Chapter 19 - Busted?

Teacher Zhou stepped forward onto the stage, his sharp green eyes scanning the auditorium. His posture, as always, was commanding, but there was a flicker of pride in his gaze as he looked over the gathered students.

"For the first round," Teacher Zhou began, his deep voice cutting through the quiet, "you will be tested on your mana control. This is not simply about how much power you can summon or unleash, but rather, how skillfully you can wield it."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "You will guide a mana construct - a small orb you can call it - through a complex obstacle course designed to test your precision, creativity, and adaptability.

Barriers will shift. The orb's properties will change. Gravity may alter. It will challenge everything you know about controlling your abilities."

A murmur spread across the room. Bea Might leaned toward Alicia Frost, whispering with a grin, "That sounds fun, doesn't it?" Alicia, frowning slightly, replied in a hushed tone, "It's not as simple as it sounds, Bea. If your control slips, it could cost you valuable points. Focus." Bea pouted but nodded reluctantly.

Teacher Zhou continued, his expression unchanging. "This round will assess how well you understand your class and your mana affinity. Your performance will not only be ranked but will be carefully observed by the representatives of the Awakener Academies."

He took a step forward, his tone softening just slightly. "For the rounds beyond this one... let's just say, adaptability will be your greatest ally."

In the crowd, Wang Zi's eyes narrowed. "Adaptability?" he whispered to himself.

Sitting near him, Xian Mei tilted her head slightly, her calm gaze locked on Teacher Zhou. Her sharp mind had also picked up on the subtle clue.

Across the room, Alicia Frost leaned closer to Bea again and whispered quickly, "He's hinting at something. Think about what adaptability means. Be ready for surprises." Bea's expression shifted, her usual carefree demeanor replaced with a flicker of seriousness.

Despite the quiet murmurs, most students seemed focused on the direct explanation of the first round. Chen Kai smirked confidently, his arms crossed. "Precision? Hah. Easy," he muttered, loud enough for nearby students to hear.

Ji Min and Kain Arclight exchanged glances but said nothing, their competitive spirits evident in their expressions.

Teacher Zhou's voice rose slightly as he concluded. "This competition is not just about proving your strength - it is about showing the world, and yourselves, what you are truly capable of. Remember, the most prestigious academies on Earth-27 are watching. They are seeking the best and the brightest. Show them that you belong among them!"

His stern gaze swept across the students. "Give it your all, and leave no room for regret."

The room was silent for a moment, the weight of his encouragement hanging in the air.

Teacher Zhou then waved his hand "You have one week left to prepare. Dismissed!"

That was all they were going to get. Wang Zi thought that wasn't so bad, they could've not been told anything about the competition, knowing how the first round would play out was better than nothing.

As Wang Zi stood to leave, he felt a shift in the air - gazes flickering toward him from various corners of the auditorium. He could hear the whispers starting.

"Is that... Wang Zi?"

"No way. What happened to him?"

The boy who used to be scrawny and lanky, looking like a stiff breeze might knock him over, was now almost unrecognizable.

His once thin frame was hidden beneath layers of fat, making him look like a rounded ball of meat. To his classmates, it was easy to assume that the pressure of the upcoming competition had driven him to stress-eat himself into this state.

"Man, he really let himself go," one student murmured, his tone dripping with disbelief.

"Yeah, I mean, he used to be so wiry and fragile, but this? He doesn't even look like he's trying anymore," another added, shaking her head.

"Guess some people just can't handle the pressure," Chen Kai said with a smirk, his arms crossed as he watched Wang Zi leave.

Despite the growing murmurs, Wang Zi barely batted an eye. He adjusted his shirt, shrugged, and started walking toward the exit without so much as a glance at the students whispering behind his back. Fatty Zi, as he jokingly called himself, wasn't concerned with their opinions.

"Let them think what they want," he thought to himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "They'll find out soon enough."

As he passed by the group, some students couldn't help but stare, stunned by the drastic transformation. But Wang Zi didn't care. Their opinions were nothing more than background noise.

When Wang Zi prepared to exit the room and log off the virtual world, a strange sensation washed over him. It was subtle but unmistakable - the feeling of being scrutinized.

He turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of Xian Mei from across the room. Her piercing purple eyes were fixed on him, her gaze unblinking.

Xian Mei's expression was calm, but her mind was racing. She didn't recognize the bulky figure before her - his appearance bore no resemblance to the scrawny Wang Zi she vaguely remembered.

Yet, there was something peculiar about him. Even in the virtual world, the space around him seemed... different, as if the air itself warped subtly in his presence.

Out of curiosity, she extended her telekinesis, probing the mana surrounding him. To her surprise, the closer her control came to Wang Zi, the harder it was to maintain precision.

The mana around him seemed to resist her, as if he were disrupting its natural flow. Intrigued, she decided to squeeze the mana surrounding him, testing its limits.

The moment her telekinesis pressed on the energy near him, Wang Zi froze, turning his head to meet her gaze dead on. Reflexively, his Rinnegan activated.

The sudden appearance of his glowing, imposing purple eyes sent an invisible wave of pressure crashing into Xian Mei's mind.

Her telekinesis faltered instantly, her control breaking as she instinctively canceled her technique.

Xian Mei's calm facade slipped for a moment as her eyes widened in shock. Her hand trembled slightly before she composed herself, but her thoughts were in turmoil. "What was that...?" she wondered.

Wang Zi narrowed his eyes, quickly deactivating the Rinnegan, but the damage was done. Both Xian Mei and Bea Might, who had been standing nearby and witnessed the brief flash of power, stared at him in stunned silence.

"What the hell..." Bea blinked, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced by confusion. 

Xian Mei didn't react immediately. Her gaze remained locked on Wang Zi as she turned and walked towards him, her expression unreadable. For the first time, she felt a strange unease.

"Your name?" Xian Mei asked. This was one of the rare times Wang Zi had heard her speak, and her voice, even though quiet, was strangely soothing and mesmerizing. It even had Wang Zi forgetting to answer.

He quickly snapped out of it though, "My name's Wang Zi, yours?"

"...Xian Mei." She answered, before narrowing her eyes at his chubby face then suddenly turning away walking towards the exit of the room, before promptly logging off the virtual world.

Wang Zi however was grinning. "Hehehe, the first step towards a woman's heart was curiosity wasn't it? She's very cute." 

"Looking this fat though I doubt that's what got her attention. For her to try to squeeze mana around me... Could it really be because of the Rinnegan? Even though the Deva Path is still not usable to me, the Rinnegan's power is still there after all."

He also noticed Bea staring at him, possible having realized that his eyes could change into... something. But he didn't care. The Rinnegan was going to make its appearance sooner rather than later.

After the strange encounter in the virtual world, Wang Zi exhaled deeply and finally logged off. His shoulders relaxing as he leaned back in his chair. His mind buzzed with thoughts, but none of them lingered on the whispers or stares from earlier.

Instead, his focus turned to his preparations for the week ahead.

Opening a small notebook he kept for tracking his training goals, Wang Zi grinned to himself as he reviewed his latest accomplishment.

He had finally managed to combine Sun Breathing with the Basic Mana Breathing Method, creating something entirely his own.

The results were beyond what he had hoped for, this hybrid technique enhanced his mana flow and physical energy about 7 to 8 times faster than the standard method.

"This," he muttered to himself, flipping the notebook shut, "is going to be my edge."

Still, he wasn't one to grow complacent. Teacher Zhou's explanation of the first round echoed in his mind. The test wasn't about power - it was about control.

Precision, finesse, and creativity with mana would be the key to standing out.

Wang Zi stood, moving to the small training area he had set up in his living room, surrounded by his exercise machines. Stretching his arms, he summoned a faint orb of mana to his palm, letting it hover just above his skin.

"I still can't get the Truth-Seeking Balls out huh. I guess i'll need to fully awaken the Rinnegan for that. Ah well."

Slowly, he began guiding it in deliberate, intricate patterns through the air, testing its responsiveness to his commands.

Thanks to the Rinnegan, this level of control felt almost instinctive.

His ability to perceive the flow of mana with absolute clarity gave him an enormous advantage, and it didn't take long before the orb moved as though it were an extension of his will.

"Not bad," he mused, watching the light trace flawless arcs in the air. "But I can't just rely on the Rinnegan. I need to be prepared for anything."

Satisfied but not overconfident, Wang Zi spent the rest of the evening refining his control, though the work felt almost effortless.

When he finally stopped, he glanced at his reflection in a nearby mirror. His rounder, bulkier frame still caught him off guard, but it didn't bother him. He knew this phase was temporary, a necessary step toward the strength he envisioned.

"Almost there... After the competition I can start working on shedding this weight and leaving muscle behind." Wang Zi said, before heading to bed for a nice relaxing sleep.

A week passed, and the long-awaited day finally arrived. The competition was about to begin.

In the preparation rooms, students were instructed to lay down and relax before logging into the Virtual Brain. Wang Zi did so without hesitation, his eyes closing as the sensation of weightlessness overtook him.

When he opened them again, he found himself standing in an enormous square plaza, surrounded by an uncountable number of his peers.

The air was charged with excitement and tension, as thousands of students from various academies filled the space.

The square itself was grand, with intricate mana patterns glowing faintly beneath their feet, and the towering forms of colossal academy banners flanking each side.

At the head of the square stood Principal Anton Wanderer, his long beard resting over his big potbelly as he surveyed the students with pride.

Just to his side stood another equally chubby figure, Principal Gregory Solis of Lumina Nova Academy, his flamboyant demeanor contrasting sharply with Anton's fake seriousness.

The two exchanged a glance, but the tension between them was palpable.

As the crowd quieted, representatives of each academy stepped forward for a brief introduction. A tall announcer, dressed in flowing robes lined with mana sigils, began to speak.

"Students, welcome to the annual Awakener Academy Freshman Competition! Before we begin, let us acknowledge the academies that have gathered here today!"

Wang Zi took in the sight around him as he muttered "Let's see what the other academies have to offer then!"