Chapter 109: The First Combat Lesson
Chapter 109: The First Combat Lesson
"What happens when a mage understands a spell..."
The unstable magic circle trembled again, its layered structure vibrating beneath the pressure of the mana contained within it.
"...but the spell itself doesn’t obey him?"
Silence settled over the classroom.
The students stared at the formation in confusion. Some searched the intricate pathways for an answer, while others turned toward Professor Alaric, clearly expecting him to explain what they had failed to understand.
Andras, however, narrowed his eyes.
The answer was obvious.
"If the spell doesn’t obey the mage," he said after a brief pause, "then the mage doesn’t truly understand the spell."
Alaric’s gaze immediately shifted toward him.
A faint smile appeared on the professor’s face.
"Correct."
The pressure filling the classroom vanished.
The unstable magic circle froze in midair before—
Crack!
The entire formation shattered into countless fragments of blue light. The fragments scattered through the air like glowing pieces of glass before disappearing completely.
Silence returned.
Alaric lowered his hand and turned toward the blackboard.
"Understanding a spell is not the same as memorizing it. Anyone can memorize a spell’s structure and reproduce the movements required to cast it, but that doesn’t mean they understand what they’re actually doing."
He tapped the damaged section of the formation with his chalk.
"This is where the difference becomes important."
Several students leaned forward.
A student near the front raised his hand.
"Professor, why was that pathway incomplete?"
Alaric glanced at him.
"Because I made it incomplete."
The student lowered his hand slightly, looking confused.
Alaric continued before he could ask another question.
"I wanted to see whether any of you would notice."
He turned back toward the blackboard and drew a simple magic circle.
"When you cast a spell, you’re giving mana a structure. That structure determines how the mana moves, where it gathers, and how it eventually produces the desired effect."
His chalk traced one of the pathways.
"If you don’t understand that movement, then you’re simply forcing mana to follow instructions you’ve memorized."
He drew a small circle beside it.
"Take a basic fireball, for example. You memorize the spell, construct the magic circle, supply the required mana, and the fireball appears."
He erased part of the circle.
"But what happens if I alter this section?"
The students watched as he changed one of the pathways.
"The spell might become weaker."
He adjusted another connection.
"It might consume more mana."
He altered the structure once more.
"It could become faster."
He paused before adding another line.
"Or it could collapse completely."
Several students nodded as they began to understand his point.
Alaric placed the chalk against the edge of the desk.
"A mage who only memorizes spells has no answer when something goes wrong. If the spell behaves differently from what they expect, they can only repeat the same process and hope it works."
His gaze swept across the classroom.
"But a mage who understands the structure can identify the problem. They can determine which part failed, why it failed, and what must be changed to correct it."
He pointed toward the students.
"That is what I want to teach you."
Andras leaned back slightly.
The lesson was different from what he had expected.
Most magic instructors taught students how to cast spells. Alaric seemed far more interested in teaching them why those spells worked.
That distinction mattered.
Alaric glanced toward the clock on the wall.
"We’ve reached the end of today’s lesson."
Several students looked surprised.
The class had passed far more quickly than they had realized.
Alaric returned to the blackboard and wrote four words beneath the concepts he had introduced earlier.
Control.
Efficiency.
Construction.
Mastery.
He underlined each word in turn.
"Remember these four principles. Control your mana. Use it efficiently. Understand the construction of your spells. Then, eventually, combine those principles until mastery becomes natural."
He placed the chalk down.
"Don’t expect to master them immediately."
A faint smile returned to his face.
"You’re first-year students. If you understood everything after a single lesson, I’d have to find another profession."
A few students laughed, and the tension that had filled the classroom finally eased.
Alaric gathered the books from his desk.
"For your first assignment, I want each of you to examine one spell you’ve already learned."
The students immediately became attentive again.
"Don’t try to improve it. Don’t modify its structure, and don’t attempt to create anything new."
He gestured toward the magic circle still drawn on the board.
"Simply study it."
His chalk tapped against the pathways.
"Ask yourself why every part of the magic circle exists. Why does the mana travel through that particular pathway? Why does the spell require that amount of mana? Why does changing one section affect another?"
He turned toward the students.
"You don’t need to give me the answers tomorrow. I only want you to think about the questions."
Several students immediately began writing down the assignment.
Andras remained silent.
He didn’t need to write anything.
He had already memorized everything Alaric had said.
Alaric looked around the room one final time.
"That’s all for today. Your next lesson will continue from here."
He picked up his books and walked toward the door.
Before leaving, he stopped.
"And remember."
The students looked up.
"Don’t treat magic like a list of instructions."
His expression became serious.
"Treat it like a language. Learn its rules. Understand its structure. Once you do that, you’ll eventually be able to create sentences of your own."
With that, Alaric opened the door.
"Class dismissed."
The moment he left, the classroom erupted into conversation.
Chairs scraped against the floor as students stood and gathered their belongings. Some immediately began discussing the complicated magic circle, while others complained about the assignment. A few simply looked exhausted after being introduced to concepts far more advanced than they had expected from their first week at the academy.
Andras remained seated for another moment.
Then—
Click.
The classroom door opened again.
Several students turned toward it.
A woman stepped inside.
The first thing most of them noticed was her physique. She was tall and muscular, with broad shoulders and clearly defined arms. Her posture was straight and disciplined, and even her ordinary movements carried the quiet confidence of someone accustomed to physical combat.
Yet the imposing appearance was contrasted by the thin-rimmed glasses resting on her face.
She wasn’t wearing the academy’s traditional professor uniform either.
Instead, she wore a simple dark training outfit designed for movement, paired with sturdy boots and fitted clothing that made it obvious she had no intention of sitting behind a desk.
The students exchanged curious glances.
The woman stopped near the doorway and surveyed the classroom.
"My name is Elena Veyr."
Her voice was calm and firm.
"I’m Professor Valeria Draven’s assistant."
Several students straightened in their seats.
"Professor Draven isn’t here yet. She’s waiting for us at the combat grounds."
Elena adjusted her glasses.
"Your next class is Combat."
She gestured toward the doorway.
"Stand up and follow me."
The students exchanged glances before slowly rising.
Andras stood with them.
So, it’s combat class.
He had already expected the next lesson to be completely different from Alaric’s.
Magic required understanding.
Combat required something else.
Execution.
The students followed Elena out of the classroom and through the academy corridors.
As they moved farther from the academic buildings, the atmosphere gradually changed. The polished stone halls gave way to wider pathways, and the quiet sounds of the classroom were replaced by distant impacts.
Thud.
Thud.
Clack!
Andras turned his head toward the sounds.
They were approaching one of the academy’s dedicated training areas.
The farther they walked, the louder the sounds became. The impacts of weapons echoed through the surrounding buildings, occasionally accompanied by shouts and bursts of mana.
Eventually, Elena stopped before a massive set of double doors.
She pushed them open.
"Inside."
The students entered.
Andras’s gaze immediately swept across the enormous room.
It wasn’t an ordinary classroom.
It was practically a miniature training ground.
The floor consisted of reinforced stone, divided into several large circular platforms designed for individual combat. Wooden weapon racks lined the walls, carrying swords, spears, staffs, shields, and various other training weapons.
Several training dummies stood throughout the room. Some were made of ordinary wood, while others appeared to have been constructed from reinforced materials capable of withstanding far greater punishment.
Large magical crystals had been embedded into the ceiling, bathing the entire chamber in bright light.
The walls were thick.
Very thick.
Andras immediately understood why.
This room wasn’t designed for theoretical lessons.
It was designed to withstand combat.
The students spread out slightly as they took in their surroundings. Some looked excited by the prospect of their first combat lesson, while others seemed considerably less confident.
Andras remained calm.
His eyes continued moving across the training platforms until they settled on someone standing at the center of the room.
A woman.
She was tall, muscular, and noticeably more imposing than Elena.
Her dark hair was tied back, leaving her face unobstructed. Unlike Elena, she wore no glasses, and her sharp eyes carried an intensity that immediately distinguished her from the assistant.
Her practical combat attire revealed the physique of someone who had spent years training rather than merely maintaining appearances.
The moment the students entered, her gaze swept across them.
One by one.
Slowly.
Carefully.
It wasn’t the casual examination of a teacher checking attendance.
It felt more like an experienced warrior assessing a group of recruits.
Her eyes eventually settled on Elena.
"Thank you, Elena."
Elena nodded.
"My work is done here."
She turned toward the students.
"Professor Draven will take over from here."
With that, Elena stepped aside.
The woman at the center of the training ground began walking toward the students.
Her footsteps were steady and unhurried.
When she stopped in front of them, she remained silent for several seconds.
Her gaze moved across every student once more.
Then she spoke.
"My name is Valeria Draven."
Her voice was clear and firm enough to fill the entire training ground without effort.
"I teach Combat."
Several students exchanged glances.
Valeria folded her arms.
"Before we begin, understand one thing."
The room gradually fell silent.
"I don’t care how talented you are."
Her eyes moved across the students.
"I don’t care how much mana you possess."
She paused.
"I don’t care what rank your talent has."
Her expression remained completely indifferent.
"None of that matters if you can’t fight."