Time passed, and hundreds of students stepped forward one after another, yet not one of them succeeded.

A sense of unease gradually settled over the crowd, and a heavy, indescribable haze of disappointment hung in the air.

But then something unexpected happened. Instead of shattering, the awakening stone on the platform started to glow, transforming into a stream of dark blue mystic energy that surged into the body of a student named William Hall.

Everyone present stared at William intently with different expressions. They all knew that William... had awakened successfully.

A line of dark blue text appeared on the stone platform:

[Awakened Supernatural Ability: Petrified Skin]

“Ahh! I did it!!!”

William, standing on the platform, could no longer contain his excitement. His entire body trembled as he shouted out in pure elation.

The headmaster, who had been observing quietly, smiled and gave William a congratulatory pat on the shoulder before instructing a teacher to escort him away.

As a result, the almost depressing mood among the students shifted immediately, and whispers began one after another.

"Fuck! I know William—he's a Class 3 sports committee member. He really awakened!"

"William is my good brother. He’s definitely going to look out for me now. You better watch how you treat me!"

"So unfair! Why am I not the one who successfully awakened?!"

"William was already a first-level warrior, and now he’s destined to rise even higher."

Compared to the others who were feeling apprehensive, Liam, who already had a supernatural ability and was 100% certain to awaken another, didn't have many mood fluctuations.

But this was not a good thing. Instead, it was a flaw in his character, so at the moment, Liam was seriously thinking about what kind of expression would be most appropriate after he awakens.

There were about several hundred more students who stepped forward, one by one, and only one other managed to awaken—a girl named Yasmin Bell, who gained the supernatural ability [Clairvoyance].

Finally, it was Liam’s class's turn. The first to step up was their class monitor, Zoya.

Zoya looked nervous, but she took a deep breath, steeling herself, before striding confidently toward the platform.

“Come on, monitor! You’ve got this!”

“Ms. Zoya! You’ll succeed! Don’t forget to take care of me, your little brother!”

“Zoya, you’re definitely going to make it!”

Voices of encouragement filled the air. Even the teachers cast hopeful glances in Zoya’s direction.

Zoya was clearly popular.

With a determined expression, Zoya reached out to the Awakening Stone. A flash of light followed.

Snap!

But in an instant, the Awakening Stone shattered into a cloud of blue powder and vanished into the air.

She didn’t succeed.

"…"

The cheers died abruptly, replaced by a heavy silence.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

A flicker of disappointment crossed Zoya’s eyes, but she quickly composed herself. She stepped down from the stone platform, and her voice was barely audible as she whispered to herself:

“It’s fine. There’s no need to force something that isn’t there. I’ll reach the top through martial arts alone.”

Next up was Liam.

His presence didn’t cause any stir. In fact, hardly anyone even noticed him.

But one student, Paul, looked shocked at Liam's presence here. He wondered why Liam wasn’t dead.

Onstage, Liam touched the mystic awakening stone.

For a brief moment, the world around Liam lost all color. All sound vanished, leaving an eerie stillness he had never experienced before.

[Awakened Supernatural Ability: Silence]

The words appeared on the stone platform, marking Liam’s successful awakening of a second supernatural ability.

“Who is he? He actually awakened!”

“Damn it! Zoya didn’t succeed, but Liam did!”

“Why the hell can someone like him awaken when I can’t?”

“He’s just a lucky bastard!”

The crowd was in disbelief. They felt as if someone they regarded as inferior had unexpectedly achieved success and was now dominating them.

Zoya watched Liam on the platform. After a brief moment of surprise, a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

“Liam, you’ve really become a shining star.”

In contrast to most students who were either shocked or jealous, with the exception of Zoya, who looked genuinely pleased, Paul clenched his teeth so hard that it felt like they might shatter.

He couldn’t figure out why Liam was still alive and had even managed to awaken a supernatural ability.

Thinking of Daphne, who had been missing for days, Paul was certain it had something to do with Liam, and he silently vowed to find a way to kill him for sure.

Unaware of the thoughts of the students below the stage, Liam feigned disbelief, his face blank, as he pointed to himself in confusion.

"Did I succeed?" he asked, in a voice with just the right amount of uncertainty.

The headmaster, finding nothing amiss, placed a reassuring hand on Liam's shoulder and nodded with a faint smile.

"Yes, Liam, you’ve successfully awakened your supernatural ability. Shortly, a teacher will take you to a classroom to explain the mysteries of mystic energy."

Then, ignoring the envious and dissatisfied murmurs around him, Liam quietly followed a male teacher to a special classroom.

As they walked, Liam focused inwardly, feeling the power of his newly awakened ability. It allowed him to silence a specific area while consuming only a small amount of mystic energy. This ability was quite consistent with his original self from Earth.

Of course, on the surface, it seemed like a rather unimpressive ability, especially when compared to something like [Shadow Control].

But Liam wasn’t discouraged. He understood that there was no unseless ability in the world, only useless people.

At the same time, he also noticed that his mystic energy had nearly doubled, which most likely was one of the benefits of having two supernatural abilities.

Soon, they arrived at a luxurious classroom where two other students, William and Yasmin, who had already successfully awakened, were already seated.

William looked like a warrior, with a resolute face, neat short hair, a thick chest, strong arms, and bulging muscles all over his body.

Yasmin, on the other hand, was a cool and beautiful girl with delicate facial features, as if an ice sculpture master had carefully carved them.

Her silver hair fell like a waterfall, and her eyes were clear and cold. Looking like a snow lotus atop a high mountain, she exuded a chill that warned others to keep their distance.

When William noticed a new student entering the room, he immediately rushed over to Liam excitedly.

"Finally, a new person! Brother, you have no idea—this girl is like an ice cube, she barely said a word since she came here."

Liam observed the overly enthusiastic classmate and instinctively took a half-step back.

"So, what's your name, brother? Oh, and what's your supernatural ability? We can't exactly see them here."

Liam responded calmly, "Liam. My ability? It can make you speechless."

"Eh???"

William's face was filled with shock, as if he couldn't believe that there was such an ability in the world.

"You're joking, right?"

"No."

"…"

Upon hearing this, William quietly retreated to his original spot, looking like he'd just suffered a major blow.

Liam also found an empty seat, sat down, and pulled out his phone from his pocket, intending to check the latest news.

A little while later, a petite girl joined the class.

Her fair face was dotted with freckles, and her bright eyes, like a clear lake, sparkled with curiosity and innocence. Her long brown hair, tied into a simple ponytail, radiated vitality and youthfulness.

William stood up once more and excitedly approached the new classmate, shouting, "Hey there, classmate... What's your name, and what's your ability?"

"Hello, everyone. My name is Emma Miller, and my ability is [Healing Mist], which can generate a mist with healing properties."

Emma introduced herself briefly, forcing a polite smile as she looked at William.

"Perfect! A tank and a healer. Our combination is perfect."

William's eyes glowed brightly as he stared at Emma.

But it was then that a cold voice interrupted his thoughts and made him go back to his seat promptly.

"Alright, everyone, return to your seats. The test is over, and only four of you passed."

It was a tall, stern-faced middle-aged man in a black trench coat who strode into the classroom, exuding a cold and murderous aura that instantly caught everyone's attention.

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