Advanced elemental spellcasting.
I step into training ground 3. It's smaller than areas 1 and 2 that I was in for Physcial Training and Magical Training respectively.
But it looks the most advanced. While before, the training dummies were durable, made of some metal — now they're decked out in glimmering armour. There's a giant hologram screen, displaying different statistics next to the firing range. From the ceiling, there's a screen displaying 'total damage' in a leaderboard style.
It looks fake — like a movie set. But it's real.
The class is smaller, only about 50. I wonder if my blatant nepotism got me in, but I can't dwell on it. My mana control needs to get better.
There's one professor in front of us. I can feel a wave of pressure rolling off of the man — pure power. He is middle aged, with a short dark beard, and a military crew cut. The man is built like a tank.
"Cadets. This is an advanced course for you first years, and you better be willing to put in the work." Even without effort, his voice is strong and confident, echoing in the stadium. "If you can't handle it, I will personally recommend you to drop out."
No mercy at all, it seems.
He clears his throat. "I am general of the imperial guard, and professor on some occasions, Cassian Blair." The man hasn't changed his expression at all from his plain and neutral one. "SS Rank hunter."
"I've heard that this year, is the so called.. golden generation." Cassian scans every student appraisingly. "We will see about that."
Golden generation.. I've heard the term around campus. There's more SS class potential talents in this year, than there has been for a lifetime. Caelus and Aleyna both have SS potential. Usually, potential is bound.
On rare occasions, reawakenings are possible. There's only a few recorded cases of this happening. Maybe I can pass off my growth as a reawakening, so people don't think I sold my soul off to a monster.
"This may be an elemental class, but first.. 80 laps. Make sure to channel your mana, beginner stuff. I can tell if your fine mana control is off, and you'll do ten pushups if it's off."
Oh fuck.
I'm the one singled out. I think I did 80 pushups, and ran 40 laps before Cassian got tired of me slowing down everyone.
I do the walk of shame back to where everyone else has finished, head low. My ego is sufficiently destroyed. Someone that powerful can easily sense my trash-level technique, and I got equally berated for it.
My heart hasn't calmed, my body aches from all the earlier training stacked atop this now. At least it'll probably force my body to grow some muscles.
I stand at the back. Aleyna Delacroix looks at me oddly, like I'm some organism she doesn't understand — and is researching. Caelus has pity in his eyes, while everyone else looks annoyed.
Professor Blair goes on to explain some detailed methods of opening up your veins, to better receive mana. How to channel it efficiently. Eventually, all professional hunters have gotten to the point where their bodies do it naturally. Just like breathing.
He calls up Aleyna and Caelus, and claps them on the back. Both of them are almost at that level, apparently. Caspian seethes over to the side, as broad as daylight.
Then, sparring.
The professor must hate me. He puts me against Aleyna.
She assesses me. Blue eyes flicking over my form.
I pray, that somehow, my stats will carry me into not a total defeat. I need to train, but right now, I'm aware of my totally hopeless state of going against Aleyna.
I hold out my hand. Etiquette, right? "Let's have a good match."
She looks at my outstretched hand, and then pointedly ignores it. "Sure," she replies instead, and turns away, hair flicking over her shoulder elegantly.
Okay, ouch.
She is heading to the other side of the circle. It's like sumo wrestling, the first one to be fully out of the circle loses.
Professor Blair's voice booms out over the speakers. "Matches will start in 3….2….1!"
She rushes at me, almost at a speed that I can't even process. She wants to get this over with.
Good thing my physicality is my only talent.
I swiftly step out of the way, channel lightning to my finger tips, and attempt to strike. I've given up, currently, on attacking using pure energy and magic. So instead, I let the sparks run across my fingers, and swing in her direction.
The sound of air whooshing, and parting from the speed of my fist hits me. But her foot is already moving to dodge. Her hand is outstretched and.. pure darkness envelops me. I'm blinded, I can't see anything. It feels like a nightmare — a cold, damp, chilling sensation surrounding me.
Then, a tingle. Thank you, instincts.
My body moves on its own and quickly steps back, head tilting backwards. I can feel the wind of a punch barely avoiding me.
I need to get rid of this blindness. I focus mana around my eyesight, and it disperses the shadow. I can see again..
and I don't have time to catch my breath. A whole wave of ice daggers are coming at me. On my other side, a wall of ice shoots up from nothing, blocking any escape.
Shit. Shit. I have barely enough control
over my lightning. I can't use that to counter immediately.
I dive forward, hoping the daggers miss me. I somehow manage a graceful somersault, rolling up onto my feet and I feel a tug in my gut. The time I spent avoiding, I was building up mana, which concentrates in my hand. I make a mad swipe as the daggers seem to chase me. A small nova of lightning spreads out, shattering the ice — but it's too late.
A simple wave of her hand, and I fall to my back.
Aleyna is standing over me, a dagger to my throat, as chains made of swirling darkness latch onto my ankles. So my acrobatic move clearly took up way too much time.
She frowns, ever so slightly. "You're strange," she states, in a scientific manner. I raise my hands in defeat, and the match ends.
I stand up, facing her. "What do you mean?" I asks, kinda confused. It's true I am an anomaly in this world.. but it's not like she knows that. She knows my skills are bad..
"I can tell.." Aleyna shakes her head, sighing. "You have lots more power than you're actually using. Why? Are you holding back on me?" She seems even mildly annoyed at the notion, crossing her arms.
I'm not sure if I'm hallucinating, but it looks like there's the slightest pout on her lips. "Or are you just that stupid that you don't know how to use it? Is that why you're still D rank? How is your potential only C?"
I blink, surprised by all the rapid fire questions and doubts. It's.. sort of true. I'm too stupid right now. I learned all the ways I should be doing it. I'm trying to do it the best I can. I'm just.. literally too bad to do any better.
"I guess.. I'm not co-ordinated," I decide on that excuse. "I can read the instructions. Or listen to the lectures, but I just can't apply it right.." In reality, it's just because it's my first time ever trying to fight someone. "I'm not holding back. I'm just a D-rank right now."
Aleyna, hums, considering my words. "I see. So you are intellectually deficient. Oh well, a shame. Nice try." Aleyna walks away, and is swarmed by the other kids in our class.
She doesn't even seem to be trying to hurt my feelings. Her words come out so sharp and confidently that she can only be speaking her true thoughts.
I sigh deeply. There's a lot of work ahead of me.
—
My first full day is over. As I'm walking back to my Dorm, totally exhausted and defeated, an announcement plays over speakers installed all around campus.
"Attention first-year students." A man's voice plays, and it isn't Leon. The voice is much more stern than his light-hearted one. "The start of year banquet will be held in a week from now. More details are available on your watches. Have a nice day."
Banquet? Sounds fancy. The young cadets around me all spark with interest. Conversations revolve around outfits, food, and crushes.
I go to my watch, and click on the Announcements icon.
[FIRST YEAR START OF YEAR BANQUET]
Location: Evergarden Hall [Building 2A]
Attire: Formal
Description: A celebration of the start of the school year, and the entrance of new cadets in to Horizon Academy. Fine food and drinks will be provided. No guests are allowed. There will be special invited people in attendance.
Simple enough. Looks like I have something to look forward to at least.
—
The next school days pass similarly to my first one. Gruelling exercises. Painful practices. Getting thrashed in spars. The academic side of classes is going fine for me.
But now I've been training in the practice facility. Spending hours, just honing in on circulating mana through my body, on changing where I want to focus it. I've punched a stupid dummy more times than I can count.
My lightning too. God, I've created more tiny sparks and small bolts that I can count. My new record for largest bolt is 8 feet — which is pitiful but better.
One time, I even secretly took out the weapon Salvator gave me, Salvation.
I sliced the dummy's head off that day, and quickly walked away. It was insanely powerful.
Now, I can punch and fight at a decent level. My mana control is still to be desired, but it's
much easier than my first time. I can definitely beat all the low rankers. Even with bad technique, the pure stats I have manage to inflate my power overall.
But compared to anyone in the top 100.. no way. They've trained their whole lives. Even if my stats are triple or double theirs, I'd get tripped up somewhere.
I'm laying in bed after five hours after school of training.
"Open system."
[System]
Name: Dorian Hawthorne
Rank: D tier Hunter [Potential: Unknown, former potential: C tier]
Progression: [————72%——]
Affinities: Lightning [One more, unknown]
Abilities:
Skill: Copy + Paste [SSS+]
Recharge [B]
Enhance [C]
Blessing of the Gods {Innate, Evolving} [A]
Stats:
Strength: 36
Intelligence: 31
Stamina: 36
Agility: 37
Health: 31
[Open Inventory]
[Close System]
—
So, I've made some minor increases to my stats and progress. I've been abusing the recharge skill, as it replinishes a mediocre amount of mana, which has helped me train for longer.
As for the enhance skill, I've used it during my spars. It helped me beat some guy ranked 1340 something, and another ranked 1000-ish. The only times I get "fair" matchups is in more regular training classes.
As for advanced.. everyone there is strong. I get slammed everytime I spar.
But my best skill, copy + paste, literally created by a god — is useless to me right now.
I can't kill anyone without causing even more trouble than I can handle right now. People I have the ability to kill likely won't even have any useful skills. If I use the special sword.. I could take down more powerful targets. But I'm not trying to murder anyone who doesn't deserve it.
As for monsters, I won't have to deal with committing a crime, but I'm too weak. The risk reward just isn't worth it. Going in alone is too much of a risk at my level.
As I reflect on everything. My improvement, homework, absolute absence of friends, a ping noise jolts me up.
A new tab appeared on my system.
[Quests]
Huh?
I tap on it.
[MAIN QUEST 1: START OF YEAR BANQUET]
REWARDS: 30% RANK PROGRESSION + AN A RANK SKILL
REQUIREMENTS: Figure out the plot to ruin the banquet, and stop it before there are any deaths.
FAILURE: If anyone dies at the banquet.
Subtract 3 from ALL stats, permanently.
COUNTDOWN UNTIL EVENT: 2 DAYS