"Fell... it fell?"
"That two-headed fire ant was actually knocked down by Smith in one punch?!"
"Wait—he's a Wood and Spiritual Eye type, right? Could he have secretly trained in Beast Transformation too?"
For a moment, the entire training field buzzed with disbelief and speculation.
The scene that had just unfolded was far beyond anyone's expectations. The monster, a powerful two-headed fire ant, had been completely subdued by Smith with a single punch.
And yet… Smith wasn't a Beast-Type esper.
"No—look at his eyes!" someone suddenly exclaimed, pointing.
Everyone turned their gaze toward Smith, now standing calmly over the unconscious monster.
His eyes had changed.
They glowed with a deep crimson hue, spinning gently with three tomoe circling his pupils.
"Wait... is that... a Spiritual Eye ability?"
"It must be! That punch probably wasn't what took down the monster—it was his eye technique!"
Though they hadn't directly witnessed the illusion in effect, many began to suspect that it was Smith's mysterious Spiritual Eye that had caused the beast to collapse. The monster's momentary daze, its sudden drop—all signs pointed to something far more than raw strength.
Moments earlier, Smith had also used Wood Release: Wooden Barrier, a powerful defensive technique that most believed impossible for someone with Wood Element to perform at such a basic level.
And now, he had shown off another strange, unexplained power—one that could potentially manipulate the minds of monsters.
Smith had always been considered the "strongest waste" by many, a laughingstock due to the odd pairing of his S-level powers: Wood Element and Spiritual Eye. Both were rare, but neither were seen as practical in combat without intensive development.
But today, that narrative shattered.
He had defeated a first-level monster—alone.
Even Xu Kun, who had fully intended to humiliate Smith, stood frozen, jaw clenched in frustration. His teeth ground together as he seethed with anger and humiliation.
Smith had not only survived the battle—he had won it with overwhelming style. And worse, he had taken all the attention and praise that Xu Kun had hoped to claim for himself.
As Smith walked back toward the Special Class 3 team, Yan Yue passed by him. Her gaze was warm, and her smile was like spring sunlight after a long winter.
"You did really well," she said softly.
Smith blinked.
"Thanks."
He tried to keep his composure, but her tone—gentle, pleasant, almost musical—sent a ripple through him.
Though he lived by the mantra "If there is no woman in your heart, your sword shall remain divine," even he wasn't immune to the praise of a beautiful woman with a radiant smile.
[Ding! Mission complete! 100 energy points awarded.]
[The Lottery System has been unlocked!]
Smith's expression changed slightly.
Back in line with his classmates, the system's voice once again rang out in his mind.
"Let's take a look…"
Smith opened the interface of the newly activated Lottery System.
What appeared was a large glowing wheel, divided into ten distinct sections, each one bearing the name of a powerful technique or ability:
Flying Thunder God Technique
Sage Mode
Multiple Shadow Clone Technique
Eight Trigrams Seal
Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal)
Four Symbols Seal
Mangekyō Sharingan (Basic)
Illusion: Jag-Hang Technique
Wood Release: Wood Clone
Wood Release: Cutting Technique
Smith's eyes widened.
"These are all powerful techniques!"
He was nearly drooling with desire. Some of these were legendary—skills that could change a person's destiny in an instant.
But then his eyes dropped to the cost to draw once from the wheel.
5,000 energy points.
"…Huh?!"
Smith nearly choked.
"Five thousand?!"
Not five hundred. Not fifty.
Five. Thousand.
He barely had one hundred energy points to his name right now. It would take countless battles to earn enough for a single spin.
And worse—some of the options on the wheel weren't even worth that much.
"Like this one—'Illusion: Jag-Hang Technique'? At most that's worth two or three thousand points…"
"Or 'Wood Release: Cutting Technique'—yeah, powerful, but definitely not five-thousand-worthy."
Even the Shiki Fūjin—incredibly powerful as it was—came with the price of death. Once used, it sealed both the enemy and the user's soul. To Smith, that made it practically worthless.
"What if I draw that one? Wouldn't that be the worst kind of bad luck?"
He shook his head firmly.
"Nope. Not gambling it. I'd rather exchange points for what I need directly."
Smith turned away from the lottery system and opened the Exchange Store instead.
---
First, he spent 20 energy points to unlock the remaining function of his Sharingan: Basic Insight.
Now, with Illusion, Copy, and Insight combined, his Sharingan had reached its full three-tomoe stage—a true awakening.
He now had 80 points remaining.
"For now, I'll focus on Wood Release techniques."
He browsed the D- and C-level Wood Release options and chose the following:
---
[Wood Release: Wooden Spear – D-rank – 10 energy points]
A short-range, single-target offensive jutsu. Allows the user to generate a sharp wooden spear from the body or nearby trees to pierce or impale an enemy.
---
[Wood Release: Tree Wall – D-rank – 10 energy points]
A basic defensive technique. Creates a wooden wall to protect against physical or chakra-based attacks. Can be used to shield oneself or teammates.
---
[Wood Release: Explosive Gun Tree – C-rank – 60 energy points]
A hybrid offense-defense ninjutsu. The user summons roots or tree branches that erupt violently from the ground. Can form large trees to either consume the enemy or intercept incoming attacks at the last second.
---
With that, his energy balance hit zero.
But Smith didn't mind. He now had a complete set of practical jutsu—one for offense, one for defense, and one for utility in both areas. Along with his complete Sharingan, he had significantly increased his combat power.
"If I were to face that fire ant again," he thought, "I could take it down solo without breaking a sweat."
---
Combat training continued across the field.
Some monsters, unable to withstand the combined power of full classes, fell quickly. Whenever one was defeated, the assistant teachers would retrieve a new one from the forest.
As expected, students had widely different performances when facing real monsters.
Some excelled, launching themselves into the fight with energy and precision.
Others froze in fear, unable to move or act.
Whenever that happened, a teacher would step in—either to protect them or push them forward. Every student had to experience the intensity of real battle at least once before the day ended.
Since Smith had completed his trial early, he had time to sit and watch.
He found the variety of powers fascinating.
One student used illusion techniques—creating mirror images to confuse the monster and evade attacks.
Another from the Puppet Class controlled a mechanical humanoid from a distance, manipulating it like a drone to fight on his behalf.
There were also students from the Object Control Department, who manipulated flying swords and metal whips like extensions of their own bodies. Their combat styles were elegant but risky—if an enemy got close, they had no real defense.
The most common types, however, were the Elemental Espers—those who controlled wind, fire, water, lightning, or earth.
Each element had its strengths:
Wind: High-speed strikes, sharp projectiles
Fire: Continuous AoE damage, explosive blasts
Water: Versatility, healing, control
Lightning: Fast, aggressive power strikes
Earth: High defense and battlefield control
Each student's ability was shaped not just by their element, but by how they trained and interpreted their powers. Even two water users could fight in drastically different ways—one supporting, the other attacking.
The diversity was incredible to witness.
Smith watched it all, silently absorbing information.
He wasn't just impressed. He was inspired.
Soon, he'd stand among the top—no longer a "waste," but a powerhouse with both brains and brawn.
And the next time the lottery wheel spun... he'd be ready.