Let's Give Them A Show

As the class settled into their seats, all eyes turned toward Mr. Ronin, who took the stage with an air of approachable enthusiasm. His voice rang through the room, and he addressed the students.

"Alright, everyone," he began, a spirited glint in his eye, "I'm sure you're still buzzing with the excitement of another day at school. But before we dive into today's adventures, I have a little task for us. Let's get to know each other better."

Inwardly, Richard couldn't help but muse. "Just an excuse for him to jot down our names and hopefully remember them," he thought with a trace of wry amusement. "But, in truth, it's not a bad idea for the class to acquaint themselves."

With a nod of affirmation from the teacher, Mr. Ronin continued with a bright smile. "Alright, let's kick things off from the back row." He pointed to the students seated at the rear of the classroom, signaling the start of their introductions.

Ava Turner, satiated by the window at the end of the backseat with red hair and green eyes, exuded an "I have better things to do" air about her. With nonchalance, she stood up and briefly announced, "My name is Ava Turner. Thank you." She then casually returned to her seat.

Ronin appeared disappointed with her introduction and decided to address her with slight irritation. "Hey, young lady, that's no way to act. First impressions matter, and all the people in this classroom will be your classmates for the three years you're going to spend here. So, I really don't think that's the way you should be acting," he scolded. "Now, reintroduce yourself. Not just your name. Also, tell us your age, the things you like, and if you have any dreams for the future."

Ava, letting out an exasperated sigh, reluctantly stood up from her seat. With a noticeable lack of enthusiasm, she decided to give a more thorough introduction. "My name is Ava Turner," she began, her tone slightly improved. "I'm 18. I enjoy writing and nature." She paused briefly, her green eyes scanning the room before continuing. "As for hopes and dreams... Well, I just want to graduate with top honors, get scouted by a major guild or company, and live the good life." After this, she nonchalantly resumed her seat, though her reluctance was still evident.

Mr. Ronin, enthused by Ava's improved introduction, scribbled in his notebook with a satisfied nod. "Hmmm, much better, Ava Turner," he acknowledged. His attention then shifted to the student seated beside her. "Alright, you're next. What's your name?"

Witnessing this unfolding introduction parade, Richard couldn't help but ponder inwardly, "Wait, now that I think about it, going through the introduction of every single character in the classroom... that's just a one-way ticket to boring the readers with a ton of useless information. Bro, skip!"

Fast-forwarding a bit, Mr. Ronin addressed the class with a contagious enthusiasm. "Now that we all know each other," he began, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, "it's time for me to get to the reason I'm here. Today, I'll be testing out the limits of your abilities, specifically your superpowers. Since superpowers have types, I'll arrange the class according to those types."

Alex confidently raised his hand, catching Mr. Ronin's attention. With a nod, Ronin signaled for him to speak.

"Sir, what about people who are able to use arcane arts?" Alex inquired, his curiosity evident in his voice.

At the mention of arcane arts, Richard couldn't help but muse inwardly. "Arcane arts, my desperate attempt as a beginner author to add magic to a world where superpowers exist. Well, it all worked out in the end."

Mr. Ronin pondered Alex's question, gesturing inquisitively as he mumbled, "Well, only Espers with mental-related abilities can use arcane arts in the first place, so I don't see how it would affect the grouping."

Inwardly, Richard provided a more nuanced explanation. Actually, that's a short-sighted view on his part. Let me give you the full scope from my authorly perspective. Just as he said, only people with mental-related abilities can use arcane arts. However, that isn't entirely true. Everyone who awakens and becomes an Esper in this world has superpowers, or arcane powers. Take, for example, someone who awakens the ability to control the weight of anything, essentially gravity manipulation.

They start out with the basic ability to control their weight and the weight of things around them. As they get better, their abilities evolve, turning into arcane arts. Magic circles appear when they use their abilities, allowing for the automated use of their skills. Simply put, people who have reached this stage are far more precise and skillful in the use of their abilities than when they first awakened.

As for users of mental-related abilities, the reason magic circles already appear when they use their abilities is that it takes far more skill to use their abilities compared to people using regular abilities. Take our protagonist, Alex, for example. His arcane power is 'cut,' a broken skill that turns whatever he is holding into a blade. Far later in the original novel, his ability evolves, turning his body into a blade. A swing from his hand, he could practically cut anything.

As for me, my broken skill, Absolute Calculation Manipulation, grants me the ability to make extremely high-speed calculations, see the true nature of things, and temporarily slow down time within my line of sight. I also have absolute control over the mana in my body and the things I come in contact with. This overwhelmingly potent skill will eventually allow me to influence reality by forcefully inputting my calculations into the fabric of the world, but that's a development set far later in the original novel.

However, my broken skill has another facet—I can replicate the activation of any arcane power I witness with these discerning eyes of mine. Yet, despite these abilities, I wasn't able to escape the challenges posed by Alex later in the novel. I'll stop here; I don't want to reveal too many spoilers.

As we're about to demonstrate our skills, might as well replicate the activation of others' abilities. I went to great lengths to obtain the Absolute Plausibility System for precisely this reason.

Richard gestured inquisitively, contemplating the upcoming demonstration. He mused, "Might as well give them all a show and gather everything I can in the process."