After standing motionlessly for a while, he began to move.
Heading towards the young man with brown hair and piercing green eyes.
He then sat down beside him.
The other students too started to find their seats and started sitting down.
Vale stared towards Zane, then a faint smile started to form on his lips.
"Man, you sure got it tough, huh."
Zane sighed. He then responded with a relaxed tone.
"Well, that's just a price I must pay for being weak, I guess."
Vale stared at him with a straight face; he opened his mouth, about to say something.
However, before Vale could respond, the professor finally arrived. He slowly walked into the lecture hall, and then he stood in front of everyone.
As he stood in the front, looking through the books at the table. The murmurs around Zane started to grow louder. However, it wasn't directed to him anymore. It was directed at the professor in front of him.
The professor had long black hair tied neatly behind his head. His eyes were dark, with heavy circles under them, as if he hardly ever slept. Despite looking tired, he gave off a strong and powerful presence, like a mage you wouldn't want to mess with.
One could tell in a single glance that this professor wasn't just an ordinary professor.
Zane too was surprised. After all, he knew who this man was. Everyone did.
Felrin Void.
A 6-tier mage. Ferlin Void used to be a soldier for the Kingdom of Ashveil. Ever since he was in his teenage days, he had been a soldier for the Kingdom of Ashveil; although he was a commoner, his talent was unlike any other.
Ferlin quickly rose to the top, becoming the most feared general. There were rumours about him massacring a bunch of 5-tier swordsmen all on his own.
It was said that once you started a fight with Ferlin, you wouldn't even know that your head had already been decapitated.
Ferlin was well known for his shadow affinity and also for his unique way of fighting. Ferlin fought like an assassin; the way he wields his blade and how he resonates with his shadow affinity earned him the name Shadow Blade.
But what would Shadow Blade be doing in a D-rank class?
Is what others were mumbling about; after all, the likes of Ferlin were supposed to teach a bunch of talented individuals.
"Hey, that's Shadow Blade, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it's him!"
"Woah, he looks exactly like the rumours say!"
"Why is he in a D-ranked class?"
Zane could hear all the murmurs around him growing even louder. But it was understandable; after all, it was Shadow Blade.
However, as he stared blankly towards Shadow Blade, he couldn't help but wonder.
'Why is Shadow Blade in a D-rank class?'
"Woah, Shadow Blade looks so cool, man! I also heard rumours about him banging on every woman he met!"
"..."
Zane frowned.
"Just when are you going to change, Vale? I thought you would become a little bit more mature after becoming a third-year student."
Vale grinned and laughed.
"Hey, don't take it too seriously, man. It's just rumours, you know, rumours! But seriously, man, I strive to be like him; I mean, who wouldn't bang on every woman they met!"
Zane looked at Vale with disgust on his face.
"You really are insane; hell, if you had never told me you belonged to the Taren Clan, I would have never known."
Vale stared at him blankly.
"Who are you to talk, man?"
Zane sighed. He opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, a voice that sent chills down his spine resounded through his ears.
"Everyone, please be quiet."
Ferlin said, in a relaxed tone. Despite the lecture hall being large and despite the loud voices around him, his voice could be heard loud and clear through everyone's ears.
Everyone instantly paused. They then looked in front of them, where the voice came from.
Everyone instantly focused on Shadow Blade.
Seeing that everyone's attention was on Shadow Blade. He began to speak once again.
"I know that many of you are confused, but because of certain circumstances, I will be your professor. And also, don't call me by my nickname. Call me Professor Ferlin."
"Alright, I will begin the attendance. Once I call your name, please say present."
With that, Ferlin started calling each one of his students, one by one.
As everyone listened, they couldn't help but be confused even more.
"I never thought I would be lectured by a 6-tier mage in my whole entire life."
"What kind of circumstances could've made Professor Ferlin teach us magic?!"
Everyone's voices started to grow louder in the lecture hall once again.
It made Zane and Vale think as well. I mean, all of it sounded absurd.
"Isn't this great, Zane? Never in my whole life did I ever think that I would be lectured by a 6-tier mage, and it should be Shadow Blade himself!"
Zane looked towards Vale and said.
"Well, neither did I."
"Zane Thaleward…."
"..."
Distracted by the familiar voice, Zane looked in front of him where Ferlin was standing.
Zane immediately raised his hand and said present.
"Present."
As Zane said Present, he could feel everyone's gaze upon him. It doesn't take a genius to know what those gazes mean.
Failure.
Disappointment.
Embarrassment.
Zane couldn't help but lower his head to avoid the gazes that were upon him. Zane had developed anxiety because of all the things that he had experienced in his life. That's why when he speaks, his voice is usually timid.
Well, except when he speaks to those people he is comfortable being with.
Zane's face showed anguish as he lowered his head.
Ferlin took a moment looking at Zane, as if trying to remember his face.
Ferlin then went back to calling the names of the students.
"Zeph Grimthorn."
"Present."
"Vax Grimthorn."
"Present."
And so on…
…
The professor was finally done calling out the names of the students.
The students were once again focused in front of them.
They wouldn't want to anger Shadow Blade after all.
After a moment of pause, Ferlin finally spoke.
"Well, since today is your first day, I won't make you do much. For now, I want everyone to proceed to the training hall and train by yourselves. I want you guys to use this day as a warm-up for the upcoming task I will be giving you."
"Alright, dismiss."
Right after hearing that word, everyone immediately stood up and headed to the training hall.
Zane and Vale too stood up, heading to the training hall.
"Hey, Zane. You alright, man?"
Zane, who was looking on the ground while walking, looked towards Vale.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."
Vale smiled and said,
"Just let those people be, Zane. Those people just really don't know how to mind their own business."
A faint smile started appearing on Zane's face. Although his life was cruel, he was glad to have a friend at least.
After all, one real friend is better than a thousand fake friends.
…
Soon after, they finally arrived at the training hall.
Seeing everyone start their training, Zane and Vale began to train as well.
Zane watched as everyone cast their magic spell at the wooden dummy; some of them used weapons enchanted with their affinity. Zane couldn't help but feel envious. If only he didn't have a low mana capacity, maybe he wouldn't have to face all this judgement.
As he watched the other students train, Vale suddenly called out to him.
"Zane, let's go train as well."
Zane looked towards Vale and nodded.
Zane and Vale then started to find a spot to train.
…
"Hell yeah! I did it, Zane! I finally mastered the light sequence magic spell!"
Standing before a wooden dummy, Vale cast the light sequence spell. This spell can only be used by those who possess the light affinity, which Vale did.
The light sequence is basically like a glowing arrow, except for the fact that you can control its direction and where it's going to hit.
Zane watched, amazed by the performance.
"Wow, you really are amazing, Vale. If only you weren't a pervert."
"..."
As Zane watched, he shifted his focus to the wooden dummy in front of him, trying to cast a spell of his own.
Zane focused in front of him, staring at the wooden dummy.
He then raised his wand and started to cast a spell.
A frozen shard then started to form beyond Zane's magic wand, shooting it at the wooden dummy in front of him.
The project tile of the frozen shard made Zane take a step back.
The wooden dummy was then instantly frozen; however, it wasn't destroyed. In fact, it remained in the same spot and looked like it didn't receive a single scratch.
Thats because the wooden dummy is enchanted to be unbreakable so that students don't have to worry about destroying the wooden dummy when they are training.
Suddenly, Zane could feel his body running out of mana.
He felt drained and low on energy.
'Fuck. Curse this low mana capacity of mine!'
Zane paused for a while, then released a heavy sigh.
He then raised his wand once again, about to perform another spell.
'I know I shouldn't overexert myself. But I really can't help it. I want to be able to cast my family's barrier magic, even if it drains all my mana, hell, even if it kills me. It's been so long since I started to master this spell, yet in the end. My low mana capacity always gets me."
Focusing in front of him.
A semi-transparent, blue-like hexagon shaped barrier started to form. However, it was way too tiny. It was almost the size of his hand, and it was as thin as a paper.
What could this barrier possibly do?
As Zane tried with everything he could, forming a barrier that was as large as his body.
His nose started bleeding.
His vision started blurring.
'You're kidding me! This is the most basic barrier spell of the Thaleward family!"
Zane was overexerting himself once again.
"Zane! Enough!"
Vale's voice resounded through Zane's ears, but it was strange. It was like he was underwater.
Zane cancelled the magic spell, then proceeded to collapse on the floor.
There was blood all over his face. Blood that came from his eyes and nose.
Vale approached him as fast as he could, trying to analyse his condition. He then called for help.
"Shit! Not good!"
"Professor Ferlin! It's Zane; he collapsed!"