First Day At The Academy(2)
Logan paused in his steps and glared Orion down, "What did you just say?" Logan clenched his fists.
"I don't want a fight trust me. I just want a civilized conversation between friends." Orion spoke ignoring the tension in the air.
"I have nothing to do with the letter you received trust me. I'm just a party interested in what you can help me with." Orion partly revealed his cards.
"How about this. In the manner of a friendship that is yet to fully blossom, I challenge you to a duel. After today's lesson if you will." Logan's fist unclenched as he let out a shaky breath to calm himself.
"If you win, I'll tell you what I know about the grey energy but if I win, you'll help me with something when the time comes." Orion extended his hand for a shake, a hand which Logan took cautiously.
"Still so cautious. Ha, I like it." Orion let out a laugh before heading off in a random direction.
Logan looked at the hand he had used to shake Orion, 'Well I've ruled out that he has something to do with the letter. No fool would let themselves up so easily.' Logan's eyebrows furrowed as thoughts surged in his mind.
'It seemed almost as though he simply is finding an excuse to extract information out of me through a form of probing.' Logan heavily deduced.
'Or is he looking to spar? Perhaps both. Why kill only one beast with a spell when you can kill two.' Logan analyzed with jaw dropping precision.
Logan let out a deep sigh, 'Of course on my very first day here I end up having someone to duel.' He inwardly lamented before heading to the hall where he as well as everyone else would have his class.
The hall was in a semicircular setting with the seats at the back being the highest while those at the front were the lowest.
The tables and seats for students from the back to the front curved around the teacher's table with reducing circumference. It shared similarities to a common theatre.
Despite the hall having over twenty rows each with ten seats granting it the capacity to hold at least 200 students, Logan found and sat at a seat in the tenth row.
'Not too close to get the teachers attention and not to far back to not hear anything.' Logan thought as he looked at the empty room.
He pulled out his tablet and started reading the academy's rules while actively searching for loopholes or ways to exploit the rules of the academy.
He tore his eyes away from his tablet at the sound of other students entering.
He was waiting patiently for the class to begin when someone sat beside him, he looked and much to his dismay, it was Orion.
"Never took you for the studious type. I thought you'd be one of those 'I never pay attention yet I always pass' kind of student." Logan's eyes twitched as Orion poked him while asking him questions.
Logan at this point was starting to regret surviving the D-rank beast.
Time passed this way with students filling the hall and Orion bothering Logan who gave the occasional reply.
Logan was about cast a Dark Shot specifically for Orion when a woman walked through the door causing the light chatter that had filled the room to die down.
She had dark brown hair and orange streaks, a gentle face that only a mother could have and a smile that calmed people.
She approached the dark oak table that was set out for teachers, "Good Morning first years, my name is Bethany Heart but you may call me Ms. Beth." Her kind voice projected through out the hall.
"I am your teacher on the Theory of Mana." She smiled gently at the students, "But before we dive into the actual focus of the class, who can tell me what mana is." Her smile extended as she observed, waiting to see who would answer.
A petite hand rose and claimed the attention of everyone present. It belonged to a girl at the very first row.
The girl stood up, "Mana is the energy that flows within all things including the universe thus giving it shape and form." The girl smiled lightly as she glanced at those in her year. She had successfully one-upped them.
"Wrong!" Miss Beth's voice called out to the girl drawing attention to the latter and with it mockery from her peers.
She firmly gripped the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white.
"NO! It can't be! I studied and did my research. My definition even if wrong is deserving of some recognition." She yelled at Miss Beth, her face red as she spoke out of turn.
"Your definition is perfect… for those who are ignorant." Miss Beth replied calmly, her voice not changing tone.
"You see my students-" Miss Beth called out to the class, "I teach you not only to pass knowledge but to eliminate ignorance." She completed causing the girl's face to become even more red.
"What she defined isn't mana but World Energy." Miss Beth reached for a crystal that was embedded into her table and tapped on it.
A large image of a planet appeared in the air, "Holograms. Whoa, it requires high skill with light magic to do this." A student with a silver streak gasped in wonder.
"Can't you see she touched that crystal. Clearly it's enchanted to display holograms." A feminine voice countered.
"Ahem. Back to the lesson please." Miss Beth cleared her throat to claim back the attention of the students present.
She tapped on the crystal again and multicolored lines spread around the planet.
"Those lines you see are the strongest currents of world energy that flow through our planet as has been recorded." She gestured at the lines.
"The world energy gives matter its inherent properties. Hence why you can't see liquid or solid air." She paused, a form of excitement for the topic at hand burning in her eyes.
"Now this is where things get interesting. If the energy outside is World Energy then what of mana?" She continued.
"Mana is world energy corrupted by your life force." She concluded with a wide smile.