The assessment ended, and the last of the students exited the training hall, some with pride on their faces, others with disappointment. Dave quietly followed the crowd, his new Level 1 tag still freshly clipped to his chest — a subtle reminder of his place.
Just outside the hall, officers handed out small rectangular devices to each student. They were sleek, black cards with glowing edges.
"This is your ID Card," the instructor announced. "It displays your Level, functions as your payment card, and includes a holographic map to guide you around campus. Lose it, and you'll regret it."
Dave looked down at his card. His name and level glowed faintly on its surface.
[Name: Dave Snyder | Level: 1 | Ability: None]
He sighed.
Then they were handed a small wrist tag, which lit up and displayed their level for everyone to see. It couldn't be removed. Dave clipped his reluctantly and hoped no one would notice.
"Return to your dorms," the instructor continued. "Your room numbers are assigned to your ID cards. Get some rest. Training begins tomorrow at 0600 hours sharp."
The students split up, some chatting excitedly, others walking with purpose. Dave tapped his card and followed the glowing blue arrow projected onto the ground.
The academy felt like a self-contained city. The dorm buildings stretched tall into the sky, their architecture sleek and metallic. Surveillance drones buzzed overhead. Every path was automated.
[You have arrived at Dormitory Block B | Room 307]
Dave entered the building and stepped into the elevator. When he reached the third floor and opened the door to his assigned room, he paused.
Three pairs of eyes turned toward him.
Inside were three students already unpacked and settled. They all wore their level tags proudly.
The first to speak was a tall, confident-looking boy with sharp blue eyes and snowy white hair.
"Roommate number four, huh?" he said, standing. "Name's Stive. Level 6. Ice ability."
Next to him was a laid-back guy with messy hair and a lazy smirk.
"Mike. Level 4. Water ability. Just don't snore and we'll be cool."
The last had spiky hair and a scar on his cheek. His eyes burned with a constant, fiery intensity.
"Tobin. Level 4. Fire."
They waited for Dave.
He swallowed and stepped in.
"Dave Snyder… Level 1. No ability."
For a moment, there was silence.
Mike raised an eyebrow. "Level 1? Damn. You're either unlucky or dumb."
Tobin chuckled. "This school's gonna eat you alive, man."
Dave didn't respond. He dropped his bag by the last empty bed and sat down.
Stive studied him quietly, then said, "Well, I guess every team needs a weak link."
Dave clenched his fists beneath the blanket. The system in his mind stayed silent, but he could feel its presence — watching, waiting.
He wouldn't argue. He wouldn't defend himself.
The next morning, the academy's sharp morning bell echoed through the dormitories. Dave got up, still a bit groggy from the previous day's orientation. He glanced at the glowing system panel hovering in his vision but pushed it aside for now—today was the beginning of something new.
His roommates were already preparing. Mike, Level 4, adjusted the straps on his uniform. Tobin, also Level 4, summoned a small flame in his palm and extinguished it just as quickly. Stive, the strongest among them with his Level 6 and ice ability, stood quietly by the window, looking out.
"You ready?" Stive asked, turning to Dave.
"Yeah," Dave nodded, though he felt a pit in his stomach. He still had no ability—nothing flashy, nothing cool. Just the system, which no one else could see or understand.
They left the dorm and headed to their homeroom class. A tall woman with black gloves and a cold expression stood at the front of the classroom.
"I am miss Gwen your homeroom teacher," she announced. "Welcome to your first official day at the academy. You'll train here for three years. But your future starts now—based on your combat class."
After a brief lecture about the academy's mission and the global situation with the vampires, dampias, and lost punishers, Instructor Nia waved her hand. A digital board appeared in front of the class, displaying combat class options:
Elemental Class – For users with elemental abilities.
Martial arts Class
Beast Weapon Class
Support Class
And more
Tobin grinned. "Obviously, Elemental. I've got fire. You?"
"Water," Mike replied, already heading toward the elemental line.
Stive stared at the board longer than the others. His ice ability placed him among the elite—but he looked at Dave and then made a decision.
"I'm trying something new," Stive said, turning from the elemental section. "I want to challenge myself, not rely on ability."
Dave looked surprised. "You're not going to Elemental?"
"Nope. I'm going with Beast Weapon Class."
Dave hesitated for a moment. Then, with a breath, he followed. "Me too."
Together, they stepped toward the registration terminal and selected Beast Weapon Class. The system confirmed it with a beep. Others gave them confused stares—why would the top ice-user pick a weapon path? And what was a no-ability guy doing here?