《Irregular Elementalist》 Chapter 0: Prelude Author''s note: I started revising some parts of the story as I myself find it very dull. I will be re-uploading them one by one and updating them if I have the time. There might be a lot of grammar mistakes here as I am not really good at English sentence structure. As to those who haven¡¯t read my story before, I will just inform you that I have only written a few chapters and I will be re-uploading them after revising them. The chapters are 2k-4k words long but expect slow updates. Blame my laziness, lack of time, and motivation.LOL I am just writing just for fun and to ease my boredom. I am not promising anything coz I always let myself down and get bored easily. So let¡¯s just keep it simple, comment down if you like or hate my writing, or if you have some random suggestions and stuffs that can help me, coz I am not a good writer so I am trying to improve myself. Seriously, I need a lot of help. Haha Oh well, just read at your own risk. lol ;) ------------------------ Irregular Elementalist Curiosity and Greed. Humans naturally possess such characteristics. In a sense, they are both double-edge swords prepared to slash our backs if we let our guard down for just a moment. Nevertheless, in the positive perspective, these two characteristics combined led us to where we are right now. Technology. Yes, one of its biggest products is Technology. In the vast science of medicine and supercomputer, technology has its prevalent impact, enabling more and more advance procedures, practices, and experiments which in the past we can only dream of. New types of medical tools and machinery continue to develop even further that advanced types of cures and prevention methods was now possible. All of these happened in the passage of time. But do we have any idea what methods were made and implemented to fulfill such desires? Just for us to advance in such a state? We don¡¯t have any idea. ¡­ PLANET EZPHEURIS - YEAR 31E A planet inhabited by more or less 3 billion people. A world where an element called ¡®Mana¡¯ is abundant. This element is used to control other Elements ¨C Fire, Water, Earth, Wind and many more known and mysterious elements. But, unfortunately, only third of this population can see, feel, manipulate and exploit its prowess. These people are called ¡®Elementalists¡¯. Country of Teskia Est. Population: 60, 000 Approximate No. of Elementals: 32.4% ¡®Mana is the symbol of Power.¡¯ Those who can¡¯t wield it are placed in the bottom of the pyramid. The majority of them are slaves, servants, workers, poor and normal people. People who can control ¡®Mana¡¯ are deemed gifted and place at the higher structure of the pyramid. Those who are proved powerful and influential are called first rate Elementalists and they are always put in the highest authority. Those who are placed in second and third are grouped together below the first class. While the elites and influential people with low-level power control over mana are put in the middle structure of the pyramid. There are also those families or nobles who are considered very wealthy, which garnered them a bit of connections from the top and because of this they stand between the middle and bottom structure. In short, Elementalists are the ones who rule each country, to its cities, up to the lowest group of the society. In this world, power is the key, not money. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡­ Technology in Teskia has long reached the period of Super microcomputers when compared to other countries in the world. But despite these advancements, the Country of Teskia, fell in the number of Elementalists their country could produce. They wanted to make up for this scarcity with their advance technology. However, technology alone cannot measure up to those who could wield mana. Due to this, their unwarranted curiosity and greed to become powerful, not allowing themselves to be left behind by other powerful countries, they were bound to overstep their limits. They dreamt of creating a device that enables those who cannot use mana into someone that can use and manipulate it, without obstructions, defying the norms of using mana. After years of questioning, stipulating, and endless trials and errors, using the advance technologies that they had -- the first nanochip was invented. The nanochip was called NanoCore IS01, capable of processing data 50 times faster than normal microchips, but it can only hold one software program ¨C the ¡®Invoke System¡¯. The Invoke System was programmed specifically to automate the use and control of mana and all the other elements there is. But the chip itself was made to access the brain¡¯s storage and calculation area and enhance the brain¡¯s capacity and capabilities. This kind of system was completely unheard of in the history of computers. And soon, this will be a system that will challenge the very foundation of their knowledge regarding mana itself. --- EzCorp, was known as the biggest and the most sophisticated company in terms of technological advancements in Teskia, and also the sole creator of the NanoCore IS01. But behind this name, EzCorp was operating secretly. As they have produced a hundred copies of the NanoCore, they also need subjects to test its performance. What they needed were young and healthy brains to use. They don¡¯t want adult¡¯s brains because of their matured and complex processes compared to the fresh and uncontaminated processes of young minds. Yes, they used children, specifically three years of age, just to find a subject that can resonate a hundred percent with the NanoCore IS01 chip. They produced almost a hundred copies of these chips only for this purpose. One by one, children started to go missing, creating a huge uproar in the whole country of Teskia. The authorities only speculated that this was the work of some unknown organization and they were doubling their efforts to find these children and bring them back to their families. But months have passed; still they were not able to find any lead to this case. ¡­ The EzCorp Company proceeded with their plans. All the children gone through their implants, but none of them resonated completely with the system. Some of them only improved in different areas of their brains but none of them gain access to the system itself. A year later, EzCorp activities were exposed to the public. Shortly it was known, that the cause of the missing children all around the country was all EzCorp¡¯s doing. The authorities confirmed that they were not just abducting children, but they used them as subjects in their experimentations. And by this, EzCorp has been forced to shut down. All the children were sent into a special laboratory to check whether they are experiencing any abnormalities in their bodies or not. After some time, the children were safely sent back to their homes, temporarily, as they were still under observation. Some of them were needed to be extensively observed because a few were still unconscious and others showed abnormalities. After the incident and after thorough examination on these children, Mana Specialists found out that these children resonates with mana around them. For this reason, the authorities created a school, exclusively for these children, for them to learn the basics of mana. At the same time, the school will serve as a giant surveillance laboratory, to of course continuously observe the children for possible after effects of the experiments made to them. --- 10 Years later¡­ Chapter 1: Initialization ---------------------------------------------------- [2:41 A.M] *Gasp* He woke up, desperately trying to catch his breath. The same nightmare he had last night, and the other nights before it. No, it weren''t just a nightmare for him but worse. He knew that everything he saw was real. Children confined in large transparent tubes. With countless apparatus connected to them. Some were awake, crying and screaming. But not a single voice came out. And some were deprived from consciousness without signs of waking up. He, himself, was in a similar state as those children. Caged in a seemingly impenetrable tube where wires and devices were attached in his body and the tube itself. He was awake. Deprived from any bodily movements, he was desperately trying to release himself from the chain-like apparatuses. But nothing happened. His neck, arms, and legs, nothing responded. He was completely immobilized. Nothing but tears fell from his eyes. What can a 3-year old kid do is to cry and watch every horror unfold in front of him. Innumerable tests of inhumane trial and error. The pain of countless needles, syringes, struck into him which seems to get more painful every time. There would be no surprise if most of these children who undergone the same tests breaks or become completely crazy. Every night, the same stinging pain wakes him up, the horror of 10 years ago. ¡­ But this time something was different. A three-dimensional box, a size of a thumbnail, holographic in nature, was outwardly floating in front of him. At first he thought he was just seeing things as he was trying to adjust his vision after waking up from a bad dream. After clearing his eyes, the object was still there. He tried to shoo it away like an insect or move away from it to the point where he fallen out from his bed yet the object did not even budge a little. Rather, it followed his movements or specifically his vision. Whenever he averts his attention from it, the box was still followed, fixed in his line of vision. He was confused, trying to comprehend what was happening in front of him. He closed his eyelids and tried to calm himself. Inhale¡­ Exhale¡­ A quiet atmosphere subjugated the room in that a brief moment. He opened his eyes and at this instance he already collected himself. The holographic box was still in front of him, flashing every second. The box seems harmless anywhere he look at it. He realized that nothing will happen if he will just stare at it forever. Curiosity gradually replaced his doubts and without thinking deeper, his hands acted. Slowly, while being cautious, he reached his fingers, closer to the floating three-dimensional object. A rectangular window appeared, replacing the three-dimensional box. [Invoke System initializing¡­] 1% He was surprised as to what he saw in front of him. It is now clear that these floating windows or rather dialog boxes are analogous to holographic display he had seen in the city yet different to the fact that the city required a systematic holo-projector machine, in which this one needed none. He wasn¡¯t aware of any technology that is capable of doing this; attaching its functions into the line of vision of users without any machine or gadget running it, until this moment. He thought that maybe he was just a little late to this kind of innovation. But now that he is experiencing it first-hand, Erol thought this wasn¡¯t possible. He himself knows every new technology that is made and established in the City of Teskia. So for something like this to appear in front of him, it is just extraordinary yet unbelievable. Erol was completely lost in his thoughts when the ¡®Invoke System¡¯ completed its installation. [Invoke System Initialization complete.] [Persona Stats and skills can now be accessed.] [Awaiting command¡­?] When another window appeared, again he was confused and lost in thought. Questions keep popping out in his head. ¡°Persona¡­ Stats?¡±, he muttered unconsciously. A large digital panel came into view, giving him a slight surprise.
Persona Stats
Name:Erol FrouscheAge:13Rank:Initiate
Classification:Invoker F
Skill Level:Basic
% Brain Utilization:9.61+ (0.11)
% Brain Storage:3.45+ (0.12)
Health:100%% Health Regen/sec:0.14+ (0)
Mana Capacity:100%% Mana Regen/sec:0.15+ (0)
Stamina:100%% Stamina Regen/sec:0.16+ (0)
Physical Damage:8.75%Spell Damage:9.03%
Physical Resistance:0.8%Spell Resistance:1.8%
Physique:10+ (0)Psyche:10+ (0)
Strength:7Intelligence:6
Vitality:4Wisdom:5
Agility:5Acuity:4.5
Alacrity:2.5+ (0)
Affinity:
Fire:0+ (0)
Water:0+ (0)
Wind:0+ (0)
Earth:0+ (0)
[Stats values are set to system default.] [Awaiting Command¡­] ¡®Wha.. Is this.. a game??¡¯ A list of figures came into Erol¡¯s view which at first did not make any bit sense for him. When he looked at it closely, he recognized that these figures were similar to most online games he played in the past. Still, he thought someone was playing a prank on him or he was still in his dreaming state, and soon all of this will disappear when he wakes up. He tried pinching himself a few times and it hurt! But none of it seems to have any effect on him which clearly meant he was already awake! Erol was still flabbergasted in the sight as he tried to take the information in front him. But such information was a little bit much for him, mainly because he just woke up from a really bad dream and his mind was still in a mess. Irritation got to him and wanted to make the floating panel disappear. ¡­ ¡°How do you close this thing??!.¡±, he said with voice filled with annoyance. [Command accepted.] [Standby mode ON.] The system responded to Erol¡¯s ranting and in just a spilt of a second, all windows began to shrink, disappeared into the empty air. ¡°Huh??¡± Another thought of confusion hit him, as he once again pondered as to what triggered everything to close. Was it my thoughts? Or my choice of words? Erol felt exhausted as he tried to figure it out. But, he realized that racking his brain about this weird phenomenon at this time of the day was clearly futile. He hastily went back to bed trying to ignore what happened. At the same time, he remembered that he has to attend his class at eight and if he didn¡¯t get more sleep now then he might be reprimanded again as he often doze off in the middle of the lectures. The last time he slept in class, his teacher scolded him, completely embarrassing him in front of the class. He forced himself to sleep. But unfortunately, his mind won¡¯t let him or rather sleep didn¡¯t get to him. ¡­ [7:30 A.M] Erol took a piece of toasted bread and rushed at the door. He bit the bread to free his dominant hand to quickly put and tie his shoes. Beside him was a slightly used hover board. It was two and half feet long, one and a half wide, and an inch thick body, colored mostly by gray and black. It has a few scratches here and there but one can see that it was somewhat well-maintained. ¡°Bye Mom!¡±, he said with a loud yet gentle voice. Erol grabbed his board and went outside the house. As usual, his eyes carried two dark bags where if anyone sees this, they would assume that he hadn¡¯t had enough sleep like¡­ forever. Yes, it¡¯s worse than what you think. So because of this he never forgot to wear his hoodie to hide his cultivated mug. To make it worse, this habit of him, made students view him as antisocial, loner, out-in-his-own-world guy, and other downbeat labels. But Erol didn¡¯t pay any attention to it. He knew that associating himself to these kinds of people will not do him any good rather it will just mean trouble for him. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. He hates trouble similar to how he detests his teacher in History. He doesn¡¯t hate the subject, but the way the teacher delivers it to the class. Erol kept on reminding himself to keep his circle small. More people meant more trouble so he always avoids it. Though in reality, his circle consists of only him and his best friend Locke. But he liked it more when people treat him as an outcast. Not because he likes being alone but because it also helps him to find who was really true to him. Erol focused for a moment, gathering his mana into his palm. After a second or two, he collected a minute amount of mana, he then infused it in the hover board¡¯s mana terminal. The board slightly flickered and then it emitted a faint orange light, signaling that its operating system has started to function. Just a moment after that, it started to float a few centimeters from the ground. Erol mounted it right away, while setting himself at its base; the board somehow held his feet firmly. The hover board produced an unfamiliar force, making sure that it balances and stabilizes the user¡¯s base. Erol once again focused and gathered a bit of mana, but this time he sent it towards his feet. Suddenly, the board was once again elevated by more or less than two inches from the ground. The board started moving slowly, following Erol¡¯s bodily movement as its maneuvering function. Fortunately, Erol doesn¡¯t need to constantly feed it with mana for it to work all the way or else he won¡¯t be able to use it for long due to his inadequate mana capacity. Though it is still possible to increase its speed by feeding it more energy, but Erol was not capable of doing so. He can only sigh in defeat as he thought of his deficiencies. Setting aside such thoughts, Erol made his way to school travelling at roughly two to three meters per second or as indicated by his hover board¡¯s speedometer. Erol is now in his second year in high school. Ever since the scandal of EZCorp¡¯s company 10 years ago, Erol, as well as all the other victims like him were sent to the Special ED School. A school specifically made for all of them, at the same time, serves as a place to carefully observe their physical and mental constitutions. Additionally, aside from free education and access to all essential information, they are also given special treatment in the society. All of them were given special privileges like exclusive access to high class gadgets that were customized for their needs such as hover boards, focus mediums, advanced protective gears, and so on, that normal people aren¡¯t capable of obtaining, as most of these items needed ¡®mana¡¯ to operate. These gadgets gave them special identification in the society, differentiating them from ordinary people. Later on, it became a common knowledge to the people of Tezkia that those who possess such tools are either high ranking ¡®Elementalists¡¯ or privileged Special ED School¡¯s students. Elementalists are treated highly since they are the reason why the Country of Teskia is now one of the strongest countries in the world and considered as ostensibly invincible country today. ¡­ It only took him ten minutes to arrive in front of the gate of Special ED School Main Building. The building cannot be described by just big, but overtly huge. The crescent shaped front exterior of the school can catch anyone¡¯s attention, not just because of its shape but because of the mixture of silver and gold that radiated when hit by the rays of the sun. Somehow, the main gate was intentionally built to face the rising sun to achieve such effect. Erol strode inside the gate, only stopping in front of an ostensibly impenetrable, opaque glass door. It immediately asked for his identification card. It was a security system set to monitor every individual who goes in and out of the school, be it students, teachers, and visitors, each have their own corresponding passes. There are at least 10 entrance doors lining horizontally in front of Erol and he is currently on the third door from the right. [Good Morning. Welcome to Special ED School!] [Please place your Identification Card on the scanner.] The opaque glass door wasn¡¯t just a simple door. It also acts as a glass monitor that displays instructions, announcements and as a scanner as well. Erol saw a series of instructions in front of him, same information he sees every day. He gave it a short glance before immediately grabbing his identification card from his chest pocket and consigned it on the surface of the scanner, as per instruction. [Erol Frousche - Access Granted.] [Have a good day!] All of the text disappeared then the opaque door slowly became transparent, revealing a spacious hall. Erol went through it as if the door wasn¡¯t there in the first place. He placed his hover board on a hanger located in what they called deposit area, next to the door where he got in. Immediately, under the hanger, the floor opened up, pulling down Erol¡¯s board. He was still amazed each day and still can¡¯t get used to all of the school¡¯s technology, he continue forward and let out a wry laugh. This is only but a fragment of Teskia¡¯s technology. Every gadgets and machines in Special ED are made only for those who are gifted with mana to help them hone each of their abilities and skills. Aside from exceptional and state of the art services, facilities and vast resources, the school also provides high level of instruction from high ranking Elementalists. Though Special ED was specially made for the victims of the horrors of the past, to make a full use of these resources, a few years ago, the school started to also accept other people who are proven to have affinity with mana. Providing them with proper education and all the necessities they need, free of any financial requirements. *** Erol saw only a few students outside the hallways which mean that most classes started already. His classroom is on the second floor. Grasping his situation, Erol hastily went past the corridor and then went up the stairs to the right. [Room 2-B] The metallic sliding door automatically opened when Erol stood in front of it, he completely failed to remember the door¡¯s function. It startled him, halting him outside the room. When he saw the faces of his classmates, sweat started to trickle down on his temple. It didn¡¯t last long before he regained his calm. Seeing that it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, he quickly stepped inside the room. His gaze met his teachers¡¯ but he quickly broke it and slightly bowed to greet him. His teacher was a tall, good-looking man, maybe on his late twenties. His short dark blue hair accentuated by his deep blue eyes, looked at the kid who just came in, brows rose. ¡°G-Good Morning Professor Keil¡­¡±, Erol said with a not so audible voice, with a trace of dejection, as if expecting another mouthful of words of wisdom¡­ Aside from his professor¡¯s gaze, he also felt the stares of his classmates. Some students were whispering, and giggling, but he hastily went to his seat at the back, right beside the window, paying no attention to them. ¡°Again Erol?¡±, his professor sighed with annoyance as he watched the kid gaiting towards his seat. Erol lowered his head, hiding his face even more. He didn¡¯t intend to come late. But no one bothers, as they have no idea how bad his sleeping problems were. He was different. The past was clear to him. Even though he was still very young at that time, the memory of such tragedy was etched abnormally in his mind. Compared to the other victims, most of them can¡¯t recall what happened that year. ¡°You do know that this will affect your performance even more? Considering that you have slightly below average rating since the start of the semester, don¡¯t you?¡± Erol struck by the fact that among his peers, he was one of the lowest ratings in his class; he can¡¯t do anything but nod to what his professor said. But what made him less than average is that, he sucks in practical classes. He does excel in academic courses but in terms of mana aptitude, he¡¯s pathetic. His mana capacity was lower than the average students his age and even though he put into practice everything he learned in class, his ability can never keep up. This is also one of the reasons why they treat him often as an outcast. Professor Keil sighed once again, throwing another tired look towards Erol. Without another word, he took his book and carry on with his lesson about Mana Enhancement. ¡­ Two hours went by and the first subject ended, signaling for a break. Some boys were rushing outside towards the cafeteria. Random chattering can be heard everywhere making the whole area bustle with noise. Erol on the other hand, remained inside the classroom gazing outside the window. Sigh, Erol felt worn out, as he watched some students practicing their skills on the field. It wasn¡¯t that far from where he is so he can clearly see what is happening below. There on the center of the field was a girl maybe a year older than him, stood with flair. Silky hazel brown hair, bringing out her dazzling blue eyes, with perfect slender body, just right to be labeled as the school¡¯s Princess, Shere Everhart, dominated the field with her strong aura. The majority of the students were cheering for the princess and the rest were jeering for her unfortunate adversary. The screams reverberated all over the field. Everhart¡¯s opponent, overwhelmed by her presence, hastily threw a burst of flame without thinking. The skill was blindly aimed at her feet. Everhart casted a barrier around her cancelling her opponent¡¯s skill like it was kids play. Annoyed by the ineffectiveness of his skill, he hurled her with a barrage of fireballs and flame bursts. Everhart showed no expression. With just a wave of her right hand, a water ball quickly formed in front of her. She willed the water ball forward consuming everything that her opponent hurled at her. Every fireball vanished leaving only the evanescence of mist. But the water ball didn¡¯t stopped advancing. The boy realized what is coming for him. He tried to flee. Unfortunately, the water ball caught up to him easily. The ball of water swallowed his whole body, slowly drowning him. The boy squirmed desperately, grasping for air. But before he completely ran out of air, the princess dispelled her spell, releasing the pitiful boy, at the same time someone gestured for her victory. Fatal attacks are strictly prohibited inside the campus especially in student duels. Though earlier the boy launched dangerous fire attacks towards the princess, it was because the princess told him to go all out. Everhart, of course, was confident that she can take all of his attacks. She was just trying to gauge out her opponent¡¯s skills, at the same time, testing her own too. Her expression seemed to show a hint of disappointment. The reason is that she was looking for anyone on her year that can be deemed worthy as her opponent. But, unluckily, she still has yet to find anyone. The duels persisted, the same occurrence in the field every day. Erol, still on his seat, fixated his eyes on each of Everhart¡¯s duels. His admiration towards her grew each day. Chapter 2: Awakening 002 ¨C Awakening When break ended, Erol went to his second class for the day. It was a practical course in which their progress in terms of controlling the elements was being gauge. In general, this class mostly covers about the foundational elements namely water, fire, earth, and air that can be manipulated using their mana. Everything around us, the earth, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and up to the basic foundation of life, they all contain this pure energy. To sum it all up, the existence of mana everywhere can give anyone, who has the power to access such resource, limitless possibilities. But having infinite supply of energy doesn¡¯t necessarily means an advantage, as the energy that can be drawn from outside sources needs to be diluted to its usable state. For example, if the body ever ran out of energy, naturally, it will slowly replenish itself by absorbing the energy in its surroundings, as our body has its own natural mechanism that transforms this powerful and concentrated energy to its usable state called mana. This transformed energy will then be stored into the person¡¯s core that serves as its storage. Basically, all beings have a core hidden in their body. But, unfortunately, these cores are dormant. To access these cores, one needs to locate its position first then try to instigate it until it is ready for cultivation. Overall, it is every Elementalist¡¯s lifetime goal to nurture such natural mechanism in our body to its peak state. Improving their control in absorbing mana is the most essential skill that the school wants to teach their students. But this is where Erol especially suck at. He lacks the skill, control, and the proper attitude to do so. ¡­ Erol went inside the training hall where their next class will take place. It was a very large room; compared to his previous classroom, this one was three to four times larger. Aside from an elevated platform for professors, the hall itself was devoid of any material objects. All that can be seen here are the walls painted with silver, evenly mixed with dark colors here and there that were somehow made of an unknown kind of metal, giving it an indestructible feeling. It is said that most building in this school were specially made to be damage proof and sound proof, which is really perfect for trainings, demonstrations, and specifically ¨C duels. Inside the hall were thirty or so students gathered in the center, all from Erol¡¯s class. The hall was filled of their chatting and gossiping. Erol ignored such chatters instead he went to the back of the crowd and laid low. A minute later, the crown suddenly went silent when a figure of a woman came in; her unusual height makes her look like a model. She was Professor Viola Tremlin. She was dressed in an all-gray, tight uniform where a blue shield with a pentacle in the center was sewn in here left shoulder. Her blood red hair matched with her flaming red eyes was perfectly combined to show her beauty and dominance. Newcomers might mistake her to be in her early twenties due to her very young appearance, but they already know that is she is already in her thirties. But what caught Erol¡¯s attention was the very thin film that covered her womanly figure, or more like her whole being. It was thin yet not, as some type of energy was being absorbed to it, somehow amplifying it, making it appear thicker. It gave off a strong sensation that made Erol hold his breath for a moment. What confused Erol was that, his classmates were somewhat oblivious to it. The last time he attended this class, he was not aware of such display, or maybe he wasn¡¯t just paying much attention that time. When he looked closely to his classmates, he was surprised that most of them emitted such film of energy, more like an aura, but much weaker, messy, and unrefined compared to the aura our professor has. Though there are also some who gave off auras of confidence and superiority, it is nothing compared to the latter. ¡°Erol Frousche, is something the matter?¡± Professor Viola noticed Erol glancing on her direction with a confused yet calculating gaze. Erol gaped in shock for a moment when he heard his name. He looked around him, noticing every pair of eyes fixated towards him, as if he did something terrible just now. Uneasiness welled up inside him. ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing ma¡¯am.¡±, he said with discomfort. ¡°Are you sure?¡±, Professor Viola said firmly. "Then let¡¯s start with our lesson for today." Erol sighed with relief. He hated to be noticed by the teacher or be the center of attention so he always kept the low profile. He prefers it that way, of course, to avoid unnecessary trouble. ¡°Today, we are going to see and test each and everyone¡¯s auras. I will teach you how to release the energy inside you as a form of an aura. Earlier I released a bit of my own personal aura to test whether there¡¯s someone here who can at least notice this flow of energy. Anyone here who saw my aura?¡± Most students shook their heads confirming their unawareness. Some of them asked each other and some doesn¡¯t really care that much. ¡°Erol, did you somehow noticed my aura earlier? Because I remember you were seriously staring at me when I entered the hall.¡± Everyone was looking at Erol with scorn and discrimination. He wanted to disappear in that exact moment. ¡°¡­no, Ma¡¯am, I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t. If we can¡¯t even see her aura, how can you be?¡±, a student from the front row exclaimed conceitedly. Almost all of the students laughed at his remarks. ¡°Cedrick!¡±, the teacher called him out. It was Cedrick Boswick. ¡°Why don¡¯t you be the first to try?¡± He proudly strode to the front, at the same time letting out an insulting grin towards Erol. His appearance shows that he is part of a well-off family. He was a little bit taller than Erol, quite good-looking with short golden hair, complemented by his navy blue eyes which made him seem like a foreigner. Adding his semi-athletic build, which is quite unusual for their age, he might actually have the right to be very confident about himself. Cedrick was born in a well-known family of Elementalists, which stands as one of the top 50 of the strongest and most influential people in the City of Tezkia and was blessed with above average talent compared to his other classmates. It is quite common for people with talent and power to act so arrogant and bully those who are below his level. A normal person would feel very insulted to Cedrick¡¯s taunts but Erol paid less attention to his words. He was by now used to his jagged speech, that he chose to ignore him. But what he can¡¯t swallow was being humiliated in front of many people. Erol can take Cedrick¡¯s insults, but taking it from the majority of his classmates is simply too much for him to bear. Whenever the whole class laughs at him, all he can do was shrink in embarrassment. ¡°Okay class, listen and observe.¡±, Professor Viola started. ¡°First, you need to sense the energy currently present in your body. You need to focus and guide this energy according to my instruction. Now, imagine that energy flowing towards your very core, moving it in a circular manner until you form a ring around your core.¡± Cedrick went into focus. He slowly gathered his energy somewhere in the center of his body where he found his core following his professor¡¯s words. Gradually, a ring was formed around his core. ¡°Your core will slowly absorb this energy to try and transform it into mana. But, we will not go to that point yet. Before your core can absorb everything, you need to guide this ring of energy back to your whole system. Then picture it flowing out from your body.¡± As Cedrick followed each and every instruction Professor Viola said, a brush of warm air emanated from his body or it was rather what his classmate¡¯s pictured out. But not from Erol¡¯s point of view. Erol saw a faint blue mist-like aura emanating from him. His early bewilderment worsened as he saw his worst enemy slightly glowed in faint blue light. He felt jealous and irritated, as he can¡¯t think of opposing such talented student in his life time considering the huge gap in skills and endowment. Going back to the main topic, Erol¡¯s confusion persisted even after Cedrick finished showing off his aura. ¡®Am I the only seeing this aside from professor? This is getting very¡­ weird.¡¯, he thought, as a strange feeling welled up on him. ¡°Okay, good. Next!¡±, Professor Viola exclaimed at the same time her gaze fell Erol¡¯s direction.. ¡°Erol, come here in front.¡± Soft whispers filled the room as soon as his name was called. Erol can¡¯t clearly make out what they are talking about but he was sure there wasn¡¯t anything good about it. Everyone knows what his made of. Weak. Unqualified. Incompetent. A laughing stock. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Erol walked slowly, shaking obviously. He felt the glares of his classmates especially Cedrick letting out his wicked smirk. ¡®This is just a quick test¡­ It will be over soon before I even know it.¡¯ He thought trying to convince himself. ¡®Just go to the front and follow her instructions, easy right?¡¯ Erol faced his classmates with an anxious expression. Some looked at him with pity, others with mocking eyes, worse they¡¯re silently jeering on him. His teacher noticed his nervous face. Worried, Professor Viola walked beside him and she whispered something. All of a sudden, Erol¡¯s face lightened slightly. ¡°Okay, Erol I want you to clear your mind and relax. Focus. Draw the Mana inside you. Guide it slowly. Visualize this energy gathering around your core, as if forming a ring.¡± Erol focused himself as per instruction. He channeled the energy inside him. He guided it to towards his core as it slowly move in circular motion, forming a ring around it. A warm feeling welled up inside him, especially from where his core stood. I can feel it¡­ ¡°Now, let this energy flow back freely in your system, feel it emitting through your skin, out from your body.¡± He let the ring of energy scatter inside his body, letting it flood his system without restraints. Erol felt the gush of energy searching for a way out. He pictured the energy spurting out in his very pores. A gust of air escaped and dispersed from where Erol was standing. In the eyes of his professor, a strong aura let loose itself from a long time of captivity. It¡¯s like a newborn baby letting out its very first cry.
[Mana Manipulation Basic learned.]
[Basic Aura Manipulation learned.]
Notification boxes appeared in front of Erol but before he could make out what was written, it quickly disappeared from his vision. After a short moment, his aura dissipated into nothingness. Erol drained himself completely and almost fell unto his knees. He gasped for energy as he tried to gather his senses back. Erol was perplexed, but excitement filled his heart completely, dominating what he felt earlier. ¡®Something¡­¡¯, he pondered while looking in both of his hands. ¡®Something has changed inside me¡­¡¯ Dead silence fell inside the Training Hall. His classmates stood puzzled as to what actually happened. They just felt a strong pulse of air slapped their faces which was stronger compared to Cedrick¡¯s display earlier. What they can¡¯t believe is that, it came from Erol, who they often call a weakling. ¡°Very good Erol!¡±, Professor Viola broke the outwardly silent atmosphere. Without a care in the world, Erol slowly went back quickly to where he was before. But this time his heart was racing with enthusiasm, completely ignoring the stares around him. ¡­ ¡°All of you must be quite confused. Just a moment ago, both of them released their auras right under your noses, but it appears that no one noticed it. But this is nothing to worry about. It is only normal to not be able to sense aura at your current level. To be able to know how to perceive someone¡¯s aura, you will need first to learn how to establish your very own aura. Yes, your own unique aura. Every one of you has their own. No matter how low your mana capacity, how weak your control, and how unpolished your skills, it doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t have your own aura. Everyone is different. Erol today broke through his dormant system. I won¡¯t be surprise if Cedrick will have a competition this year.¡±, Professor Viola let out a faint smile to Erol¡¯s direction. ¡°This is just to encourage you to pursue your own paths. ¡°Hmp! What competition? He needs to work hard ten times more to at least be considered a match for me!¡±, Cedrick declared. The whole class was left speechless as they noticed that the overly confident Cedrick somewhat lost his cool. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. But I can only advice you to not let your guard down Cedrick.¡±, his teacher retorted. ¡­ ¡°Okay students, listen. In the next few meetings, we will focus solely on how we control our mana and convert it as our own unique auras. By the time you get the basics of this, we will start focusing on perceiving each other¡¯s auras. Now, in the next few hours I want you to practice releasing your auras. Pair yourselves together and start practicing!¡± The students started to find their pairs while Erol was still at back, still pondering about what happened earlier. Professor Viola walked towards him as if it was a normal thing. ¡°Erol, come here for a second.¡±, Professor Viola called him with an expectant smile. While everyone was busy pairing themselves up, he realized he was once again left out by his classmates. Before he can start to down himself again, he heard his professor calling. As he approached his teacher, a timid look filled his face. ¡°No need to be so anxious young man. I just wanted to congratulate you!¡± ¡°C-congratulate¡­ me?¡±, Erol was baffled as to why his teacher suddenly let out such a word. ¡°What about professor?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?!¡±, Professor Viola slightly frowned in Erol¡¯s reaction. ¡°Just earlier I clearly saw pure energy gushing out from your body!¡± ¡°Pure energy?¡± Erol wasn¡¯t really oblivious about what his professor said. In fact, he already learned this in his other class but only introduced to its applications and hadn¡¯t really seen any of these energies in display. Of course, the same applied to the students in his year. ¡°Yes, pure energy. Though, still raw and impure, to make it flow freely in your body means that your system has awakened. In short, you can now freely access this energy inside you unlike before that you can hardly tap unto it. If you are lucky, you might get something good in the future.¡±, Professor Viola saw his expression changed, as if being enlightened for a moment. She just let out a soft sigh as she tried to encourage Erol. She knows that this kid was having a hard time dealing with his classmates. For now you should rest. You can take your break early because I am sure you are still recovering from earlier. I can only advice you to first practice on purifying your mana so you won¡¯t have a hard time using it in the future.¡± Professor Viola went back to check her students. Erol, on the other hand, left the hall with his mind still muddled in confusion. Though due to his professor¡¯s words, his mind was pacified for a little bit. Now that he was somewhat calm, he once again tried to reflect on what happened earlier. He himself doesn¡¯t know how he did it. He felt it, that something inside him has changed, but he doesn¡¯t know what exactly it was. Erol took his break in the cafeteria knowing that for the time being no one will bother him. Random thoughts keep circling in his mind. But when he remembered Cedrick¡¯s expression that time, he let out a faint smile. ¡­ Third and fourth subjects ended in a flash. Erol, still hiding under his hoddie, he went out of his classroom trying to avoid garnering any attention. He rushed to the deposit machine, then he withdrawn his hover board and left the school. On his way home, while riding his board, he saw three figures standing a couple of meters ahead, as if they have been waiting for him. One of them was someone he really knows¡­