Once the pain subsided I looked down on my arm.
"What the-!"
The burns gone, with no signs of it ever being there.
I can understand if it healed a bit but completely? And with no indication to prove its existence?
What was that greenish black fire?
'Are you okay now?'
'Yeah, I'm perfectly fine actually.'
I say, showing him my arm.
'Holy shit!'
'...you know what? I'm not even gonna reprimand you on that anymore.'
He laughs sheepishly, if that's even possible for a wolf.
Apparently that fire heals me completely, at the cost of inflicting pain much greater than the actual wound did.
A pretty good tradeoff.
Every good move needs a name.
What about this?
It heals but at a cost...hmmmm...
Suddenly a memory surfaces which gives me the answer I seeked.
[Tartarean Vitality]
The name came from the depiction of hell in a certain mythology in my old world.
Fitting.
'If you're done naming things, we're gonna be late if you wait any longer.'
'Huh?'
I look at the time.
Shit!
I hastily wrap the bandages on my arm and rush outside.
In my hurry I never once noticed that the door was slightly ajar.
_______________________________________________________________________________
The field-I mean classroom was on the other side of the academy.
As I run in there I notice most of the students already there.
I also notice Tessia passing by Arthur without saying a word, and Arthur looking at Claire, who had put an arm around his shoulder.
Ah so that's why! She's jealous.
But I see someone else, someone who made my blood boil.
After all who wouldn't be angry on seeing the person who almost killed their brother?
I keep glaring at him without him noticing it, nor did he notice Arthur.
"Good! Everyone's here!" A voice announces itself.
Turning towards the source I notice a woman with a giant sword strapped to her back, riding on a hawk like mana beast.
Is she our professor?
She gets off the hawk before continuing, "Welcome! My name is Professor Glory and I'll be your instructor for Team Fighting Mechanics I."
She then gestured to the hawk, "And this Flare Hawk is my bond, Torch."
I see Arthur flinch as Professor Glory whips around to look at him.
What happened?
I try to see her core level, but I can't as a searing pain ensues in my head, and Professor Glory glances towards me, giving me a confident smirk.
Is she a silver core or something?
"Well if it isn't my newest colleague, Arthur Leywin. It's a pleasure to meet you." She says.
Eh? Colleague? What does she mean?
"Professor Glory is is really true?" A student asks.
"Yes- not only is Arthur a freshman Disciplinary Committee officer,"
At this she glanced to me
Can you be any less subtle?
"He's also the newly appointed professor for the Practical Mana Manipulation class you all took during your underclassman years. While it's only an interim Professor position, I'd still say thats pretty damn impressive."
That's what you get for beating up a Professor.
Boy am I glad I held back enough to lose.
"What?!"
"You can't be serious professor!"
Cries of disbelief and outrage followed.
"Now, Now, we should all have more faith in the Directors decision." Professor said.
"Arthur has proven himself to some degree, by defeating the professor who taught the class previously." She continued.
"Tch! Beating an underclassman professor means crap! Most of us here can beat one! Especially one that was just some thug adventurer!" One of the guys said.
Oi ex-adventurer here!
"Oho~ Quite the fire you all have" Professor Glory commented.
I have a bad feeling about this...
"Then why don't you test your strength against the new professor of Practical Mana Manipulation today?" She said.
Called it!
"Thank you for the offer, but Director Goodsky asked me to take it easy on my upper division classes until I adjusted to school," Arthur tried to decline her 'offer' as he put it.
"Oh, come on- that's no fun now is it?" She replied.
"You're a first year in an upper division class. There's no special treatment here. You only need to prove your qualification through demonstration. It's only just and fair. Right Class?" She asked.
"Right!" The class replied enthusiastically.
Somehow I doubt that's 'just and fair'
"What do you have in mind professor?" Arthur asked.
"I like to begin the semester with a fun casual game like...War? Conquest? How about it kids?" She replied.
Never thought I'd hear War, Conquest and fun in the same sentence.
"Professor, we have a suggestion." Curtis suddenly spoke.
"How about a team mock battle with the fo-three Disciplinary Committee members on one team?"
Sheesh, don't reveal my position just yet Curtis.
"It would be a good opportunity for us to work on our teamwork.
"Hmm...It's not a bad idea." She replies.
"Professor, Princess Tessia and I could be their opponents on the other team," Clive raised an arm.
"Oh, now things are getting interesting! The Disciplinary Committee vs the School Council! But it would be unfair to have two fight against three," She says.
Before I could volunteer a snobby voice spoke.
"I'll volunteer on the Student Councils team."
"Ah-Mr. Wykes, our other genius freshman. I suppose it will be a good chance to assess your abilities." She says raising an arm to her chin.
"The six of you-Gear up!"
...I wanted to fight too you know.
Sigh, Professor Glory wouldn't let me fight anyways, no doubt she's heard of my injury.
I can't just waltz up and say 'Hey I healed my burn by immersing my arm a blackish green fire which washed away the injury, neat huh?'
It is what it is I guess.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Authors Note
Nothing much to note in this chapter, other than the naming of the vivium art.
As an FYI Tartarean comes from the word Tartarus, its the hell below hell in greek myth so I thought it'd be a cool name for an ability which heals you but at a cost of immense pain. (As to how I know that while not being of greek origin...I read Percy Jackson okay? sue me)
If the healing scene seemed forced...its because it is forced, I needed him to have that by the end of book 4 so I added that there.
Novel readers will know exactly which incident I mean.
Oh he's going to suffer a lot more before dying, I promise you.