My System Doesn't Give Power

Zac stopped and turned around. He glanced to his left, then to his right, before pointing at himself. "Are you talking to me?"

Sabrina’s expression did not change. "Do you see anyone else here?"

Zac looked around once more. "No, but I wanted to be certain. Especially when it comes to you."

He straightened and faced her properly. "The wind must’ve blown unusually hard today. How else would you end up waiting for me?"

"I have something to discuss with you."

Zac placed one hand over his chest. "I’m honored. You have my undivided attention. So, what is it?"

Sabrina took a deep breath before speaking. "I’m not going to thank you."

Confusion flickered across Zac’s face. "Well, all right. I wasn’t expecting you to." He tilted his head. "But what exactly is this about?"

"The prison realm."

"The prison realm?"

"Don’t pretend you don’t know."

"Hey, after sleeping for nearly a day and a half, my memory is still a little foggy. A lot happened in that place. You’ll need to be more specific."

Sabrina looked directly into his eyes. "You were the one who helped Kelly, weren’t you?"

Zac’s expression remained unchanged. "That snitch. She couldn’t keep her mouth shut for even one day.And why is she only mentioning Kelly? What about helping her?"

Almost as though she had read his mind, Sabrina replied, "She didn’t tell me anything."

Zac paused.

[That was unsettlingly well-timed.]

"System, does she have some kind of mind-reading ability too?"

[I don’t know.]

"Can’t you scan her?"

[I can’t.]

[She possesses a high-level magical artifact that blocks abilities from viewing her system panel. If you want me to bypass it, you’ll need two hundred and fifty Info Points.]

"Just who the hell is she?"

Zac stopped arguing with the system and looked back at Sabrina. "If Kelly didn’t tell you, why are you here?"

"Because I don’t believe her story."

"So you decided not to trust her and immediately concluded that I was responsible?"

"I never said I came here to blame you."

"And yet here you are, waiting by the roadside like an investigator without a warrant."

Sabrina ignored the comment. "I was meditating, not unconscious. Being unable to move doesn’t mean I was unable to sense what happened outside the cave."

She looked toward his hand. "There were traces of lightning all around the entrance. You’re the only lightning-element user in our class."

Zac clicked his tongue softly. "So you are an investigator, aren’t you?"

[You need to learn how to conceal your tracks.]

"Put it on the list."

[At this rate, your list will gain sentience before you gain competence.]

Zac almost sighed aloud.

Sabrina narrowed her eyes, seeing him deep in thought. "What?"

"Nothing."

Both of them then stayed silent, not knowing what to say.

"So, is that all? If not, we can continue after class. We’re already running late."

He turned and began walking away.

Behind him, Sabrina spoke again. "As I said, I’m not going to thank you."

Zac stopped walking.

"But I’ll consider this your apology for what happened that day."

Without waiting for his response, Sabrina walked past him and continued toward the classroom.

Zac remained where he was for a moment. "Is she still holding on to the fact that I saw her naked?"

He watched her retreating figure. "Well, at least after this, she might stop bringing it up."

[Are you sure about that?]

Zac frowned. "What do you mean?"

The system let out a dramatic sigh. [You still have much to learn about women. They may forgive, but they never forget.]

Zac watched Sabrina walk farther away. "Whatever. Let’s just get to class."

Zac entered the classroom and took his usual seat.

It hasn’t even been two months, and the original twenty-five students have already dropped to twenty-two. Gary had left the academy after Zac defeated and terrified him. The other two had severely damaged their bodies by recklessly forcing open their meridians and could no longer continue with the class.

Around him, the remaining students sat in small groups, eagerly exchanging stories about everything they had experienced during the past week.

Marty, who was already seated beside him, turned and asked, "You messaged me quite a while ago. What took you so long?"

"Let’s just say I encountered an unexpected roadblock."

At the word "roadblock," Sabrina’s body stiffened ever so slightly, but her expression remained unchanged, and she did not turn toward them.

Marty leaned closer to Zac’s ear and whispered, "Was it a white-haired roadblock?"

Zac looked at him strangely. "You’re becoming disturbingly observant."

"Tell me about it. Multiple near-death experiences are evolving my instincts."

"Good for you."

Before Marty could make another comment, the sharp sound of heels echoed from outside the classroom. Hearing it, the students immediately returned to their seats.

Matilda entered wearing her usual green dress. She walked to the front, placed her tablet on the desk, and surveyed the room.

"Once again, congratulations on surviving the past week."

The students smiled proudly.

"I’m genuinely impressed. As far as I know, there has never been a batch that entered the Summer and Winter Realm and returned without losing a single student."

Shobin immediately raised his hand. "Ma’am, are you saying the academy sends students into that realm every year?"

"Of course. Wasn’t the answer already obvious?" Matilda looked around the classroom. "And didn’t I tell all of you that this was not merely a punishment? The academy sends every newly recruited batch there while they are opening their meridians."

She paused. "By now, you should understand the reason."

"The green plants," Shobin answered first.

"Yes." Matilda tapped the screen of her tablet, and an image of the familiar plant appeared behind her.

"They are known as Mend Stem Sprigs. We do not know their exact origin. However, after the academy gained control of the Summer and Winter Realms, researchers discovered that they grow throughout both regions."

She gestured toward the image.

"As most of you have already learned, chewing the stem reduces the strain and physical damage caused while forcing open a meridian. The leaves, when properly boiled and consumed, help stabilize newly opened meridians."

"So Shobin was right," Marty whispered.

Zac replied just as quietly, "Fortunately, yes. But eating an unknown plant based solely on instinct was still a stupid idea."

Shobin turned around. "I heard that."

Marty immediately waved a hand. "Forget him. You’re still my favorite plant expert."

Matilda’s gaze shifted toward the three of them. "Would you like to teach the class instead of me?"

All three immediately straightened. "No, ma’am," Marty replied.

"Then allow me to continue." Matilda turned back toward the rest of the class.

"The academy sends first-years into the realm for one week so they can collect these herbs and use them while opening their meridians."

"As for why we did not explain this beforehand, I already told you that the academy will only show you the path. You must learn how to walk it yourselves."

Her gaze passed across the students. "Judging by your progress, most of you discovered the plants’ purpose and used them correctly."

Her eyes briefly paused on Zac, Sabrina, Daniel, and Kelly. "A few of you have already opened all twelve meridians."

She then addressed the rest of the room. "As for everyone else, none of you have more than three meridians remaining. At your current pace, all of you should finish within one or two weeks at most."

A wave of relief passed through the classroom.

Matilda smiled. "I also have some good news for Mr. Williams."

Marty pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Yes." Matilda looked down at her tablet. "The academy reviewed what happened and discovered that you were teleported directly in front of the Rimehorn Tyrant."

Marty’s expression froze, and the name alone caused several students to turn toward him.

"You then somehow survived the encounter without suffering any serious injuries," Matilda continued.

"I just ran away," Marty admitted honestly.

"Yes, but you still escaped." Matilda gave him an approving nod. "Knowing when to run is also an essential survival skill. The academy has therefore recognized your tenacity and awarded you five merit points."

The previously cheerful classroom suddenly fell silent.

"Five merit points just for running away?" The same thought appeared on nearly every student’s face.

Matilda clapped her hands once, silencing the murmurs before they could begin. "For those who believe the reward is excessive, allow me to explain."

"The Rimehorn Tyrant is an A-rank beast standing at the very threshold. The only reason it has not advanced is that it has reached the racial limit of its species."

"Even so, it can easily fight evenly against an ordinary S-rank variant."

Several students stared at Marty in disbelief. "Killing it would require a coordinated team of at least five S-rankers. That is how dangerous it is."

Matilda continued. "The Rimehorn Tyrant has also remained at the peak of A-rank for several hundred years. During that time, it developed a considerable degree of intelligence."

She looked directly at Marty. "And the only reason you escaped without a scratch is that it was never intended to kill you."

Marty’s expression became vacant. "So that thing was just playing tag with me?"

"The Rimehorn Tyrant is one of the guardians of the Summer and Winter Realm," Matilda said. "It obeys the orders of only one person: the vice principal."

Another wave of astonishment moved through the room. "Other than her, no one in the academy can control it. Not even the principal."

"Of course," Zac thought. "One beast recognizing another of a higher level."

He leaned toward Marty. "Look on the bright side. You earned five merit points for being its entertainment."

Adrian suddenly raised his hand. "Ma’am, we were also chased by the Rimehorn Tyrant." He gestured toward Daniel and Shobin. "Shouldn’t the three of us receive merit points as well?"

Matilda considered it for a moment. "According to the report, the beast was only pursuing Mr. Williams." She looked at the three of them. "You were merely collateral participants."

"Collateral?" Adrian slowly lowered his hand and sat down with an aggrieved expression.

Marty turned toward him with a smug smile. "Don’t worry. I’ll remember you when I’m wealthy."

"Oh, shut up," Adrian muttered.