The First Day of School Stuns Everyone

The classroom buzzed with chatter until the homeroom teacher came in.

He was a mild-mannered man under forty, wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

"Hello, everyone. I'm your homeroom teacher, Xue Musheng. We'll be spending the next year together..."

Standing at the lectern, Xue Musheng smiled as he went over a few class rules.

When he saw that most of the students had stopped listening and were staring out the window, he shook his head helplessly.

"All right, your minds are already elsewhere. Let's head downstairs."

Led by Xue Musheng, the class arrived at the Great Magic Field.

After a long motivational speech, the principal finally said what everyone had been waiting to hear: Magic Awakening was about to begin.

"First up, Mo Xie!"

Xue Musheng stood at the front of the class with a roster in his hand.

At the name "Mo Xie," everyone turned curiously toward him at the back of the line.

The awakening order followed their entrance exam scores. As the National High School Entrance Exam Top Scorer, Mo Xie naturally ranked first.

But Mo Xie did not step forward. He calmly raised his hand and said in an even tone,

"Sir, I awakened early over the summer. I don't need to do it again."

His words rippled through the crowd like a drop of water striking a still lake.

"Wh-what? You awakened... early?"

Xue Musheng cried out, nearly dropping his roster.

He knew just how expensive a magic awakening was. No ordinary family could afford it.

Then he remembered who Mo Xie was, and the news no longer seemed quite so hard to believe.

Xue Musheng straightened his glasses and asked,

"Mo Xie, which element did you awaken?"

"Oh, the Lightning Element."

"The L-Lightning Element?!"

Xue Musheng was stunned all over again. Mo Xie had not only awakened early but awakened the strongest elemental magic of all!

Shock filled him, but excitement soon outweighed it.

His class had a Lightning Element student! The bonus for one of them was bigger than the bonuses for four or five Fire or Ice Element students combined.

Xue Musheng could already picture the principal praising him, followed by a promotion and a raise.

The students did not think that far ahead. All they saw was how rare and powerful the Lightning Element was.

As far as they understood it, the Lightning Element was the strongest. Awaken it, and you would be set for life.

In a small city like Bo City, an entire incoming class of magic high school students might not produce a single Lightning Element user.

"Wow! The Lightning Element! Mo Xie awakened the Lightning Element!"

"Holy crap! What incredible talent! I guess they don't call him the Evil Emperor for nothing."

Word that Mo Xie had awakened the Lightning Element early spread across the field in an instant.

Xue Musheng composed himself, wrote "Lightning Element" beside Mo Xie's name, and continued down the roster.

"Next, Mu Bai!"

"Oh, so that's Mu Bai! He's really handsome, and he ranked second, too."

"I know! I saw him first thing this morning. I like him so much! I wonder which element he'll awaken?"

At the mention of Mu Bai, the girls in the class began chattering, drawing repeated glances from admirers in other classes.

"Sir, I awakened early too."

Mu Bai raised his hand and said the same thing Mo Xie had.

"Y-you awakened early too?!"

Xue Musheng stared at Mu Bai, dumbfounded. His newly settled heart was thrown into turmoil again.

"Mu Bai... you're from the Mu Family, the renowned Ice Element clan, aren't you? Did you awaken the Ice Element?"

He pushed up his glasses and waited intently for the answer.

"Yes."

Mu Bai nodded without expression.

"Good, good, good!"

Xue Musheng visibly relaxed. Smiling, he reminded Mu Bai,

"Awakening the Ice Element gives you a head start over many others, but don't forget to work hard. Talent doesn't decide everything."

"Next... Light Element."

"Sir, I'm going to the roof. Please don't stop me."

"Next... Water Element."

"Wait for me, Light Element guy. I'm coming to the roof with you."

"Next, Zhang Xiaohou!"

"Um... sir, I awakened early too."

Zhang Xiaohou scratched his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Another one..."

Xue Musheng's eye twitched. He was starting to feel numb, and a question slipped out before he could think it through.

"Did... anyone else awaken early?"

As soon as he asked, he felt foolish. There could not be that many early awakenings. They were not vegetables you could grab by the handful.

"Oh! Sir, sir! I awakened early too!"

Zhao Kunshan waved his chubby hand and grinned proudly, eager for a little attention.

The surprise and envy in the surrounding students' eyes filled him with satisfaction.

"Right. Two Wind Element users."

Xue Musheng wrote "Wind Element" on the roster.

"Sir, me too! I awakened the Lightning Element!"

Mo Fan raised his hand and called out to Xue Musheng.

"You awakened the Lightning Element too?!"

Xue Musheng's hand trembled. Once again, he was stunned.

He might have been growing numb, but news of another Lightning Element user was too astonishing to brush off.

At the news, the surrounding students burst into discussion again.

"Wow! Another early awakening, and it's the Lightning Element!"

"Yeah. I think he's Mo Xie's younger brother. Now that I look closer, he's pretty handsome too."

"I've decided! If I can't win over Mo Xie, I'll go after his brother!"

In the girls' line, Zhou Min glanced at Mo Xie a couple more times after learning he had awakened the Lightning Element.

She had never expected the boy sitting next to her on the first day of school to be so talented.

Sensing a curious gaze, Mo Fan made no attempt to hide it. Instead, he winked at her.

Meanwhile, Xue Musheng was secretly thrilled. His class had five students who had awakened early: two with the Lightning Element, one with the Ice Element, and two with the Wind Element.

My bonus will multiply after today. Taking charge of this class was the best thing that could have happened to me!

With that little interruption over, the awakenings continued.

"Next, Zhou Min!"

"Good luck."

Mo Fan smiled at her and spoke softly.

Zhou Min nodded and stepped forward to awaken her magic.

An orange flame suddenly leaped from the Awakening Stone, and the whole class stared wide-eyed.

"The F-Fire Element!"

"Damn, and she's a pretty girl too! I need to go introduce myself."

Mo Fan shot the speaker a glare. Zhou Min was his wife!

"Forget it. Looks like she and that Lightning Element guy have a thing going. Don't go looking for trouble."

"You've followed in your mother's footsteps. Teacher Wen Hua would be very pleased if she knew."

Xue Musheng nodded in approval.

"Thank you, sir."

"Congratulations."

Mo Fan spoke to Zhou Min as she returned.

Zhou Min nodded and gave him a sweet smile.

"Brother Fan, looks like romance is in the air!"

"Hey, Mo Dog's finally found love!"

Zhang Xiaohou and Zhao Kunsan teased them until Zhou Min blushed bright red and fled in embarrassment.

Mo Xie raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He merely smiled.

"Next..."

"Um..."

"What, did you awaken early too?"

"...No, sir. I need to use the bathroom."

"...Go ahead."