Sneaky Warriors.

Time passed as the giant solar body, Astreal rotated on it's axis four times, bringing an end to the previous week and a start to the new semester.

The Academy campus sealed off it's borders, it's translucent barriers closed tightly, only open to those worthy in strength.

Ace had no chances to explore Culmen City, He had been busy experimenting with the powers of bestowal, he was busy exploring the uses of both spirit and vitality, but not mana, he had not found a way to harness its miraculous power.

'It's ridiculous, the use of vitality comes naturally to me just like breathing ; the water of growth automatically transforms into vitality when it flows out of my core, with no effort needed.

The use of spirit also comes instinctively, alI I need to do is heighten my soul–body by concentrating on my core.'

Furrowing his brows Ace dropped his laptop and carefully picked up his coffee mug.

'But It all changes when it comes to mana, The only thing I feel is a strange attraction to towards the crystal floor of my mindscape, I've tried digging downwards towards the source of the strange attraction but even after doing that for the past four days I still haven't reached it."

Ace wore with a bitter expression on his face, as he carefully sipped his coffee.

"The academy should have a shortcut to shorten this process, but I've had no luck finding one on the academy website, It's as if the academy is restricting its information to encourage students to come to classes, and to not homeschool themselves."

"It seems the universal law of students not wanting to go to school is applicable here in Astreal."

Going back to the task at hand Ace clicked on his laptop keyboard, tapping the link to the only topic of his interest on their website.

«Culmen Academy's list of subjects»

This further proved his hypothesis that the academy was consciously choosing the information they put in their website.

'So is there a website for teachers that has all supernatural knowledge or The academy keeps all their knowledge in hard copies; i.e., books'

Ace wondered as he scanned through the list of subjects.

«Compulsory subjects.»

«1.General studies.»

«2.Mage class.»

«3.Warrior class.»

«4.Psychic class.»

«Non–compulsory subjects.»

«5.Alchemy class.»

«6.Blacksmithing class.»

«7.Array class.»

«8.Healing class.»

«9.Necromancy class.»

«10.Familiar binding and summoning class.»

«11.Combat class.»

Ace carefully checked the list of requirements and details of each subject and before deciding which ones he wanted to pick.

The dark veil of the previous night was finally pierced by the time Ace was ready to go to school.

He donned his full academy uniform; Formal black shirt, cargo trousers and although reluctant he also wore the capelet.

"It's the first day of the new semester, I've got to dress appropriately."

Ruffling his pich black hair, Ace made himself look as presentable as possible

'After all this is gonna be the face of the strongest bestowed one day.'

Ace said pompously to himself in the mirror; somewhat jokingly and somewhat of a silent promise to himself.

Ace had set high standards for himself, he wouldn't settle for mediocrity—in this second life of his.

With his morale at an all time high, Ace exited the comfortable embrace of his home–for the foreseeable future; this was gonna be his new home during his indefinite stay in the academy.

He walked down the stairs concealing the ambient vitality within him as he did so,

walking in the icy embrace of the shadows of the dormitory pillar, The expected feeling of detachment concealing his vitality brought hit him.

'After many tries, and many death stares from the warden,

I learnt a trick on how to conceal my presence without triggering a death stare from him, and just in time as well I swore I was starting to see a hint of annoyance in his eyes.'

Ace thought, as he carefully hopped from shadow to shadow, all the while trying to avoid bumping into the pervasive cohort of students that filled the interior of the dormitory.

Admist the bustling group of aspiring bestowed, Ace stood out—yet he did not at the same time, The light in his eyes shrouded in the stable shadows of the dormitories pillars, starkly differed from the childish inquisitiveness the aspiring bestowed had—although he still had the curious look most students had in his eyes, it was somehow different, somehow darker.

Such a look was common among bestowed who had abandoned everything in their exploration of the extraordinary, but certainly not a look one would expect in a recently awakened bestowed.

'Now for the moment of truth.'

Ace whispered as he neared the warden's position.

'If all goes according to plan, he shouldn't sense me since I concealed my presence before I entered his range of perception.'

Ace stepped out of the shadows of the dormitory pillars smoothly blending into the group of students passing by.

'Me concealing my vitality before I reached his range of perception, is just like turning invisible before I enter his line of Sight, but the action of concealing my vitality in the range of his perception, is like turning invisible within his line of sight, of course the warden sensed my presence, I too would be startled if someone infront of me just randomly disappeared.'

Ace walked outside of the school door blending in and imitating the stances of the other students, to appear inconspicuous.

'As expected, nothing happened.'

Ace remarked as he left the dormitory and strolled towards the school building at a comfortable pace.

The day was still early but the academy was already packed full of people, especially freshmans.

Every freshman was in a hurry to register their carefully chosen subjects.

Ace was also one of the freshmans queuing up to register.

"Hmm ~ this is gonna take while, what should I do during this period."

Ace said, rubbing his imaginary beard—a habit he picked up from his past life.

"Oh! And before I forget I should stop concealing my vitality, My capabilities should be kept secret, concealing my vitality all the time is counterintuitive."

'Though isn't much of a secret, as It was really simple to conceal my vitality, I bet every other warrior could do so easily.'

Ace thought before letting the implications of his words to sink in.

'Woah every warrior could do that easily! That's so overpowered, so a gang of warriors could be sitting right next to me and I wouldn't know until it was too late'

Ace shivered at the thought,

'yeah I definitely need to think of some countermeasure to that.'