Each of the five residency tower floors above the common room were separated into four rooms with attached private bathrooms and lavatories, providing ample space for each student. They were nice furnished studio apartments with plain but comfortable furniture as far as Kira was concerned.
Rather than being excited about having her own room, Kira felt disappointed. Everyone using the term 'dorm' made her think of bunk beds... Like the one she used to have.
She was too old to just outright ask to share with someone, so Kira feigned excitement as Brigit suggested she go settle in to her new room after dinner. Everyone returned to their rooms to relax and sleep off the delicious meal, so the entire tower was very quiet.
Kira sat alone in her silent room on a cushioned bench, staring at an unrolled photo wallet she previously tucked away in her backpack.
Inside were over a dozen pictures, perfectly preserved with little anecdotes written on the back. Her eyes were fixed on one in particular, a big group photo with a smiling couple hugging a bunch of rambunctious children, none of whom looked related to each other in the least.
At the very front and center of the affectionate pile was a slightly younger gap-toothed Kira grinning without a care in the world, holding up a blackboard with the words '1132 days in foster care, today I was finally adopted!' in colorful chalk. Comments along the sides included 'About time!', 'Welcome to the family!', 'We love you!', and 'Forever home!' all in different handwriting.
Kira covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob, tears dropping onto the plastic covering shielding the photograph.
It took so long to find a safe home where she belonged, and then it was taken away all over again. The lively dinner with her classmates only served to rip open fresh wounds.
Their friendly camaraderie, sometimes arguing then the next moment laughing - even the aloof twins sometimes cracked a smile and joined in the fun. Sharing dishes, stealing off each other's plates, horsing around. They even worked to include Brigit and Kira, the newcomers, into the conversation even if it was just to pass the salt.
Just like a family.
Just like HER family.
She hugged the photos to her chest, apologizing over and over in her heart.
[Karl: You are still awake, Miss Kira?]
Kira hurriedly wiped away her tears as a small window popped up, as though afraid someone could see her crying. A glance at her Friend List confirmed the existence of a little status icon next to each name including her own, tattling that she was up late.
She tapped the little window with Karl's message to open the Chat, a keyboard screen appearing for her to use. Voice chat was possible through the System, but it cost mana per message. Karl was being considerate by sending text instead.
[Kira: You too, Mister Karl?]
[Karl: I'm an adult, with responsibilities! You're a student now. Shouldn't you sleep early?]
[Kira: blehhhhh] Kira made a face. Despite knowing how strong Mister Karl really was thanks to the tattling Friend List, she couldn't help treating him like an ordinary familiar old uncle. Especially when she remembered his expression every time she scolded him for bullying Brigit. [Not tired!]
[Karl: Having trouble sleeping?]
[Kira: A little. Okay, a lot.]
[Karl: Why not try wearing yourself out? If you're gonna be awake awhile anyway, head to a training zone. With your scholarship you have free access.]
[Kira: ??? Training zone? What's that?]
[Karl: They're not as tough or efficient as Gates, but you can get MP restoration items so it's great for practicing. Download the campus Map and go check it out.]
[Kira: Okay, thanks Mister Karl!]
[Karl: You're welcome. Don't push yourself too hard, though. It's good to know your limits.]
[Kira: Got it. See-ya!]
Kira closed the chat and downloaded the Map. The nearest training zone was very close to the tower, so she headed over right away.
The training zone was inside a long, low building that reminded her of a warehouse or airplane hangar on the outside. Inside was a single long hallway with doors on either side. Some were closed with a red light above them, while others had green lights and stood open.
Kira picked an open door and walked in, shutting the door behind her and dropping the latch to signify it was occupied. She found herself in an empty room the size of a soccer field with a notice screen popping into view.
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[Atmont Academia Training Zone #17-B]
Gold-Tier Scholarship Student Detected. All Commands Unlocked. Elemental resources may be removed from the training zone.
[Available Voice Commands]
"Command: MP" - Lays an MP array to restore your MP faster
"Command: ___" - State an element name to dispense related resources; resources dispensed depend on your Rank
"Command: Set Wood" - Sets stationary wooden targets
"Command: Set Stone" - Sets stationary stone targets
"Command: Set Metal" - Sets stationary metal targets
"Command: Target Course" - Creates various moving targets
"Command: Release Puppet" - Summon a puppet with an illusion enchantment to mimic the appearance and ability of a random enemy; difficulty depends on previous interactions with puppets; may drop MP potions and Credits
"Command: Stop" - Stop using the Training Zone
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"Command: Earth." At Kira's vocal command, three waist-high wooden crates appeared to her left. They contained dirt, rocks, and quartz marbles.
"Whoa, quartz! Then... Can I use gems?" Kira picked up a marble and used Earthshaping to squish it into a flat little pancake. Her face broke out into a grin. "Cool! And I can take them from here too, huh? Yeah, I'm walking away with this whole crate later. Command: Set Metal."
Dozens of dark metal plates sprang up from the ground all varying in size, thickness, and even distance from her position. Kira tossed one of the marbles up in her hand for a moment to get a feel for it, then grabbed another rock threw them both while shouting: "[Throw Rock]!"
Mana engulfed the projectiles with blue light. The marble whistled through the air at the speed of a bullet, nearly puncturing a sheet of metal two inches thick. The rock did the same, caving in the metal around the impact point like a small crater.
She clicked her tongue and smiled. "And they said Geomancers are weak. Honestly, it's like none of them even... Ah! That's right!"
Kira opened her Profile, finally remembering she could look at it in closer detail thanks to the addition of Scan.
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[CLASS]
Geomancer - A combat mage specializing in earth-elemental magic based around minerals, plants, and animals. The power of the earth is within your grasp!
+25% earth spell effectiveness
+25% melee combat damage
+50% mastery speed of earth spells
+50% casting speed of earth spells
+50% increased sensitivity to danger
Increased affinity when taming or handling animals
Class Bonus effectiveness doubled when bare skin is in contact with a significant amount of earth (at least 3 tonnes worth of material)
Additionally, mana cost of all earth spells reduced by 75%
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[TITLES]
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[PASSIVES]
[Acrobatic] - You are flexible and agile. Able to dodge attacks more easily.
[Human Adaptability] - Increased comprehension of skills and spells. High adaptability in all situations - the more adversity you face, the stronger you become. Resistance increased by a small amount against negative effects you have previously experienced. Pain tolerance threshold heightened per Rank. Learn spells and skills more quickly.
[Keen Aim] - Increased aim and reflexes regarding projectiles and spells.
[Sense] - Enhanced physical and metaphysical senses.
[Trifling Presence] - You are unlikely to be noticed unless drawing attention to yourself intentionally. Effect is reduced when faced with enemies of significantly higher levels, or who are already on alert. Will not protect against Search- and Detect-type skills or spells.
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[SKILLS]
[Dismantle Lv.10/10] - Activating the skill breaks a corpse down to its usable components using the lingering mana in the body and absorbed unusable components, simplifying the looting process. Leftover mana is absorbed to restore the Caster's MP.
[Earthshape Lv.2/20] - Allows for manipulation and control of earth-elemental materials depending on Caster's willpower and imagination.
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[SPELLS]
[Scan Lv.1/10] - Allows Caster to see detailed information about an item, person, or creature this spell is cast on, assuming the target in question is not hidden by a Shroud- or Disguise-type spell or skill of higher quality.
[Throw Rock Lv.20/20] - Coat a mineral in mana then throw it, increasing its flight speed and impact damage. Maximum size and flight speed of mineral projectile both determined by mana used when casting.
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"That's too much information." Kira shook her head and turned back to the crate of marbles, dismissing all the screens. She could use Scan too look at each passive, skill, or spell in higher detail, but she didn't feel like studying everything in detail. Just the bare gist of things was fine for her needs. "I'm gonna practice."
.....
During daytime hours, the Academia Shard's starry void skies were filled with puffy rainbow clouds shielding various conjured spheres that mimicked sunlight. Kira returned to the tower and had barely collapsed on her bed when Brigit knocked on the door. "We're ordering breakfast, Kira! Courses start in two hours, time to get up!"
Kira sighed and dragged herself out of bed, rinsing her face in the kitchen sink. "At least I'm already dressed..."
Just as everyone was finishing whatever breakfast they ordered from the cafeterias, a haggard middle-aged man with large glasses and robes too big for his thin body walked into the tower. He had a hooked nose, deep set yellow eyes, and a crown of spotted feathers on his head and shoulders. "Good morning students. Today we're going to a training zone, so I've come to collect you myself."
Kira dropped her face onto a half-finished plate of bacon. 'Dammit, Karl! Terrible useless Dragon advice!'
Back in his office, Karl DuFeu sneezed and set an entire stack of papers on fire.
"Caught a cold, Sir Karl?"
"Dragons don't catch colds, Lilian. Maybe someone was thinking about me?"
"Cursing you seems more likely, Sir Karl. I recommend you do not sneeze again."
"Thank you, Lilian."
The teacher glanced at Brigit, comprehension dawning on his weathered face. "Ah... The new students. I am your teacher for the year. Just call me Hawkins. You are?"
"Brigit Cinderscale, sir."
"And where is the other one?"
Everyone pointed at Kira who had just started to doze off on the table. One greasy strip of meat stuck to her cheek.
"Another lazy one, eh..." The teacher sighed, glancing at Dani who was similarly asleep in an armchair. "Drag them both along, then."
Brigit half-carried Kira, who stumbled and yawned the entire way to the training zone, while Chen slung Dani over his shoulder with a practiced ease that suggested it was not the first time. "Just carry her," the Demi-Orc recommended when Kira tripped on her own feet and landed on her face, then immediately started snoring. "Makes things easier."
Brigit nodded and lifted the Human off the ground. She was worried about the hatchling not sleeping properly - was Kira nervous about starting school? Scared of what happened the night before with the Elites? Worried about her Class?
She carried Kira in her arms like a rescued princess even when the class was led inside a training zone, somewhat lost in her thoughts.
Hawkins brought a folding chair out of his Inventory and took a seat after commanding the training zone to arrange a variety of targets. He glanced at Kira and narrowed his eyes. At least Dani woke up during transit and was standing on her own, even if she was yawning until her jaw cracked. Dani also had an excuse as a Pooka, having resisted participating in her kind's annual hibernation in order to attend courses. She'd be sleepy for the next month or so.
Her, he could be lenient toward. The snoozing Demi-Elf with bacon on her face? Not so much. "Someone wake the sleeping brat. Today's lesson is regarding fine control of spells and skills, I need to see what she can do."
Mint sighed and rolled her eyes. "She's a Level 1-F Geomancer, what CAN she do?"
"Hush!" Meri chided, but her expression said plenty about how she agreed with her twin.
"Kira?" Brigit said softly, shaking her arms a little to gently rattle the hatchling awake.
Kira grumbled and cracked open one eye, a scowl on her freckled face. "Mmwut?"
"The teacher needs to see what you can do. Do you have any spells you can show him?"
"Nnyeah."
"Can you cast one?"
Kira groaned, dropping her head back as she lifted her hand into the air as though it were made of lead. "Pummedown."
Brigit obliged, keeping an arm around Kira's waist to help her stay upright. Meanwhile a crate of rocks appeared in front of Kira, pulled from her Inventory, and as the Human waved her hand again each of the rocks in the crate glowed blue and rose into the air.
Dozens.
Hundreds!
None larger than a baseball, but there were so many!
Everyone watching opened their mouths in astonishment.
With the buffs from her Geomancer class activating once her bare feet touched the ground, as well as Throw Rock being maximum level and Earthshaping rising to Level 5 after an entire night of constant practice, controlling many small rocks was something Kira could do with minimal effort.
"[Throw Rock]."
The rocks flew through the air, whistling before slamming into each and every target in the room. Wooden targets shattered into splintered remains, stone targets crumbled and cracked, and even metal targets had dents and chunks missing from the sides. Dust and debris filled the air, but Hawkins saw with his sharp eyes not a single rock hit the walls or floor without hitting a target first.
Kira waved her hand again and the rocks flew back through the air, piling themselves neatly in the crate so she could stash it away once more. She held up a thumb and grinned. "Toldja. Geomancers, are great."
Then she passed back out, nearly sliding to the floor before Brigit caught her again.
Silence reigned.
Finally, a very ruffled Hawkins managed to find his voice. "She, ah. Can be excused from the course for today. Her name and, and, whatnot, was uh, was what again?"
"Kira Hawthorne, Level 1-F Geomancer... Demi-Elf." Brigit answered with a smile, setting Kira gently in one corner so she could sleep some more.