Awaking abilities (1/4)

Sebastian read through the agreement carefully and then signed it without much hesitation.

It had the usual stuff, he knows it well because similar papers have been put in front of him in the last months. Even the format and clauses were similar.

After helping Miriam and Alexandra with some minor detail they didn't understand, the officers picked the papers back leaving a copy only.

"We are here to help you awake your abilities following a safe and supervised protocol." After the documents were signed, Tina Allenson finally revealed their purpose.

A scandal was inevitable, students who didn't know about this started daydreaming around elation, and the teens who were 'spoiled' before, whispered to their peers 'I told you' and other proud words for being perceptive.

Miriam was one of those who raised their chin high like a rooster, sending a message of 'praise me' with her eyes.

"During the past months, you or your parents might have noticed a pattern, that all the supernatural events happen in the places near portals: Wild animals becoming crazy and attacking farms, banks being robbed without leaving a trace, sometimes whole families dying in their house after falling sleep... I can even assume that you know personally someone who awoke an ability."

"The fact that you all haven't moved out of Zhreta no matter the reason puts you on a pending list to become a Manifester. The science behind this phenomenon is more complicated than the explanation I'm going to give you, but you can see the portal as a place that gives off energy, and your body, with the time, will absorb it."

"Most of you are already at the limit of the energy capacity and only need a little push to become a Manifester. So to not allow dyscontrol and safety risks in your communities, the MDW has decided to advance this process: activate your gift and teach you all the basics collectively."

"But one thing that needs to be clear is that under 'Supernatural Ability Laws', the power you awake is prohibited to be used within society. The punishments are extremely severe and they can be million-dollar fines or decades in prison, so don't test your luck."

"However, please see this as an opportunity rather than restriction of your freedom. Given the fact that you're seventeen, and you have only one year left to start considering your postsecondary education, as residents of Zhreta and first-generation Manifesters, you all have a unique opportunity with great benefits."

"As portals keep rising, the jobs and careers that used to be popular and pursued are starting to become meaningless before the panicky of danger. The second reason why I'm here today is to provide you a better option that only you can choose—joining the WDM Army."

"Please don't confuse it with the regular army. The WDM Army is a different department with equal importance to the National Defense and other Armed Forces, and soon, its importance and status will raise even higher. The sooner you join, the brighter is your future."

"For now, in our country, Zhreta is one of the three only cities with a portal nearby, the residents of the other two aren't even ready to awake yet. In other words, you have a time advantage. Now that the number of Manifesters is still scarce, the resources to distribute will more likely go into your pocket… Oh, did I mention the salary? It goes from sixty to two hundred thousand Lhyno Dollars per year."

"That's the current standard for a WDM Army soldier, and it's expected to increase depending on the situation. So please consider this option in your post-secondary choices. Any question?"

…

All the information was thrown like a bomb in the water, soon, the students started looking at each other. Those interested, have already written a list with the information given by the uniformed woman.

Tina Allenson didn't seem surprised by the reactions and actually allowed the students to discuss before entering the next topic. She took a drink of water and then told one of the soldiers to bring something.

Meanwhile, at the back of the class, the group of three were also enthusiastic after hearing, but two of them already bypassed the benefits and bright future promised.

"What do you think about this 'let's send students to fight monsters by giving them money' offer?" Miriam asked Sebastian, knowing he was not a bookworm type of smart.

"That that's supposed to be the work of the student council." He answered without much fervor.

"Huh?" Miriam was perplexed. "Pardon me? What do you mean?"

"Babe, don't say a word more, he's gotta point..." Alexandra laughed.

"What am I missing? I don't get it."

"Oh silly girl, do you want me to explain it to you?" For the first time in months, the curly hair girl felt smarter than her couple.

But then Miriam analyzed the few things that Alexa fully knew of.

"Never mind, I got it, an anime reference… How did you become this weeb in so few months?" She looked at Sebastian featuring disappointment on her face.

"I choose to be the president!" The boy played dumb to avoid the question. "The Seito kaichō!"

"Me the vice president!" Alexandra lost her last 3 neurons too, "The Seito… Sebas, how do you say vice president on Japanese?"

"No idea, my vocabulary is restricted to Yamete, Yamero, Dasu kete kudasai, Oni chan baka, and Ara Ara only."

"I'll Booble it."

"Mimi, join us too, you can be either the secretary or the treasurer."

"No thanks." Miriam covered her face with a hand.

…

"I'll open this flask," Considering it was enough time, Tina Allenson spoke again. "This contains a high concentration of mana coming directly from the portal, all you need to do is to close your eyes and breath like you normally do, but more focused. Each one of you has the possibility to manifest and awake abilities, but don't worry if you don't, every person is different and there are always alternatives."

Following that, the military preceded to do as she said.

Right at the moment the container was released, the guy sitting in front of Sebastian exploded!

"Holy sh*t!" The girl sitting at the side of the missing Manifester screamed after feeling a cold liquid sticking over her clothes.

This sudden happening gained the gaze of everyone in the classroom, the short time hasn't allowed them to close their eyes yet.

"It's… snow!" Said the girl after touching what got impregnated on her clothes.

"Where did he go." One of the students uttered.

"Please, stay in your sits. This is normal, there's nothing to worry about." Tina Allenson advised after seeing a lot of altered students standing.

"We just had our first lucky guy."

"But…"

Immediately after the words, the snow that flew everywhere in the classroom began to move. In the presence of everyone, all the pieces "jumped" to the center, regrouping like a slime monster. Although the result ended up in a human form.

The snow statue in the middle of the class melted, leaving the person that exploded before reappear intact.

"What just happened..." The brand new Manifester vocalized as he hugged his arms, his breath was freezing and his body cold.

"You just used your initial ability." Tina Allenson smirked. "I'm not entirely sure which one it is, but it can either be an E-class ability mostly used by small animals to evade attacks from predators exploding as snow, or if you're lucky enough, the second possibility is a C-class ability that transforms you into snow allowing to dodge, attack, camouflage, escape and if you have enough practice, even fly controlling the snow form."

"Is there a way to change it? Snow is… I don't want my attacks to be 'throw snowballs at the enemies."

"Unfortunately no. But don't worry, that's only your initial abilities, you're going to be able to use others after obtaining an ability gem."

"And how do I get one of these."

"Killing creatures from the portal."

"And for that, I need to…"

"Yes, join the Army."

"Thanks for explaining."

"You're welcome."

Busted with the adrenaline of the first example to follow, all the students closed their eyes ready to become like or better than the first host.

…

Sebastian felt how the small amount of mana he lost this morning to take stuff out from the inventory steadily recover. The speed the energy entered his body was slow and lamentable as usual, but the amount of mana surrounding him gave the impression to be inside of a pool.

With the little technique he self-taught from the system, he controlled his body to not absorb more mana. Because if he does, there would be less for the other people around. Especially for Miriam and Alexandra who haven't manifested.

The concentration of mana here can indeed save him days or even weeks of usual absorption effort, but that doesn't mean that he will ruin other people's opportunities out of greed.

Instead, he carefully attracted mana to the perimeter of his two friends.

If playing games could absorb 1 unit of mana per x amount of time, his cheap technique managed to do between 0.1 to 0.2. But even that was better than the 0.01 or 0.001 of what normally it takes.

…

Ten minutes later.

With time, more and more students showed signs of having manifested, unconsciously or consciously (just to show off) using their initial for the first time.

Giant arms,

Face shifting,

Rock spikes,

Fireballs,

Some kind of wind sparkles,

Sebastian saw it all.

Nevertheless, not showing any peculiarity doesn't mean that the person didn't become a Manifester. It is just that some abilities are more visible than others or require certain preconditions.

Alexandra for example, her body glowed for a few seconds. While as for Miriam, she was one of those that by appearance, didn't awake an ability.

But being Sebastian the person next to her, he felt how for a short moment, the mana absorption speed of her doubled.