The day passed, and the trauma that lingered in Ethan's mind had lessened as he began to digest the events transpiring around him. Now, he found himself back in Elaine's lab, but this time, Elaine was not present. She had only overseen a few aspects of the procedure he was about to undergo.
"Step into the capsule, and we'll get started," Dianna instructed, guiding Ethan towards the capsule. She couldn't hide the hint of jealousy in her voice, knowing that Ethan was going to be personally trained by Elaine.
"What's going to happen to me?" Ethan asked, his voice tinged with worry.
Dianna sighed, a trace of sadness in her eyes. "Forget the life you used to have and let go of any dreams of a sweet, happy life," she responded, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's too late for that now," she mumbled, her eyes losing their glimmer.
"Anyway, this is a learning capsule. It will allow you to learn a bunch of things in a flash," she explained. With the advancement of technology, people could now learn theoretical and comprehensive subjects almost instantly, much like downloading data into a phone. For those aspiring to pursue magical studies, having a learning capsule was essential. It allowed them to quickly grasp subjects like math and science, so they could focus more on magic. However, learning magic required practical experience; one couldn't simply use a learning capsule to master it. You'd end up knowing a bunch of spells without understanding how to use them. This method was rarely used and expensive.
Since Ethan was a millennium behind the current world, he would spend about a month in the learning capsule to catch up. He stepped into the capsule, and Dianna strapped him in tightly, placing a helmet-like device on his head that was hooked up to the capsule. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for a month before his training could begin.
"The kids are turning out better than I thought. Pretty soon, they'll be capable of going on missions. I wonder how he'll fare with them," Elaine pondered in her office as she skimmed through the documents containing data on the sixty-nine children she had been experimenting on. In this world, there were two major classifications for those who wielded magic: mages and warriors, both under the same class system. The ranks included Junior Mage, Apprentice Mage, Mage, Court Mage, Grand Mage, Supreme Mage, Wizard, High Wizard, Grand Wizard, Arch Wizard, Supreme Wizard, and Sage. After meeting certain conditions, a person could then become a higher species.
Elaine's experiments involved mixing the genes of various species into children to breed individuals with stronger abilities and potential for magic. Only sixty-nine of these experiments were successful. The others, who barely survived, were sold off on the black market or assigned to a different division. The successful experiments were under the S division, while the others were under the G division—strong enough to be considered above normal talent but below her desired results.
A month passed in a flash, and for Ethan, it felt like only a day had gone by. As the capsule door opened, he stepped out, blinking against the sudden brightness. Standing there, waiting for him, was Elaine. Her presence startled him, causing him to take a step back.
"Welcome back, Ethan," Elaine said, her voice devoid of warmth. "Let's see how much you've learned."
She led him to a series of testing stations, each designed to assess different aspects of his newly acquired knowledge. Ethan moved through the tests with surprising ease, answering complex questions on mathematics, science, and history without hesitation. Elaine watched, her eyes narrowing with each correct answer.
"Impressive," she murmured, though her tone was more critical than complimentary. "You're smarter than I anticipated. Even with the learning capsule you retain a lot more than I thought you would. It seems you were already gifted"
With the theoretical tests complete, Elaine guided Ethan to a large training hall. "Now, it's time to begin your magic and combat training," she announced, her voice stern. "You'll learn as we go" she added.
The hall was vast, filled with various training equipment and magical artifacts. Elaine began with the basics of magic, explaining the fundamental principles and the importance of mana control.
"Magic is not just about knowing spells," she said sharply. "It's about understanding the flow of mana and how to manipulate it. Now, show me what you can do."
Ethan focused, recalling the instructions from the learning capsule. He extended his hand and concentrated on the flow of mana within him. Slowly, a large flame burst to life in his palm. Elaine's eyes narrowed further.
"Good. But you lack control. Although with the mana you have it's not a surprise."
She pushed him through various spells, from simple elemental manipulations to more complex incantations, with relentless intensity. Ethan struggled at first, but with each attempt, he grew more confident and proficient, adapting quickly to the harsh pace Elaine set.
After hours of magical training, Elaine shifted the focus to combat. "Magic alone won't be enough. You need to be able to defend yourself physically as well," she said, her tone unyielding.
She handed him a wooden practice sword and took one for herself. "Let's start with basic stances and movements. And don't think I'll go easy on you."
Elaine demonstrated a series of stances, each designed to maximize balance and agility. Ethan mimicked her movements, adjusting his posture under her watchful eye. They moved on to basic strikes and parries, with Elaine correcting his form and technique with sharp, precise instructions.
"Remember, combat is as much about strategy as it is about strength," she advised, her voice like steel. "Anticipate your opponent's moves and use their momentum against them. Now, again."
They sparred for hours, the sound of clashing wood echoing through the hall. Ethan's muscles ached, but he pushed through, determined to improve. Elaine's harsh praise and corrections guided him, helping him refine his skills at an astonishing rate.
As the training session came to an end, Elaine looked at Ethan with a mixture of pride and scrutiny. "You've done well today. Rest now, for tomorrow we continue," she said, her tone softer but still firm.
Ethan nodded, exhausted but exhilarated. He had a long way to go