Circe hastily fled by his locker and met up with Zebulon and Avery across the long, sweeping marble hallway. The floors were so glossy and reflective that Circe constantly took it upon himself that one day he would slip and fall if he wasn't too keen on slowing down. He had already seen Jonathan Ratliffe, another first year Monster with a short crop of gray hair, fall down and break his glasses. He had to nervously hunt down a Sorcerer professor who didn't seem particularly pleased with him. The man put up a stubborn frown as he handed the boy his glasses and walked away, somewhat much taller than before.
The trio gravitated to a small mass of random first years toward a spiraling marble staircase that led down to a single, shiny, silvery door. The door automatically opened, revealing a wide spacious open gym. The first years flooded into the room with wide, glossy eyes. The gymnasium seemed somewhat like a typical high school gym with its wooden linoleum floor, the large silver mullioned windows, and the two basketball hoops. But at a more closer, polished look the gym was modernized to fit the palatial comforts of Avalium University. The gym was incredibly huge and embellished with purple marking lines on the wooden floor and large flapping pennant banners that embulliently shined in purple and revealed the viscerating emblem of the silver eye. Once the eyes tapered away from the banners it moved toward the tall glassy walls that covered the massive rectangular perimeter. About one in every ten glass panes had a clear silvery door attached to the wall and above the glassy fence was a blazing purple neon light that dazzingly outlined the silver shine of the walls. Circe felt as if he had just stepped into an expensive sci fi gym.
In the center of the gym was a caged glassy pyramid block that held a small stair and swallowed a massive stage inside as if it were a wrestling arena. Standing if front of the glassy pyramid cage was a tall bony man with stretched taut skin and long groomed pink hair. He wore a long black tailcoat with a suit and a purple striped tie. He stood in front of the students, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in calculation.
"Well, I guess this is it then," said the professor, effortlessly hooking in the attention of the students. A handful of them were still marveling at the enormity of the gym. "I must say, this is the biggest class I've had yet. My third years had forty students and second period maxed out at fifty."
There were about seventy students packed into the gym blinking expressionlessly at the teacher. It was a mix and match Heroes, Sorcerers and Monsters. No one seemed to be saying except for Carrow, who was notoriously chatty and giggly. She was relentlessly whispering into another Hero's ear who seemed to be yawning and nodding passively.
"Anyways, welcome to Monster Transformation or Transformation Studies for those of you not in the Monster House. My name is Nate Newtdragon and I've been teaching Monster Transformation for about fifteen years." He had a strained enfeebled voice and Circe noticed that his eyes changed from amber to blue to green rather effortlessly. "My monster is the Demarchid, which is a species related to the dragon and ancestral to the chameleon. The Demarchid is a large ferocious dragon that's able to change the color of its scales very easily. This allows us to camouflage into any background we please and attack our enemy with the utmost fidelity and stealth as possible. Power level: 700 out of the max 1000, Stealth level: 830 out of the max 1000, Charm level: 800 out of the max 1000, Defense level: 730 out of the max 1000, Attack level: 680 out of the 1000, Mobility and Adaptability: 750 out of the max 1000, Intelligence and Combat Strategy level: 750 out of the max 1000, Regeneration Level: 500 out of the max 1000, Overall Combat Level: 760 out of the max 1000."
"That is what we'll essentially be doing in this class," Newtdragon continued. "We'll be deeply analyzing your powers or monsters and helping you strengthen it by exercises, simulation crash courses, and piting you against each other to see how you grow. This class is all about growth. If you don't grow, then you don't pass this class. You must participate in the challenges I just listed in order to grow, complete each challenge to the best of your ability and you will successfully pass this class. Think of this class like Physical Education but for your powers. The more you exercise your powers, the better you'll be."
"Today we're going to be doing a good old fashioned tournament battle. All you have to do to pass is participate." There was an installment of excited whispers and giggling being traded around the room. Canores, the Mexican first year, was standing by Fiona Veracruz and Lorraine Silva grinning as if determined to show off the prowess of his powers. Phineas and Conrad were standing with the other group of Heroes, Connelly, Jeremiah, and Rupert, all who seemed very eager as well. Circe stared around, carefully counting off his competitors, There was Malik, Nathaniel, Jeremiah, Carrow, and possibly Canores which was all rather nervewracking having to think about fighting them in front of seventy people.
"Alright!" Circe flinched at the blaring high pitched voice behind him. He had almost forgotten that Carrow was behind him. "Can I go first?"
"Not yet. We have to do a power check," said Newtdragon. "When I call your name, simply stand into the glass stage behind me so it can reveal to me your power analytics and what you'll need to work on. First off, Zeraph Abigail."
A mixed kid with a frilly afro held back with a hairband walked on stage and transformed into a foxlike humanoid with razorsharo metal claws and cherry red noxious eyes. A small silver blue screen projected itself from the glass stage. Professor Newtdragon read off of it like he read off his stats.
"The Amanu, a fox humanoid species that dwells in the deep forests of Europe, Asia and the Eastern United States. They have the ability to attack their enemies with their claws and sometimes breathe pink fire if they're really agitated. Power level: 600 out of the max 1000. Naphtali Simmons, you're next."
The mixed girl who was standing near Malik and Jasmine walked up to the stage. The silver blue screen popped up.
"Snake conjurer. You come from a line of snake charmers and snakes and you carry some snake in your blood that allows you to have the magic to conjure it. Your weakness appears to be water and sand and your strengths are darkness and green grassy environments. Power level: 630 out of the max 1000. Carrow Katokowa, you're up."
The mixed Asian girl nearly ran up to the stage.
"Shapeshifter. You seem to come from a line of the Riyuku Shapeshifters which is an ancient demonic line of Shapeshifters from Japan but have migrated all over the world over the centuries. Power level: 780 out of the max 1000. Issachar Fonly."
The long sandy haired Sorcerer tentatively stepped onto the stage. He tipped his glass on the bridge of his nose and a razor blade of light cut through it as he awaited his Power Check.
"Sandshifter, you're able to control sand from your mind or through magic. You seem to come from a line of people who have been born and raised in the sand dunes their whole lives. Power level: 500 out of the max 1000."
All the students in the front were tallied off in chronological order for their power check and it seemed like it was getting closer toward Circe's row.
"Malachi Fenrir.'
A mixed boy with short cropped hair reluctantly walked up on stage.
"Werewolf. Your lineage comes from wolves, mainly snow wolves. Power level: 650 out of the max 1000. Phineas Dempsey,"
The redhaired kid followed Malachi.
"Telekinetic or Mind Bender as we used to say. You have the ability to control and harness things with your mind. Some Mind Benders tend to carry telepathic or divination powers but those are rare. Power level: 720 out the max 1000. Conrad Skeely."
The blonde haired Australian boy ascended up the stage. The silver blue screen flickered up.
"Silvershooter. You're able to shoot silver beams with your hands and adapt your skin to whatever you touch. Pretty nifty. Power level: 680 out of the max 1000. Circe Chimer."
Circe walked up to the stage, feeling all eyes boring through him. Newtdragon squinted at the screen and with a raised eyebrow said "Wow three headed Chimera, great size and power. You're able to breathe fire and attack with your magnificent size and huge steely claws. Your three heads also serve as a 360 angle for any blind spots during battle and apparently you're very difficult to kill because Chimeras are known to regenerate fast. Faster than Hydras. Power level: 900 out of the max 1000. Third just behind the Nine Tailed Fox and the Leviathan."
The rest of the students that shared the line continued the process going off with Avery and finishing off with a kid named Xaxad.
"Alright, it's time to battle!" shouted Newtdragon, his arms raised high and wide. "First up we have Zeraph and Naphtali. When you step onto the stage it'll automatically change the environment. Don't freak out it's just part of the simulation."
Zeraph and Naphtali stepped into the glassy pyramid cage and as soon as they did the whole gym chipped away and the students were standing in the middle of a cone riddled parking lot under a breezy evening.
"As soon as I say go, you may begin. Remember that anything goes besides killing each other. Whoever chooses to forfeit just say so and we'll move on to the next person. Whoever wins stays and whoever loses. Whoever wins the whole tournament will get the Suma Cum Laude passing grade for the day. Alright, go!"
Naphtali held out her arms, hands splayed until an army of slithering snakes came out the ground jetting toward Zeraph but Zeraph destroyed it by withering down in pink flames. Naptali turned her arms into liong snake heads with poisonous juicy fangs protruding out to take its first fatal bite but the blazing heat of the flames cut straight through to the attack. Naphtali ended up relinquishingher next attack and surrendering.
"Tough luck. Carrow, you're up."
Carrow trotted up to the middle of th eparkinglot. She took the position that Zeraph feared and transformed into . Zeraph morphed morphed into the huge fury fox and let out a dancing gust of pink fire but Carrow mirrored the same exact transformation. The two fought for a while until Zerpah got exhausted and surrendered. Phineas was called next. Phineas used his mind to try to barrage her with the attack of the orange cones but Carrow caught onto this and transformed into Phineas by blocking his attack. She pushed her arms and Phineas was sent flying back and hit the ground against one of the orange cones. Phineas surrendered and was replaces by Lorraine. Lorraine used invisibility before Carrow got the chance to measure her up. Corrow stood for a moment, flummoxed and trying to find where Lorrainr was. It was hard mimic invisibility without the stemming point of where the owner was. Lorraine ended up punching Carrow, sending her heavy blows on the stomach until she fell to the ground and disappeared. The suddenly the audience was looking at nothing but air until Lorraine shouted "Ow! Ok, I surrender."
About thirty more kids went after Lorraine. The eleventh one having replaced Carrow. Then it had finally reached Circe's turn.
"Circe Chimer—Oh, actually, you know what? It's lunchtime, we'll resume this next time in class tomorrow. Have a good lunch," said Newtdragon sending them off.
"Oh, come on!" cried Zebulon who looked really pumpled for the upcoming fight and his own. He wasn't the only apparent visual denizen to voice his complaint as it seemed a flock of Sorcerers and Heroes seemed to be muttering and cursing under their breaths as the class changed back to the gym and the population of students migrated toward the door.
To Circe it seemed that Newtdragon, just like every professor and student in the school was still terrified of the Chimera's full powerful extent. But really, what harm could it have really done if he hadn't gone to test it?