The line moved slowly, like a conveyor belt toward a slaughterhouse.
Beep. "Grade B. Earth Manipulation. Pass." Beep. "Grade C. Optical Lasers. Pass."
Noah watched from the back of the line, his pulse steady but his mind racing. Every beep of the scanner was a countdown to his execution.
Thunder-Clap stood by the device, a smug grin plastered on his face. He wasn't just checking for villains; he was enjoying the fear. He was bullying children under the guise of national security.
"Next!" Thunder-Clap barked.
A tall, arrogant student with fiery red hair stepped up. This was Ignis, the top student of the First Year Combat Class. He smirked, placing his hand on the crystal panel.
The machine roared to life. A blinding crimson light filled the room. The reading spiked off the charts.
Ding! "Grade A+. Pyro-Kinesis. Potential: S-Rank."
"Excellent!" Thunder-Clap clapped Ignis on the shoulder, beaming. "That is what a hero looks like! Take notes, you maggots. This is talent."
Ignis walked back to his seat, casting a disdainful look at the "Support Class" students shivering in the back. "Don't waste the machine's energy," he sneered.
Noah lowered his head, feigning intimidation. But under his bangs, his eyes were analyzing the scanner.
[Target Identified: Mana Resonance Scanner (Mark IV)] [Mechanism: Detects energy density and matches it against known database signatures.] [Vulnerability: High dependence on internal sensor calibration.]
The line dwindled. Five students left. Three. Two.
"You. The gloomy one in the back," Thunder-Clap pointed a thick finger at Noah. "Get up here. Let's see if you have enough mana to light a candle."
The class erupted in nervous laughter. Noah walked forward slowly, dragging his feet to sell the act.
If I refuse, I'm suspicious. If I scan, the 'Faith' energy triggers an alarm.
He stood in front of the machine. The crystal panel hummed, waiting for input.
Noah placed his hand on the panel.
At the exact moment his skin touched the cold surface—before the sensor could complete its circuit—Noah triggered his System.
[Target Concept: Sensitivity] [Source: Scanner's Internal Sensor] [Action: Reduce by 99%]
It was a delicate operation. Stealing the "Heat" of a villain was like smashing a window with a brick. This was like picking a lock with a needle. Noah didn't break the machine; he simply stole its ability to feel.
For a split second, the machine's internal logic faltered. It tried to read Noah's ocean of power, but its "eyes" had been temporarily blinded.
The machine whirred. It sputtered. The lights flickered.
Then, a pathetic, low-pitched buzz sounded.
Bzzzt. "Grade... N/A. Energy Level: Negligible."
The room went silent. Then, Thunder-Clap burst out laughing.
"Negligible?! I've never seen the machine say that! It means you have less magical presence than a toaster!"
Thunder-Clap wiped a tear from his eye, slapping his knee. "Oh, that's rich. Vane, was it? You really belong in the Support Course. Maybe you can carry Ignis's luggage one day."
"Yes, sir," Noah mumbled, pulling his hand away.
As soon as he broke contact, he released the stolen concept. The machine's "Sensitivity" returned to normal instantly.
[Mental Load: 18%] [Crisis Averted.]
Noah walked back to his seat, ignoring the jeers and whispers of "cripple" and "waste of space." He sat down, slouching in his chair.
Let them laugh, Noah thought, watching Thunder-Clap pack up the device. The less they look at me, the better.
The lecture ended ten minutes later. As the students filed out, eager to get to combat training, Noah lingered, packing his bag slowly.
He needed to get to the library. He had to research the "False Divinity" further.
"That was a neat trick."
The voice was soft, melodic, but sharp as a razor.
Noah froze. He finished zipping his bag before turning around.
Leaning against the doorframe was a girl. She had short, raven-black hair and eyes that were a disturbing shade of violet. She wore the uniform of the "Strategy & Intelligence" course—the class for the smart, scary kids who didn't need muscles to win.
Tessa. The top student of the Intel division.
"I don't know what you mean," Noah said, his voice dull.
Tessa pushed off the wall and walked toward him. She didn't have a menacing aura, but her gaze felt like it was dissecting him layer by layer.
"The scanner," Tessa said, stopping a foot away from him. "It has a 0.001% error margin. It doesn't just 'glitch'. But the moment you touched it, the ambient mana in the air shifted. It felt... hollow."
She tilted her head. "Like something was stolen."
Noah's heart skipped a beat. She sensed the void? Is she a Sensor type?
He kept his face blank. "Maybe the machine is just old. Or maybe I really am that weak."
Tessa stared at him for a long, uncomfortable moment. Then, she smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile. It was the smile of a cat that had found a new toy.
"You're not weak, Noah Vane," she whispered, leaning in close enough that he could smell her lavender shampoo. "Weak men don't have eyes that look like they've seen God bleed."
She pulled back and tossed a folded piece of paper onto his desk.
"I'm working on a theory about the 'Concept Hunter' incident at the docks. I think the official report is full of holes. If you ever get tired of pretending to be a background character... find me."
She turned and walked out, her heels clicking rhythmically on the floor.
Noah stared at the paper. He didn't pick it up immediately.
[System Alert] [Target Identified: Tessa (Rank B)] [Potential Threat: High] [Potential Asset: Unknown]
"She knows too much," Noah murmured.
He picked up the paper. It wasn't a love letter. It was a printout of a frequency wave—the exact energy signature of the "glitch" he had just caused.
She had recorded it.
Noah crumpled the paper in his fist. His quiet school life was getting complicated fast.
"First the Black Ops, now a genius detective classmate," Noah sighed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Can't a villain get a break?"
He walked out of the classroom. He had to deal with Tessa. But first, he had a new priority.
If the Association was recruiting students, and if they were screening for power... they were preparing for something big.
And Noah intended to be the one pulling the strings when it happened.