Lin Yue didn't sleep at all that night.
Every time he closed his eyes, the blue glow on his palm replayed behind his eyelids. That fleeting moment—when he had held Su Yao's power in his own hand—sent a thrill through him that made sleep impossible.
He sat at his desk, the business card with Su Yao · Night Watcher propped against his lamp. Outside, the sky shifted from black to deep blue to pale gray. The first birds began their morning chorus.
He hadn't called her.
Not yet.
He needed to understand what he had first. If this copy ability was real, he couldn't just rely on a stranger to explain it. He needed to test it himself.
The cooldown timer in his mind felt like a countdown to something important. Twenty‑four hours. He had first copied the Radiant Barrier around seven in the evening. That meant he wouldn't be able to copy anything else until seven tonight.
But that didn't mean he couldn't learn.
He grabbed a notebook and started writing.
---
What I Know So Far:
1. My ability is "copy." I can replicate someone else's ability after seeing it used within close range (estimated under 10 meters).
2. Current limit: I can only store one copied ability at a time. After using it, I need 24 hours before I can copy again.
3. Duration: The copied ability only lasts about 30 seconds (maybe less if it's high‑rank?).
4. Potential: The more I copy the same ability, maybe the longer I can use it? Or even keep it permanently?
He underlined the last point three times.
If permanent acquisition was possible, then his ability wasn't just copy—it was learning. And that changed everything.
He tapped his pen against the notebook. There was another question he couldn't answer yet:
Could he copy more than one ability at a time if his "mental energy" grew stronger?
The system message had mentioned his mental energy was low. That meant it could be improved. Maybe through practice, meditation, or… he didn't know. Combat experience?
He needed information. And he knew exactly where to get it.
---
Monday morning. The day of the third‑year ability assessment.
Lin Yue walked into the school auditorium, where nearly two hundred students were gathered in clusters. Most were practicing small displays of their abilities—sparks of fire, ripples of water, the occasional gust of wind. A few of the stronger ones kept their powers hidden, radiating an air of confidence that set them apart.
Lin Yue found a seat near the back and sat quietly.
"Hey, Waste."
He didn't bother looking up. The voice belonged to Zhao Wei, one of the school's top awakeners—a C‑rank with wind manipulation. He always had an entourage.
"Why are you even here?" Zhao Wei asked, grinning. "It's not like you can participate. Oh wait, are you hoping to finally awaken by watching us? Like some kind of spectator power‑up?"
A few people laughed.
Lin Yue finally lifted his gaze. He looked at Zhao Wei for a long moment, then smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
The laughter faltered. Something about the way he said it made Zhao Wei narrow his eyes.
"Whatever." Zhao Wei waved a hand dismissively. "Try not to be too jealous when you see what real awakeners can do."
He walked off, his group trailing behind.
Lin Yue's smile faded. He wasn't jealous. He was watching. Every flicker of flame, every ripple of energy—he observed them all, filing the information away.
At seven o'clock tonight, the cooldown would end. He could copy again.
The question was: whose ability should he take?
---
The assessment was split into two parts: a written test on ability theory in the morning, and a practical demonstration in the afternoon.
Lin Yue finished the written exam quickly. Most of it was common sense—ability ranks, safety protocols, known ability types. He'd studied out of spite, back when he still hoped he might awaken someday.
The practical demonstration was held on the outdoor training field. Bleachers had been set up for non‑participants, and Lin Yue took a seat near the top, giving him a clear view of the entire field.
Students were called up one by one. They demonstrated their abilities before a panel of teachers and a few outside evaluators—awakeners from the city's management bureau.
Most were F or E‑rank. A boy made water appear in a cup. A girl lit a small candle flame with her fingertip. A stocky student reinforced his fist with a thin layer of stone and punched a practice dummy, leaving a small crack.
The crowd applauded politely.
Then Zhao Wei stepped onto the field.
The atmosphere changed. People leaned forward.
Zhao Wei raised one hand. A gust of wind swirled around him, kicking up dust and rattling the equipment racks. The wind gathered into a concentrated blade that shot forward and sliced a training dummy clean in half.
"C‑rank," one of the evaluators murmured, nodding approvingly.
The crowd erupted into cheers. Zhao Wei soaked it in, scanning the bleachers until his eyes found Lin Yue. He smirked.
Lin Yue didn't react. He was too focused on what he had just seen—the way the wind gathered around Zhao Wei's hand, the energy flow that followed his arm and condensed at his palm.
For a moment, he could almost see it.
But he didn't have his copy ability right now. The cooldown was still active.
Not yet, he told himself. Wait.
---
At six‑fifty, Lin Yue left the bleachers and walked toward the school's back garden. It was empty at this hour, the cherry trees rustling softly in the evening breeze.
He sat on a bench, eyes closed, waiting.
At exactly seven o'clock, a notification bloomed in his mind:
Cooldown complete. Copy ability ready.
His heart rate spiked.
He opened his eyes. Around him, students were still drifting out of the assessment grounds, some practicing small displays of their powers.
He needed a good ability to copy. Something useful for the next stage—whatever that might be.
Then he saw her.
A girl in a different class uniform—probably from the second year, staying late to train. She stood alone near the equipment shed, both hands extended toward a row of wooden targets.
She took a deep breath. Blue arcs of electricity crackled around her fingers, snapping and popping. She thrust her hands forward, and a bolt of lightning shot out, striking the center target and blasting it to splinters.
Lightning ability.
Lin Yue's eyes locked onto the energy flow inside her. The electricity gathered in her chest, traveled down her arms, and discharged at her fingertips. He watched the path, memorizing it.
He stood up and walked closer. Not too close—but close enough.
[Detected copyable ability: Lightning Bolt (D‑rank)]
[Copy?]
Yes.
A jolt ran through his body—not painful, but intense. For a moment, he felt the electricity humming beneath his skin, waiting to be released.
[Copied. Duration remaining: 28 seconds. Use it or lose it.]
Twenty‑eight seconds.
Lin Yue turned and walked toward the training field's far end, where a row of old practice dummies stood forgotten. No one was watching. The crowd had dispersed, the teachers were packing up.
He raised his hand.
The blue arcs appeared around his fingers, just like the girl's. The energy built, crackling, eager to be unleashed.
He aimed at the nearest dummy.
And released.
CRACK!
Lightning shot from his palm, striking the dummy square in the chest. The wooden figure exploded into fragments, splinters flying in all directions.
Lin Yue stood there, breathing hard, his hand still tingling.
The arcs faded. The power was gone.
Twenty‑eight seconds. Enough to change a fight. Enough to change everything.
He looked at the wreckage of the dummy, then at his own hand.
A slow grin spread across his face.
He wasn't a waste anymore. He never had been.
---
On his way out of the school, he passed by Zhao Wei and his group near the gate.
"Hey, Waste," Zhao Wei called out. "Enjoy the show? Bet you wish you could do something like that."
Lin Yue stopped. He looked at Zhao Wei—really looked at him. The wind energy coiled inside the other boy, restless and strong.
He could copy it. He'd seen Zhao Wei's ability clearly today. If he wanted, he could have it.
But not yet. He had other plans.
"Yeah," Lin Yue said quietly. "Maybe next time."
He walked away, leaving Zhao Wei frowning behind him.
When he got home, he pulled out his notebook and added a new entry:
Day 1: Copied Lightning Bolt (D‑rank). Duration: 28 seconds.
Next step: Find a way to extend duration. Train mental energy.
Also—call Su Yao. Need to understand what I really am.
He looked at the business card on his desk.
Tomorrow, he decided. Tomorrow, he would make that call.
The city was full of awakened criminals like the Dark Crow. And if he wanted to survive—if he wanted to find out what happened to his father—he needed to get stronger.
Faster.
And with his ability, there was no limit to what he could become.
---
End of Chapter 2
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