As the second years were looking for another student, they found someone yelling from the crowd -"Pick me! I don't mind giving it a try." Quinn said with a smile. standing at the front of the students.
As Quinn volunteered himself next, Mono couldn't help but think what was he up to? he knew both of them were friends, so what's up with this act?
Tt had become tradition for the second years to exert their dominance on the first years, it has become a kind of ritual. A yearly ritual: humiliation for the first years, a reminder of how far they had to climb. Last year, Mono himself had been beaten down in this same hall.
But this time… Some of the new first year students were getting a little over their heads too soon.
At first, it had only been warnings. But Vorden had pushed too far, refusing to bow, striking out at second years again and again. They decided to make an example of him, to stamp out trouble before it spread.
Quinn stepping forward made no sense—unless he was planning something.
The room was divided cleanly: fifty nervous first years trapped in the center, eight second years stationed around like hunters circling their prey. Momo stood confidently at the front, power level six, with his two level four lackeys—an earth user and a water user—flanking him. The rest were ranging from level twos to three.
To Quinn's dismay he couldn't find Vicky in the crowd, but Erin was there but he didn't know if she would get involved.
Quinn picked up one of the black training balls from the floor, turning it in his hand. His face betrayed nothing, but inside his chest, his heart hammered.
Today he was determined to pull out something that he had never done in his life before.
He closed his eyes and remembered what the tablet had told him that day when it gave him the ability.
He repeated the words -this ability allows you to steal the attributes from the others and add it to your own.
That was it, and nothing more, and now he was feeling a bit stupid to not ask more about his ability.
Yet now, he was here stuck in between these monsters, and he had to figure it out himself.
This strange ability that he received, also contradicted his morals. He didn't want to steal someone's ability, after all abilities took years to learn and master, and this was the main reason he had avoided using his ability for weeks.
But now, surrounded by predators who preyed on the weak, Quinn's hesitation melted away.
If strength was meant to protect, then those who abused it didn't deserve to keep it.
He opened his eyes. Today, he would punish them. Today, he would be the Punisher.
Quinn walked closer, his gaze briefly locking with Vorden's.
"I've been weak my whole life," Quinn said, his voice steady, carrying across the hall. "What's one more beating? But maybe today, one of you will learn what it feels like to lose something."
He started concentrating on the ball, and it started to glow brighter than ever before,
Momo was quite surprised that he was able to unlock the ball fully? "isn't he just a level one".
At the same time Quin felt a little weaker, he understood that he was using his life energy in this move instead of qi and life energy was more potent, but dangerous to the user, but that didn't matter today, if he was going to die today, he will at least take two or three with him.
Before Momo could bark a command, Quinn hurled the ball with all his strength. It smashed into the gut of the level two guard standing by the board, knocking the boy flat and stealing the air from his lungs. The crowd gasped, some first years' eyes lighting up with something other than fear.
"Don't just stand there—get him!" Momo snapped.
The two level fours surged forward. Earth cracked at one's feet as stone jutted out, while the other raised a crest of water, ready to slam Quinn down.
Quinn didn't run. Instead, he darted through the first-years, weaving between them until he was suddenly close—too close. Before the earth-user could react, Quinn grabbed his wrist with both hands, holding on as if his life depended on it.
For a heartbeat, nothing, but quin continued to cling and used every possible will he had. Then—A strange current rushed into Quinn, burning through his veins. His vision swam as if the floor itself tilted, He nearly collapsed, but he didn't let go until the boy shoved him off.
"What the hell—?" the earth-user gasped, staggering. His attack faltered, the stones at his feet crumbling back into dust.
Quinn stumbled backward, clutching his chest. He didn't understand what he had just done—but deep in his body, something new resonated. He could feel the pull of earth, heavy and sluggish, raw and unshaped.
The second-years didn't notice what had happened. To them, it looked like Quinn had simply tackled the boy to disrupt his focus.
but momo's gaze sharpened something but couldnt tell what really happened.
"Catch him already," Momo ordered, though his tone had shifted from casual amusement to irritation.
The water-user lunged next, sweeping his arm as a blade of liquid surged. Quinn raised his hand reflexly and to his shock, a jagged wall of wet stone burst upward, half-mud, half-rock. The water attack splashed uselessly against it.
Quinn froze. So did the crowd.
"…What was that?" someone whispered.
The water-user snarled and tried again, but Quinn lunged, taking the advantage , reckless, and caught the water user's forearm. The boy snarled and tried to push him away, but Quinn clung on, his fingers digging in.
For a heartbeat, their eyes locked. Then Quinn felt it—the rush of water, cool and sharp, flooding into him before settling like a weight in his chest. The water user shoved him off, scowling, but stumbled a little, his lash of water shrinking unnaturally thin.
his control seemed weaker, slower, as if something had been leeched from him too.
Momo's eyes narrowed further. He didn't speak, but suspicion stirred. was he a level one earth ability user, but even though the defensive move was raw and untamed it managed to cancel a level 4 water blade? Momo thought.
Quinn didn't wait. He dove back into the chaos, grabbing another black ball and smashing it against a level two before vanishing among the first years again.
"What are you guys doing, to anyone who manages to hit or capture that guy they will be free from any form of punishment!" Mono announced.