The teacher cleared her throat. "As you all know, the number of awakened individuals is increasing all over the world.
It has become essential for society to identify and guide these individuals to ensure order and safety." She paused, letting the weight of her words settle over the class.
"Our school has been chosen to host a mandatory test to determine whether you are awakened or have the potential physique of an awakened person. Every student must undergo this test."
The entire class exploded into whispers and chatter.
"A test for awakened powers?!"
"What if I'm one of them?!"
"Man, I hope I get something cool like fire or lightning!"
Kent, however, paled visibly. He slouched lower in his chair, tugging his hood over his head.
"A test?!" he thought, his heart pounding. "This is bad. This is really bad!"
The teacher raised her hand, silencing the class. "The test will involve a blood sample, which will be analyzed to determine your spiritual physique or awakening potential."
With spiritual power returning, many elements and metals had changed. By simply mixing mercury with someone's blood, they could now identify someone's physique.
Kent froze in place.
"A blood test?!" he thought, panic flooding his mind. "If they test me, my physique will be off the charts thanks to all those fruits I ate!"
Ryan smirked from across the room, flexing his arms obnoxiously. "Blood test? Pfft. I'll pass with flying colors. They're gonna see I'm the real deal!"
Kent groaned internally, clutching his head.
"Ugh, I can't afford this kind of attention! If they find out I'm physically stronger than most awakened people, the government will be all over me!"
Wild, funny images flashed through his mind—him locked in a cage, scientists poking needles into his butt, his body preserved in chemicals for display in a museum.
He shook his head violently. Nooooooo!!
The teacher frowned. "Kent, what happened to you? Why are you yelling?"
She adjusted her glasses. "Do you know what mercury is?"
Kent stood up stiffly. "I know what mercury is. It's full of mercury liquids. That's why it's called mercury!"
+9, +8, +10, +19 SP from classmates (Joy, Confusion).
Everyone was stunned by his terrible joke. But it worked for Kent. He earned a lot of spiritual points. Inside, he was thrilled.
The teacher ignored Kent and continued, "The test will be conducted tomorrow during school hours. Anyone who avoids the test will face consequences."
Kent's mind raced. "Tomorrow? That gives me less than a day to figure something out! I need a plan—fast."
After school, Kent trudged back home, his bag slung lazily over his shoulder. His mind buzzed with thoughts as he kicked small stones along the road.
Thud. Thud.
"If they take my blood, it's game over," Kent muttered to himself. "I'll light up that test like a supernova, and then they'll start asking questions that I can't answer."
"They'll turn me into a lab rat. I can't tell anyone that I have a system. I have to keep it a secret."
As he stepped into the house, he found Nima sitting on the floor, humming a tune as she stacked vegetables into a lopsided pyramid.
La La La~! 🎵🎶🎶
"Welcome back, big brother!" she chirped without looking up.
Kent blinked, an idea hitting him like a bolt of lightning.
"Nima… blood test… wait, that's it!"
He grinned, crouching beside her. "Nima, my favorite little sister, you love me, right?"
Nima's humming stopped. She gave him a suspicious look. "Why are you acting weird? What do you want from me?"
"Nothing much!" Kent said, his voice sickly sweet. "I just need a tiny favor—a drop of your blood."
"Heeeeehhhh?!"
Nima's jaw dropped. "MY BLOOD?! Are you a vampire now?!"
"No, no! It's for… science! Yeah, a school science experiment."
"Liar!" Nima crossed her arms. "Why would your science class need my blood?"
Kent sighed dramatically, rubbing his forehead. "Fine. I'll tell you the truth. They're conducting a test tomorrow. I don't want to do it, so I'll use your blood instead."
Nima blinked. "Why?"
"Because if they test me, I'll become famous!" Kent exaggerated, waving his arms. "You don't want people swarming your big brother, do you?"
Nima stared blankly.
If Kent got famous, many girls would swarm around him like butterflies.
No! I must protect him. Cough Cough!
"Uh-huh. And what do I get out of this?"
Kent smirked. "I'll buy you cup noodles for the next three days."
Nima snorted. "Cup noodles? Not enough. I want fried rice. With eggs and tomatoes!"
"Deal!" Kent declared, holding out his pinky.
Nima grinned, locking her pinky with his. "You better not cheat me!"
"Of course not," Kent said, patting her head. "You're the best sister ever."
Next Day at School—
The gym was bustling with students lining up for the blood test. Nurses sat at small stations, drawing blood samples, one student at a time.
Kent's heart pounded as he clutched a tiny vial of Nima's blood in his pocket. "All I need to do is swap it out," he thought. "Easy, right?"
As his turn approached, Kent put his plan into motion.
Step One: Distraction. I got this.
Kent's turn arrived. The nurse poked a needle into his finger and took his blood. She placed the vial on the desk. Before she could label it with his name—
Kent fumbled dramatically with his bag, spilling its contents onto the floor.
"AAAAAH!
My homework! My… everything!" Kent shouted, drawing everyone's attention.
The nurse looked over, startled. "What's going on?"
Step Two: Switch the blood.
While everyone was momentarily distracted, Kent quickly pulled out Nima's blood vial and swapped it with the collection tube on the desk.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Kent said, scrambling to his feet. "I'm just clumsy, I guess!"
The nurse rolled her eyes. "Hurry up. The line is long."
The nurse collected the sample—Nima's blood—without a second glance. Kent sighed in relief as he walked away, his palms sweating.
"That was close," he muttered. "Too close."
After school, when Kent got home, he was in a good mood.
"Another day, another disaster avoided," he muttered, tossing his bag onto the floor.
But his smile faded when he heard faint coughing from Nima's room.
"Nima?" Kent called out, stepping inside.
Nima lay curled up on the bed, her face pale and her small body shivering.
"Nima! What happened?!"
She looked up weakly. "I took a bath… the water was so cold… I'll be fine…"
Kent's chest tightened. "Why didn't you boil some water? I told you not to shower with cold water!"
"You work so hard selling eggs and going to school. I didn't want to waste gas. The gas is running out. We still need it for the entire month."
"You foolish girl!" Kent said. "Let's go see a doctor. You look very sick."
Nima forced a smile. "Doctor visits cost money, big brother. I'm okay, really…"
Ding!
+99 SP from Nima (Sadness and Love).
Kent's eyes burned as he clenched his fists. "This… this is because of me. I can't earn enough money to give my sister a good life. I need to fix this."
Then, an idea struck him.
"Wait… the Physique Enhancement Fruit!"
It should be able to make her body condition better, right? Maybe I can even help her awaken with the system's help.
Kent summoned his system in a panic, opening the lottery. But his heart rate dropped when he didn't see the fruit anymore.
"Where is it?!" he shouted.
Then, a new tab appeared in the store.
Physique Enhancement Fruit: Now Available for Purchase (1,000 SP each).
Kent blinked. "They moved it to the store because I maxed out my own physique?"
"Thank the heavens! I was scared."
Without hesitation, Kent bought ten fruits in a frenzy.
He pulled one from his inventory and gently held it out to Nima.
"Here, eat this. It'll make you better."
Nima blinked, too weak to argue. She took the glowing fruit and popped it into her mouth.
The moment she ate it, it vanished, and spiritual energy flowed into her whole body.
"Hmm? It just… vanished?!" she said, frowning. "I didn't even have a chance to taste it! What did you feed me?!"
Before Kent could answer, Nima sat up suddenly, her pale complexion already flushed with life.
"Whoa!" she exclaimed, blinking in surprise. "I feel… great! What was that?!"
Kent grinned, patting her head. "Nothing. Just a little magic."