---
Emily's POV
The blue panel blinked before her eyes, crisp and unforgiving in the dim light.
> [Beginner's Gift Unlocked.]
[Awakened]
Name: Emily Carter
Title: Beloved by Mana
Rank: Apprentice
Path: Elementalist (Epic)
Unique Skill: All-Elements Affinity (A+)
Skills: Elemental Surge (B)
Stats:
Strength: F
Agility: F-
Endurance: F
Intelligence: C
Willpower: E
Mana: S (Title: Beloved by Mana)
Charm: B
Her eyes widened, the confirmation shining in front of her like a revelation. Her hands trembled as a surge of power began to pulse through her veins.
Finally… strength.
For so long, fear had gnawed at her resolve, a constant reminder of her weakness. But now, power was real.
All elements… A+ rank?
Her gaze shifted to the smooth surface of her new staff. It fit her grip perfectly—light yet sturdy, almost humming with latent energy.
She ran a hand along its polished length, feeling the elemental forces thrumming just beneath her skin—fire, water, wind, earth. Each seemed to pulse in silent anticipation.
"This… this is real," she whispered, voice barely audible, yet firm.
Determination flared in her chest. She was no longer the weak girl who cowered at every shadow. She would make those who defied her regret ever standing in her way.
"I'll make sure people who defy me now suffer hehehe," she thought, her grip tightening around the staff until her knuckles whitened.
---
Clara's POV
The system notification blinked softly, almost like a distant whisper.
> [Beginner's Gift Unlocked.]
[Awakened]
Name: Clara Winters
Title: Ice Calamity
Rank: Apprentice
Path: Empress of Winter (Legendary)
Unique Skill: Ice Affinity (S)
Skills: Icicle (D)
Stats:
Strength: F
Agility: E-
Endurance: F+
Intelligence: B+
Willpower: C
Mana: A
Charm: B+
Clara stared at the faintly glowing bracelet encircling her wrist. The shimmer of frost caught the weak light, a subtle but undeniable sign of power.
Her pale skin seemed even more ethereal now, illuminated by the bracelet's gentle glow.
She flexed her wrist carefully, sensing the energy seep into her veins. Ice was instinct, a primal force, and now it coursed more tangibly through her fingertips. The ambient air around her seemed to chill in response.
Her expression remained stoic, almost distant, but a subtle shift betrayed a burgeoning determination.
They would see only indifference, cold detachment.
But inside, a fire began to simmer.
She murmured, her voice as distant as a winter breeze, "I will survive, until I find it."
Her words were simple, but they held an unwavering certainty. No longer passive, Clara accepted the power as part of her identity.
---
Olivia Hale's POV
The moment her status window appeared, Olivia's red eyes brightened subtly.
> [Beginner's Gift Unlocked.]
[Awakened]
Name: Olivia Hale
Title: Gaia's Desiple
Rank: Apprentice
Path: Preserver of Nature (Epic)
Unique Skill: Poison Affinity (A) / Wood Affinity (S)
Skills: Drip of Poison (D)
Stats:
Strength: F+
Agility: E-
Endurance: F-
Intelligence: C-
Willpower: D
Mana: C
Charm: B-
Her hands cradled the bow as though it were sacred, the ancient curves now alive with pulsing energy.
Unlike the others, no visible emotion shifted her expression. No thrill of power, no gleam of ambition. Only composed focus.
But a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Her arrows whispered as she nocked one, the string resonating with the aura of nature itself. Every movement precise, every action deliberate.
An archer born to preserve.
Her gaze lifted toward the window. The world beyond—the shattered school, monsters prowling, despair hanging thick—felt distant yet real.
'Maybe someday,' she mused, a soft thought cloaked in resolve.
---
Third Person POV
The atmosphere in Class 5B had transformed.
What was once chaotic panic had become eerie, calculated resolve.
Emily's staff, Clara's bracelet, Olivia's bow—symbols of newfound power—stood ready in each hand.
Their makeshift weapons, though still crude, now shared space with elemental might, ice-infused grace, and radiant precision.
Every step was careful, every breath measured. The wooden floor creaked beneath their weight, shadows stretching and twisting in the dim light.
A collective determination surged through them. Fear was now tempered by purpose.
"Let's move," Emily whispered, her voice steadier than before.
Together, the group advanced toward the cafeteria—a place once filled with routine comfort, now a desperate promise of supplies.
Each corridor they passed felt heavier, as if the building itself mourned the decay of its former life.
The air grew colder, the silence thick with anticipation.
Finally, they reached a junction—the right wing of the school.
Ahead, darkness waited, silent but watchful. The hallway stretched forward, every shadow a potential threat, every sound a possible ambush.