"I spent all last night arguing with my parents about staying in school, I do not need your antics," I said, with bags under my eyes.
Orin continued to pull at my intact arm with his teeth, leading me towards the forest.
"Orin, the headmaster said we aren't allowed to go to the forest."
'Don't worry, we won't be breaking any rules.' Orin had to use our mind-link because his mouth was full.
I let Orin lead me until we reached a tree, the same cedar that I'd grown fond of all this time. it had been transplanted to be just outside of the forest.
"What's this?"
"I had an idea, maybe you could make this tree into a base. Headmaster agreed to let this tree grow as much as you want, as long as it doesn't reach the clouds."
'A treehouse eh?'
"Alright, I like your thinking, let's get to work."
I plan to toughen up the exterior and make the tree very wide, as well as increase the Eneru conductivity via continued Eneru exposure.
I turned in the paperwork to continue going to school and went to class, first up was Metal Weaving.
Turns out, increasing conductivity through exposure is the same premise behind metal weaving, except metal repels Eneru, so it slowly unravels itself into strips of metal due to the uneven distribution of Eneru unless you use a specific arcane instrument called an infuser to stop that from happening.
"An infuser is a handheld glass container with a stone etched with runes on one end and an opening on the other end, you put in a small sample of metal and close the open end of the infuser, then you must infuse your Eneru into the sample of metal until it is sufficiently stable." The students were in a line walking to the infusion room, while Professor Gumel talked at them. "Never forget that all it takes is for you to put too much Eneru in to lose your sample and infuser, they will both crumble."
We got to the infusion room and sat at some desks with infusers on them.
"Sorry kiddo, your conductivity is too high for this infuser, you will need a higher quality one."
Looks of envy shot at me from across the room, I had been dealing with envy the entire school year, but never to this degree.
In this world, naturals with bigger horns were considered more attractive, and naturals had no regard for muscles and figure, so guys hated me for both beating them academically, and physically. This didn't stop girls from hating my guts though, as it turns out, kids don't like being outshined by someone younger than them.
'I didn't ask for this, being shunned isn't very fun.' My expression dimmed.
"It's ok kid, don't mind them, you keep doing what you're doing, the best may always be feared, but the worst is always afraid."
'I guess he's right, when I faced off against that human I was scared out of my wits.'
I returned the glare of one of the students, surprisingly, he backed down.
'I can use this.'
"Hey, Ingen, you there?" Professor Gumel snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Yes sir, I was just having a staring contest with Justin. Apparently, he can't look me in the eyes."
Justin put on a betrayed expression, I just smirked.
I felt a strange weight.
"Didn't I say to keep doing what you're doing?"
I tried looking the professor in the eyes, but I couldn't
'This is what I'm like to other people? I guess it's back to being meek for me.'
The lesson and the envy continued, I got a bigger infuser than everyone else.
"Now, children, you have to perceive the negative Eneru in the metal and flood it with the positive Eneru you're used to, but make sure to only insert the same amount of positive Eneru as negative Eneru or you will have an unraveling."
I did as instructed, I noticed something when I perceived the negative Eneru, it was weaved just like positive Eneru is supposed to be. I raised my hand.
"Yes, Ingen, did you manage to activate the infuser?"
"Yeah, am I supposed to overlap negative and positive Eneru or fill the spaces with positive Eneru?"
"Oh, that, you just hold that thought until the rest of the class catches up."
The glares intensified.
After a stressful class, I returned to the tree and started working on its basic structures. Over the next few days, I managed to widen the tree enough to move my workshop things into it.
"Well now I have a portable shed and a tree full of remarkably light tools and tables," I said to the forest.
"You have a treehouse?!" a high-pitched voice came from behind me.
"I swear if you plan on scolding me about risking my life again I will have Orin throw you!"
I turned around.
"What's all this?" Devin approached me.
"Where did Laura go?"
"Laura? She was never here."
'It seems we've got ourselves a squealer.' Spirit informed me.
'It seems that wou- Wait! Spirit! You're back!'
'I was here the whole time, I was just recovering. You are so reckless that you almost broke me.'
Spirit cores are physical objects and breaking one could lead to either instant death or loss of Eneru.
'Sorry, I didn't think during that fall.'
"What is with you? Why are you spacing out?"
"I'm in the middle of a conversation with Spirit! Shut up."
"Harsh! Fine, I'll wait."
'When do you ever think?'
'Good point, but that saved at least one life so I guess it can pay to be impulsive.'
'You'd better get back to Devin, he's getting impatient.'
"Alright squealer, you wanted to know about the treehouse?"