The students gathered in the large gymnasium, vibrating with palpable excitement. It was their first practical class, and everyone was eager to test their abilities. Aiden, Ethan, Mina, and Kai stood together, exchanging half-anxious, half-enthusiastic glances.
Suddenly, the doors burst open, letting in a man of imposing stature. He was tall, muscular, with short black hair and a steely gaze. His confident gait and perfect posture betrayed years of rigorous training.
"I am Professor Zane, your combat master," he announced in a voice that echoed throughout the gymnasium. "Here, you will learn to master your body, to face adversity, and to push your limits. Because before you can control your magic, you must control your physical being."
He swept his gaze across the room, making sure he had everyone's attention.
"We will start with the basics of hand-to-hand combat. Regardless of your powers, these techniques will be essential to you. Pair up and follow my instructions."
Aiden turned to his friends, but they had already paired up: Ethan with Kai, Mina with a girl with fiery hair. He scanned the crowd and spotted a lone boy, a bit shorter than him, with tousled brown hair and lively hazel eyes.
"Hi, I'm Aiden," he introduced himself as he approached. "Want to pair up?"
The boy smiled at him, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"With pleasure. I'm Nate. Ready to eat dust?"
Aiden raised an eyebrow, amused by his confidence.
"We'll see about that," he replied, playing along.
Professor Zane began demonstrating the basic movements: guard stance, punches, kicks. The students imitated him, some with ease, others with clumsiness.
Aiden, thanks to his dhampir condition, quickly assimilated the techniques. His sharp reflexes and superhuman strength gave him a definite advantage. But to his great surprise, Nate, during the first exchanges, kept up, and very easily at that.
The young man chained movements with impressive fluidity and precision. He dodged Aiden's blows with grace, counterattacking with lightning speed. It was as if he had been doing this all his life.
"Not bad," Aiden breathed, barely blocking a spinning kick. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Nate had a smirk, feinting left before striking right.
"I grew up in a dojo," he revealed, short of breath but eyes sparkling. "My father is a martial arts master. What about you, is it natural or do you have a secret?"
Aiden froze for a split second, before pulling himself together and retaliating.
"Just good reflexes, I guess," he evaded, "with a little extra help," he added with a laugh.
Their exchange was interrupted by Professor Zane, who had approached to observe them.
"Very good, you two," he commented, nodding with approval. "Aiden, your posture isn't bad and your movements are powerful, but be careful not to project yourself too much. Keep your center of gravity stable. You rush too much, and you focus too much on your abilities. Nate, excellent technique and anticipation."
The two boys nodded, integrating the advice into their next exchange. Under the watchful eye of the professor, they continued to spar, to test each other, to adapt to one another.
It was Nate who ended the fight, thwarting Aiden's guard with a fluid movement and throwing him to the ground with precise control. Aiden remained on the ground for a moment, breathless, then burst out laughing.
"Well played, man," he breathed, accepting Nate's outstretched hand to get back up. Even though he had superior physical abilities, it was useless against a person with real combat skills. But if he started to acquire a solid foundation of combat skills and technique himself, then his superior characteristics would prove to be more and more incredible.
Nate returned his smile, savoring the satisfaction of a well-fought battle and the budding camaraderie.
"You weren't bad either," he replied sincerely. "I've been training since I was young, and yet you managed to keep up thanks to your awakening. In the future, you'll be formidable if you continue to train well and acquire a really solid foundation."
Professor Zane came back to Aiden to give him some additional advice after observing the fight from afar. After this advice, a notification appeared in Aiden's field of vision:
"Skill improved: Hand-to-Hand Combat - Level 2. Your reflexes and technique have been refined. You know how to chain basic movements with more fluidity and precision."
"Close Combat lvl 2: +10% damage."
"Interesting. So it's not just practice, but a mix of theory and practice to increase certain skills. This seems consistent, if I only fight in the wrong way, I'll quickly be limited with poor learning."
Professor Zane whistled the end of the class, and the students gathered around him, sweaty but delighted.
"That was a good start," he declared. "Keep training, refining your techniques. Don't just think about magic, or your skills, the foundation remains the foundation. If it's bad, you'll never progress very far."
With those words, he dismissed them. Aiden rejoined his friends, still vibrating with the energy of the fight.
"So, how did it go for you?" he asked curiously.
"It was intense!" exclaimed Ethan, cheeks flushed from the effort. "Kai gave me a run for my money, but I managed to get the upper hand."
"Same for me," Mina added. "But it was so exhilarating!"
Kai nodded, a big smile on his lips.
"I can't wait to see what it's like when we can use our powers," he said enthusiastically.
At that moment, just as everything seemed to be going well, Aiden received a new notification.
A notification he had been dreading for several days.
"Warning: As a Dhampir, you must feed on blood regularly. Since your last blood consumption was several weeks ago, it is recommended to drink blood within the next 24 hours to avoid general weakening and deterioration of your abilities."