The sound of chalk against the blackboard came suddenly.
I had been reclining in the back of the classroom, half-listening while the teacher droned on about ancient wars. Boring, but commonplace. And then, suddenly, everything had flashed white—its searing, endless blankness surrounding my senses.
Then, the sensation of plummeting.
A rush of air. A floating feeling. Then—impact.
I gasped, my body crashing against unforgiving dirt with a nausea-inducing thud. I could smell damp leaves and mud in my nostrils as some hard, lumpy surface stretched out under my palms. My head was thudding, and for several seconds, all I could manage to do was lie there, trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened.
What… was that?
A voice far away from me brought me back to life.
"Ow—shucks! What the hell did I just.?"
More voices were added. Some were screaming in pain, others shouting in confusion.
I fought up onto unsteady legs and finally got a chance to look around.
We weren't in the classroom anymore.
A dense forest surrounded us, tall trees going on forever into the sky, their leaves creating a dense canopy that had little sunlight filtering through it. The air was dense, full of the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves in the distance.
All around me, my fellow students were lying about on the forest floor, some trying to get up, others looking around at one another.
Panic ensued.
"Where the hell are we?!" someone yelled.
"Is this a dream?" another student groaned.
One of the girls, shaking, wrapped her arms around herself. "No… this is too real to be a dream."
My heart was racing. This wasn't a joke. This wasn't VR. This was real.
As the initial panic yielded to hysterical gossiping, a voice boomed above the commotion.
"Everybody, stop! "
It was Rika Tanaka, president of the class, who stood up straight and appeared unruffled amidst all the mayhem. She was not the type to scream, but she had an air about her that made people stop and listen.
She took a deep breath. "Panicking is not going to do anything. First, we have to make sure everyone's here and fine. Let's group together."
It took a few minutes, but slowly the class got together into a circle.
Thirty-two students. No teachers.
Rika scanned the group, her brows furrowed. "Right… does anyone remember what happened before we got here?"
Heavy silence.
"We were at class," said someone hesitantly.
"And then… that white light."
"Maybe we died," one of the boys muttered under his breath.
"Shut up!" a girl retorted.
The air was thick with tension. Nobody had any idea what to do, where they were, or how they'd gotten there.
That's when someone at the back of the crowd shouted out, hesitantly but loudly.
"I think we were. summoned."
The word sent a shiver through the crowd.
Summoned. Like in a novel.
A murmur went through them. It sounded mad—but what else could it be?
And then, out of the blue, something appeared in my line of sight.
A hovering screen.
Name: Leo Fujiwara
Skill: God's Eye
My breath caught.
"What the—"
Before I could react, others started calling out.
"There's… a status window!"
"Wait—everyone received one?"
Student by student, students declared their skills, reading off the hovering screens in front of them.
"Fire Manipulation!"
"Reinforced Strength!"
"Healing Touch!"
Their voices were filled with excitement. It was like a game—except it was actual reality.
Then it was my turn.
I hesitated before speaking. "Mine is… God's Eye."
A pause. Then someone snickered.
"What kind of name is that?"
"Sounds OP."
I frowned, focusing on activating my skill. A faint glow filled my vision, and suddenly, text appeared over random objects.
Tree Bark (Common Wood): Can be used for fuel, crafting material.
Mushroom (Inedible): Causes nausea if consumed.
…That was it?
While others were creating flames or enhancing their strength, my skill was just… giving me descriptions?
My stomach dropped.
Some of the other students noticed my creased face. "Oi, what's it do?"
I hesitated. If I downplayed it, maybe they wouldn't care.
"It just displays me basic information about things," I muttered.
Silence. Then—laughter.
"You got a glorified magnifying glass?"
"Holy crap, that's useless."
I clenched my fists. It wasn't useless. It had to be able to do something more.
But standing in front of my peers now, I could not demonstrate.
Despite the teasing, Rika managed to regain control in an instant.
"Enough. We can't afford to waste time," she ordered firmly. "We don't know where we are, and we need food, shelter, and a plan."
She started assigning teams:
• Gatherers to search for food and water.
• Crafters to make shelter.
• Defenders to guard.
Even the tough and confident students listened to her orders.
As for me? No one gave me anything.
No surprise. I wasn't powerful. I didn't have an offensive talent. I was just… there.
But I wasn't going to be a waste.
So while the rest of them worked, I worked quietly with God's Eye.
I analyzed different plants, assessing what would be safe to eat. I examined tree branches, deciding which could be utilized as tools.
It wasn't exciting. It wasn't spectacular.
It was information.
And in a strange world, information was survival.
By the time the sun came up to go down, the camp was stable-ish. Fire crackled in the center, and students clustered in small groups, comparing abilities and speculating about the world.
But tension still lingered.
We had no idea what lived in this forest. No clue who—or what—had brought us here.
I sat beside the fire, staring at my hands.
God's Eye.
It couldn't be a mere appraisal ability.
I simply had to find out its true potential.
Because something cautioned me… this world would never allow us stay safe for long.