Early morning after the opening ceremony, fatigue still lingered in every muscle fiber. Sunlight streamed through the window frame, waking me after a restless night. I sat up, eyes still heavy, reaching for the jet-powered shoes that had been fully charged overnight. This was the only thing I could take pride in in this world.
Today, everyone in the class already knew each other's abilities. I silently entered the classroom, choosing the same desk by the window as yesterday. No one looked at me, no one greeted me. I was a shadow in the brilliant world of the gifted.
The first class was about how this world operates. The teacher explained: "Our world operates based on the combination of elemental power and technology. Those with the Wind System create strong winds to turn electricity-generating turbines. Those with the Lightning System provide direct electrical current. Each element has its own role in society, and therefore those with abilities are respected."
The teacher continued: "But our world also faces a major threat - the Dark Society. Those who possess the Darkness System can absorb others' elemental energy and convert it into pure power. They are extremely agile and dangerous. This society is led by someone named Vong Tuong Am, and their purpose remains mysterious. The nation has established a team to fight the Dark Society, but their power grows too quickly."
I listened, feeling a chill down my spine. This information, as the teacher said, was classified. Only the scientist Van Phong could bypass the system to find it. Everyone else only knew an edited version: we must learn to fight magical beasts - which were actually creatures summoned by the Dark Society.
After the theory class, our class was notified there would be a special practical session. Because our class had so many talented individuals, especially Sheng Guang Yi - who possessed the Light System considered the strongest - we had to stay to train with magical beasts in White Plum Forest.
We were led to a weapon storage room. Having no elemental power, I was placed last, only allowed to choose self-defense items. Fortunately, I found a small but sharp dagger. I held it in my hand, feeling its weight and the coldness of the metal.
"Our class has too many talented people, so there will be no teachers or external support," the teacher announced. "Everyone will be dropped into White Plum Forest. The objective is to find traces of a Dark Society member confirmed to be hiding in this forest."
My heart sank. No support? We were just a group of students, though we had abilities, our combat experience was virtually nonexistent.
We were taken to the edge of White Plum Forest and "dropped" in. Immediately, I realized I was completely isolated. Everyone had split into small groups, while I was alone. I decided to hide, moving quietly, minimizing noise, waiting for others to complete the mission so I could follow them.
I hid high in a tree, observing my surroundings. But things weren't as simple as I thought. A roar sounded from afar, followed by heavy footsteps. I held my breath, looking down and saw a terrifying monster. It had a nearly human shape, but grayish skin, blood-red eyes, and long nails like blades.
"I can't die here," I whispered, tightening my grip on the dagger. I activated the jet-powered shoes and began to run. The monster had spotted me, it roared and gave chase.
I ran desperately, the shoes boosting my speed tremendously. But the monster still chased closely behind. When I reached a riverbank, I thought I was safe. But suddenly, it lunged at me. Fortunately, I managed to dodge forward in time, avoiding the attack.
In my mind, the thought emerged: "If I keep running, death is certain." I glimpsed the body of someone ahead, realizing this monster was more dangerous than I'd imagined. I decided to change tactics: fight while retreating, buying time for others to help.
That winged monster took flight toward me. Its attack range was too wide; a direct hit could seriously injure or kill me. I had only one option: use the shoes' new function - Instant Acceleration.
"This function can boost speed to the equivalent of the Lightning System's Peak level, but only for a very short time," I recalled Van Phong's words. "If timed right, I can dodge and counterattack."
I counted in my head: "One... two... three!" and activated the function. The speed was astonishing. I left an afterimage behind while my body moved to another position. The monster thought it had hit me, but actually only struck empty air.
Taking advantage of its moment of confusion, I lunged forward, holding the dagger upward, stabbing deep into its shoulder. Done, I quickly returned the shoes to normal mode and fled. The monster stood confused, looking at the wound on its shoulder, then back toward where I had disappeared.
"Truly dangerous but fortunate," I exhaled, feeling the fear of death and loss making my face pale, eyes filled with panic. I hid more carefully, knowing the monster was extremely angry and wanted revenge.
In my mind, I thought: "Unexpectedly, these shoes when activated at the right moment can create afterimages to dodge and counterattack. But this function is still in development, only accelerating for one second. The cooldown is five seconds - enough for the monster to launch a second claw attack that would surely kill me."
After some unsuccessful searching, the monster began calling for companions. I realized this was probably the leader - the strongest magical beast in the area. "If I can kill it, the mission will be completed," I thought to myself.
After five minutes of rest and calming myself, I heard footsteps. Sheng Guang Yi's group had arrived, along with two girls - Xiao Hong and Hao Yan Ling. But at his current level, he could only handle that winged magical beast, especially since it was already wounded by my stab.
Just as I predicted, Sheng Guang Yi had to use light beams shot from his hands to block the beast's charges. The two girls stood not far from where I was hiding, and I saw a pack of blue monsters - probably guards for the winged beast. Especially, a black wolf with sharp fangs was gathering momentum, about three meters away, preparing to pounce on the two girls.
Sheng Guang Yi noticed the danger, but couldn't possibly save them. If he ran to help, the winged beast would attack, and just two claw strikes would certainly cost him his life. He decided to abandon the two girls to face the winged beast's decisive attack.
The wolf beast knew its prey would certainly die, so it prepared its finishing move. The two girls, though one possessed Water Arts and the other Plant Arts - two quite strong elements - used attacks instead of creating defenses. With the beast's high speed, they only needed to move a little faster and these two would surely die.
I was hiding behind two bushes, about three meters from them. Worried for their safety, but my heart was still filled with fear. "If I don't time the Instant Acceleration activation correctly, I'll just waste another life," I told myself.
I lay still, but inside I was tormented by something called conscience and kindness. It gnawed at me: "Why not save them? Those people only see me as trash, a worthless piece. Why sacrifice my life to protect them?"
But when the wolf beast prepared to deliver its final blow, images of my parents - good-hearted people - appeared in my mind. With the belief in kindness, I regained some confidence.
I burst out from the bushes, moving perpendicular to the wolf beast. My hand gripped the dagger tightly, eyes tracking its movement. The beast thought it had crushed my shoulder with its bite, but suddenly it was stabbed in the brain with a dagger. My afterimage disappeared, and the beast gradually lost consciousness.
I had successfully used Instant Acceleration to jump. I appeared on the wolf's back and plunged the dagger into its weakest point. After that strike, the two girls' eyes widened in astonishment at the bizarre sight.
Sheng Guang Yi and the winged beast were also stunned to see me accomplish that. It seemed I had angered the winged beast, as it turned its deadly eyes toward me and charged as if I were a weak human without magic who dared wound it.
Sheng Guang Yi had no time to execute his finishing move as he had to dodge the beast's claws. So he used his finishing technique - Thunder Light - creating a beam of light in his hand that shot toward the enemy at extremely high speed with tremendous destructive power.
After its attention had been on me for about three seconds, the beast's neck was swept by Thunder Light, severing its head from its body. The humanoid winged beast died instantly, and the Dark Society's barrier shattered. The academy's teachers rushed in to pursue the cultist.
Afterward, the two girls repeatedly thanked me for saving their lives. Meanwhile, Sheng Guang Yi's face continuously darkened. His mind became disturbed that an ordinary person without magic could save everyone - those who were popular and admired. While he - who had killed that magical beast - received no welcome. People looked at him with disgusted eyes, as if at a monster.
He couldn't accept that. In his eyes, only he could be the strongest, the weak should all die. His eyes gradually grew distorted.
And then everyone gathered and captured the Dark Society cultist. The teachers and everyone praised Sheng Guang Yi, but the eyes of the two girls, especially Hao Yan Ling - the Water System girl he loved - remained fixed on me because I was their lifesaver. From then on, he looked at me as if I were an insect.
Truly after that moment, my heart had leaped into my throat. Fortunately, we were given a month's leave to bury those who lost their lives in the battle and to recover. The survivors would receive 8 points for the entire semester's practical course. I thought I only needed to study theory to compensate, and my eyes gradually brightened because I had made two friends.
When I returned home, it was dusk. My parents saw my eyes were brighter, no longer clouded with darkness, so they were very happy. They couldn't intervene in anything because they themselves were too weak, only hoping to help me through life.
But in my heart, a vast emptiness remained. I had saved two people, gained friends, but deep inside, I was still a powerless person. Today's success was only thanks to Van Phong's shoes, not my own strength. And the hateful gaze of Sheng Guang Yi when he looked at me - that was the seed of future tragedies.