In a vast training hall, several students were talking among themselves, their voices echoing in the emptiness of the space.
"Hey, look over there!"
"I've only seen them on TV!"
"Haha, my parents told me I absolutely had to make friends with one of them. Do you think I should try my luck now?"
"Drop it, man."
It was morning, and three classes were gathered here. The hall was so large that it could easily accommodate a fourth class without seeming too crowded. I, too, was among the students present, all gathered for a combat session.
These sessions were often held with multiple classes at once, which explained the presence of well-known figures like Maelis Starfall or Kaera Silvaris.
In fact, Kaera was part of the Apus class, which had honestly surprised me. After all, this class, like many others, was only briefly mentioned in the original story.
And that's exactly what was bothering me.
Kaera Silvaris wasn't supposed to exist. In the original work, there was no mention of this character. Not in the main plot, not in the filler chapters, not even in the footnotes. Yet here she was, very real, with a striking presence that could not be ignored.
I had spent hours trying to understand, diving back into my memories of the story. I even considered that she might have been added last minute — but no, nothing made sense.
The only plausible explanation left was that this was somehow linked to whoever had sent me here. The author? The creator of this world?
But before I could get lost in those thoughts any further, my gaze fell on someone else, the one who seemed to draw almost all the attention in the room.
In the midst of the Lyra class students, a boy stood out. Girls were whispering as they looked at him, sometimes blushing before laughing together.
He had platinum blonde hair, silky and perfectly styled, caramel brown eyes that seemed to shine under the light, and an athletic build, a testament to his rigorous training. Those who were observant enough could tell he was holding back his mana, but he had so much of it that subtle traces leaked from him, betraying his high rank, far above most students here.
He was undeniably handsome. There was no doubt about it.
He was talking and laughing with two girls —but not just any girls.
The first had navy blue hair tied in an elegant bun. Her alabaster skin and graceful figure gave off a refined aura.
The second girl had pink hair, with a few braids framing her face. A small star-shaped tattoo adorned her neck, adding extra charm to her already stunning beauty.
Yes, it was him: the destined hero, surrounded by two of the main heroines.
'Liam Ashford.'
Looking at him, I could feel the gap between our strengths. He was on another level, clearly above me. If my memory served me right, he should be at the Adept+ rank, about to move into Advanced-. His progress was simply terrifying.
Unlike most here, he had aced the entrance exams, earning a scholarship. And to say he had done it with flying colors was an understatement. His results were so impressive that they had immediately caught the attention of the academy and several guilds. And yet, Liam didn't come from an influential or prestigious family. No, he was a genius who had emerged seemingly overnight, much to the public's astonishment.
It was clear that people were fascinated by him. Moreover, this genius not only had an impressive affinity for light but also with all four basic elements. He was a true penta-elemental mage.
The blue-haired girl next to him was the heir to the third ruling house of the human domain, House Ilberg. That was Charlotte Ilberg, known for receiving the blessing of the water spirit itself. Her mastery of the water element was unparalleled here, and I mean unparalleled, even by Liam.
The pink-haired girl was named Emma Bennet. Although she didn't come from any ruling house, she was the daughter of a member of the High Council, those who govern the Global Government. In other words, she was as important as an heir to a ruling house.
'They've already made friends, huh.'
In summary, all the main characters were here, gathered in this room.
Instructor Marcus entered the room, accompanied by another instructor. After taking attendance, they explained the details of the session.
For this training, we were free to either work with the training dummies or choose a partner. The use of mana was also allowed. The instructors would observe us, correct our mistakes, and assist if necessary. It was a pretty relaxed session, but obviously, those who slacked off or were lazy would be severely punished.
Once their speech was over, I walked toward a training dummy isolated from the others, surrounded by only a few students. Before that, I approached the wall where several training weapons were displayed for the students.
In the novel, Noah was a swordsman, specifically a user of the odachi. Since childhood, this weapon had been his favorite, and he was naturally skilled at wielding it.
I picked up an odachi that was hanging there, detached it from the wall, and tested its weight. I made a few movements with the sword, swinging it through the air to check if I still had the feel for it.
After a couple of swift cuts through the air, I smiled briefly. It felt good to wield this weapon again.
'Alright.'
I approached the dummy and pressed the button on its chest. The space around us was immediately protected by a mana wall, ensuring our abilities wouldn't harm anyone else. The dummy's eyes glowed a deep blue before it rose, staring blankly ahead.
From its eyes, a hologram appeared.
• Choose the desired difficulty:
– Novice
– Adept
– Advanced
'Is that the limit for these dummies?'
Nodding to myself, I selected the Novice- difficulty.
The dummy assumed a combat stance and, without hesitation, charged at me.
I also got into position, reinforcing my body with mana. I struck at it with a sharp motion, the tip of my sword pointing toward the ground. I hit with a precise vertical strike, aiming directly at its head.
But the dummy quickly pivoted, dodging the strike while advancing, its fists clenched like those of a boxer. When it got close, it slightly crouched, preparing to deliver a powerful uppercut, imbued with mana.
I saw the blow coming from a distance. In a quick motion, I used my palm to block it and grabbed its fist. The dummy pulled back, realizing its punch had been ineffective, but it didn't have time to escape.
'Hehe, where do you think you're going?'
I strengthened my grip and, with a sharp motion of my sword, sliced its arm in two.
Disoriented, the dummy stepped back, but I immediately responded, appearing at its left side with impressive speed, and delivered a powerful kick to its jaw, making it stagger.
I stepped back slightly and furrowed my brows.
'Novice- might have been too easy? Hmm, let's try Novice+.'
After raising the difficulty, I re-assumed my stance.
The dummy's arm, which had fallen to the floor, mysteriously reattached, as if nothing had happened, and it was once again intact.
It extended its hand forward and concentrated its mana.
"...?"
Suddenly, a sword made of earth materialized in its hands. Without wasting a second, it charged at me with astounding speed.
"Oh."
Its sword met mine, but it didn't stop there. It followed up with blow after blow, and I responded in kind. As we exchanged strikes, it jumped back. The ground cracked beneath its feet, and spinning earth spikes shot toward me at incredible speed.
Though the attack caught me off guard, I quickly regained my composure and thought quickly about how to retaliate.
I could use my affinity for ice to counter the attack, but I saw no need. I could see the spikes coming, even at this speed.
The earth spikes were hurtling toward me at high speed, but just as they were about to hit me, my body twisted with remarkable agility. As a result, the spikes slammed into the mana wall behind me.
Still crouched, I sprang up and dashed toward the dummy. It tried to jump into the air to avoid me, but its legs were now covered in ice, preventing it from moving freely.
'I got you!'
Taking advantage of its confusion, I got close enough to swing my odachi and strike. But then, a long earth spike suddenly shot up from the ground, rising rapidly toward my chin.
'Fuck.'
At the last moment, I released my odachi just before the spike hit. Spinning around at incredible speed, I narrowly dodged it and caught my sword mid-air.
In one sharp, precise motion, I sliced the dummy's head horizontally. However, it quickly placed its arm, wrapped in earth, between its neck and my sword, sacrificing its arm to protect its head. Then, with a powerful kick, it broke free from the ice encasing its legs and thrust its hand toward me, aiming for my face.
'?!'
In a quick reflex, I planted my sword in the ground to avoid falling. Otherwise, I would have been at its mercy. Fortunately, it didn't have its other arm to support itself.
Taking advantage of its unbalanced position, I delivered a powerful knee strike to its abdomen, the tip of my knee enhanced with ice.
The dummy stumbled sideways but didn't fall. Seeing this, I gritted my teeth.
'Never mind.'
I left my sword stuck in the ground and, running at full speed, I slammed the dummy to the ground with devastating force, producing a dull thud. Without wasting a second, I covered my fist with sharp ice and hardened it until it was as tough as steel.
Then, I unleashed a barrage of punches to the dummy's head, each strike sending shards of dirt flying around us. Helpless and disarmed, it could only endure.
One punch.
Another punch.
Yet another.
And so on, until the dummy's head was unrecognizable, a deformed and shapeless mass.
Finally, a blue hologram appeared.
• Congratulations on your victory!