Without wasting time, Austin turned to Yanika first. "Alright, let's start with you. Are you sure you want to use a sword?"
Yanika blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"
"There are other weapons out there," Austin continued. "Ones that might actually suit you better. You don't have to force yourself into swordsmanship if it's not the right fit."
Yanika's cheeks flushed slightly. She averted her gaze but said nothing.
Austin let it go for now and turned to Penelope, his expression growing stern. "And you," he said, crossing his arms, "why do you keep forgetting to conjure steel? You keep attacking with raw earth, but that's not what I told you to do."
Penelope scowled. "Why does it have to be steel? What's so wrong with using stones?"
Austin sighed, recognizing her frustration. Instead of answering immediately, he simply stood there, waiting.
Penelope huffed, crossing her arms. Then, after a few moments of silence, her shoulders slumped. "Alright, fine. Explain."
Satisfied, Austin nodded. "Steel is a refined form of earth. Unlike raw earth, which can be unpredictable in shape and density, steel is something you can control precisely. It's sharp, fast, and lethal—especially in your hands."
Penelope frowned. "But I don't get it. If I'm using the same element, why does it matter?"
Austin let out a small chuckle. "Because you're more attuned to steel than you realize. Trust me."
Penelope gave a confused look.
"In the first place, I told you to channel your spells through the crown and the way you think subconsciously will affect how it manifests." Austin explained.
Penelope still looked unconvinced, but she didn't argue. Instead, she let out a breath and waited for him to continue.
Austin crossed his arms. "Alright, Penelope. Conjure some steel right now—use the crown channel."
Penelope sighed, raising a hand. A moment later, a thin, awkwardly shaped rod of steel materialized in front of her. She groaned. "Ugh, why does it always end up looking like this? This is why I hate conjuring steels, it doesn't go the way I wanted it."
Austin chuckled. "You have mistaked. In fact, it's going the way you wanted it."
"I don't get it." Penelope said, frustrated.
"That's because you use needles every day. Again, your subconscious affects the way your spells manifests when using the crown channel."
Penelope frowned. "So you're saying my subconscious is… thinking for me?"
"More like shaping it around with what you're most familiar with," Austin corrected. "You're tapping into that instinct."
Everyone exchanged confused glances except for Lucian who finally get it as he nodded slowly in understanding.
Austin smirked. "Here, let's test something. This time, don't overthink it. Just imagine a needle—really picture it in your mind—and then conjure steel again."
Penelope exhaled sharply. "Fine."
She closed her eyes, focusing on the precise image of a needle—its sleek body, sharp point, the familiar weight between her fingers. As soon as she opened them, a perfect steel needle hovered in the air.
She blinked. "...Wait. That actually worked?"
"Told you," Austin said simply.
Penelope scoffed. "Well, if you'd told me sooner, I could've done this ages ago."
Austin shook his head. "If I told you sooner, you'd rely on your imagination instead of your instincts. And you're the one who said you panic in close combat, right?" He gestured to the needle. "If you can't conjure these without thinking, you'll be dead before you get the chance."
Penelope blinked. "So how am I supposed to use these in battle?"
Austin smirked. "Glad you asked." He pulled out a rolled-up parchment, unfolding it to reveal a detailed diagram of vital points on the human body.
"Okay, how is this useful for range attacks?" She asked.
"Let me show you why that's really useful."
they even start. A well-placed needle can disable an enemy in seconds. Worst case is kill them. You don't need brute force, just accuracy."
Penelope rolled the needle between her fingers, deep in thought. "Alright… I think I get it now but what if I accidentally kill someone?"
"Don't worry about it, I already told the Headmistress about this so she already know what to do to avoid that from happening." Austin announced.
"Are you close with the Headmistress?" Yanika intervened with a schock expression
"Of course not. Just due to some circumstance," Austin replied before facing Penelope again.
"If you get it then start by conjuring needles." Austin finally said as he shifted his attention to Cai. "How's the sound-amplifying enchantment coming along?"
Cai nodded. "It's—hush—as—hush. I've been—hush—distort at higher frequencies."
"Come again?" Austin asked as her voice was too soft to be heard. "Can you use the voice amplification stones?"
Cai gripped on of the stones from her back and said, "I said, It's working as expected. I've been refining the resonance to make sure it doesn't distort at higher frequencies."
"Good," Austin said, crossing his arms. "Did you bring an instrument?"
"Yeah," Cai replied, reaching into her bag. "Since you asked for something portable, I brought a lyre harp."
Austin gave her an approving nod. "Perfect. Go ahead and embed the mystical stones into it. Let's see how it works in practice."
As Cai got to work, Austin turned to Lucian. "Have you been researching up on spells from different elements as I have told you to?"
Lucian straightened, nodding. "Yeah, I've gone through a few texts after classes. I'm still wrapping my head around how some of them interact with light, though."
Austin smirked. "Good. We'll need to our one on one talk over that in detail later. There's something I needed you to do."
"Okay?"
Austin returned to Yanika, watching her idly twirl her staff. "Have you decided on a weapon that doesn't rely on brute force?"
Yanika pursed her lips, twirling the staff a bit faster. "Let me think about it," she murmured, though her tone made it clear she wasn't actually thinking about it at all.
Austin narrowed his eyes but didn't press further. Instead, his gaze shifted to Penelope, who had already conjured a small arsenal of steel needles around her. He raised a brow. "That's enough for now. Take a break," he instructed.
Penelope, though exhausted, looked at her work with mild satisfaction before stepping back to rest.
Meanwhile, Cai had just finished embedding the mystical stones into her lyre harp. Austin turned to her. "Alright, let's hear it."
Cai took a deep breath, positioned her fingers over the strings, and began to play. The first note rang out, clear and pure, like a drop of water rippling across a still pond. Then, as she strummed, the sound expanded—each note growing richer, carrying a deep, resonant hum that traveled in waves. The melody was hauntingly beautiful, both delicate and powerful, as if the air itself was trembling to carry her song.
The echoes reached far beyond their small clearing, weaving through the trees and bouncing off unseen surfaces, creating an ethereal harmony that surrounded them. It was more than just music—it felt alive, filling the space with an almost divine presence.
Everyone stood frozen, mesmerized.
Austin let out a low whistle. "That's impressive, Cai. You're a natural."
Before Cai could respond, a distant, guttural howl shattered the stillness. The woods seemed to hold its breath for a moment before more howls followed, closer this time.
Austin's eyes sharpened as he stood up. "There's our cue. Everyone, get ready for battle."