The Hidden Skill

On the second day at the academy, all the new students gathered in a large classroom to choose their majors. The room buzzed with excitement and nervous energy as students whispered among themselves, speculating about what was to come. At the front of the room stood a stern-looking professor, his presence commanding silence.

"Welcome, students," the professor began, his voice echoing through the hall. "Today, you will choose your majors. But before you do, you must awaken your system."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd. Luke's heart skipped a beat. *The system…* He had heard of it before, but he never imagined he'd have to interact with it again. The professor continued, "When you awaken the system, you will randomly receive a talent or skill. These skills may be based on abilities you've already learned or entirely new ones. The system also provides a status window, and the more you practice, the more your stats will increase. The academy is here to help you grow and master these skills."

The professor's speech was long and detailed, covering everything from the system's history to its role in shaping heroes. Finally, he gestured to a crystal ball placed on a pedestal at the front of the room. Its surface shimmered with a bright, clear light. "To awaken your system, simply touch the crystal. We will call you up one by one."

The students lined up, their faces a mix of excitement and anxiety. Luke watched as each student stepped forward, touched the crystal, and awakened their system. Some received impressive skills, eliciting gasps and applause from the crowd. Others received more modest abilities, but no one left the stage without a sense of anticipation.

When it was Luke's turn, he stepped forward, his heart pounding. He placed his hand on the crystal and waited. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after two minutes, a large blue system window appeared above him, visible to everyone in the room. The crowd murmured in confusion—Luke's window was blank, showing no talent or skill.

"What a loser," someone whispered, and a few others chuckled. Luke's face burned with embarrassment, but he kept his composure. What no one else could see was the red system window that had appeared before his eyes. It displayed a single line of text: *Talent Skill: Second Body.*

Luke's mind raced. *What does this mean?* He glanced down at the wooden ring on his finger, its surface glowing faintly as if responding to the system's activation. *Is this connected to the ring?* He decided to test the skill later and keep it a secret for now. As he stepped down, Luna and David approached him, their expressions filled with concern.

"Don't worry, Luke," Luna said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The system doesn't define who you are."

David nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! And who knows? Maybe your skill is just… delayed or something."

Luke forced a smile, grateful for their support. "Thanks, guys. I'll figure it out."

Next, Luna stepped up to the crystal. When she touched it, her system window appeared, displaying her talent skill: *Enhanced Consciousness.* The crowd applauded, impressed by the rarity of her ability. David followed, awakening his talent skill: *Subspace.* His skill allowed him to store and retrieve items from a pocket dimension, earning him a round of cheers.

With the system awakening ceremony complete, the professor announced the next step: choosing their main classes. The students dispersed into smaller groups, discussing their options and planning their schedules.

Later that evening, Luke returned to his dorm, his mind still reeling from the day's events. David was busy organizing his belongings in their shared room, chattering about his plans for the semester. Luke barely listened, his thoughts consumed by the red system window and the wooden ring on his finger.

"Hey, Luke," David said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You okay? You've been quiet all day."

Luke hesitated, then shook his head. "Just tired, I guess. It's been a long day."

David grinned. "Yeah, but it's exciting, right? We're finally here! Tomorrow, we start classes. I can't wait to see what Magic Combat is like."

Luke nodded absently, his fingers brushing against the wooden ring. *What's your secret?* he wondered. *And how is it connected to my talent skill?*

That night, after David had fallen asleep, Luke lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. He focused on the red system window, willing it to reveal more about his talent skill. Slowly, the text changed: *Second Body: Activate during sleep to separate your consciousness and inhabit a recently deceased body.*

Luke's eyes widened. *A second body?* He glanced at the wooden ring, which glowed faintly in the dark. *Is this why the ring reacted earlier?* He closed his eyes, concentrating on the skill. As he drifted into sleep, he felt a strange sensation, as if his consciousness was being pulled away from his body. But before he could fully activate the skill, he was pulled back into wakefulness by the sound of David snoring.

Luke sat up, his heart racing. *Not yet,* he thought. *I need to be careful. If I'm going to use this skill, I need to understand it first.* He glanced at the wooden ring, its glow now steady and warm. *This ring… it's tied to the skill somehow. But how?*

For now, he decided to keep his talent skill and the ring's connection a secret. He couldn't risk anyone finding out—not even Luna or David. As he lay back down, he made a silent vow: *I'll uncover the truth about this ring and my skill. And I'll use it to protect what matters most.*