Chapter 29 (strategies and teamwork)

In the lecture hall, Drake, as usual, was seated at the back of the lecture hall, with Xena to his left and Mark to his right. He lifted his head, still recovering from the awkwardness of walking out of his dorm room with Xena, heading to the lecture hall. Mark turned to Drake, noticing his fragile appearance. "Hay pal, why are you so weak today? You look exhausted, like you haven't slept." He rested his left elbow on the lecture desk, propped his head on his hand, and focused on Drake.

Drake signs heavily. "Yeah, I was trying to put something into practice and run out of mana." He instantly noticed the shift in the atmosphere and turned to Mark, who was grinning at him. He realised Mark had misunderstood his words. "That's not what happened. You are getting me wrong. I meant I was trying to develop a way to assimilate mana effectively." He grasped Mark's shoulders, attempting to clear up the confusion. "Yeah,yeah. I understand. I can't just stop laughing." Mark covered his opened mouth as he chuckled. "I'm really serious." Drake insisted, his eyes narrowed, staring intensively at Mark, but Mark did not take him seriously.

Mark stood up, stretching his upper body towards Xena. "Sister in law," he called out for her attention. "How was your first night with Drake?" Obliviously to the playful atmosphere, Xena quickly grabbed Drake's arm tightly to her chest. "It was really great," her voice filled with warmth. "That will be the best memorable night I have ever had." She turned to Drake and smiled. Mark sank back in his seat, erupting into laughter. Drake rested his head on his right hand, shaking it in exasperation.

They were on this when Victoria Luther strided on the podium, a stack of balanced precariously on her right hand. She turned to the seated students, her gaze locked with Drake, sparking his curiosity. He leaned towards Mark. "What is she doing up there?" He whispered. Mark folds his arms, clearing his throat. "You might not know yet since it's not officially announced yet. Victoria Luthor has been appointed as our class rep by Professor Leo."

Victoria calls for everyone's attention. "I just arrived from Professor Leo's office to distribute these forms." She picked up one of the forms with her left hand. "This form lists all the courses offered in the academy. Three courses are already preselected, which are: The Art of Mental and Resilience Toughness, Strategic and Teamwork, and The Foundation of Magic, taught by Professor Leo himself. I will begin passing the forms around, so choose your remaining courses wisely." She stepped down the podium and started distributing the form.

The lecture hall became buzzed with nervous excitement, a symphony of hushed as students huddled in groups, dissecting their chosen courses. Mark noticed Drake had ticked Sword Mastery and It's Stance, which fall under Weapons Mastery and It's Impact. "But I think you're a mage; what did you need weapons mastery class for?" Mark puzzled, glancing at Drake. "Yeah, I'm planning to learn swordsmanship," he turned to Mark, seeing his inquisitive gaze. "Mark, don't stare at me like that. Just because that doesn't exist doesn't mean it's impossible, and it's not like I will abandon being a mage. That's why I picked The Art of Materialisation and Spellcasting as my fifth course. What of about you?" Mark showed Drake his form. "I only selected Fist Mastery and Stance."

Everyone was busing filling out their forms when a young lady wearing a dark purple gown and shoes with a black hat on her head in her early thirties entered the lecture hall. She's 5.6 feet tall, with striking light blue short hair and eyes and a glossy white complexion.

Everyone went to their seat and kept quiet, watching her stride towards the podium. She turned to face them. "Good morning, class." They all stand. "Good morning, ma." They responded in unison and settled back to their seats. She turned to the board behind her and wrote the topic she was in charge of, then turned back to them. "My name is Amara; I will be taken through Strategics and Teamwork." She paused for a moment, staring around the hall, then continued.

"Who can tell me why strategy and teamwork are necessary as humans and mage?" Victoria raised her hand. "Okay, I'm all ears." Professor Amara gave her the go-ahead. She stood up, clearing her throat. "For easy eradication of enemies and reduction of time consumption." Professor Amara, shake her head

slightly. "You are partially correct, but that's not it. Anyone else." Gazing at the students, Drake raised his hand and stood. "In order to make up for human weaknesses and enhance social interaction." Drake said. Professor Amara's eyes widened with delight. "That's correct," she exclaimed.

"What's your name?" She asked, pointing at Drake. "Alexander Drake. Oh, you're the rumoured guy around the academy," she said, smiling grace from her lips. "You can sit." She turned back her attention to the class.

"Strategie and teamwork have been parts of human activities since the time

of dawn, even before the era of mana and magic. Human weakness came from various factors, such as human behaviour, physical limitations, and their relationship with their environment. To compensate for these weaknesses, humans devised some ingenious solutions, and when the era of magic arrived, driven by arrogance and pride, human abandoned them until they eventually realised that no matter how much strength and magic they acquired, humans would always be vulnerable, realising that strategy and teamwork are indispensable.

That is why this course is compulsory for all aspiring mages and warriors. There are three essential roles for a team to achieve perfect teamwork, which are offensive, defensive, and supportive. offensive roles include War Mages, also known as warriors, spellcasters, and archer mages. Defensive roles are filled by shield mages and ward weavers, and finally supportive roles are played by healers, medic mages, and arcane amplifiers. Each team must have one member each of these three roles." She paused slightly.

"This reminds me. After class, you should all form your teams of three, adhering to these guidelines, and get to know your teammates well before the day of physical training. And before I forget, be on guard at all times. We don't want a repeat of what happened to your seniors before their promotion. Have a stellar afternoon." Professor Amara exited the class. Drake sensed the heavy mood in the room and turned to Mark. "Why is the air so thick with sorrow?"