12 Back To The Basics

Inside the staffroom for the senior teachers, the trio sat with their gazes fixed on the ground and shame apparent on their faces. They wore expressions of fear on their faces. Even though the teacher who punished them was generous enough to not suspend them, it was still a pretty serious thing to be called to the staff room.

As the door closed shut behind them all three shuddered together as they knew that their worst nightmare is back. "Now before I go any further punish you all, I need to know everything." The man who walked in said as he slowly sat down on the chair kept in front of the three. The man wore a black Chesterfield coat and white hand gloves on which a formation was etched. "Mr Lloyd we…" Eric began speaking but was cut out by the man gesturing him to shut up.

With cold sweat running over him, Eric couldn't help but look away from the man. "Call me Oliver, Eric," he said in a tone which made it clear that he was the one with authority. "How did you lot even think you could get away with not coming to the Academy for a week? I can surely understand about Eric but you lot" he continued while shifting his glance to the other two. Sweating profusely, both apologized at the same time.

This man who scared even the worst was Oliver Lloyd, he was not a very popular man as he barely ever came to class and that too when the main teachers were gone. He was affiliated with the Order Of The True Sky and a popular war hero amongst their ranks. His powerful formation magic was well known amongst everyone in the academy and many believed that such power was being wasted by posting him as a substitute teacher in the academy.

Eric knew Oliver since his starting days in the academy. When almost every teacher threw him out of their classes, Oliver saved Eric from being suspended from the school by taking him in as his student. The way the academy worked was that different teachers chose different students to teach, each specialized in one thing or other. If a student is not accepted by any teacher, they are suspended from the school.

"Eric we will discuss your punishment later and the academy has decided that as of today you three are placed under my special class so before you do anything more stupid than skipping for a week tell me. I was also told that your team is going to take part in the grand war games and I have been issued as your team's supervisor." Oliver told the three as he crossed his legs and folded his arms.

"Is that supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing?" Eric asked Oliver. "Depends on your acts young man," Oliver replied. "Now spill the beans, what were you three up to?".

Oliver and the trio sat for about an hour where they told everything to him, their training and their plans for the event. "This was a great idea but apparently your choice of the trainer was not good," Oliver said looking at Eric. "Eric here doesn't even have the basics completed on the control theory for magic."

Ella and Robert were shocked at learning this because the control theory for magic was one of the most basic courses a person would learn, many aristocrats and nobles children learned that when they turn five or six years old. Rubbing the back of his head Eric let out a little laugh.

Sighing Oliver continued: "This young man denied any and all lessons and told me that he would train on his own. Despite his lack of knowledge and command on the divine energy, he did pretty well for reasons unknown to me and I decided to let him go to the next class."

"But I-" Eric tried to speak but was cut off by Oliver, "Now now, you will accompany me and learn the things you were supposed to in the past years in the coming week. If not, I'll fail you" Oliver said with eyes that made his authority clear. Saying nothing more Eric simply agreed by nodding. "And you two will go with this training routine." He continued as he tapped his PDA and sent Ella and Robert a file. "This is mostly related to actual combat training and I have also authorized for you both to use the school facilities," he said sliding the PDA into his coat pocket.

"As for you, you will come with me right now and we will start your basics class," he said dragging Eric with him. "Both of you, get to your assignments," he said banging the door behind him leaving Ella and Robert alone in the room. "This is bad…" Robert said with a sigh. "But we still get to use the facilities in the school," Ella replied.

"Yeah, let's go then". "Sure!". Leaving the room Ella and Robert head for their assigned training rooms while Eric was dragged all the way to the currently empty gymnasium. "Going over the history of the technique is impossible as of now but what you really need to know is that it helps one refine their control over divine energy."

"For the beginning part, you can simply begin with taking in a deep breath and allowing the energy to flow throughout your body. Unconsciously we stop it from flowing but using this technique helps us break the barriers where the energy is stoped by the body. These barriers are known as realm gates and breaking them allows for more proficient and powerful magic."

"To become a true master, you must break all nine gates present on your body and then the final gate known as soul gate but its a matter for later. You currently have none of your gates opened and you should first begin with the mind gate. Its physical location is present in the middle of your forehead, once unlocked it will help you to control your body and divine energy easily."

Nodding to the lesson Eric slowly closed his eyes before heaving out a deep sigh. "Relax, don't focus on anything right now. Forget everything and calm yourself, feel the energy flowing within you." Oliver instructed Eric while Eric stood in the middle of the gymnasium with his eyes closed.

As Eric calmed himself and tried to focus on the energy flowing inside his body, he could imagine a golden coloured fluid flowing inside his body. He could see some formations which existed on different levels and grew in size as they went deeper, each had a darker colour than the other and after three he couldn't see any. Focusing on his head, he could imagine a black coloured fluid which was blocked off at his forehead prevented it from flowing any further.

"Now that you can see how the energy is flowing, try focusing on controlling it. It's similar to when you open a portal. Imagine how you command a portal and take command of the energy."

Giving out another deep breath Eric focused harder, trying to take control of the golden fluid. Now that he became aware of the fact, it felt very uneasy. The black coloured energy being blocked felt wrong and unnatural to Eric but being busy trying to command it to flow, he forgot it at the moment.

"Don't try to force it, Eric, let it flow naturally. Humans cannot control divine energy, we can just give it a path it flows in," Oliver instructed once more. Slowly nodding Eric focused more on allowing the energy to flow while not getting any results. Failing and falling on his knees while clutching his head Eric looked up to his teacher with disappointment clear in his eyes.

"It seems we need to turn it down a little more," Oliver said stroking his chin. "Time for us to get back to the basics."