The new 28th quite explicitly criminalized questioning individuals about their Codex—as unique powers are officially called—unless they are for sure recognized as criminals by the law in the public database.
It was just recently passed and has faced some controversy, but now Mr. Grym is compelled by law not to spread information about my ability unless I become a public nuisance.
The 5th was because I was too lazy to say anything else, and the 2nd was because I now carry these guns, if you know what I mean, though they didn't change all that much in structure. And yes, Codex, which can cause harm as effectively as, or even worse than some laser guns, actually falls under the 2nd amendment of the United Islands of America.
Come to think of it, our Island of York does have a very strict requirement for registering certain types of Codex, such as mind control, technomancy, invisibility, and overall abilities that are as subtle as a concealed handgun.
And my ability is as subtle as it could be when I think about...
Hmm, so should I register..?
...Nah, I doubt they'll have any way to classify my ability anyway.
Unless, of course, I could disguise it as another ability, I'd better not get anywhere near a government employee.
There are some benefits of registering. A Codex Card could be used to secure employment with the all-powerful organization known simply as 'the government'. Technomancers are sure-hire since some have enough potential to destabilize any local economy, maybe they'd even make you a lord of some lands if you're powerful enough, otherwise, well... a public teacher.
Anyway, Zach was still looking at me like I'd grown a second head, his eyes wide and jaw practically on the floor.
"Yo, what..? Did you actually awaken some sort of physical-type Codex? No, no I don't feel any of the officially identified physical-enhancing energies on you. But how then..?" he murmured, looking at me like I was a puzzle to be solved.
"Just been working out more," I said, shrugging, trying to play it cool, though my mind was racing. How do I begin to explain this without revealing anything?
"Working out more? Dude, you just lifted something that should've snapped you in half! I couldn't even lift it up an inch unless I used my Codex, and I had already built my Foundation!" Zach stressed, not at all looking convinced.
"What's your foundation made of, a glass cannon? One should be able to physically lift this much, ya' know?" I said, trying to sound nonchalant.
"No, you clearly awakened some sort of super strength!" He retorted.
"Hahaha, skill issue, my guy. Do you even lift?" I said back, laughing, my eyes landing on a big bar of bells on the ground a few steps away, as if to prove a point, the bar already loaded with thick plates of neutron star alloy. It has its own anti-gravitational field magic signified by the magical runes on its surface, so it doesn't pull things toward it.
It's labeled 10 B.
Ten billion tons.
Three on each side.
So sixty billion tons in total...
Shit, isn't that like the weight of a mountain?
So I walked over, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zach watching me, his curiosity piqued again.
"You really gonna try that too? Literally nobody can physically lift that in this entire school," he said, raising an eyebrow.
"Why not? It's light enough," I lightly responded as I positioned myself above the glowing bar the size of my torso on each side, gripping it tightly with both hands. This time, I made sure to focus as I lifted the bar off the ground.
At first, it felt as heavy as it seemed; then I thought it felt as light as a dried twig; and the weight suddenly turned so light that all the force I was using to lift it made me stand up off balance a little as it went far above my head. And after balancing myself, there was no strain or struggle at all.
"It's lighter than a lighter," I said as I lifted it up and down with great ease, even removing one hand to emphasize my point. I did it again and again as it wobbles against its actual weight. It felt like I was just whipping a thin wooden stick, feeling a bit more confident with each repetition.
I caught sight of Zach, whose jaw was on the floor, mindlessly preparing to take out the device on his wrist and record, which was a problem, so before that, I dropped the barbell as a loud thud echoed throughout the room, creating quite the dent in the magically fortified floor.
Oh, right, even though it felt as light as a pencil to me, it was still something too heavy to be dropped carelessly just like that.
"Okay, I think that's enough for today," I said, trying to sound casual as I wiped the nonexistent sweat from my brow. "Don't wanna overdo it now and break the equipment."
"Ey kid, you gon' pay for that floor renovation?" Mr. Grym coolly asked from his desk in the corner without even taking his eyes off the paper he was grading.
"What renovation?" I asked, sounding as puzzled as I could be.
"That pit in the floor of cour—huh?" He stopped halfway through as he looked up at the supposed damage. "Huh, I thought that would've put a dent at least... Anyway, be careful next time."
Meanwhile, Zach beside me looked like he had just walked in on his parents having sex in the kitchen as he stuttered, "W-What did I just see..? Did the floor just..."
"Yes, I was having sex with your mom, son. It's only natural; don't act all weird now," I said while making him very vividly imagine it for a brief millisecond as a little experiment, though I don't really know how he exactly imagined it, nor have I even met his Mom before to imagine it myself.
"Huh? What'd you... Wait, you were... Huh?"
Works like a charm.
Having read a few books on psychology before, I know all the ways of the mind, that is to say, I'm very good at fucking with people—in more ways than one, though I've never tried the other. At this point, Zach just looks at me, stupefied, and doesn't even know where to start. That'll stop him from asking questions.
The other kids shortly arrived, and his buddies soon distracted him from the confusion. As the mind goes, if it can't find an answer to a difficult problem, it tends to just go away from the problem and find other things to occupy it.
I pushed the thoughts aside as I made my way to the much more tame cardio equipment, trying to act like everything was normal. But the truth was, nothing was normal anymore.
Everything had changed.
Or rather...
I had changed.