It's been only a year since I've enrolled, I just turned 10. The only word I can use to describe this school.. Is hell.
They have us waking up at 7 AM, before the sun comes up on the sky island.
And I need to mention that too. The sun comes up around 6:30 where I'm from but on the island in the sky. it comes up a whole hour later!
Our routine was:
7 AM to 11:30 AM Basic learning, like math, language, history, etc
11:30-12:30 AM is break time
12:30 AM to 4 PM Is nothing but training and sparring.
Most of our day is -training! It's brutal.. But even though it's brutal it has paid off. I've gotten stronger, and over time I sneakily stole mana from teachers and my classmates to build up my mana reserves. I should be able to cast about 2 fire magic spells, and one earth magic.
What I've learned is that I can only use the types of magic I steal. If I steal fire magic I can only use fire magic.
I can also only steal so much magic. But it improved over time.
I've been improving slower than everyone else but I'm able to make up for it with my skills.
I'm still better in hand to hand combat than my whole class! Well most of them. All besides..
Kilgue…
I thought this kid peaked last time I fought him, but he only got stronger! He's been getting bigger and bigger and he can cast higher levels of magic than me! Earth magic too, which is hard enough to pull off on its own!
And if that isn't bad enough, I have to fight him 3 times a week! The score is 60 something to 1 and that's because he was sick! But today is going to be different. I'm beating him today..
I walked into the small arena and prepared to fight. We were given options for weapons, we had an assortment of wooden daggers, wands, staves, training swords, and some hammers. I decided to go with two swords and Kilgue picked up a large club. We took our sides at the ends of the large arena
Our teacher gave us the go to begin fighting.
Here I'll use the spells I stole, he won't even expect it!
"I'll allow you to take the first blow." Kilgue put his hands to his sides, leaving him wide open
"Bad choice!" I sprinted to him
When I reached him I leaped and kicked off his chest
"Otto's sword closet! Style 2!"
I raised both swords over my head.
"Twin Dragon Draw!"
I used one charge of my fire spells to shoot fire from my feet, propelling my body towards Kilgue at a fast speed.
Kilgue stopped my attack by grabbing me by my mouth with his abnormally large hands
"You wasted your first strike."
He raised his club as he held me suspended in the air.
I kicked my legs up and wrapped my body around his arm. Then I twisted my body, forcing him to release his grip.
I dropped to the ground and scurried back on my feet.
I regained my posture and started to slowly walk around him, looking for an opening..
Nothing came to mind except..
A bluff! I'll bluff and force him to expend his stamina! I'm a genius!
"Hey Kilgue. I really want to win here. So I'll be going all out."
I clutched my swords tighter
"That is fine. I expect greatness."
He turned his head towards me
"You aren't going all out too?"
"I have no need."
Damn it! My bluff failed AND I have to keep my word due to this stupid adventurers code!
I rushed in towards him, leaping from side to side as I did so. His eyes kept track of me wherever I went.
When I was at a close enough distance I threw my sword at him.
He fell for the bait.
"Now!" I stomped the ground and kicked up rocks at him
He deflected the rocks using his club, and when the rocks broke it created a small dust cloud around his face
I ran around him and latched myself onto his back, covering his mouth with my hand
"Now! Ignis!" I yelled
A small burst of flames exploded onto his face and he flinched.
I have the upper hand!
my "Upper hand" I had on the orc was short lived as he quickly regained his composure and stripped me off of his back like an old bandage.
He then threw me onto the ground in front of him and swung his club downwards onto me.
Quickly I rolled to the side and stood back up.
This guy isn't even tired!
If I want to win I could use my earth magic..
I quickly ran up to him and feinted a sword slash.
I stepped to the side and did a punching motion.
A piece of the ground erected from below, punching him in my stead with great force.
I got Kilgue to stumble backwards!
Hell yeah!
Kilgue regained his posture and everything cut to black
I woke up on the spectator's bench being healed by the healer
"DID I GET SPEED BLITZED!?" I shouted aloud and shot up
My loud shouts startled one of the people fighting, causing them to lose
I felt a stinging sensation throughout my chest when I sat up
"You need to lie back down! you fractured some ribs!"
I Fractured ribs!? He speed blitzed me!
That bastard!
I let the healer finish healing me and I sat up to watch the rest of the fights. I held a sour look on my face due to my tragic loss.
"We're next." Maelin said from behind me
"Holy shit!" I jumped up and fell through the bleachers
"You can't go sneaking up on people like that!" I said as I crawled back through the bleachers
"Hey, you came over to me!" She barked back
"Yeah yeah. Anyway.. Why are we fighting? Aren't you a B class mage? I'm like.. D class."
I gave Maelin a skeptical look
"They let me pick who I wanted to fight. And I wanted something easy." She giggled
"Wow.. So thoughtful.. Heh heh." I awkwardly chuckled
The teacher called us up.
I'm going to do things differently this time. I'll go with an assassin build.
I picked up 2 daggers and assumed a fighting stance.
Maelin took a very expensive looking wand out of her waistband.
The wand was made of very high quality wood with impressive craftsmanship, it also had the Fawnea Family Crest on the piece of cloth around the handle. It had an expensive gemstone engraved in the tip of the wand
"Commence!" The teacher yelled, telling us to begin the fight
"I won't go easy!" I yelled as I ran to Maelin
"Likewise!"
I ran towards Maelin and before I could even reach her, She shot a blast of light direct at my head
"Bang!" She yelled when it connected
Let me put in perspective how powerful this blast was. When It hit my head I did a backflip and skidded on the ground. If that hit an average human being, they'd die on impact.
DAMN IT! I'm a sorry adventurer! The rest of my class are C class and B class but I'm still D class!
I woke up AGAIN! Being healed by the medic.
"To hell with it!" I took my bandages off of my head and threw them to the ground
Back in my dorm I sat down to write a letter to my parents
"Dear Mom and Dad,
As you know–I've been enrolled free of charge for a year now! Told you I'd do it! The training they have us doing is very grueling, but I hope it shapes me into a good adventurer!
I've met some interesting faces here, like this pretty-boy named Veseon is the most interesting of all! His endurance is crazy. I've seen him blasted into walls, shot with magic, Crushed by boulders, stabbed, you name it! And he gets back up every time as if he isn't even injured.
And get this, there's this Orc guy named Kilgue–He's taller than dad and he's only 10! I've sparred with him multiple times and the results were.. Rather undesirable.. But supposedly he's a curse user! However I don't know what he can do yet. He hasn't shown it to a single soul here.
As I'm writing this, school just let out and we're back in our rooms. Nothing much has happened other than that.
Sincerely, Otto Von Blaire"
I stamped the letter with the Von Eins seal and walked it down to the Post office inside of the Academy.
I slipped my letter in and as I was returning to my dorm Maelin stopped me.
"Hey Otto!" She grabbed my hand.
She spoke with a determined gleam in her eye.
I already know she's about to ask for something..
"Can you teach me the way of the sword?"
"No way. Otto's sword closet is Otto's only." I pulled away from her
"That's what you call it..? So lame.."
She said under her breath
"It very much isn't lame!" I yelled back
"Besides, I couldn't teach you the traditional way, I freestyle when I fight."
"I know! That's what I want to learn to do!"
I could teach her the basics of freestyle.. But then I wouldn't be so special anymore..
"Here, C'mere."
Maelin stepped in closer.
I exerted force on Maelin's chest using my hand.
She stumbled backwards
"Hey Don't go touching women's chests perv!" She slapped me across
I covered where she slapped me with my hand
"I didn't try to touch your chest! I wouldn't go for you anyway. I'm into older women anyway."
"Are you saying I'm a child!? I'm 2 years older than you!"
I sighed
"I was testing your balance, Maelin.."
"Well I wasn't ready. Do it again!"
"That's not the point. Here, I'll try it with you. If I don't see potential, just quit!"
"I'll have potential!"
Sure you will..
Maelin and I went to the training grounds, which was the same open land where we took the enrollment exam. There was a large area with different types of weapons, from swords to wands. I told maelin to pick her weapon of choice and we'd spar.
Maelin went with a classic wooden sword and I decided to go with 2 long wooden daggers.
"Swordplay is a lot like dancing, if both parties used the same sword art.. Freestyle is more of reading the opponents moves and acting accordingly, much like.. Like.. Uhm.. Dancing too I guess. I should probably mention there are 4 different sword arts, those being Sun King, Earth King, and Water king, and freestyle."
"You're really bad at explaining things." Maelin Cut me off as I was speaking
"Thank you, Maelin."
"No problem! Can we spar now?"
I sighed and rubbed my eyes
"Sure, come at me."
Maelin readied her sword and I assumed a fighting stance
After a short pause she ran at me
"You're full of openings."
Maelin swung the sword at me when she reached me, however it didn't take much to dodge.
She swung over, and over again yet I weaved through the swings
"try being more unpredictable."
"How am I supposed to do that.?"
She said, out of breath
"show me a move."
Maelin walked back a sizable distance
"Is it okay if I get a little rough?"
"Sure."
"Okay this one is a roll into a leap."
"Sounds simple enough."
Except it's not. I've never tried this on another human being! This is purely theory–This move I thought up. But if it works It can be style 5 in Otto's closet!
I ran up to her and rolled forward, Then when I rolled over my feet I kicked up into the air.
I ended up shooting myself way higher than I expected.
A look of fear and surprise covered my face.
"Too High, Too High!"
I yelled as I frantically waved my body around trying to regain my balance on leverage that isn't there.
I missed my target entirely and I face planted into the ground.
My legs were thrown over my head much like a scorpion.
"Ouch.."
Maelin bursted into laughter, bending over and holding her stomach as though it were going to jump out.
"And what do you call this move?"
She said in between her fits of laughter
"Yep.. Laugh it up."
My legs fell to the ground and I laid there
Maelin continued to laugh aloud, she even fell backwards and began kicking her feet.
"So.. Are you going to heal me..?"
I stayed laid there on the ground
"You'll be fine!"
Maelin got up and left me there
Where does she get off at! Leaving me there after I kindly took the time out of my day to help her!?
Weeks go by and Maeling orders me to help her train her sword skills daily. However weeks has passed and she doesn't seem to be making much progress..
After a couple weeks, we all randomly received a letter, ordering us to report to the auditorium for a mandatory meeting.
This is the first time I've heard of this.
I decided to attend the meeting. Well.. Because it's mandatory.
I walked into the auditorium and it was huge, it looked huge. It looked like an early 1900's theater where presidents and government officials would be present. There were 2 extra floors in the very back and little elevated areas where you could sit on the sides, this auditorium seated about 3500 people, maybe even more.
I had to sit alone because I couldn't find my friends or people I know in the vast ocean of people and I'm too awkward to swim through said ocean of people.
About 20 minutes passed and The principal began the ceremony.
He started off by addressing those who increased in rank. Surprisingly I was one of them. I went from D rank to C rank, however I'm sure it was out of pity.. He talked about honor roll and merit roll, and lastly The Dark Continent.
"As some of you know, we have an expedition to the dark continent in about a year or so."
Dark continent!? We're children!
"Here's how that will go. You will be given opt out forms in case you do not wish to go. However if you do go the rewards will be worth it. Most of you will be ranked up a whole lot just from this one expedition, you'll find great rewards, and grow stronger. However the risks are just as great. Some of you may lose your life."
He continued on and on about this Dark Continent trip and I was just puzzled about if I should go or not.
The thought plagued me for many days afterwards.
If I go, I could finally get out of C rank and possibly up to A rank, I could evolve–Or awaken
…
I sat at the desk in my dorm staring at the consent form in the dark.
Hours passed and I've played millions of scenarios in my head.
"I won't die." I said to myself as I picked up the pen and scribbled "I consent" on the paper sitting in front of me.