Remnant

Remnant

Thinking back to a few days ago, It clicked, 'Remnants? If I remember correctly, I saw something referring to Ember Remnants on the Pantheon'

Addressing the class, Professor Enki began, "Your Remnants define your unique essence, shaping who you are. I understand that accessing the Pantheon must have been accompanied by varying levels of intense pain. For instance, if your Remnants are connected to the element of air, you might have experienced the distressing sensation of suffocation. These challenges are crucial to acquaint you with your Remnants."

As he surveyed the students, Professor Enki noticed one of them with a raised hand. Encouraging them to speak, the student asked, "I'm sorry, sir, but how does this process help us become stronger?"

With a slight smile, Professor Enki responded, "You're absolutely right, and it's a valid question. Let's find out, shall we? Please, everyone, raise your hand and visualize drawing an imaginary circle."

The class compiled, drawing circles in the air, and to their amazement, the Pantheon materialized before them. "The first thing you'll notice is { Remnants collected 0/500 }. Now, to answer your question, in order to gain power through the Pantheon, you must accumulate the required number of Remnants to trigger an evolution. And that brings us to the next question—how do you collect these Remnants? Let me show you."

Professor Enki directed their attention to the chalkboard, where a drawing depicted a person engaged in combat with a CC. Following the sequence, it showed the individual defeating the CC and receiving a Remnant as a reward.

"As you can see from these illustrations," he explained, "you acquire a Remnant upon defeating a CC."

As Professor Enki spoke, Uni couldn't help but wonder how he possessed two Remnants without personally defeating a CC. The memory of the frost giant's demise crossed Uni's mind, along with the mysterious message received. 'When the CC perished, I gained two Remnants, but I didn't deliver the final blow. How did that happen?' Uni pondered inquisitively.

Continuing, Professor Enki said, "Although it may sound deceptively simple, confronting a CC is anything but easy. These creatures are wildly unpredictable, coming in various shapes and sizes, making every encounter a unique challenge. I understand that most, if not all of you, have never seen a CC in person, let alone attempted to defeat one. However, to gain experience and build your skills, we will embark on our first expedition to a CC location next month. Until then, it's essential for each of you to engage in physical training and make necessary preparations."

The class erupted into an uproar, voicing their dismay and fear at the unexpected announcement.

"What does this mean for our lives?"

"I'm not ready for this!"

"I'll protest against this decision!"

Amidst the chaos, Uni noticed the boy sitting next to him, whose eyes sparkled with excitement, contrasting sharply with the fearful reactions around him. The boy whispered to himself, "Finally, it's finally happening! Who knew the day would come so soon!" Uni couldn't help but feel puzzled, wondering if the boy truly understood what they were about to face.

Inwardly, Uni thought, 'If he experienced what I did in that damned cave, he wouldn't be so eager...'

Professor Enki closed his eyes and calmly said, "Quiet down."

The professor's composed tone sent shivers down everyone's spine, prompting an immediate hush in the classroom. After a brief smile, Professor Enki continued, "I comprehend your concerns, but rest assured, we have taken your safety into account. For this initial expedition, we have chosen a CC of the lowest rank, classified as 'Beast'."

Professor Enki continued, "In preparation for the expedition, we will conduct rigorous training sessions to help you develop your physical and mental abilities. You will learn essential combat techniques and strategies for dealing with CCs effectively. You will fight each other in an attempt to help yourselves and each other grow. The first one of these sessions was held yesterday with Professor Q, just so we could evaluate your skills, and congrats to Ari and Moon for the tie."

"Ari... so that's who she is, huh?" Uni thought to himself, recognizing the girl with the black curly hair sitting at the front of the class. She was sitting with two other girls at a separate table, and Uni had noticed her face earlier while walking up the stairs.

On the other side of the room, Moon was sitting by himself, wearing an annoyed expression, likely still upset about how the fight ended.

After the class erupted in a quick round of applause, Professor Enki addressed them once more. "And one last thing I would like to say before I leave things off for today," he began, "when joining this school, it's not just about paper education; you must also learn how to fight. So, once this class is over, you must choose a club to join, but these aren't your normal clubs. Each one will teach you how to use a different weapon. For instance, one of our clubs specializes in the art of swordsmanship, while others focus on hand-to-hand combat. There's a wide range of weapons to pick from, so there are no restrictions; you can choose whatever you'd like to train and improve in. Once you leave this room, you'll find flyers on the wall for each and every weapon we offer to teach, along with the locations of the training rooms."

Glancing at his Jingu bang, Uni felt uncertain if there would be a club that suited his preference for a staff-like object. However, Professor Enki seemed to read his mind and reassured him, "Don't worry, we definitely have what you're looking for." With that, class was dismissed.

As the students streamed out of the classroom, they flocked to check a vast board filled with flyers showcasing an impressive array of fighting styles. The options seemed endless, and amidst the commotion, Uni overheard some excited chatter about a sword club, which appeared to be quite popular. "I didn't know sword fighting was such a big thing here," he mused.

Clearing his mind of the distractions around him, Uni focused on his search for a suitable club. He scoured through the flyers, hoping to find something that accommodated his skill with the Jingu in battle.

Despite his efforts, none of the flyers seemed to match his needs, leaving him somewhat discouraged. "I guess I could just go to the swordsman club or maybe a martial arts one," he murmured to himself.

Just as he was about to turn away, Uni's eyes caught one particular flyer that read "Bojutsu And Sword fighting." Upon analyzing it, he saw a depiction of a man skillfully wielding a staff almost as tall as he was.

Ripping the flyer off the board, Uni read the short description: "Come to room 328 if you want to learn the true ways of the stick..."

Squinting at the message, Uni couldn't help but think, "Interesting... it seems like they didn't proofread it before sending it in." Despite the unconventional recruitment, his interest was piqued. Prompted by curiosity, Uni decided to at least go and check out the Bojutsu and Sword fighting club to see if it aligned with his preferred fighting style.