The Way to The Soul-Strengthening Realm (2)

The following day, Elion came to his class after a few days of absence. 

As he stepped into the room, the familiar buzz of conversation died down for a moment, and curious eyes turned toward him. 

"Hey, isn't that the guy who passed out after the trial?" one student whispered with disdain.

"Yeah, that's him. He shouldn't even be here, doesn't meet the requirements, yet he is and also still stuck in the third realm. This guy is even shameless enough to come back after fainting in God's Temple."

"If I were him, I wouldn't have the nerve to show my face, let alone take the entrance exam," someone muttered with a sneer.

"I heard he's only here because he's Princess Seraphina's blood sack. Just a human plaything," said the guy who secretly wanted to be Princess Seraphina's blood sack and plaything.

'It seems I'm not very well-liked here. Considering that all of them are at the low or mid Soul-Strengthening Realm and couldn't even block a stroke of mine this sounds a bit funny.'

Elion ignored the crowd's whispers and proceeded to a vacant seat close to the door.

He also made sure to remember some of the faces of those who called him shameless and Princess' blood sack.

When the first assessment came in a month, he would give them a good beating to remember.

Soon, it was time for the class to start, and Robert, the homeroom teacher for class F, came in.

Walking in the elegance and beauty that only an elf can muster, he stepped up to the podium and began addressing the students.

"Good morning, students."

The girls' eyes lit up with excitement at the sight of their charming teacher, captivated by him.

Robert, who seemed used or oblivious to it, ignored their excitement and continued.

"Today, we'll be discussing mind magic and how to defend against it."

"Mind magic, like any other form of magic, isn't exclusive to a single race. However, for unknown reasons, it's most commonly wielded by demons or those who've chosen to betray the vampire realm and ally with them, accepting their power."

This information wasn't new to Elion. 

He had been fighting demons non-stop for the last 2 years and was already used to this kind of treacherous and dangerous magic.

"Most demons use mind magic to create illusions," Robert explained.

"And if the target isn't aware they're being attacked, it can bypass even the senses of an experienced mage."

"In rare cases, mind mages can go further, controlling their targets after trapping them within an illusion. Controlling the target isn't common though, only the strongest mind mages could do that."

Robert's gaze then shifted to Elion. "There are two main ways to defend against this. Student, would you know the answer?"

Elion blinked, caught off guard by the sudden mention of his name. 

He had just returned after a few days of absence, and it felt odd for the teacher to single him out so soon. But, pushing the surprise aside, he responded.

"Yes. First, we can prepare runes beforehand and imbue them into our clothing—ideally something close to the head."

"Second, we could constantly channel mana through our mind. It's more reliable, but it drains your mana, which could be dangerous in a battle."

Robert was impressed. He hadn't expected such a flawless answer. 

Since mind magic was an uncommon type of magic, at least to those in the Vampire Realm, most students didn't fully grasp the ways of mind magic defense unless they had firsthand experience with demons, a situation few in the academy would have encountered.

"Indeed, a perfect answer," Robert nodded approvingly. Then, with a slight smile, he asked, "Now, suppose you were already caught in a mind magic attack. How would you escape?"

"Focus all your energy on your core," Elion replied without hesitation. "Then, force it through, in a single stroke, to your head. That's the best way to break free once the magic takes effect."

Robert's smile widened. "Good. It seems you haven't neglected your studies. Very good."

"But don't be complacent," Robert continued. "Most mind mages won't even let you realize that you are trapped in an illusion, much less try to escape it.

Elion nodded, that was true, he saw a lot of good warriors trapped in those illusions, and sometimes they didn't even notice they were trapped.

Someone had dispelled the spell in their place.

Robert was genuinely happy, he thought that this student was the kind that only used connections to get by, but it seems that he was also hard-working and at least knew how to study.

The classes continued without disturbances, Robert was a very experienced mage who had fought for decades against the demons.

His insights into magic, although not at the level of the Prophet King's book that Elion used as a reference for his studies, could be very helpful for anyone. 

Not only did he know various kinds of magic, but he also knew how to effectively use them on the battlefield. 

He responded to the students' questions flawlessly.

'No wonder he was one of the teachers in the most prestigious academy in the Vampire Realm,' thought Elion.

He also found out that the vampire girl with blonde curly hair who confronted him on his first day was named Clarice, and although she was only at the low Soul-Strengthening Realm, she was a genius at magic theory.

Ding-ding!

Soon the bell rang, signaling the end of the class.

Elion picked up his phone and saw a message from Valeria, letting him know she'd be at the academy's training facilities and wouldn't return home until nightfall.

A mocking smile appeared across his face. 

He, too, wanted to use the amazing training facilities provided by the academy, to improve his strength faster. 

Alas, as the lowest-ranked student, he didn't have the privilege.

'The weak truly have no say.'

[It wasn't like that in the past. Because of the demon's invasion, the stronger gained more respect from the masses, and the Vampire Realm needed stronger blood to constantly keep the demons at bay. This is the current result.]

'I understand, Valen. Equality makes no sense if we'll all die,' Elion agreed to Valen's logic in his head.

He quickly texted back, letting her know he'd also be training and would be home late. 

Today, he was determined to test what he had learned in God's Temple and see if he could find a way to break through to the Soul-Strengthening Realm on both paths.

Right after texting his sister, Elion left the class.

He searched for a secluded spot to test his theories, knowing that the vast size of Eldoria would offer plenty of options. 

It wasn't long before he discovered a quiet area within the academy grounds, surrounded by dense trees and free from visible passersby. 

It wasn't exactly a hidden location, but it was good enough, it wasn't like he would do something illegal, he just didn't want to be disturbed.

"This place is perfect. Watch and pay attention, Valen." 

[You have my full attention. Not that I could go anywhere else but to be by your side.]

Elion began to fully rotate his mana core, channeling all of his mana into his sword.

He tried to give weight to the sword using gravity magic, and although he wasn't proficient in this kind of magic, it was enough to add hundreds of kilograms to his katana.

The sword felt heavier in his hands, even at the peak Muscle Expansion Realm, he still had a hard time moving it.

Soon, he started swinging his sword downward, executing a basic slash.

The weight of the blade felt immense as it cut through the air.

Within just half an hour, Elion's muscles began to ache from the repetitive swings, 

Fatigue crept into his limbs with each motion.

He stopped doing a repetitive movement and started to shadow fight against demons, the worst kind of enemies he had fought in the past two years.

His core felt exhausted from the repetitive mana manipulation, the output of mana was each time less and less, this weight reduction also permitted Elion to continue running and swing his sword against imaginary enemies.

Each time he thought his body would give him, he moved yet again.

He remembered the feeling he felt in God's Trial, the sheer exhaustion before collapsing.

Elion soon came to a halt. No matter how hard he tried, his body refused to cooperate any longer. 

'It's here, my chance!'

He pushed himself to the limit. Veins in his arms and legs throbbed dangerously, and he felt a crack forming within his mana core. 

Ignoring the pain, he concentrated a minuscule, nearly imperceptible amount of mana into his sword and prepared for one final swing. 

Drip, drop. 

His arm and legs' veins tore, and his core cracked.

'Just one more, please!'

With the sword pointing skyward, he swung down with all his might, pouring all his strength into the motion.

With that final slash, Elion's body finally succumbed to fatigue, collapsing as darkness enveloped him. 

Before collapsing he experienced a familiar sensation, the same he felt in God's Temple as if the chains binding him were shattering once again, freeing him from his limitations.