James paced back and forth at the edge of a set of arenas within the training hall on the second floor as a dozen students sparred against one another.
Many were exhausted and sluggish, but the instructor wouldn't relent on his ferocious training. First, the students were forced through a hundred push-ups.
Next, he had the students run five kilometers without a break in between and then had them practice unleashing Martial Artes before pairing them together to spar with one another.
Many had been pushed beyond their limits, and watching the Mage class enjoying nature and meditating, they gave up on pursuing a Fighter, opting to join Allison's group.
He needed to destroy their bodies and rebuild them stronger so they could develop and grow their Stamina Well, a unique organ within the lower abdomen that contains Ki.
Shin sparred with a young man with shaggy brown hair, much to John's protest, wanting to fight against him himself.
He restricted himself, not wanting to overpower him and reveal his true strength, wanting to wait until the most opportune moment. He glanced over, noticed the gorilla anima constantly dominating his partner, and shook his head.
After the classes had ended, Shin quickly ran through the training hall, pushing his way through the crowd of departing students to reach Allison's classroom.
"Miss Allison!" Shin called out, grabbing the doorframe and panting heavily.
"Yes, Shin?" She answered from behind her desk, turning away from the digital board she was preparing for tomorrow's lecture.
"Could I receive today's instructions?" He said, huffing loudly and entering the classroom.
"Of course, I'm afraid it was mostly basic rudimentary concepts on activating the Mana Circuit and attuning yourself to the mana in the atmosphere to determine your Optimal Element." Allison explained.
Savage Gods Online's magic system was separated into four distinct groupings: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Ascendant Elements.
The Primary Elements were Fire, Ice, Wind, Earth, Lightning, and Water, with each element overpowering the next element in line and resisting that same element.
The Secondary Elements were Steel, Blood, Shadow, Space, and Time, following the same scheme as the Primary Elements, where they were weaker than the elements behind them and more potent against the next.
Chaos and Non-Elemental are Tertiary Elements, with Chaos being more potent against Primary Elements and resisting all Secondary Elements and Non-Elemental resisting all Primary Elements and being more powerful than all Secondary Elements.
Life and Death are Ascendant Elements, overpowering one another and resisting against all Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Elements.
The Mana Circuit was similar to the Stamina Well but was contained within the heart and collected mana, allowing for the usage of Magical Artes.
"Perfect! James did something similar and taught us how to begin working on our Stamina Wells." Shin said with a smile, approaching Allison's desk.
"Since you're going for the Rookie Challenge, let me give you a little piece of advice." Allison sternly said, her expression becoming serious, "Don't rush and cultivate your Well and Circuit just yet. You should hold off."
"How come?" Shin asked, leaning against one of the student's desks and crossing his arms over his chest.
"As a Rookie, you cannot create more substantial variations of your Well and Circuit." She explained, placing her hands evenly apart in front of her as a glyph began forming in front of her.
"Typically, when you increase to a Primary Class at level five, you'll have access to advance your Well and Circuit, reinforcing it through your Advanced Class, Expert Class, and Master Class promotions.
As a Rookie, you will never be able to complete this, so you should wait and look around for the best cultivation methods for your Stamina Well and Mana Circuit."
Shin nodded and took a deep breath, sighing heavily, "Yeah, wow... Thanks! I could have really shot myself in the foot without knowing that..."
"You're welcome!" Allison said with a smile, disengaging her magic as the glyph vanished and held her hands together before her.
"Is there a cultivation method you recommend?" Shin asked, not wanting to postpone his development.
"I would recommend speaking with the headmaster." Allison nodded, "He would be the best one to provide the necessary information."
Shin bowed, thanking the professor, and departed from the classroom. He clicked his tongue in frustration when he was alone.
He didn't like interacting with Director Kim. He knew too much and interfered with his plans, and now he had to turn to him for assistance to prevent himself from gimping his growth.
Shin sighed, shaking his head as he exited the training hall and made his way through the streets of Academia City toward the castle rising high above the clouds.
He approached the gates, and two guards wearing full plate armor holding large halberds stood, blocking his path.
"Halt!" They shouted in unison, holding their palms out and crossing their weapons between them.
"Good afternoon!" Shin said politely, smiling as he tapped the badge on his jacket, reflecting his student identity, "I'm Shin, and I'm here for a meeting with Director Kim."
The two guards glanced between one another and nodded. One remained with Shin while the other ran toward the castle.
After a few minutes of waiting, the guard returned and led him through the grounds and into the castle, up to the second floor, and opened the door into Kim's office.
"Greetings, Mister Shin!" Director Kim cheerfully greeted him, opening his arms, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Thanks for meeting with me." Shin said, bowing as he explained his situation and was searching for a cultivation method for his Stamina Well and Mana Circuit.
"I see…" Director Kim muttered, nodding as he stroked his chin, lost in thought. He walked over to the wall behind his desk.
He tapped the wall, and it disappeared, revealing a hand scanner. Kim placed his hand on the device, and suddenly, a loud clunk was heard.
The wall began to move, releasing dust from the wall as it slid slowly out of view, revealing a hidden room.
Director Kim turned back to Shin and waved his hand, "Come on, let's see what we got."