The next morning, the first thing Gabriel did after waking up was grab his wooden sword and head to the training facility near his dorm to hone his swordsmanship and martial arts skills.
Ever since he began training with Anna in the simulation, he dedicated at least an hour to training and this had become a routine part of everyday schedule. This consistent practice was one of the key factors contributing to his Martial Arts level reaching 7.
Moreover, this daily exercise routine also helped him enhance his physical stats in the simulation, thanks to the regular use of his muscles. After spending an hour focused on practicing martial arts and swordsmanship, Gabriel concluded this day's training session.
Having trained enough for the day, Gabriel returned to his dorm and took a shower. All showers in the dorms are equipped with elemental stones. With a bit of mana and the transcribe spell, these stones can catalyze reactions, such as warming water or generating it.
After readying himself, Gabriel finally left his dorm and made his way to the Central Building, which houses all classrooms and key facilities. As he walked through the hallways of the Central Building, he couldn't help but feel uneasy under the intense gazes of the students he passed by.
Every time an individual or a group of people walked past him, they either gave him a peculiar look or started whispering among themselves making Gabriel feel a little out of place.
"Why did the academy accept someone like him?" a girl remarked disdainfully.
"I know, right? He's even the weakest among the first-year students." agreed the guy next to her.
"He should have just perished like his family after their actions," another guy chimed in.
"I can't understand why the king would pardon him for his parent's deeds." mused someone else.
Under normal circumstances, Gabriel wouldn't have caught a whisper of their conversation. However, thanks to the skill [Aura Control], he could amplify his hearing by manipulating aura.
It was due to this ability, Gabriel could hear every single whisper directed at him from other students, unveiling the reasons behind their contemptuous stares whenever they passed him.
"So, everyone despised the old me." Gabriel sighed, piecing together the fragments of conversations he overheard from the students passing by.
"But what do they mean by what my parents did?" Gabriel was perplexed, if this was something that had happened, he would surely remember it. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, his mind came up blank.
"This is certainly peculiar," Gabriel mused, his suspicion grew regarding the current circumstances, though he had no concrete evidence to base his suspicions on—only a gut feeling.
"But now that I think about it," Gabriel paused, a sudden thought striking him that further muddled his confusion. This thought emerged after recalling discussions about himself and from parts of his memories of him working hard at this Academy but no matter how hard he worked it never paid off.
"It's strange for the old Gabriel to have been so weak, despite his constant training every day," Gabriel realized the key part of these memories and the students claimoring.
"The fact that the old Gabriel didn't know his talent's nature shouldn't have mattered. Rigorous training should have at least increased his strength and skill due to his talent [Level Up]." Gabriel reflected, sensing the contradiction of what he knew about his talent and what actually happened he never grew.
"There must have been something amiss about the old Gabriel and his surroundings—two abnormal events occurring just doesn't add up." Gabriel concluded, now frowning at the thought of uncovering the potential cause of these anomalies.
Gabriel decided to set his current concerns aside for the moment and focus on something else. He recognized that dwelling on the problem wouldn't bring a resolution without some form of evidence.
As Gabriel entered a classroom, the bell signaling the start of classes rang. Students who were previously lingering in the hallways or outside classrooms quickly made their way to their designated rooms.
Settling into his usual seat, Gabriel waited patiently for the assigned teacher to arrive. In this school, each grade was allocated a specific classroom. Students were expected to attend this room daily, as all their classes would be conducted there.
While waiting, more students started entering the classroom, the space soon filled with cheerful voices of students and the chats of their deskmates. Just moments later, the teacher arrived. Without delay, he set his book aside at his pod, signaling his readiness to begin the lesson.
"Good morning, class!" His voice boomed across the room, reaching each student as he made eye contact with them to establish a connection.
"I am Professor Anderson. It will be my pleasure to guide you through the intricate world of magic, from mastering mana to executing spells," he continued, after ensuring he had the attention of every student.
Moving towards the blackboard, Professor Anderson picked up a piece of chalk and began to write. He scribbled the question 'What is magic?' on the board. With deliberate emphasis, he repeatedly underlined the word 'Magic', indicating the significance of the concept they were about to explore.
"What is Magic? Who can tell me?" Professor Anderson posed the question to all the students after writing it on the board and turning to face the classroom.
As he waited for an answer, most students remained silent while some started pondering on the question their professor aroused about Magic. Anderson observed the contemplative silence, waiting for someone to engage with the question.
The silence, stretching into what felt like an eternity, was finally broken by a student who tentatively raised their hand.
Noticing immediately, Anderson pointed towards the student and encouraged them by saying.
"Yes! Please, state your name and share your understanding of what magic is." Anderson then positioned himself at the front of his teaching podium leaning against it comfortably waiting for the response.
"My name is Larc, and to me magic is the practice of casting spells by humans." Larc, standing up confidently from his seat and projecting his voice clearly across the room, provided his definition to Professor Anderson.
Hearing Larc's answer, Anderson gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. He then continued the discussion delving deeper into the concept of magic.
"That's an intriguing perspective on magic, but unfortunately, it's not accurate," Anderson said, adopting an exaggerated expression of sadness.
"Would anyone else like to try?" His facial expressions shifted to a smile as fluidly as if he were turning the pages of a book, inviting another student to answer.
Noticing the lack of volunteers, Professor Anderson couldn't hide his sigh of disappointment. However, he quickly regained his composure and chose to elucidate the concept of Magic himself.
"Since it appears no one understands the essence of magic, allow me to enlighten you." Professor Anderson said as he approached the blackboard. There, he wrote three distinct words.
"Magic encompasses merely three elements! Mana, which, when combined with Will, creates a spell generating extraordinary effects." He then drew a plus sign between Mana and Will, and an equal sign between Will and Spell.