Episode 10: The Start of Something...

We entered the classroom, and in the seconds it took me to open my mouth, I'd already scanned the room for signs of magical surveillance and how the students were organised. A perk, or curse, of being a soldier was constant paranoia. I'd gotten so good at being a non-magical soldier that I could recognise magic being used without having to sense the mana flow.

I relaxed after having scanned the room, as well as just finishing my declaration to Jessica, and we both sat down together at the back. There was constant chatter among the students, and some even went as far as to, to their knowledge, discreetly point at me. However, as they say, 'Old habits die hard', I'd already acknowledged who was hostile to me based on facial features and gestures.

Most of the people in this class actually cared about artefacts' history. While I wasn't interested in when they came around, I was, however, interested in where they were.

I glanced to my left, where Jessica was sat, and looked at her again, properly this time. She had a good physique, a slim body, smooth skin, and gentle but also mature features in some... places...

My face heated up, and I put my chin on the desk, my arm wrapped in front of my face to hide my expression.

You are so easy to please. I heard Orebrul's statement and rolled my eyes. Orebrul, when you were my age, I bet you would've been doing the same, or am I wrong?

Lough I'm still doing the same to this day, He replied with a laugh.

Gross... you're what? Over 50? I replied with some hint of surprise and suspicion.

Not to girls your age you freak! Anyway let's talk later so that you can focus on your girlfriend and class, ok?

My lips tugged at the corners trying to smile, but I resisted it and kept a straight face as I listened to class and felt Orebrul drift off into a deep sleep.

This was only an induction lecture, and the professor was just rambling on about how this semester would go, giving vaguely described lesson plans and some hints and clues as to what we would be studying for the 'brighter' students to figure out. I scoffed quietly when he said this, and Jessica must have heard because she glanced at me with a questioning look before turning back to the front.

Can't believe I'm seriously back in a school. I thought to myself, The army was so much more... I didn't finish that thought, I knew I'd regret it if I kept going down that dark and washed up path. I wasn't in the military anymore, and I had to accept that fact. The facts, the truth, that I'd been the biggest contribution to the war effort and then, because I was 'weak', that was their excuse, I was tossed aside and left to fend for myself in Tenella.

A groan escaped my mouth, and before I knew it, class had ended, and Jessica had already stood up, waiting for me. "What? Are you waiting? For me?" I asked, unable to keep a straight face.

Jessica looked at me as if I'd said something diabolical. "Is that such a problem?" I stood up and simply shook my head. "No, of course not. Just hadn't expected you to do so."

We walked out of the classroom, discussing what the professor said. Well, she explained to me, since I wasn't really listening during the lecture very well.

While normally I'd say it was unfortunate for me to have to leave such a beautiful girl, especially Jessica since she had actually taken somewhat of an interest in my life, I had my own tasks to attend to. With confidence and no doubt in my mind, a grin flashed on my face as I turned away from Jessica. I'd done it.

I'd successfully stolen, copied rather, my first skill. It seemed that all I had to do was touch the person who had the skill and {Skill Analysis} would activate naturally. I'd nudged her while we were talking and suddenly I'd copied a random skill that her artefact must have provided. What I didn't realise until after I'd copied it was that I could only copy one skill per person. However, that little amount of information couldn't dispel my ecstatic emotions.

I quickly hurried myself into an empty room and activated the ring. The world zoomed out, and the colours of the world became inverted,  which hadn't happened last time. Despite the drastic change, I couldn't have cared less as I scrolled through my skill list, and there it was.

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Skill: {Lightning Bolt}

Path: Destruction

Branch (route): Electricity

OC (Original Caster): Jessica Black

○ Description: Take in the lightning from around you. Condense this into your very palm and unleash the power you hold in an uncontained bolt of sheer power and electricity.

○ Range, power, and charge very with mana usage.

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I let out a small laugh of joy as I'd finally unlocked a new skill and spell. I had a new element, too. It wasn't just a fire spell. "So this is what power Jessica had... this is incredible..." I whispered, unable to take my eyes off of the list that was displayed before me. It wasn't like a skill list in a game. The list was created from some blue glowing mana. To be quite honest, it was hard to read. I squinted a few times to read what it said until I'd collected all the information I could.

In the moments right after I dispersed the symbols, stars, and skills, my brain overflowed with insight and knowledge on how to use the skill. Thanks to {Skill Analysis}, I could easily take a skill from someone and master it just by reading the description. I hoped it would be as easy when it came to more complicated spells, but I doubted that very highly.

A feeling urged me to try it out, but I had to force that to the back of my mind and concentrate on walking to combat class. Pushing down the voice at the back of my head, ironically my own and not Orebrul's, I stepped into the combat arena, which had been built specifically for the combat classes.

The first thing I noticed was that there was a mix of magic based and physical based mages and not just physical like I'd expected. This made blending in easier since I didn't have to pretend to be a physical and take the risk of getting caught when I was supposed to be a fire mage.

Two students were already duelling in the arena, and there was a mix of supporters in the stands. Some supported a boy with short auburn hair. His strong muscles glistened with sweat, and his focus was absolute. I admired that.

The other half supported a girl with tied back black hair, and through the mix of chants, I caught people shouting: "Come on, Lila!"

It didn't take half the brain cells I had in order to figure out who Lila was. I watched carefully, and I was quite surprised and pleased to see that they had some decent skill in here.

Their talents would have been appreciated in the military... I scoffed. I was thinking about the military again. It seemed to be the only thing on my mind at that point.

Still watching the duel, I sat down in the stands and waited for the class to start. 10 minutes passed. Then 20. Then 30. After those 30 minutes had passed, I'd deduced that a professor wasn't coming and that this class was a self-sufficient class that trained alone on occasions.

"Hey, you!" A voice called out. "You with the long black hair! Want a duel?"

My eyes turned to look at the person calling out to me. Another boy, this one, had red hair, and my fists tightened as I remembered Marcus. Standing up and looking down at him from the stands, I responded to his challenge, "You sure? I'm happy to, but... nevermind." I didn't finish my sentence as I leapt down into the arena.

"I'm Darius Black. What's your name?" The boy said. I acknowledged his name, "I'm Lough Freed. It's a pleasure." I dipped my head in a shallow bow.

Darius smirked as I gave him the privilege of a head dip. "You looked pretty comfortable up there... like you were assessing us... am I right?"

I'd known it. I couldn't pass off on the basis that I thought I was better here. Just because I was a part of the military didn't make me any better at combat. The only thing I had more of was experience.

Shrugging and rolling my neck, I replied. "Assessing, watching, noting. All interchangeable, right?" Darius' face straightened at my response, and his posture changed.

He was going to take me seriously.

His aura seemed to condense, and it showed control. It was impressive. It was impressive to everyone else here, at the very least. I was not everyone else, however.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and watched as his eyes widened and he flinched. I'd used my military training and removed my aura from me. Scrubbed it clean off. To him, I had no presence. The only thing that confirmed my existence was the very fact he could see me in front of him.

I activated one of my skills, {Muffled Footsteps}. During my self-teaching, along with Orebrul's help, I'd discovered that this skill didn't necessarily just silence my steps. It made me lighter in general. This made it so that I could quicken my movements to a blurring degree. Faster than my own eyes could keep up with if I wasn't focusing.

Darius must have noticed this as he took a step back and looked at me incredulously. "W... wait a second..." he stuttered.

"What's wrong? Can't you handle my gaze?" I said in a harsh and icy tone.

His face flushed red, and he leapt at me. His body glowed with a soft green light. Taking in every detail, from the way his muscles tensed and his centre of mass moved, I recorded everything and smiled. He has a stealth artefact!

He threw a punch at my sternum and my eyes widnened as his hand had become transluscent, and I dodged with exaggerated movements before lashing out with a blurred kick straight into his rib. His eyes widened even further than before as he tried to intercept my attack, but he wasn't precisely fast enough. My kick connected, a fraction off from where I had aimed. I hadn't activated my {Apply} skill, from the {Enchantment} path, so my leg wasn't reinforced with mana, but that didn't make the damage it did any less painful and powerful.

Darius was sent sprawling across the floor, and as he tried to get up, he entered a coughing fit. I cleared the distance of the arena in only 3 steps that must have looked like low and long skips to everyone else, thanks to my skill: {Muffled Footsteps}

As I held out a hand to help him up, I let out my aura and gave him a look that spelt 'we can talk later'. In response to my look he just nodded weakly and stood up.

Sadly enough for both of us, the room had gone silent as they watched me take out Darius in a single blow. I didn't like the attention but I had to make an impression eventually. If I made that impression strong and clear, I'd hoped I was less likely to be messed with.

Unfortunately, that's not what happened. Jessica had come to the door as I'd assumed she would. Since I'd brought the dots together. Darius was Jessica's brother.

My eyes narrowed, not at Jessica, but the people behind her who were either bothering her... or waiting for me. Either way I wasn't happy about it.

I grinned, I'd copied Darius' and Jessica's skills. I was more than ready to deal with these assholes.

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Skill: {Fade}

Path: Stealth

Route: Camouflage

OC: Darius Black

○ Description: Let your body fade into nothingness, and hide yourself from enemies. Create a sneak attack that they'll never be prepared for.

○ Level of Translucency / Invisibility varies with mana usage.

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Lough Freed:

Skills:

{Fireball}

{Lightning Bolt}

{Muffled Footsteps}

{Fade}

{Regeneration}

{Temp Contract}

{Upgrade}

{Skill Analysis}

{Apply}

{???}

People copied from:

○ Jessica Black

○ Darius Black

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