent for a moment, the air thick with tension. Then, the 12th class students burst into laughter, pointing at the screen and shouting.
"The Fool? Fool's Logic? That's perfect for him!" one of them jeered.
"He got what he deserved!" another added, their voice dripping with mockery.
The laughter spread, with even some of the locals joining in. "A fool's essence? How fitting," one of them muttered, shaking their head.
Harry's classmates, however, reacted differently. They showed worried and irritated expressions.
Tim groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course. Of course he'd get something like this."
Max, sitting beside Tim, watched Harry with a puzzled expression. "Is… is that bad?"
Tim sighed. "Knowing Harry? Probably not. But everyone else is going to make fun of him for it."
Director Evelyn, standing at the side of the stage, studied Harry with a thoughtful expression. Her earlier curiosity had been filled, maybe so there was a faint smile on her lips. 'The Fool, huh? How fitting.'
Harry, meanwhile, was staring at the air in front of him, his smirk still firmly in place. He was reading his status screen, his eyes scanning the details.
______ ___ _
[ Personal Fragment ]
Name: Harry
Essence: The Fool
Essence Core: Dormant
Status:
• Health: 90%
• Stamina: 92%
Core Attributes:
• Strength: 9 → 10
• Agility: 10 → 12
• Willpower: 11 → 13
• Intelligence: 12 → 15 (Max)
• Wisdom: 15
• Luck: ?
Hidden Attributes:
• Fool's Paradox: ?
Skills:
• Banana Peel Fate
Achievements:
• The Face of Incompetent Heroism
Personal Fragment:
• Fool's Logic
End Points: 35 → 50
_______
Harry's smirk widened as he read the name of his fragment. 'Fool's Paradox, huh? Sounds like my kind of thing.'
The elder woman cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention. "The Fool is an essence that embodies unpredictability and creativity. While it may seem… unorthodox, it has the potential to be incredibly powerful in the right hands."
Her words did little to quell the laughter, but Harry didn't seem to care. He stepped down from the stage, his grin as wide as ever. "Well, that was fun. Thank you and see you next time."
"Ah, yes," Elder replied surprised by Harry's attitude.
As he returned to his seat, the teacher called out the next name. "Class 11 C—Max."
Max stood up, his expression calm but his heart racing. He glanced at Harry, who gave him a thumbs-up and a wink.
"Just do as I said," Harry mouthed.
Max took a deep breath and walked to the stage, his mind replaying Harry's earlier instructions. 'Just trust my words,' Harry had said. 'And don't let it show.'
'...'
'I can do it...'
His head was slightly bowed as if weighed down by an invisible burden. His hands hung loosely at his sides, fingers twitching faintly, betraying the tension beneath his calm exterior.
The elder noticed his unease and gave him a gentle nod of encouragement. She then asked him the same lines she did from the others.
Max hesitated, his gaze flicking to Harry, who sat in the crowd with his usual grin, giving him a subtle thumbs-up. Max swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke. "Umm… ca-can I skip the first part too? I… I… I am…"
"..."
"What?"