Chapter 40 Training Up!
[Lecture Hall 1: ssroom 1-A]
Kolek''s voice sliced through the morning chatter. "Silence!" The room snapped to attention, murmurs dying in throats like startled frogs.
His gaze, swept the ss, pinning each student with the weight of his announcement.
"Before we go into today''s lesson, I have news regarding your academic calendar."
A collective exhale rippled through the room. Some faces brightened with anticipation, others contorted with dread.
Kolek savoured the moment, a predator studying his prey.
"Next week,"
he drawled, "you''ll face the annual First Years Open''s Invitational Scouting Event. Mandatory. Consider it like a practice exam for your uing practical assignment for this midterm."
Disbelief crackled in the air. "What?!" A studentined, "There''s nothing on the schedule except the midterm evaluations!" Voices of simrints echoed, as the sudden uproar of students felt uneasy.
Kolek''s gaze swept across the room, cold and calcting not caring for theints of the students. "Your performance will be observed by representatives from various guilds. Impress them, and you may secure an early offer for a top guild. Fail to meet expectations, and you''ll get no offers." Kolek shrugged as he read the information off hisptop.
"But sir," a timid voice piped up, "on such short notice?" Kolek''s gaze flicked to the student, a fleeting flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "The board''s decision," he said curtly. "Beyond our influence."
The First Years open scouting event is the most anticipated asion for Guild leaders to search for potential members for their guild. Some guild leaders in particr are looking for future heirs to their guild, while others are interested in high profitability in terms of abilities.
However, for Jan, this event is where his name will start to catch the eyes of recognition worldwide. Jan the prodigy who''s been chosen to be an emperor among kings. This event is made purely for him alone and to announce to the Hero''s world that this person will be the next big thing and will soon be the number one hero seeding Aurelia.
Kolek cleared his throat, dispelling the simmering tension. "Enough chatter. Today''s lesson," he announced, his voice regaining its professorial cadence, "will be a practical crash course in teamwork and opponent analysis. Two-on-two battles, showcasing your abilities and forging strategies in the crucible ofbat."
"Obviously It wouldn''t be fair for the top students of the ss to pair with each other so I came up with another genius scheme of pairing." [2 on 2 Pairs]
Pair 1 > Rel Laurence [Rank 55] - Jan Ates [Rank 1] <
Pair 2 > Valencia Freya [Rank 4]- Miguel N [...] [Rank 50] <
Pair 3 > Miya Takeo [Rank 6]- Cam Garcia [Rank 22] <
Pair 4 > Louise Villerion [Rank 2] - Luigi T [...] [Rank 54] < Pair 5 > Alice Elizabeth [Rank 3] - Mark C [...] [Rank 53] <
Pair 6 > Jae Yoona [Rank 7] - Carlo T [...] [Rank 51] <
Pair 7 > Noah Davies [Rank 9] - Lyra te [Rank 15] <
Pair 8 Bazz Wong [Rank 10] - Danny [Rank 30] <
... n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
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....
[Matchups]
Pair 2 Vs Pair 4
Pair 1 Vs Pair 3
Pair 5 Vs Pair 8
Pair 6 Vs Pair 7
...
...
....
Miya and Jan? That''s like trying to light a fire with wet paper I muttered, a wry smile twitching at the corner of my lips.
Jan, bless his heart, still looked dazed, probably picturing Miya''s storm of steel cutting through his defences like butter. Me? I nced toward Camilia, who was preening like a peacock at the screen.
Luckily for me, I''m not gonna be the guy who will be facing him and if I wasn''t paired with Jan I''d be better off dead.
As Kolek stood up, we all followed him to the Academy Training Grounds.
[Pinnacle Academy''s Main Arenas (West Side)]
Kolek, who appeared on a holographic screen, "Five years in the making," his booming voice echoed, "and you guys will be the first to test this fresh turf. This is the newly built Arena Side!"
"So what''s the n, Rel?" Jan looked at me as he whispered into my ear gazing at Miya and Camilia.
I''m not sure how I''d be able to throw off Camilia in any case but I can guarantee I could shake her off in terms of ranged ability. If I could practice using Mitigation instead of Projectile Disarm it would be better for the practicality of getting better at it.
Since Projectile doesn''t require using any type of energy and Mitigation does I''ll have to learn how to manage my mana in these types of special cases.
"You can take on Miya one-on-one right? All you have to do is just catch him off guard from each parry use your feet if you have to." Jan looked at me with a confused look but nodded in response.
He''ll figure out what I meant when Miya''s overwhelming samurai arrogance brings to his personality.
"What about Cam?"
"Don''t worry I''ll take care of it."
[5 Minutes Later...]
[3rd Person POV]
Rel and Jan took their positions across the white square tform. Sunlight streamed through the domed ceiling of the new Pinnacle Academy arena, casting sharp shadows on the polished floor.
Behind them, the colossal West Sideplex hummed with advanced technology, Kolek''s watchful eyes looking through every holographic screen like hungry spiders.
Jan, barely containing his eagerness, bounced lightly on his feet, eyes flickering between Cam and Miya.
"Hey, Miya, you got the n memorized?" Cam said as she positioned herself behind Miya.
"Yes," Miya replied swiftly and shortly. Camilia wasn''t so ustomed to people''s mannerisms and behaviours like Miya but he acts like a tight ass in her eyes.
"I''ll make sure to cover you from all of the archer''s attacks." Cam pointed as she prepared her Staff in hand.
"Okay." Miya nodded.
Cam, lost in thought, gazed intently at Jan. She believed that Rel was nothingpared to what Valencia had said about him. She sneered at him from across the tform, her fingers twitching with barely contained power.
Miya, a statue of stoic steel, stood in front of her, long katana shing in the sunlight.
Rel, however, remained calm. He wasn''t worried about the fight at all, their strengths and weaknesses were already known to him from the very beginning.
"Cam is powerful but arrogant, prone to overextending her magic," Rel said to Jan "Miya is precise and disciplined, but predictable in his samurai routines." He continued.
As they waited for the countdown from Kolek his voice boomed through the arena, shattering the tense silence. "Begin!"
Jan shot forward, a blur of silver as he charged towards Cam. Miya reacted instantly, his katana sweeping in a lightning-fast arc to intercept.
Jan, his eyes shing with anticipation, twisted his de like a willow branch, the de held still in the air.
"You will not get past me Mr. Rank 1." Miya''s de shed once again with Jan''s as his face turned into an excited smile.
mes erupted from Cam''s Staff, arcing towards Jan like enraged serpents. Rel, eyes narrowed, saw the attack''s trajectory before it even left her fingertips. His keen mind, amplified by his Water affinity, traced the path of the fire like a river''s current.
With a flick of his wrist, Rel knocked an arrow, not on his bow, but against his boot. He stamped his foot, a silentmand, and the arrow shot upwards, propelled by a pulse of water channelled through his veins.
It met the first fireball mid-air, exploding in a shimmering cloud of steam, effectively snuffing out the mes before it reached Jan.
Cam snarled, "Show off" frustration contorting from her face. She unleashed another volley of mes, this time aiming for Jan''s feet.
BANG!, BANG!, BANG!
Jan, a blur of quicksilver, danced around Miya''s katana. The polished metal whispered with a deadly hiss as it shed through the air, but Jan was a person built for this type of battle.
He caught each second of Miya''s strikes, beginning to understand the anticipation of his attacks and evading every strike.
Miya, frustration etching lines on his calm face, unleashed a barrage of attacks, each stroke more fierce than thest.
"Galeforce!" Miya yelled as a charged-up tornado unleashed from within him as forceful winds manifested from his de and fiercely charged towards Jan.
In perfect timing with the Galeforce and the volleys of fire, a blur of speed unfolded. The attacks disappeared and reappeared elsewhere. A figure from the centre caught Miya''s attention.
The power of his wind suddenly shot from above as Jan and Rel stood side by side, and with a kick from Rel''s right foot, a sh of strength propelled Miya backwards, sending him back towards Cam. He sustained considerable damage from Rel''s kick alone.
As Jan charged forth towards them, Miya quickly regained his bnce and charged back towards Jan. A gasp escaped Cam''s lips as she watched Miya sh back with Jan. "What? How did he do that?"
As the fight continued, Miya couldn''t help but wonder why Rel wasn''t attacking him or Cam. Was it because Rel had cheated his way through the academy with connections? Or was he waiting for the perfect moment to strike?
As Miya watched, Rel disappeared from his vision. Miya realized that Jan was only a decoy to dy their duel. He flipped backwards using his Wind attribute to backpedal to Rel.
Miya understood that mages were more effective in battles with multiple teammates, so he had to prevent Rel from reaching Cam.
With focus, Cam channelled mana into her staff. Bright trails of fire sparked out as her mana enveloped it. With a confident look, she unleashed a spell that zed with a breathtaking intensity.
"Fire Ball." "Steel force wind!" From behind, Miya unleashed a vortex of wind, the howl amplifying the inferno''s wrath.
Jan''s scream tore through the air. "REL, WATCH OUT!"
Cam''s lips stretched into a grim smile. "A double assault, impossible to evade. Surely, even Rel..."
BOOM!
The fireball and wind vortex detonated in a blinding sh, engulfing Rel in a dust cloud that choked the arena.
WHOOSSSHHH
The dust cleared, revealing Rel standing still amidst the debris, not even a single scratch had was shown on his clothing.
Miya''s face contorted in disbelief. "That should''ve been enough to knock him out." he snarled, frustration twisting his voice.
"How... did he do that?" Cam was confused by Rel''s arsenal of abilities but continued to throw more attacks at Jan.
As a sense of relief washed over Jan, he took the opportunity to quickly disarm Miya but he wouldn''t give out as their des shed once more sparks erupting like miniature novas. Jan, his footwork a mesmerizing counterpoint, weaved through the storm, a willow bending before the gale.
Jan kept dodging and dodging as Rel hadpletely given out as he sat on the ground watching Jan dance from Cam''s attacks and shing with Miya''s de
Jan hadpletely understood Miya''s attack pattern as His Eyes of Adaptation had devoured all of his movements, turning Miya''s precision into a predictable ballet.
Suddenly, Jan saw it. A flicker in Miya''s eyes, a subtle shift in his stance. The next attack, he knew, would be aimed not at his front, but at his blind spot.
With a daring spin, Jan ced himself face-to-face with Miya, their des inches apart. Miya''s katana stopped, frozen in mid-strike, confusion momentarily clouding his gaze.
Jan, who hadpletely adapted, anticipates Miya''s final, desperation strike. With a precise counter, he deflects the blow with his foot, the katana spinning through the air, ttering harmlessly away.
Miya, disarmed and defeated, stands frozen, the tension thick enough to cut. Across the tform, Cam and Rel witness Miya''s downfall.
Cam raised her hand to signal to both Rel and Jan that she surrendered after seeing Miya lose to Jan.