The light in Room 3-B flickered as the morning sun slipped through dusty windows. A slow fan turned overhead. This was Ridgewood Academy's F-Class—the lowest-ranked group in the school.
Donnie sat quietly at the back, near the window, sketching in a notebook. He wasn't drawing for fun. He was copying movements—stances, ability paths, and reactions. He was learning.
"Hey, Copyboy!" someone yelled from the center of the class.
Donnie didn't lift his head. He already knew who it was.
Lucen Kai. A C-Rank student with fire-based abilities. Loud. Arrogant. Popular.
"Still pretending you're gonna awaken something useful? Or are you just preparing to mop floors?" Lucen smirked.
The class laughed.
Lucen walked over and snatched Donnie's notebook.
"Look at this! You're trying to learn others' moves again? How long can you even use someone else's ability? Ten seconds?"
"Seven," Donnie said calmly.
"Wow. That's enough to die twice," Lucen joked. "You're a joke."
Donnie stood and took his notebook back. He didn't argue. He never did.
\-\--
At Ridgewood, Donnie was seen as weak. His ability—called Mimic Manifestation—could copy someone's ability temporarily. Seven seconds. That's all. Everyone called it useless.
But Donnie was different. He wasn't just copying.
He was learning.
Every time he used someone's ability, his body recorded it. Not just the move—but the energy, the rhythm, the way it worked. He couldn't fully control them yet. But it was growing.
\-\--
Later that day, the school speaker made a sound.
> *"All students to the courtyard. A regional announcement is starting."*
Students groaned.
"If it's about the AHUE again, I'm skipping," said Veera Myles, a sharp D-Rank student.
"They say Blue House and Zero Guild are watching this year," Lucen grinned. "It's our chance."
The AHUE—Advanced Hunter University Evaluation—was the entrance exam for the world's top hunter university, based in Britain. Only ten students per region moved on. No one from Ridgewood had ever made it.
*Not yet.*
\-\--
In the courtyard, students gathered as a giant screen lit up. The AHUE symbol appeared.
> *"Region-43 students will enter mock gates in three weeks. The top ten will proceed to the London test."*
Then the screen listed powerful groups watching: Blue House, Guild Union, Ascend Tower.
The courtyard grew quiet. Some stared in awe. Others in fear.
Lucen leaned toward Donnie and whispered, "You might as well stay home, Copyboy."
Donnie didn't answer. But a light flashed in his vision. Only he could see it.
**[TRACE SAVED]**
> *New Ability Pattern: Combustion Arc (25%)*
He smiled slightly.
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