******
The moment Shen Tian's voice echoed through the classroom, an unnatural silence clamped down over the room like a thick fog.
It wasn't just quiet—it was the kind of oppressive, bone-deep hush that made every individual hyper-aware of the blood pumping through their veins.
Not a whisper, not a shuffle, not even the subtle hum of the ceiling fan could be heard. It was the kind of dead silence that only fell after the final bell, when all students had long vanished.
But this time, the silence was suffocating… unnatural… and it gripped every person in the room.
Boys, girls, loudmouths, even the habitual dozers—all of them stared wide-eyed at Shen Tian, their mouths agape and their expressions frozen in dumbstruck disbelief.
This couldn't be real.
Shen Tian… their walking doormat and their favorite scapegoat in the class, the permanently bent-over errand boy—had just talked back?
He had never been known for courage. Hell, he didn't even seem to possess a backbone.
Since their sophomore year, he had never dared to meet anyone's gaze. His seat in the back had always been like a self-imposed exile, where he'd bury his head so deep you'd think he was hoping to disappear entirely.
He spoke only when ordered to run errands, and even then, his responses were no more than mumbled affirmations. The one time he dared hesitate, a single glare or casual shove would send him scampering like a whipped dog, his head bowed and his voice trembling.
He had always been the classroom's favorite punching bag.
Even those with less physical presence or authority had constantly bullied him at will, always confident he'd never dare retaliate. And he never did.
Until now.
So, when Shen Tian suddenly spoke up just now, the entire room fell into stunned paralysis.
They gawked at him, unmoving, for what felt like an eternity until finally…
"I… I think we all must have misheard," a student stammered under his breath and rubbed his ears like they'd betrayed him, clearly trying to rationalize the moment.
His voice was soft, yet due to the overwhelming silence, everyone heard it loud and clear.
The frozen atmosphere cracked in the following second, and students blinked, shook their heads, and started murmuring among themselves.
"Yeah… yeah, we must've misheard. That spineless Shen Tian would never dare speak to Brother Xu like that."
"No chance in hell," sneered one of Li Xu's lackeys. "He wouldn't dare even breathe too loud near Brother Xu, let alone mouth off like that."
"He probably just hiccupped or something, and we all imagined it."
"Right? Maybe he finally went crazy and started sleep-talking."
"It could also be that it's just our ears messing around with us."
"When pig has yet to fly. Where would he get the courage to speak in such a manner to Brother Xu?"
A wave of cynical chuckles rippled through the room as students struggled to dismiss what they had clearly heard.
But not Li Xu.
He wasn't laughing.
No!
Right now, he looked murderous.
His face was contorted in unrestrained rage, his nostrils flaring with every breath.
His eyes were bloodshot, blazing with fury, the very veins in his forehead bulging as though ready to burst.
His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned bone white, and his chest heaved with an intensity that made it look like he might explode at any second.
He had always viewed Shen Tian as the perfect prey.
The one guy he could ridicule, shove around, and humiliate without consequence or fear of revenge.
Bullying Shen Tian was almost therapeutic for him.
And now that very same person had the audacity—the gall—to talk back?
Very slowly, Li Xu's lips curled into a snarl.
"I dare you, Shen Tian," he growled suddenly, his voice brimming with venom and barely restrained violence.
"Repeat what you just said… if you really came from a womb and weren't picked up from a trash bin."
The entire room fell silent again. But this time, the energy shifted.
All eyes sparkled—not with shock, but glee.
The bullies and their hurriedly audience leaned forward, like bloodthirsty spectators at a gladiator arena.
"This is about to be epic," a girl whispered, suppressing a squeal as she whipped out her latest cell phone model with a glittery Hello Kitty case.
Another followed, then another. Soon, half the class had their cameras trained on Shen Tian and Li Xu, filming the interesting movie that was about to play out.
Meanwhile, the boys whispered amongst themselves with twisted grins.
"Do you think he'll wet himself before he speaks?"
"Please, he probably already did. I give him two seconds before he apologizes like a mutt."
"Wanna bet? I say he would get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness in the next 20 seconds."
"I bet Li Xu cracks one of his ribs before he finishes apologizing."
Money was suddenly being pulled from wallets and pockets.
Wagers flew across desks.
Even girls were getting in on it.
No one—absolutely no one—believed Shen Tian had the guts to say another word, not to talk of repeating what he had just uttered.
And all this… He saw it all.
Shen Tian saw their smirks, their anticipation, and their disgust.
In the past, that would have been enough to break him.
He would've lowered his head and done exactly what they predicted.
But unfortunately for them… this wasn't the old Shen Tian.
He glanced at Leng Wuhen, his second most brutal tormentor after Li Xu.
The boy wasn't speaking, but the look on his face said everything—he, too, expected Shen Tian to fold.
And then… Shen Tian laughed.
A light chuckle that sliced through the tension like a blade.
Everyone froze in the following second.
"What's so funny?" someone blurted in confusion.
But before they could react much…
Shen Tian tilted his head and once again met Li Xu's gaze, then with the most eerie calmness anyone had ever felt from him, he asked:
"Am I wrong? Isn't delusion your favorite hobby?"
Boom.
The class collectively gasped.
"You want me to fetch snacks for you, don't you?" Shen Tian continued, his voice sharp like shattered glass.
"I'm really confused, though. Tell me… are your legs broken? Or are you just that pathetic you can't even walk to the cafeteria by yourself and get you own goddamn snack instead of looking for some labor?"
Silence.
One second.
Two.
Three.
The room was plunged into an abyssal stillness.
Not even the faintest rustle or shuffle could be heard.
It was as though time itself had stopped working in the classroom.
Every student was frozen in place—statues of shock and horror, their expressions morphed into grotesque combinations of disbelief and shock.
Some looked like they were on the verge of fainting.
A few others trembled in place.
Even the most disruptive troublemakers were rendered dumbstruck.
The tension was suffocating.
Even Shen Tian—
'What… what did I just say?' He blinked, utterly stunned by his own words.
But fear and regret? No. He didn't feel an ounce of it.
Instead, a strange, liberating warmth spread through his chest.
He felt light.
It was as if a lifetime of burdens had finally been ripped off his back… as if he had been shackled all his life, and someone had just smashed the chains.
His heart beat faster—not with terror, but exhilaration.
'This… this feeling…'
His lips parted slightly, his eyes gleaming with revelation.
'So this is what it feels like to stand up for yourself…?'
He almost moaned at how satisfying the feeling was.
For once, he didn't care about the consequences. He didn't care about the beating that would follow, and he didn't give a damn whether his family learned about his action.
Gradually, a radiant smile tugged at his lips.
And at that moment, his eyes sharpened with clarity.
'From this day forth, I, Shen Tian, will no longer be a crawling insect anybody can stomp on again. I will never again bow my head to anyone. No more insults. No more fear. No more submission. From now on… I am reborn.'
His fists were clenched, not out of fear but determination, his eyes gleaming brightly.
But just at that moment—
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Your words and defiance have shocked your classmates to the core and left them completely thunderstruck. ]
[You have obtained the skill: Thunderous Slap, a D-Rank combat ability. To learn more about it, open your stats panel and click on the skill name.]
Shen Tian, "_"
He stared in a daze for a second, having no idea how to react.
'Thunderous… what?'
'A D-rank combat skill?'
'What kind of anime logic is this?!'
He frowned, but before he could fully process what was going on:
[ Ding! ]
The notification metallic chime echoed once again in his mind.
[ Congratulations, host. Standing up for yourself has successfully triggered the system's first mission. ]
[ You have five minutes to perform an action that will completely shatter your classmates' perception of you. Prove that you are no longer the coward of the past. Show them that Shen Tian is no longer prey. ]
[ Failure to act within the time limit will result in the system's departure. Your life will follow a path even more tragic than before. Complete the mission, and you shall receive your welcome package. ]
[ Your time starts now. ]