Chap 26:

As Lukas and Ria entered the building, they heard the bustling noises of the students.

Lukas noticed cadets, as well as third and fourth-year students among the crowd. This made him realize the importance of focusing on the basics, even in magic.

The white walls displayed numerous arrows pointing in different directions to indicate the locations of various courses. Lukas counted the arrows and quickly found thirty basic courses. He was specifically looking for the course on mana circulation.

Ria pointed towards the left side, leading to the stairs for the second floor. On the red transparent arrow, it said, "Mana circulation class starts in 17 minutes."

Lukas and Ria hurriedly climbed the stairs to the second floor. Unlike the first floor, this floor had only four large doors, each labeled with the name of a specific course.

As they entered the room, they saw that it was already filled with students of different ages, with first years being the majority.

They managed to secure seats in the corner, as the availability was limited. The seats were not particularly tall, but fortunately, they were arranged in a tiered fashion, with each section slightly higher than the previous one, similar to their own classroom.

The classroom quickly filled with students as the timer on the wall stopped. The professor entered, capturing everyone's attention with his striking snow-white hair and broad physique. He walked in gracefully, wearing a coat with a fur collar, and had a small cigarette in his mouth.

Reaching the high area where the professor stands, Lukas saw the professor's face more clearly. The professor had a black eye patch covering his left eye, which made his appearance more distinctive.

The room fell silent as he took his place at the high area. He glanced around the room with his one visible eye, a piercing gaze that seemed to assess each student individually.

He took the cigar out of his mouth and threw it into the dustbin.

"Good morning, class," he began, speaking.

"I am Professor Valen, and I will be your instructor for Mana Circulation 101."

As the professor stood up, Lukas finally understood what had felt peculiar about the professor's stance. It became apparent that the professor was missing his left arm. Instead of a fleshy hand, he had a blue mechanical arm adorned with a gemstone.

Lukas gazed at the gemstone, uncertain about its elemental attribute. It was red in color, and it had been quite some time since he had last encountered one like it.

[Gemstones can be obtained by killing monsters. In the current day, after the fall, obtaining them has become a challenge. They can amplify magic and enchant elemental essences.]

Lukas sighed as he realized how a once powerful warrior had become disabled. The professor's broad physique indicated that he had once been formidable. Unlike Lukas, who couldn't use mana and had to focus on Aura only.

Lukas observed Professor Valen's mechanical arm and the gemstone embedded within it with a mix of respect and sorrow. It served as a reminder of the sacrifices made in the pursuit of magic and the lurking dangers that could harm someone of such caliber.

As the lecture on mana circulation progressed, Lukas finally understood why everyone was present, despite being cadets and higher years.

The professor started by explaining the basics of mana circulation and the mana veins located in the human body, along with their pathways.

Of course, the lecturer also mentioned the mana circulation sigil, realizing that not everyone was clueless about it.

At a certain level, the mana circulation sigil becomes ineffective due to the minimal amount of mana recovered. However, through continuous practice, the veins become more flexible and stronger.

Lukas took a moment to gather his thoughts as the lecture concluded. Today had been a crucial realization for him. In his past life, he had extensively studied advanced methods to restore the movement of his magic circle. Initially, he had disregarded the importance of mastering the basics, considering them to be of little value. However, today's experience had proven him wrong.

Lukas realized that he didn't remember everything from his past life, only retaining fragments of important information and small details. Furthermore, his current situation and reasons for pursuing magic were different, which meant he needed to reassess his priorities. There were now additional aspects he needed to focus on in order to progress effectively.

As the class came to a close, Ria, who had been sitting beside him, stood up and stretched her hands. After all, the class had lasted for three hours. The instructor had covered the fundamentals and touched on some minor details, leaving nothing behind about the core basics.

Lukas also stood up and, along with Ria, exited the room. The professor takes class weekly on the same day. The first class was free of charge, but after this, everyone has to pay 19 credit points each.

Ria suggested taking some more classes that were available, like Object Control and other courses that were almost unrelated but interesting to her.

Lukas objected, asking for the reason. How did he know they were useless for her? Of course, he would know. He was a Swordsman after all!

As for himself, he didn't find any that could help him. And the ones he found interesting, like "Basic Enchantment" stuff and courses, were already finished or ongoing.

They exited the place, the sun was hovering above them. It was late afternoon.

"Hey, let's go see the market," Ria spoke, suggesting what to do next.

Lukas thought for a moment, "What about Ama and Senior Eira?"

Ria shook her head, "They won't be returning soon, if I'm correct. Main courses take the whole day, after all."

Lukas nodded and made his way towards the market, conveniently situated next to the credit center and just past the Sigils Library.

Curiosity piqued, Lukas wondered about the offerings at the market. He had a vague idea that it would include essential potions and various rune glyphs, but he was unsure of the specifics.

Soon enough, they passed the bustling Library and the crowded credit center, and entered the market. It was dome-shaped and about three stories high.

The market almost looked normal, except for the fact that everyone was a student. Some had small hut-like shops, while others simply had a small table in front of them with their contents on top.

Lukas was kind of shocked to see that the area was quite bigger than he expected.

"Come, let's go this way," Ria spoke. Lukas nodded before heading towards her. The contents were pretty normal and random, like weapons, potions, books of sigils, and so on. Along the way, he noticed the big stairs leading to the second floor.

They stopped in front of a weapon shop, almost like an armory. The quality wasn't that good, but they were usable, Lukas thought. The owner was a small-built man with pointy ears, wearing a blue badge on his shirt.

"Oh, first-year students. Come, it's a pleasure to meet you," the man spoke, offering the most fake smile that merchants usually do.

This small gesture was enough for Lukas to realize what type of merchant he was. He's a scamming expert, Lukas thought.

Ria didn't answer and looked at the weapons hanging on the walls. She pointed towards one of the longswords.

The man turned around, "Oh, nice choice," he muttered, taking it from the wall and putting it in front of them.

Ria touched it gently before opening it up. Lukas also looked at it. He realized he should also get one. Unfortunately, no matter how many times he tried asking for one from his father, they never gave him a real one. The one he received as an exception was too dull.

[To be continued...]