Unexpected Training

Marcus woke up feeling sore and utterly exhausted. The previous night with Erza had been nothing short of intense, and now, as he stirred from his slumber, he realized just how drained he was. His body ached in places he didn't even know could ache. The bright morning sun poured through the window, casting a warm glow across the room. Marcus rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock—it was already 10 a.m.

"Damn, I slept for so long," he muttered to himself, stretching lazily in bed. Today was a weekend, which meant no academy classes, and Marcus had planned to indulge in the rare luxury of being lazy. Just as he was about to sink back into the covers, there was a knock at the door.

Assuming it was Alice, Marcus called out, "Come in." But when the door opened, it wasn't Alice standing there. To his surprise, it was Lucian, the academy principal herself.

"Good morning, principal," Marcus greeted her, quickly sitting up, though still looking a bit disheveled from sleep.

Lucian crossed her arms, her gaze sharp as ever. "You've got some nerve skipping training," she said with a cool, yet angry tone.

Marcus blinked, still half-asleep. "I thought training was canceled since you weren't in the academy," he replied, hoping it would suffice.

Lucian's stern expression softened slightly, and she seemed to back down. "Fair enough," she said, her tone losing its edge. "But as an academy student, you should know better than to wake up so late. Training or no training, discipline is key to becoming strong."

Marcus felt a pang of guilt, but before he could reply, Lucian launched into a short lecture on the importance of practice, discipline, and consistency. Her words carried the weight of her experience, reminding Marcus that this woman was not just the principal but also one of the most powerful mages in Arcanum.

After her lecture, Lucian gave him a stern look. "Go freshen up and meet me at the cafeteria. We'll begin your training after breakfast."

Marcus raised an eyebrow, surprised by her offer. It wasn't every day the academy principal invited someone to breakfast, especially at the cafeteria. He wanted to protest, considering how sore he was, but remembering what happened the last time he questioned Lucian, he thought better of it. With a resigned sigh, he nodded.

Half an hour later, Marcus was dressed and freshly cleaned up, making his way toward the cafeteria. As he reached the main dining hall, he was directed by a waiter to the second floor, where Lucian had reserved a private table. There, she sat, already indulging in her breakfast. A plate of steak awaited him as well—clearly ordered in advance.

Marcus sat across from her, taking a bite of the steak. It was perfectly cooked, and for a moment, he forgot about the soreness in his muscles. As he ate, he couldn't help but ask, "Where did you go, Principal?

"

Lucian glanced at him over her cup of tea, her expression as unreadable as always. "There were some urgent matters I had to attend to outside the academy," she said simply, not offering further details.

Marcus nodded. He wasn't one to pry, especially when it came to someone like Lucian. Instead, he shifted the conversation to his own progress. "By the way, I've reached the level of a 2nd-star mage," he said, his tone casual but his eyes sharp, watching for Lucian's reaction.

Lucian's fork paused mid-air as she looked at Marcus, her eyes widening ever so slightly in surprise. "A 2nd-star mage already?" she asked, her tone impressed. She set her fork down and leaned back in her chair, studying him closely. "Indeed, I can feel it now. Your mana capacity has increased considerably."

Marcus smiled faintly, feeling a sense of pride as Lucian acknowledged his growth. "I've been working hard, and with the training sessions, I've made some breakthroughs." He continued eating, taking a sip of the orange juice that had been placed beside his plate. "I've also decided to head to the dungeons soon."

Lucian's expression immediately shifted from surprise to concern. "The dungeons?who gave you permission" she repeated, her voice carrying a note of warning. "You do realize that dungeons are extremely dangerous, even for mages of your level. One wrong move, and you could be facing monsters or traps far beyond your ability to handle."

Marcus met her gaze and said. "professor erza helped me obtaining the pass as you were not in the academy so she asked several other professors help"

He continued and told her "I know it is danger. But I won't go too deep. I'll stay in the upper levels, just enough to get a feel for real combat. I need the experience to improve my battle skills and survival instincts."

Lucian watched him for a long moment, her eyes narrowing as though trying to gauge whether he truly understood the risks involved. Finally, she let out a quiet sigh and nodded. "You're not wrong. Field experience is just as important as classroom training. But be careful. Overconfidence can lead to disaster. You may be a 2nd-star mage, but there are creatures out there that would make that power look like a candle in a storm."

Marcus nodded. "I understand. I won't be reckless."

Lucian seemed to accept this and gave a small nod in return. "If you've reached 2nd-star already, I won't stop you. But I'll expect a full report when you return. Your survival is as much a learning experience as anything else."

Marcus couldn't help but grin. Even though Lucian wasn't the most emotional person, there was a hint of concern in her words. "Of course. I'll make sure to come back in one piece."

With breakfast winding down, the two of them finished their meals in relative silence, Marcus lost in thought about the dungeon expedition, while Lucian seemed to be contemplating something of her own.

Once they were done, Lucian stood up and gestured for Marcus to follow her. "Let's head to the training grounds. I want to see just how far your 2nd-star powers have developed."

Marcus stretched his arms, feeling a bit more awake now after the meal, and followed her out of the cafeteria. As they made their way through the academy halls, students moved aside to let them pass, clearly aware of Lucian's presence. They whispered among themselves, marcus didn't pay them any mind.

When they arrived at the training grounds, Lucian turned to him, her usual sternness returning. "Show me what you've learned. You say you've grown, but I want to see it."

Marcus nodded, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself. His mana surged through him as he focused, channeling the dark aura he had been refining after reaching 2nd. Star level. A black, smoky energy swirled around his hands, and the ground beneath him seemed to tremble slightly as his power intensified.

Lucian observed with a critical eye, her arms crossed as Marcus began to demonstrate his mastery over his abilities. He summoned a ball of dark energy, condensing it until it pulsed with a menacing glow. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it hurtling toward one of the training dummies, which disintegrated upon impact, leaving only dust in the air.

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Your control has improved significantly. But let's see how you handle something more challenging."

With a wave of her hand, several enchanted dummies appeared on the training field. These dummies were no ordinary targets—they were designed to react like real opponents, dodging, attacking, and even defending themselves.

"Let's see how you do against these," Lucian said, stepping back to watch.

Marcus took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing in focus. The first dummy lunged at him, and he swiftly dodged, summoning a blade of dark energy to counter its strike. The blade sliced through the air with precision, meeting the dummy's wooden sword with a sharp crack. The dummy recoiled but immediately advanced again, more aggressively this time.

Marcus spun on his heel, sidestepping the next attack and countering with a blast of dark magic that sent the dummy flying back. He didn't pause, knowing the other dummies were closing in. He summoned more dark energy, channeling it into a barrier around himself as two more dummies launched simultaneous attacks.

The strikes hit his barrier with force, but Marcus held steady, feeling the pressure but not faltering. With a quick movement, he dispelled the barrier, sending a shockwave of dark energy outward, knocking the dummies off balance. He followed up with a series of quick strikes, dispatching them one by one.

After a few minutes of intense combat, Marcus stood in the center of the field, surrounded by the remains of the enchanted dummies. His breathing was heavy, and sweat trickled down his forehead, but he felt exhilarated. He had done it—he had handled the challenge Lucian set before him.He thought this past days the points he earned wasn't spent on wrong place.

Lucian approached, her expression unreadable. "Not bad," she said finally, giving him a rare nod of approval. "Your control over dark energy has improved, and your combat instincts are sharp. Keep refining your techniques."

In inside even lucian was stunned seeing him displaying his power. The dummies she used even 3-star mage find it difficult to defeat and marcis did it single handedly without breaking a sweat. She thought that marcus doesn't even need her training and thought he was a monster how can he grow this much in past week.

Marcus smiled, hearing her and said. "Thank you, Principal. I'll keep working hard."

Lucian's gaze softened slightly and as she looked at him. "Good. Because if you plan to explore those dungeons, you'll need every bit of strength you can muster. The deeper you go, the more dangerous it becomes."

Now after seeing marcus display of strength lucian was not concerned about him that much and she feel that , if it is marcus he will return safely.

Marcus nodded, his determination renewed. "I'll be ready."

"We will resume our training tomorrow" with that Lucian turned to leave but paused before walking away. "make sure to be on time tomorrow"

With that, she walked away, leaving Marcus standing alone in the training grounds, feeling both exhausted and invigorated.

It was still afternoon so marcus decided to return his dormitory.