Inside Instructor Sylvia’s classroom, the atmosphere today felt noticeably different from the previous sessions. Her usually composed expression carried a weight of solemnity that imdiately put the entire class on edge.
Sothing is wrong. I thought to myself, as I took a seat.
She waited until everyone had settled before speaking, her voice serious and grim.
"I need to discuss sothing with all of you, information that’s been circulating among the faculty and will soon beco public knowledge throughout the kingdom. As future defenders of this place, you all deserve to know."
The room fell completely silent, every student giving her their full attention.
"Over the past several weeks, we’ve received increasingly concerning reports about magical beast activity along the kingdom’s borders and in outlying territories. Attack frequencies have risen dramatically, not just isolated incidents, but coordinated assaults on towns and villages that were previously considered secure."
Several students moved uncomfortably in their seats. Increased beast attacks were never a good sign, often indicating larger territorial shifts or disturbances in the natural magical ecosystem.
"Many of these settlents lack adequate defensive forces to repel sustained attacks from organized beast groups," Sylvia continued. "Local militias and guard units are being overwheld. Casualty reports are climbing, and several towns have been evacuated entirely after defensive lines collapsed."
One of the students raised his hand. "Are reinforcents being sent from the capital or major cities?"
"Yes, but resources are finite. The Royal Army is stretched thin managing multiple crisis points simultaneously. Noble houses are deploying their private forces, but coordination remains challenging across different territories."
My thoughts imdiately turned to my father and his mission to Thornhaven. The timing couldn’t be coincidental, his assignnt to deal with a Transcendent-rank beast threat was likely connected to this broader pattern of escalating attacks.
I made a ntal note to check the Book of Hints imdiately after class ended, to see if his survival probability had changed based on these developing circumstances.
Elen spoke up, concern evident in her voice. "What does this an for academy operations? Will we be deployed to assist with defensive efforts?"
Sylvia shook her head. "First-year students will not be sent to active combat zones. However, training protocols are being adjusted to prepare you for potential ergency scenarios. The academy itself may need to strengthen its defensive periter if the situation continues deteriorating."
She paused, her expression growing even more grave.
"If things continue progressing along this trajectory, many aspects of the kingdom will change - for good or for worse. Trade routes will be disrupted, resources will be redirected toward military efforts, and the social stability we’ve enjoyed for decades could face serious challenges."
The classroom remained silent as students processed the implications. This wasn’t just about isolated monster attacks anymore, this suggested changes that could affect the entire kingdom’s structure.
"The royal court is investigating possible causes for this sudden escalation," Sylvia added. "Whether it’s migration patterns, disturbances in major beast territories, or sothing more deliberate remains unclear. But you all need to understand that the world outside these academy walls is becoming increasingly dangerous."
She looked around the room, eting each student’s eyes.
"Use your training ti wisely. What you learn here may determine not just your personal advancent, but your ability to protect others when the situation demands it."
"With that said, it’s ti to start our lesson," Sylvia announced, her tone shifting from grave briefing to professional instruction. "Everyone, follow to Section G."
The class rose and followed her through the academy corridors toward the specialized training facilities. The somber mood from her earlier announcent lingered, but students began focusing on the imdiate task ahead.
Section G’s combat training area was extensive, multiple chambers designed for different aspects of warrior developnt. Sylvia led us to the main drill hall, a massive space equipped with various training stations and magical asurent devices.
"Today we’re conducting comprehensive combat drills covering all fundantal aspects of your capabilities," Sylvia explained as we assembled. "Agility, strength, endurance, and mana control. Each station will test and push your limits."
She gestured toward different sections of the hall. "You’ll rotate through each station in groups. I expect good effort - these assessnts will identify your weaknesses that need addressing and strengths that can be further developed."
The first station focused on agility training. The obstacle courses were much more difficult than the first one that Sylvia had introduced to them. Surprisingly, my classmates were not struggling anymore. Unlike the first ti where so couldn’t complete the courses, this ti, they were able to, albeit the timing between them differed.
When my turn ca, I activated my blood enhancent moderately - enough to perform well beyond my classmates without revealing my full capabilities. The course was challenging but manageable, my vampire reflexes and practiced footwork allowing smooth navigation through the shifting barriers.
"Excellent form, Adrian," Sylvia noted as I completed the circuit. "Your movent efficiency has improved significantly since the examination."
The strength station involved lifting and manipulating progressively heavier enchanted weights that tested both physical power and technique. Marcus excelled here, his Ironhold bloodline providing natural advantages in raw strength applications.
Still, he did not outperform . Using blood enhancent to augnt my lifting capacity while maintaining proper form.
Endurance training was perhaps the most gruelling for most students. They had to maintain combat-ready stances while channelling mana continuously, testing both physical stamina and magical reserves. The goal was to last as long as possible before exhaustion forced them to surrender.
Many students dropped out within fifteen minutes, their legs trembling and mana reserves depleted. I decided to stop after an hour before my two competitors, emt and Marcus decided to withdraw.
They didn’t want to completely exhaust themselves before the next station. Which was a smart move, they knew that they would lose no matter how hard they tried. So they decided to save their strength for the next test.
The final station tested mana control through precision exercises - creating specific shapes with pure mana, maintaining multiple simultaneous manipulations, and demonstrating fine control under pressure.
Reviews
All reviews (0)