You've Unlocked A New Ability

Max, breathing heavily and with a sense of accomplishment, carefully placed the dumbbell back on the rack.

Bella and Max's roommates were cheering him up for his impressive performance in both tests.

"Max, that was incredible!" Bella exclaimed.

"Yeah, Max, we couldn't believe our eyes when we saw you in action," Caleb chimed in. "You've got some serious skills!"

Max couldn't help but smile at the encouragement and support from his friends. Their words meant a lot to him, especially after the frustration he had felt during the agility test.

Max was so excited that he was able to unlock a new page, however he wondered how much Exp he had left.

< Exp: 22 >

His frustration returned after seeing his current Exp. If he didn't upgrade his agility or trade another 20 Exps, he would have a total of 92 Exps. Max never knew that his Exps were not in vain.

Mr. Lazlo wrote down his record and rated Max as well.

A few minutes later, every session completed their tests, and the hologram lady reappeared after everyone returned to the center hall.

"Welcome back. Thank you all for taking the tests and giving your best. Every student will now receive their ranks. With time, your ranks will rise according to how well and quickly you surpass your limits," the hologram lady announced.

Although everyone had questions about their recommended classes, they remained silent, not wanting to prolong the gathering.

"Take a look at your wrist. The number displayed on your wrist indicates your current level," she continued.

"Hey! I'm level 4," said a student with excitement.

"I'm level 5," another muttered from behind.

"What! How am I level 2?" a female student lamented after hearing of higher levels.

James also looked at his wrist and discovered that he was level 5. The crowd was mostly filled with level 3 and 4 students.

Caleb rushed to take a quick look at his wrist. He wasn't expecting much, considering his performance.

"I'm level one, I guess," Caleb slowly vented out to James and Max, who were standing beside him.

With excitement, Bella rushed to Max's side. "Hey, Max, I'm level 3. Show me, which number is displayed on your wrist? Since you did better than average students, including myself, I'm guessing that you're level 4 or 5."

A great smile appeared on Max's face, and he slowly lifted up his wrist.

"Huh?" Bella exclaimed.

"Is your suit faulty? Or maybe there was a mistake somewhere," said James after seeing the level that Max was assigned.

"I'm level 1?" Max muttered in puzzlement.

"Yeah, before I forget, all plain users are categorized as level one students until they acquire an ability," the hologram lady added.

"So that's the reason," said Bella.

"How are we supposed to acquire an ability when we're limited in so many ways?" Angry Max grumbled.

There were still slight rumblings and whispers from the students, but the hologram lady decided to give her final announcement for the day.

"And as for the recommended classes, we suggest that all level 3 students and upwards can take the practical tests since they already have some knowledge about their abilities. As for the plain users and level 2 students, we recommend that you take the theory classes for now. But like I said earlier, we're not going to force you into any class, so if a level 2 student or even a plain user decides on taking a practical class, then he or she is free to do so. However, note that theory classes are just as important as practical classes. And lastly, prepare for your first game, which will be happening tomorrow. More details will be revealed tomorrow."

With that, the hologram lady disappeared into thin air.

"So which class are you thinking of joining?" Bella asked Max, who stood there with a disappointed and angry face.

Max ignored Bella and walked away without looking back. A lot of things contributed to Max's current state. He had worked really hard and lost a lot of Exps just for him to have a better rank, but all was in vain.

He headed straight to his room because he wanted to see what the newly unlocked page had in store for him. He was hoping that maybe a new ability could brighten his mood.

While others were all looking at their wrists to see their levels, Scarlett didn't. She wasn't interested in what level she belonged to.

A group of boys who were afraid of Scarlett happened to walk past her and saw her level. Since everyone's rank was displayed on their wrist, the students were all trying to figure out who was higher and lower than them. Of course no one wants to mess with a higher-ranked student.

"Huh! She's a level 3 student," one of the boys pointed out.

The others didn't believe him and decided to take a second look at Scarlett's wrist. Indeed, she was a level 3 student.

Scarlett was now aware of her level. Shockingly, even though her level was lower than that of average students, she walked away smiling.

"I can't believe 'finger girl' is a level 3 student like myself. We're both on the same level, and I was scared of her all this time," the student who pointed out Scarlett's rank said.

"You idiot!" another chimed in. "I guess you weren't aware that she didn't take the tests seriously. I'm sure her level 3 is equivalent to level 5 or more."

"What? Really?" he asked as they walked away, all heading to the canteen.

James and Caleb saw that Max wasn't happy about how everything went. They didn't try to stop him from leaving or follow him. They thought he needed to be left alone. However, they couldn't stay in the center hall when most students were heading to the canteen.

"Caleb, let's grab something to eat and maybe pack something for Max as well," James suggested.

Just as they were about to leave, Bella asked a question. "Please, what's Max's room number?"

"You want to visit a boy in his room? Is that allowed?" James teased Bella.

"Scumbag! What are you thinking up there? I'm only going to see him as a friend, not his girlfriend," Bella retorted immediately.

"Door 55," Caleb replied.

"Thanks," Bella said and left the hall as well.

****

Max sat on his bed and called for his system book to appear.

"Thousand Pages of Death," he muttered.

The book appeared before him and asked which page he would like to view.

"Show me the newly unlocked page," Max voiced out, and the book obeyed, flipping itself to that very page.

When the page opened, Max saw lots of write-ups as usual, but, in all, there was one that stood out boldly.

< Congratulations wielder, you've unlocked a new ability. >

Before Max could find out what ability he had unlocked, a knock was heard from outside. It was Bella.

[AUTHOR'S THOUGHT: Special Thanks to Epic_Buddies123 for the golden ticket]