Critical Point

At the dawn of the final day of the Special Training Class, Tang Yu was jolted awake by a piercing alarm. Horikita Manabu's calm voice echoed through the dormitory speakers:

"All students, assemble in the main hall within five minutes. The final assessment begins early."

Tang Yu was instantly alert, glancing out the window—the sky was only just beginning to pale, far earlier than the normal wake-up time.

This surprise arrangement was clearly a deliberate move by Horikita Manabu, intended to test the students at their most exhausted and unguarded moment.

He quickly dressed, checking his system status before heading out:

[Current Emotion Points: 51800/60000]

["Emotion Field" pending field verification]

[Special Alert: Extreme testing environment detected]

In the main hall, students arrived one after another, most of them bleary-eyed and disheveled. Only a few—such as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Horikita Suzune—maintained their usual composure.

Tang Yu noticed that Nagumo Miyabi was already standing beside Horikita Manabu, dressed impeccably, a strange smile on his face.

"There is no breakfast today," Horikita Manabu said, getting straight to the point. "The final assessment has already begun. You have thirty seconds to read the test instructions."

A block of text flashed onto the large screen:

[Extreme Pressure Test]

Rules:

1. All students will be locked in a sealed conference room for 8 hours.

2. The indoor temperature will gradually rise to 35°C.

3. Each person is provided with only 200ml of water.

4. A high-difficulty exam paper must be completed during this time.

5. Any violation of rules will result in immediate disqualification.

Grading Criteria:

- Exam accuracy (40%)

- Behavioral performance under pressure (60%)

"This is too cruel!" a third-year girl protested.

Horikita Manabu remained expressionless: "The real world is far more cruel than this. Now, line up to collect your exam papers and water, then enter the conference room."

The line moved slowly. When it was Tang Yu's turn, Horikita Manabu personally handed him the exam paper and water bottle, their fingers brushing briefly.

"I look forward to your performance, Transfer Student." Horikita Manabu's glasses reflected a cold light, "Especially... under extreme conditions."

Tang Yu remained silent, only nodding slightly. He activated Emotion Perception, attempting to capture Horikita Manabu's true intentions, but was blocked once again by that invisible mental barrier. This man's control over his own emotions had reached an absolute peak.

The conference room was a windowless, airtight space. Thirty-two students were crammed together, and the temperature was already beginning to rise. Tang Yu found a seat in the corner, with Horikita Suzune and the unexpectedly nearby Ayanokoji Kiyotaka beside him.

"Coincidence?" Tang Yu asked in a low voice.

Ayanokoji shook his head slightly: "Inevitability."

The exam papers were distributed, and Tang Yu quickly scanned through them—it was an ultra-high-difficulty comprehensive test covering mathematics, psychology, strategic analysis, and multiple other fields. The sheer volume of questions made it impossible to finish within eight hours. This was clearly a deliberately designed source of pressure.

An hour later, the room temperature had risen to 30°C, and the air had become thick and stifling. Several students began to wipe sweat frequently, and their answering speed dropped noticeably. Nagumo Miyabi paced back and forth in the room, pretending to proctor while actually exerting psychological pressure.

"Stuck on question 15 already?" He stopped behind a first-year student and sneered, "It seems the average level of Class B is nothing more than this."

Tang Yu focused on his answers while secretly observing the room. Beads of sweat trickled down Horikita Suzune's forehead, but the hand holding her pen remained steady; Ayanokoji was as precise as a robot, answering every question at a constant pace without showing any reaction to the pressure.

Two hours passed, and the room temperature reached 32°C. The water bottles were long empty, and people began to complain in low voices. A third-year boy suddenly stood up: "I can't take it anymore! This isn't a test, it's torture!"

"Disqualified," Horikita Manabu, standing at the door, announced coldly. "Please leave the conference room immediately."

With the appearance of the first dropout, the tense atmosphere spread like a plague. Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception, seeing the entire room filled with red clouds of anxiety—except for a few, including Ayanokoji and the Horikita siblings.

[High-quality emotional environment detected]

[Suggestion: Activate "Emotion Field"]

This was the moment Tang Yu had been waiting for. He took a deep breath and activated his newly acquired "Emotion Field" ability, creating a five-meter radius of calm centered on himself. The students within range suddenly found their breathing steadying, and their answering efficiency improved noticeably.

"Strange..." Horikita Suzune muttered to herself, "I suddenly don't feel as hot."

Ayanokoji's gaze immediately shifted to Tang Yu, a flash of realization in his eyes. Horikita Manabu, standing in the distance, also frowned slightly, as if he had sensed something unusual.

Tang Yu carefully controlled the range of his ability to avoid being too obvious. But just as he was adjusting the parameters, an accident occurred—Nagumo Miyabi suddenly intruded into the field's range and immediately sensed the anomaly.

"You!" He pointed at Tang Yu, "What are you doing?"

"Answering the test," Tang Yu replied calmly.

Nagumo turned to Horikita Manabu: "President, I suspect someone is cheating! The atmosphere in that area was clearly abnormal just now!"

Horikita Manabu walked over slowly, his sharp gaze scanning Tang Yu like an X-ray: "Explain."

"It's just collective psychological suggestion," Tang Yu said without changing his expression. "When a few people in a group remain calm, it influences the emotional state of the entire group. Basic Group Psychology."

The explanation was reasonable, and Horikita Manabu seemed to accept it for the moment. But Nagumo was not satisfied; as Horikita Manabu turned away, he "accidentally" knocked over Tang Yu's water bottle—which had long since been empty.

"Oops, my apologies," Nagumo said hypocritically, "but you'd already finished it anyway, right?"

Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception, seeing the malice churning within the Emotion Cloud of Nagumo—he wanted to exacerbate Tang Yu's stress response by depriving him of the final source of water.

Just then, an unexpected intervention occurred—Ayanokoji Kiyotaka silently pushed his own water bottle toward Tang Yu, which still contained about 50ml of water.

This action shocked everyone, including Horikita Manabu. Ayanokoji never made public gestures, let alone helped others.

"Thanks, but no need." Tang Yu refused in a low voice, not wanting to owe this favor.

Ayanokoji did not retract the bottle, merely saying in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Nagumo has a secret agreement with Ryuen... targeting you and Horikita Suzune."

This intelligence confirmed the earlier warning from Karuizawa Kei. Tang Yu gave a slight nod of gratitude, while noticing that Horikita Suzune was vigilantly observing the scene.

Five hours passed, and the room temperature rose to 34℃. Seven people had already chosen to withdraw, and most of the remaining students were reaching their limits. Tang Yu's "Emotion Field" continued to function, helping those within its range stay clear-headed, but it consumed a massive amount of his energy.

Horikita Manabu stood on the podium and suddenly announced: "We are now adding an extra challenge. Those who volunteer to come up and give an impromptu speech can receive an additional 100ml of water. The topic is: 'The Boundary of Power and Responsibility'."

This arrangement was clearly a test aimed at specific targets. Sure enough, Nagumo Miyabi was the first to raise his hand, delivering a speech that was full of clichés but flowed smoothly. Several upperclassmen followed.

"Tang Yu." Horikita Manabu called his name directly. "Your thoughts?"

The entire room's gaze focused on him. Tang Yu knew this was Horikita Manabu testing his ability to think in a state of extreme exhaustion. He stood up, and despite his dry throat, his voice remained clear:

"Power is like oxygen; people suffocate without it, but are poisoned by an excess of it. A true leader does not seek more power, but finds that critical point where it is just enough."

This concise and profound metaphor silenced the room for a moment. A flash of appreciation crossed Horikita Manabu's eyes before he returned to his cold demeanor: "Practical application?"

"Take this test, for example." Tang Yu looked directly into Horikita Manabu's eyes. "Appropriate pressure can stimulate potential, while excessive pressure only destroys the will. As the designer, you should know exactly where that critical point lies."

This was a bold counterattack, directly questioning the rationality of the test. The air in the conference room seemed to solidify, and everyone waited for Horikita Manabu's reaction.

Surprisingly, the corners of Horikita Manabu's mouth lifted slightly: "A good point. But the only way to find the critical point is to occasionally cross it."

He personally handed a bottle of water to Tang Yu; this was a silent acknowledgment. Nagumo Miyabi's expression turned gloomy in an instant.

[Shock from the audience +700]

[Appreciation from Horikita Manabu +500]

[Current Emotion Points: 57800/60000]

The final two hours were the cruelest test. The room temperature reached 35℃, and four more people withdrew. Tang Yu's "Emotion Field" had already expanded to cover the entire conference room, and all the students benefited from this calming effect, with their efficiency in answering questions improving significantly.

Horikita Manabu clearly noticed this anomaly, but he did not question it again. Instead, he stood in the corner and silently observed Tang Yu, as if trying to solve a complex puzzle.

"Time is up." The eight hours finally ended. Horikita Manabu announced the termination of the test. "Hand in your papers and leave in order. Results will be announced after lunch."

The students felt as if they had been granted amnesty, stumbling out of the steamer-like conference room. Tang Yu walked at the back, feeling a wave of dizziness—the continuous use of his ability had drained his energy.

In the hallway, Horikita Suzune stopped him: "Just now... was that you? That strange sense of calm?"

Tang Yu did not answer directly: "Your brother is more perceptive than I imagined."

"He has always been that way." Horikita Suzune's voice carried a rare hint of pride, before turning to worry. "Nagumo will not let this go."

"I know." Tang Yu glanced at Ayanokoji walking alone not far away. "But we also have unexpected allies."

At lunch, Karuizawa Kei quietly sat near Tang Yu: "Ryuen just received a message and is incredibly excited. It seems to be related to some 'Special Exam'."

"Specific content?"

"Not sure, but he mentioned your name and... Horikita Suzune." Karuizawa said worriedly, "Be careful after the new semester starts."

Tang Yu nodded in thanks. Just then, the broadcast sounded, notifying all students to gather in the main hall to announce the assessment results.

Horikita Manabu stood on the podium, reading the rankings with a blank expression. The top three were unexpected—first place was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, second was Tang Yu, and third was Horikita Suzune. Nagumo Miyabi only ranked fifth, his face looking as ugly as if he had swallowed a fly.

"Special commendation for Tang Yu." Horikita Manabu suddenly added. "He displayed rare leadership in an extreme environment, invisibly improving the overall performance."

This was an extremely high evaluation, especially coming from Horikita Manabu. Nagumo Miyabi stood up abruptly: "This is unfair! He clearly used some kind of method—"

"Quiet." Horikita Manabu interrupted coldly. "My evaluation is based on facts. If you are dissatisfied, you may leave."

Nagumo was speechless and sat down indignantly. Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception, capturing a flash of purple in Horikita Manabu's Emotion Cloud—dissatisfaction with Nagumo? Or some kind of recognition of Tang Yu?

[Shock from the audience +600]

[Jealousy from Nagumo Miyabi +400]

[Emotion Points exceeded 60000!]

[System Ultimate Authority unlocked]

[New function revealed: The essence of emotional energy is the "Bridge of Human Connection"]

This prompt made Tang Yu's heart tremble. The system's final secret was not control, but connection? He recalled his experiences during this period—the competition with Horikita Suzune turning into respect, the transaction with Karuizawa Kei developing into trust, and even the subtle connection established with Ayanokoji...

Perhaps true power does not lie in manipulating the emotions of others, but in understanding and connecting?

The graduation ceremony was brief and solemn. Horikita Manabu gave each student an evaluation report, and when it was Tang Yu's turn, there was an extra folded note.

"Read it in private." Horikita Manabu whispered.

Tang Yu waited until he was alone to open the note, which contained only one line:

"Your ability has attracted special attention from the School Board. Proceed with caution. —K"

This signature "K" was clearly Horikita Manabu's codename. This was both a warning and a form of protection.

On the bus back, most of the students were drowsy. Tang Yu sat by the window, reviewing the experiences of the past two weeks. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sat down next to him at some point.

"You hide yourself very deeply," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka spoke up, a rare occurrence, "but not deeply enough."

Tang Yu raised an eyebrow: "Is that a threat?"

"An observation." Ayanokoji looked out the window. "The alliance between Nagumo and Ryuen is dangerous. They plan to use Karuizawa Kei's secret to strike at Horikita Suzune, and in doing so, fracture Class D."

"Why tell me this?"

Ayanokoji was silent for a moment: "Balance. This school requires balance."

After this enigmatic reply, Ayanokoji said nothing more, but Tang Yu understood—a form of invisible alliance had already been formed, at least for the time being.

Upon returning to school, Chabashira summoned Tang Yu for a private meeting: "The School Board requires you to participate in a special assessment to test your 'anomalous abilities'."

"What kind of assessment?"

"The details are unclear, but it is being overseen by a board member named 'Tsukishiro'." Chabashira said meaningfully, "He is... quite special."

Tang Yu nodded in agreement, alarm bells ringing in his mind. It seemed the challenges of the new semester would be even more severe.

Night fell, and Tang Yu stood before his dormitory window as the System Interface fully expanded:

[Current Emotion Points: 61200/∞]

[Ultimate Function Unlocked: Heart Connection Network]

[Capable of perceiving and adjusting the strength of emotional bonds with others]

[Special Reminder: With great power comes great responsibility]

This brand-new interface revealed a startling fact—the ultimate form of the Emotion System was not control, but understanding and connection.

Everyone who had established an emotional bond with him appeared as points of light within the network: Horikita Suzune (Trust), Karuizawa Kei (Dependence), Ayanokoji Kiyotaka (Vigilance but cooperation), and even Horikita Manabu (Cautious attention)...

In the distance, the lights of Tokyo flickered like stars. The new semester was about to begin; the conspiracies of Ryuen and Nagumo, the assessment by the School Board, the internal dynamics of Class D... everything was full of variables. But at this moment, what Tang Yu felt was not pressure, but an unprecedented sense of clarity and determination.

In this school where meritocracy reigned supreme, true power might not lie in defeating others, but in understanding one another. And possessing this ability to understand, he would write a legend of his own.