"Hah... hah..."
I moved away from the dummy I had finally defeated and sat on the ground, trying to catch my breath. My chest rose and fell rapidly, while beads of sweat slowly rolled down my forehead.
'Damn, that was tough...'
The fight had been quick — probably less than a minute. But that's often how it is in reality.
Contrary to what stories or movies might make you believe, battles are never too long. Everything happens fast, almost too fast, and maintaining such focus and performance throughout is incredibly exhausting.
And for me, it was even worse. With my damaged mana core, properly using mana was almost a challenge — a real burden. Strengthening my body was manageable, but using even a sliver of one of my affinities felt like an uphill battle.
I thought I could manage with ice, but there's a huge difference between training alone in a corner and using it in actual combat. That's why, during the fight, I limited myself to simple applications: freezing the dummy's legs, reinforcing my knee or fist for stronger blows.
My gaze fell on my sword, still planted in the ground a bit further away. Wielding it had felt so natural, almost instinctive. But I knew I still had much to improve in that area.
But most of all...
I looked down at my body, and a fleeting smile crossed my lips.
'I made the right choice learning it.'
The martial art [Silent Flow] had been an invaluable asset in this fight, often without me even realizing it. Its techniques were impressively effective.
'Hmm... let's see.'
—> Silent Flow - Mid-Level - [3.3%]:
[Silent Flow is a martial art where movements are as smooth and quick as a flowing stream. It focuses on attacking and defending with flexibility and silence, like a quiet dance.]
'It went up by 0.3%? That's pretty fast. I should train more often.'
Now, I had a clear idea of my level. Even if it was just a dummy, I could confidently say I could hold my own against a Novice+ combatant. Of course, if I had used my trait, the fight would have been over much faster.
'Hah, honestly, I'm pretty terrifying. I mean, for someone with such a damaged core, I'm incredibly strong. Well, I guess it's only natural... I am a genius, after all, hehe.'
If Liam gets advantages as the hero, it's only fair I get some too as the villain.
I glanced at the dummy on the ground. It was already starting to repair itself. Frankly, I had no idea how this thing worked, but it was fascinating.
'They're really useful for training, though... For the price, they'd better be.'
In the distance, Instructor Marcus had been observing the entire fight from start to finish. With his experience, he could easily monitor multiple students at once, spotting their mistakes and weaknesses with a single glance.
This boy, in particular, had caught his attention. He had rushed to choose a dummy right from the start, which had prompted Marcus to keep an eye on him —not expecting much at first. But he was soon surprised.
The boy was... skilled. Very skilled. His decisions, even under pressure, were intelligent and calculated. His swordsmanship, though still in need of refinement, showed real promise, and his movements were fluid. However, what surprised Marcus the most was how seamlessly his abilities complemented one another, forming a perfectly cohesive arsenal.
Marcus crossed his arms, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"We've got some truly talented students this year."
But that smile quickly faded, replaced by a frown.
'However, his mana control... it's strange, to say the least. Chaotic, even. The flow doesn't circulate properly. And when it does, it's at the cost of considerable effort...'
A lesser instructor might have overlooked this detail, but not Marcus. To him, it was obvious. Sure, the way the boy handled the fight could have made anyone forget this weakness, but not in his eyes.
His brows furrowed further.
"And he didn't get hit a single time..."
He quickly pulled up the profiles of the students participating in this session, scrolling through their faces until he stopped on the boy in question. A glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes, and he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! So it's him, huh..."
Meanwhile, Noah, completely unaware of the attention Instructor Marcus was giving him, stood up and decided to check on what the other students were doing.
The scene before him was diverse. Many, like him, were training with dummies, but a good number were opting for duels. Among those fights, a few stood out as particularly captivating — especially those involving the main characters.
A crowd of students had gathered around one duel that drew everyone's attention: Maelys versus Charlotte. The fight seemed to be reaching its climax, and the intensity was palpable.
Charlotte was suspended in mid-air, enveloped in a swirling sphere of water spinning at a dizzying speed. Anyone who dared to approach ended up in a sorry state. But she wasn't just defending herself — the sphere moved with her, while liquid tendrils shot out to repel Maelys.
The latter, armed with her spear, controlled the wind around her to move effortlessly through the air, her movements precise and elegant.
The spectacle resembled anything but a duel between first-year students. Every spectator watched, wide-eyed and awestruck.
However, the advantage leaned toward Maelys. She relentlessly sliced through the water tendrils, her spear spinning so fast it became hard to follow.
Her movements were graceful, almost hypnotic — the martial elegance characteristic of House Starfall, masters of the spear. She looked like a valkyrie straight out of a legendary battlefield.
Charlotte, on the other hand, was struggling. Her mana was depleting at an alarming rate, and unlike Maelys, she didn't have a physical weapon, relying instead on ranged combat. Yet, whenever an opportunity arose, she didn't hesitate to close the distance.
And that opportunity finally came.
As Maelys raised her spear, gathering mana for a devastating attack, an opening appeared. During that brief moment, the winds around her calmed, no longer as sharp and chaotic as before. This lull, though brief, was all Charlotte needed.
Her water sphere vanished instantly, and with a fluid motion as graceful as water itself, she quickly closed the distance to Maelis.
In her hand, a water whip was ready to strike. An instant later, she was within range, prepared to deliver the decisive blow.
But at that precise moment, a slight smile appeared on Maelys's lips. Her emerald-green eyes, always calm and focused, gleamed with confidence.
In a soft voice, she murmured:
"Bam."
A wind bullet shot forward at blinding speed, slicing through the air with a sharp sound.
It struck Charlotte in the abdomen before she could react. The impact sent her crashing to the ground, where she groaned, clutching her stomach as she struggled to catch her breath.
Maelys descended calmly and, in a gesture of respect, extended her hand to her fallen opponent.
Despite the intensity of their duel, respect remained a golden rule, especially among the ruling houses.
Charlotte grabbed the offered hand and managed a smile.
"Ha... You got me with that last move. Letting me think there was an opening — that was your plan, huh? Drawing me in close. Well played."
Maelys smiled in return, tucking a strand of her white hair behind her pointed ear.
"I know you weren't giving it your all. Well done to you too."
From a distance, Noah watched them, impressed.
'... What an incredible sense of sportsmanship.'
Those two were truly terrifying. Their level seemed far above the others'. They were likely at Adept- rank, while most of the students were still at Novice rank. The gap between sub-ranks and a higher rank, like Novice+ and Adept-, was significant, and they were living proof of it.
Suddenly, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. Turning around, I found Rowan standing there.
His long hair was loose, and judging by his demeanor, he had just come out of a fight — whether it was against a dummy or another student, I couldn't tell. What was certain, however, was that he appeared in perfect condition, without so much as a scratch.
"...Yes?" I said, eyeing him curiously.
He stared at me for a moment, his calm gaze unwavering, before a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Would you like to duel me?"