The classroom, charged with a palpable tension, watched in awe as their homeroom professor, and one of the top magic users in the nation, controlled the surge of purple flame hovering above their heads. Kendell, along with his classmates, felt a mix of fear and fascination as the flames danced in the air, their hues shifting between deep violet and indigo.
The tattoos on the professor were glowing wildly as a shimmering black aura surrounded his palm painting him as a figure of raw power and authority. With a sweep of his hand, the flame coiled up into a vast serpent-like figure with gaping jaws and flew at the roof- dispersing into a poof of smoke. As the class began clamoring over the performance he gestured for silence. "This," he began, his voice resonating with an undercurrent of strength, "is an example of advanced Devil Contracting. By drawing upon the power of a devil bound to me, I am able to manipulate these flames. This is the kind of power you can aspire to harness, should you choose the path of Devil Contracting. As you most likely know there are a total of five paths, and I will explain them all to you but this is my specialty." He said with a wink.
He explained that the first year at the academy focused on fundamental concepts. "You will start with the basics of ritual combat, theory, and body enhancement to withstand higher-level rituals. In addition, you will learn about Ritual Tattoos, enabling quick summoning and harnessing of magical energies. Like these-" He paused to showcase the large black tattoo covering his palm that had been glowing earlier, "However, you will not be taught how to make your own till next year when you are ready. The last part of your basic education will be the essential Shadow and Wild Gate rituals that will introduce you to contracting with devils and binding fey respectively," he outlined.
As the students took notes, Professor Falis discussed the pivotal role of the Royal Rally in their education, emphasizing its importance as a platform for showcasing their skills and learning from their seniors. It also posed an opportunity to get rewards from the university such as exclusive internship positions with professors or first dibs on research opportunities.
The session then shifted to practical matters. Professor Falis announced the formation of study groups, which would be crucial for their learning process. "Collaboration is key in mastering the arts we teach here. Your ability to draw accurate magic circles and calculate the proper incantations will only come with practice and seeing your peers progress up close. You will be paired in groups of three to enhance your learning experience and encourage teamwork."
The professor began listing off the paired names for the current academic year. Kendell's heart skipped a beat when he heard his name called alongside Celia and Coli. The trio, a blend of differing talents and personalities, held promise for an interesting dynamic. Celia, known for her brilliance in rituals, and Coli, with his curiosity and enthusiasm, would be invaluable allies in Kendell's journey through the arcane world of Tilanaz.
As the class proceeded, Genere delved deeper into the curriculum, detailing the types of rituals and magical practices they would be exposed to. He spoke of the academy's various branches, including Curse Rituals, Fey Binding, Devil Contract Rituals, Enhancement Rituals, and Spell Rituals.
He then demonstrated a basic Devil Contracting ritual. "I don't typically showcase this yet since it is a second/third-year topic, but I want to get you all hooked on the might that is ritualism." The class watched, spellbound, as he drew a complex sigil in the air, the lines glowing with a sinister light following his hand's wild gestures. As he went he explained the principles behind the ritual, the importance of the bond with the devil, and the cost that came with such power. "As I am drawing this I am using a circle known to contact a devil from the seventh, and least powerful, circle of hell. I am weaving in the requirements I want as well which happen to be related to fire manipulation. Then when the circle is finished," He paused to showcase the finished circle, "I will drop a little of my blood on it as a promise of payment, agh, and viola! Just watch..." As soon as the drop of blood hit the circle it began to pulse and withing seconds the inside of the circle went black and a small winged creature flew out!
"I call to thee oh hallowed knight, for what you pose to gain tonight. Give me flame that burns so true, and I will give my blood to you."
The professor's ritual sounded eerie and forceful to the students, but the creature smiled and placed a small flame into the professor's outreached hand before disappearing in a poof of smoke. With an evil-looking grin the professor threw the flame into the center of his students! It stopped just short of Celia's head and began to spin in place till it formed a large line up to the ceiling burning a small hole. As soon as the roof began to burn the professor closed his hand and the flame went out. Shock covered all the student's faces at the professor's blatant disregard for their safety, but they were too awestruck by witnessing magic first hand to comment.
The session concluded with Genere discussing the intricacies of the learning path at Tilanaz. "Your journey here will be challenging, but rewarding. You will not only gain power but also a deeper understanding of the mystical forces that govern our world. Remember, your dedication and hard work will determine your success at Tilanaz. Now we will have homeroom here everyday before going out to your other courses which will include Ritual Seals, Body Enhancement Rituals, History of Rituals / The Study of Ritual Language, and How to Craft a Ritual Circle. I teach higher-level classes so I won't be your professor yet, but during homeroom, I am here to give daily lessons on interesting rituals and to help answer questions you may have about any of your other classes. Now go to your first true class my students! and do my name proud."
After the class, Kendell, Celia, and Coli gathered to discuss their study plans while walking to Ritual Seals class. They had received a copy of their class schedule and apparently, all of class one had each class together! The first and third days of each week would be for Ritual Seals and How to Craft a Ritual Circle, while Body Enhancement Rituals and History/Language of Rituals would be on the second and fourth days, and apparently they got to have combat practice all day on the fifth days! The weekends are for doing assignments or learning more about their classmates.
As the group walked, their conversation flowed easily, with Celia taking the lead in organizing their study schedule. Kendell felt a sense of camaraderie with his group, a feeling that he hadn't experienced since his days on Earth.
As they left the classroom, Kendell felt a renewed sense of purpose. He was no longer just a stranger in a strange land; he was now a student of Tilanaz, with a clear path ahead of him.
As the group walked past an open classroom with a large ritual circle on the ground, a notification from his system appeared before him:
[-----------------------------------]
[ Ritual Circle Detected: Would you like to place this tattoo on your body and sync? ]
[-----------------------------------]