Chapter 29 (strategies and teamwork)

In the lecture hall, Drake, as usual, was

seated at the back of the lecture hall,

with Xena to his left and Mark to his right.

He lifted his head, still recovering from

the awkwardness of walking out of his

dorm room with Xena, heading to the

lecture hall.

Mark turned to Drake, noticing his

fragileappearance. "Hay pal, why are you

so weak today? You look exhausted, like

you haven't slept." He rested his left

elbow on the lecture desk, propped his

head on his hand, and focused on Drake.

Drake signs heavily. "Yeah, I was trying

to put something into practice and run

out of mana." He instantly noticed the

shift in the atmosphere and turned to

Mark, who was grinning at him.

He realised Mark had misunderstood

his words. "That's not what happened.

You are getting me wrong. I meant I was

trying to develop a way to assimilate

mana effectively." He grasped Mark's

shoulders, attempting to clear up the

confusion.

"Yeah,yeah. I understand. I can't just

stop laughing." Mark covered his opened

mouth as he chuckled. "I'm really

serious." Drake insisted, his eyes

narrowed, staring intensively at Mark, but

Mark did not take him seriously.

Mark stood up, stretching his upper

body towards Xena. "Sister in law," he

called out for her attention. "How was

your first night with Drake?" Obliviously

to the playful atmosphere, Xena quickly

grabbed Drake's arm tightly to her chest.

"It was really great," her voice filled with

warmth. "That will be the best

memorable night I have ever had." She

turned to Drake and smiled. Mark sank

back in his seat, erupting into laughter.

Drake rested his head on his right hand,

shaking it in exasperation.

They were on this when Victoria Luther

strided on the podium, a stack of

balanced precariously on her right hand.

She turned to the seated students, her

gaze locked with Drake, sparking his

curiosity. He leaned towards Mark. "What

is she doing up there?" He whispered.

Mark folds his arms, clearing his throat.

"You might not know yet since it's not

officially announced yet. Victoria Luthor

has been appointed as our class rep by

Professor Leo."

Victoria calls for everyone's attention.

"I just arrived from Professor Leo's office

to distribute these forms." She picked up

one of the forms with her left hand. "This

form lists all the courses offered in the

academy. Three courses are already

preselected, which are:

The Art of Mental and Resilience

Toughness, Strategic and Teamwork,

and The Foundation of Magic, taught by

Professor Leo himself. I will begin

passing the forms around, so choose

your remaining courses wisely." She

stepped down the podium and started

distributing the form.

The lecture hall became buzzed with

nervous excitement, a symphony of

hushed as students huddled in groups,

dissecting their chosen courses. Mark

noticed Drake had ticked Sword Mastery

and It's Stance, which fall under

Weapons Mastery and It's Impact.

"But I think you're a mage; what did

you need weapons mastery class for?"

Mark puzzled, glancing at Drake. "Yeah,

I'm planning to learn swordsmanship,"

he turned to Mark, seeing his inquisitive

gaze. "Mark, don't stare at me like that.

Just because that doesn't exist doesn't

mean it's impossible, and it's not like I

will abandon being a mage. That's why I

picked The Art of Materialisation and

Spellcasting as my fifth course. What of

about you?" Mark showed Drake his

form. "I only selected Fist Mastery and

Stance."

Everyone was busing filling out their

forms when a young lady wearing a dark

purple gown and shoes with a black hat

on her head in her early thirties entered

the lecture hall. She's 5.6 feet tall, with

striking light blue short hair and eyes and

a glossy white complexion.

Everyone went to their seat and kept

quiet, watching her stride towards the

podium. She turned to face them. "Good

morning, class."

They all stand. "Good morning, ma."

They responded in unison and settled

back to their seats. She turned to the

board behind her and wrote the topic she

was in charge of, then turned back to

them. "My name is Amara; I will be taken

through Strategics and Teamwork." She

paused for a moment, staring around the

hall, then continued.

"Who can tell me why strategy and

teamwork are necessary as humans and

mage?" Victoria raised her hand. "Okay,

I'm all ears." Professor Amara gave her

the go-ahead.

She stood up, clearing her throat. "For

easy eradication of enemies and

reduction of time consumption."

Professor Amara, shake her head

slightly.

"You are partially correct, but that's not

it. Anyone else." Gazing at the students,

Drake raised his hand and stood.

"In order to make up for human

weaknesses and enhance social

interaction." Drake said. Professor

Amara's eyes widened with delight.

"That's correct," she exclaimed.

"What's your name?" She asked,

pointing at Drake. "Alexander Drake. Oh,

you're the rumoured guy around the

academy," she said, smiling grace from

her lips. "You can sit." She turned back

her attention to the class.

"Strategie and teamwork have been

parts of human activities since the time

of dawn, even before the era of mana

and magic. Human weakness came from

various factors, such as human

behaviour, physical limitations, and their

relationship with their environment. To

compensate for these weaknesses,

humans devised some ingenious

solutions, and when the era of magic

arrived, driven by arrogance and pride,

human abandoned them until they

eventually realised that no matter how

much strength and magic they acquired,

humans would always be vulnerable,

realising that strategy and teamwork are

indispensable.

That is why this course is compulsory

for all aspiring mages and warriors.

There are three essential roles for a team

to achieve perfect teamwork, which are

offensive, defensive, and supportive.

offensive roles include War Mages, also

known as warriors, spellcasters, and

archer mages.

"Defensive roles are filled by shield

mages and ward weavers, and finally

supportive roles are played by healers,

medic mages, and arcane amplifiers.

Each team must have one member each

of these three roles." She paused

slightly.

"This reminds me. After class, you

should all form your teams of three,

adhering to these guidelines, and get to

know your teammates well before the

day of physical training. And before I

forget, be on guard at all times. We don't

want a repeat of what happened to your

seniors before their promotion. Have a

stellar afternoon." Professor Amara

exited the class.

Drake sensed the heavy mood in the

room and turned to Mark. "Why is the air

so thick with sorrow?"