Chapter 77: Magic And Mana Fundamentals
One by one, the scholars of the Elite grade settled into the lecture hall.
The chamber seats were elevated, with each row farther back rising higher than the one before it, starting from the center where the professor was meant to give his lecture.
Despite slowly getting on better terms, the elves occupied one part of the hall while the humans occupied the other, not yet on casual speaking terms.
Leonard sat around the middle, close to the windows. That way, he was able to both see and hear perfectly while remaining outside the professor’s direct line of sight, without arousing suspicion like those sitting in the very back might.
Considering how strict Professor Albert had been last time, he hoped he wouldn’t do anything out of order to earn the man’s disapproval. Otherwise, the year might turn out to be hellish.
Harley immediately sprang toward the open seat next to him, right beside the windows, getting a clear view, and Winston on the other side, the seat creaking under his own weight.
"Careful not to break it." Leonard threw out a casual remark, hoping to lighten the mood.
"Yeah. The furniture is supposed to be sturdy, but let’s not test it, okay?" Harley giggled, finding the joke endearing.
"I will not!" Winston reassured them, slowing down his movements just in case. "...Probably."
William and Samantha sat a little farther ahead, and Cassie followed after them since Samantha was the only other Healer she knew.
Unsurprisingly, Elizabeth went right to the very first row, her desire to prove her devotion palpable.
Soon after, the doors creaked open. Though when Leonard glanced up, expecting to see the professor, he saw Russell wearing a wide smirk instead.
"Strange, why did he arrive later than the others? Did something hold him up?" Leonard pondered for a moment before leaving the matter aside.
At long last, Professor Albert showed up, right at the very second the lesson was supposed to start.
His blue eyes, which were permanently etched into a frown, scanned the Elite grade deliberately.
"Nobody is missing. That’s good... it saves me the bother of enacting a punishment later."
His tone was calm, yet it sent chills down the spines of the scholars, leaving them wondering what fate would have awaited them if they had been late.
"First of all, to those who were able to make it out alive from the Gradeless Void, you have my acknowledgment. It must not have been easy being thrown into a monster’s territory unprepared. You have my condolences for the friends you have lost."
Albert made sure to note who looked on the verge of breaking down from grief, who was able to keep their composure, and who displayed no change in expression whatsoever.
"No doubt, you must have felt frustrated by the way things turned out. The entrance exam was tampered with, and the sudden changes resulted in you scholars being judged unfairly. Some were placed in lower grades than you deserved... while others were placed too far high."
The professor’s eyes seemed to narrow on Leonard, displeasure leaking out.
’Well... crap. So much for not getting on the professor’s bad side. He must be one of those who believe that an awakener’s Bloodline determines everything and must have been quite pissed when he read the report beforehand about who he was going to lecture this year...’
Leonard thought dejectedly, not allowing his emotional state to show on his face.
It wasn’t the first time someone had underestimated him because of his supposed Common Bloodline, never suspecting that he actually bore a Primordial Bloodline stronger than anything they had ever seen.
"Regardless..." Albert continued. "What’s done is done. Use the experience to remind yourself why the Void Believers are our sworn enemies and must be exterminated at all costs... Now, on to Magic and Mana Fundamentals."
He briefly touched on how Skills had ranks and levels, while Traits were tied to the rank of their Bloodline resulting in them only having levels.
"Now, on to Classes. Everyone here has one, and aside from the starting Skill you gained upon your ascension, you’re left wondering how to acquire more. After all, there’s no option to buy new Skills or upgrade your Class with Evolution Points."
Albert let the silence settle before continuing.
"The answer lies in your Magic attribute. Besides scaling with magic-based Skills and determining the size of your Mana pool, it also plays a major role in how quickly you can learn new Skills through observation and repetition... the most intuitive way to learn spells."
The scholars listened keenly, absorbing every word.
"Of course, the rank of your Bloodline is the most important factor, as it determines how quickly you learn. Lastly, your Class determines the types of Skills you can grasp. For example, a Barbarian can learn healing spells, but doing so would be far more difficult than for a Healer. They would therefore be better off focusing on melee-based Skills."
’Interesting. In that case, using my remaining Evolution Points to gain various types of Classes should in theory allow me to grasp every Skill that is taught in the academy...’ Leonard pondered.
"However..." Albert’s voice grew louder than before. "All of this was just a dry theory that you will not understand unless you experience it firsthand. For that, I will need two volunteers: one talented and one not, to showcase the difference."
He respectfully bowed toward Arabella.
"Princess Arabella, will you do us the honors?"
With the transferred elves, Albert had been instructed to help them bond with the humans. What better way than to show what they were truly capable of?
"With pleasure." She replied evenly and walked toward the professor.
Accustomed to receiving stares, she remained unwavering under the gazes of the scholars, who couldn’t help but be captivated by her beauty, which surpassed that of the usual elf.
"Now for the second volunteer..." Albert scanned the human side, searching for the most untalented among them.
The frown on his face remained, though his lips curled up slightly.
"Scholar Leonard." He said, more like an order than a request. "Step forward."