Reinhard Pov
The first combat training class of the year was always a spectacle. It was where the strongest students showcased their abilities.
This year multiple students including me were looking to challenge Mortis however like every class he was no where to be seen.
So, I had decided to sit this one out. No need to waste energy on pointless matches unless someone had the nerve to challenge me or so I was planning until I stopped and saw Kai.
He stood on the sidelines, leaning against the wall, watching the fights before him with an air of complete disinterest.
His arms were crossed, his gaze distant. He didn't look like someone looking to fight. He didn't even look like someone who cared about what was happening.
He was previously a normal student fairly strong with the space element a tricky opponent for sure but nothing too special, someone who was ranked far below me who was ranked 7.
But something about him was different now I couldn't Pinpoint it thou but something changed the day the academy started.
It was weird so decided to figure out what's different.
I walked toward him, ignoring the cheers and jeers from the ongoing matches. The air grew quieter around us as more people noticed where I was headed.
Kai noticed too. He turned his head slightly, acknowledging my approach with a faint smirk.
"Reinhard," he said, his voice even, almost lazy. "What brings you here?"
"You," I replied bluntly, crossing my arms. "You're different."
His eyebrow arched, amused. "Different, huh? What makes you say that?"
"You weren't like this last year. Something's changed. You're stronger now, aren't you?"
Kai shrugged. "I don't think so, Maybe your imagining things."
I narrowed my eyes. "Prove it."
Kai Pov
Professor Leo's combat class was one of the biggest events at the academy a stage where students could showcase their abilities and catch the attention of the academy's elite.
But for me? It was just noise.
Right now, I was fine staying in the background. I didn't want to draw any attention, at least not yet.
Besides, I was still getting used to this body. The muscle memory and magic techniques it came with had helped me adjust faster than I'd expected, but magic itself was… strange.
The process of using mana felt unnatural, like walking a tightrope blindfolded. And mana exhaustion? That was a nightmare I wasn't eager to experience.
When you exhaust your mana, the backlash is more than just a crippling migraine. The whispers that insidious pull of corruption are far worse.
They try to claw into your mind, eroding your sanity piece by piece.
The Madness of Corruption wasn't just a myth here. It was a cold, brutal reality.
At the start of the year, there were 2,055 students in our batch. By the end of the fourth year, there would be around 1,200 left. And that's if things went smoothly.
This wasn't a normal year either. Our batch was filled with monsters the kind that would leave behind scars and tragedies for everyone around them.
The first stage of corruption could be reversed if caught early. But once you hit stage two, it was permanent.
Some individuals managed to contain it, holding the madness at bay, but it was always a ticking time bomb.
As for the 3rd stage well you aren't even you to call a fully corrupted would be wrong they are mearly a material puppet for the outer gods.
For now, as first-years, the corruption was weak. It targeted the strong more aggressively the higher you climbed, the closer you got to the edge of madness.
But that didn't mean first-years were immune.
Take Reinhard, for example.
In the novel, he started as an idealistic, justice-obsessed student. But in one of the early first-year missions, he was forced to kill a childhood friend in the name of justice.
That event traumatized him.
No one noticed how it planted the seeds of corruption, strengthening his obsession with justice until it consumed him.
By the time anyone realized what had happened, it was too late. He became a puppet of the Outer Gods, his sense of justice twisted into something unrecognizable.
Although I wouldn't let it happen this time. But for that I would have to kill a human being and I didn't know if was ready for that just yet.
And now, here he was, walking toward me.
I noticed his sharp gaze, the way the crowd seemed to part as he approached. It wasn't just his rank or his precision with the balance element that commanded respect it was the sheer presence he carried.
This is going to be annoying.
Reinhard stopped a few steps away, crossing his arms as he stared at me.
"Kai," he said, his tone measured but direct.
"Reinhard," I replied, leaning casually against the wall, trying to mask my irritation.
"You're different."
I blinked, caught off guard for a moment, though I quickly recovered. "Different, huh? What makes you say that?"
He narrowed his eyes. "You weren't like this last year. Something's changed. You're stronger now, aren't you?"
I shrugged, keeping my tone even. "I don't think so. Maybe you're imagining things."
"Prove it," he said, his voice cutting through the noise of the arena.
I froze for a split second, my mind racing. Prove it? He wants to fight me? Now?
This wasn't the plan. I wasn't supposed to stand out yet, especially not against someone like Reinhard a ranked student whose balance element could manipulate momentum, force, and probability itself.
In the novel he fought Serena Frostveil, a silver hair blue eyes beauty who controlled stasis why was he challenging me how has it gone off course from the novel already.
The crowd had gone silent, all eyes now on us.
But then again, maybe this wasn't a bad thing.
If Reinhard wanted to test me, then I could use this opportunity to test myself.
I smirked, forcing myself to stay calm. "Alright, Reinhard. If you insist."