-Moon Hazard's point of view
Thud!
Luna turned to the side, leaning slightly as she watched Julian's incoming fist, at the same time gritting her teeth.
Her right arm moved quickly as Julian also dodged her punch the same way she had.
I realized this was a stalemate.
Luna, realizing her limits, stopped.
This was due to the limit in close combat.
If they continued, neither would improve or see their mistakes.
Julian was strong, but so was Luna. They both realized their limits and so they stopped.
"Haaa..."
They both let out tired moans.
How much time had passed?
Ten minutes? Half an hour? An hour?
I don't know.
But, the fact that, no matter how hard I tried to find a way to take advantage over Julian, it was impossible to achieve.
It was due to only one thing: "equality of skills", because neither of them surpassed the other.
This led them to a barrier, a stalemate where, no matter how hard they tried, neither could overcome the other.
However, while Luna was physically exhausted, Julian had the advantage in the magical aspect.
Luna laughed at the thought.
I'm still quite a ways away from advancing.
"Fuck..."
Julian looked at her with a slight frown.
"Are you mad?"
"Yes."
She wanted to be stronger, and yet the others seemed to be advancing faster than she was. Even in physical combat she was evenly matched with Julian.
What was the point?
Watching Asher, it was inevitable to think that he was improving in every aspect no matter what they were? Or at least he had thought so before.
[Final mentality assessment, 0/100.]
Because of this, Luna realized that he also had a part that couldn't be as amazing as the rest.
That's when it hit me.
I really do have talent in magic.
It was certainly a question I had asked myself many times.
"Yes, you do have talent."
As if his thoughts had been read, Asher whispered in his ear.
"..."
She was startled by the sudden approach, but reassured by the earlier words.
I have talent.
Why do you say that?
It's not like he could see a person's talent.
Because I wasn't, and besides, it was impossible.
That's because I don't have the real talent I thought I had before.
"Yes you do."
"..."
Luna looked at Asher for a moment.
"You haven't used it yet... Your talent is hidden."
"..."
What is this guy referring to?
Talent shows once you know what you're good at.
But, in a world where magic exists, the only talents that should exist are magical and physical.
So, in neither of these aspects did a true talent stand out.
In fact, he had a normal talent like everyone else.
Then.
"Why do you say that? Don't give me false illusions."
"I'm saying it because it's true. I'm not completely sure, but my eyes are extremely different from everyone else's."
Asher could notice things impossible to see.
In this case, mana lines, something that, according to Encrid's information, is impossible to see.
"To discover your talent, you need a special, specific scene. Only then will you see a real change in your magic."
It was then...
"..."
For a moment, I felt it.
Something that gave me a possible idea.
An impossible achievement, but one that now seemed possible.
I felt as if I was about to unlock something important, even though the time was not yet right.
However...
"..."
"I'll think about it."
"Okay."
Asher averted his gaze to the training ground.
For a moment I felt something, and in another second, that disappeared.
So, it was true that you need a special, specific scene to make it happen.
However, what would it be, how would it happen?
But I felt something when Asher said that and they were both close.
Special scene.
Something different from reality, something I had never considered, because I had never asked myself.
Only then would I get my true talent in magic, one I had overlooked, not even knowing the truth before it was revealed to me.
Because of this, Luna had a small enlightenment.
Still, it was insufficient.
It was not enough, but it made me understand something.
"That scene...will it be related to Asher or something about him will be related."
Because he noticed the little glow and could see some of his true talent to be unlocked.
It was as if chains were binding his talent for some reason, and as Asher said, only a special scene would unlock it and break those chains that kept his true power trapped.
"We're done for the day."
***
-Scene change.
-Oriana Mengral's point of view.
It had been six days since the announcement of the last semester for the first year cadets.
Once that was over, the fifth year would have the "Final Exam."
It was something that was always held for all cadets finishing the Academy after the fifth year.
A final exam, as the name implies, is more of a mission for all cadets.
It is not something specific or special.
It's just a test that lasts two years, and that's it.
I mean, it's like you're still at the Academy for two more years, but this final exam you'll take all over the world.
You can choose to do awesome things, or do nothing. However...
Most choose to be stronger.
The last exam is truly important for all cadets.
Not only because you leave the academy as a powerful new wizard.
It's also because you can gain high status, fame, money, and moreover be much stronger than when you entered the academy and completed the last exam.
"The final exam is ending this year. All that's left is to organize the last semester of first year."
Oriana then grabbed other documents with information about what will be done, especially in the last semester of freshman year.
"A total of 1000 freshman cadets, huh?"
I realized that was quite a few cadets, and that was just freshmen.
In fact, every time you move up a level to higher years, this number slowly decreases.
In first year there are over a thousand cadets, and by fifth year there are barely 50 left at most.
At other times it would be less than 10 cadets, but this year... it was quite favorable for the academy.
Due to the low rate of new grand wizards leaving the academy every year, this year was different.
It is said that in the past there were the best talents, and it was true.
I realized this a long time ago: the past was better than the future.
Previously, wizards reached the ninth circle in less than ten years, but now that is much slower, as fifth years barely reach the fifth circle and very few reach the sixth.
This is due to the "Limit Barrier" in the fourth circle.
Every magician who tries to get past the third circle to reach the fourth circle encounters many difficulties, and it is rare to reach that stage.
Why is that?
Well, no one knows why.
There has always been such a limit.
You had to look for the solution or it was simply impossible, and it would take you too many years to reach just the fourth circle.
Many cadets in the past were stuck in the third circle because of the fourth circle wall.
However, once you reach the fourth circle, advancing to the fifth circle is so slow that it can take at least three years to reach it.
This is why most fifth-year cadets are barely in the fifth circle, and others still in the fourth.
But then there's the 1 in 1,000 cadets who reach the sixth circle a few months before the final exam.
"Well, everything is ready."
"We'll leave tomorrow at noon."
***
-Scene change.
-Asher Frostblade's point of view.
Day one.
Physical training was over.
Gloriana turned out to be very talented, even physically.
I had made a lot of assumptions, but in the end she turned out to be quite good.
In Julian's case, he also showed good results, though not as good as Gloriana.
Luna, however... she was something else.
She blindly thinks she has no real talent, and I realized something when I looked at her.
"Actually, the affinities she currently has are the consequence of her true talent not coming out."
They were the chains of her talent, tied up somewhere.
However, I also realized something else.
"If those affinities are the chains, it means that his true affinity has not yet awakened."
It wasn't surprising.
Freddy has also just awakened his new affinity, and yet it has yet to manifest. And he still doesn't know it.
I don't help them for a reason.
If you want to be strong, seek it out on your own and find your answers.
Everyone gave their effort in that.
So, I did nothing but watch.
The rest of the days consisted of magical combat, skills, physical training, etc.
Finally the day came when the last semester inside the Grade 5 Dungeon begins.
All the first year cadets were gathered in a large, uncluttered square, a bit far from the academy but close to the campus.
In front of all the cadets, my eyes were fixed on something I had only heard from Encrid before.
"Wow, portals are amazing."
"I've never seen a portal before. Their size is huge."
They were cadets talking and opining about the portal that was at the end of all the rows, just behind the teachers.
It was then that Oriana spoke up.
"We kick off the last semester of freshman year. Now the cadets will enter in line and in order."
Thus began the last semester, with two weeks inside the Dungeon, while outside they would spend six months....