To Grasp the Abstract

Ashen shifted the topic with a thoughtful expression. 

"By the way, if a simple healing spell infused with just knowledge is this strong, I wonder how much more powerful a spell supported by a concept would be."

Seraphine tilted her head, tapping her cheek in thought. "Hmm… At least ten times stronger, I'd say."

Ashen nodded. "And the mana cost should be way lower too... probably ten times less for the same effect, right?"

"Yeah. Too bad grasping a concept, even something trivial like walking, is impossible at this stage."

"Well, that doesn't change the fact that what you did was incredible," Ashen said. "Though you probably would've learned it much easier if you had waited for the professor's lecture. He did say we'd be covering spellcasting in our next lesson."

Seraphine grinned sheepishly. "I know, but I couldn't wait! This whole magical world is just too fascinating… It would've been perfect if not for the war happening out there."

"True."

With that, they both got up and started heading back, Seraphine humming a soft melody, her good mood practically radiating off her.

Ashen, on the other hand, walked in silence, letting her humming serve as the soundtrack to his thoughts. 

He'd been drifting into deep contemplation more often lately, but who could blame him? This place was filled with wonders, each one accompanied by dangers of equal—if not greater—magnitude. 

Everything here had another side, a hidden layer beneath its surface.

Take spellcraft, for example.

The idea of crafting spells… shaping them bit by bit by honing one's will, accumulating the necessary knowledge, and finally weaving everything together into a seamless picture was nothing short of astonishing. 

But that was just the beginning. 

By understanding an element, a law, or even an abstract concept to a certain extent, one could infuse that understanding into their spell, amplifying its effects.

If Seraphine could grasp the concept of healing and integrate it into her spell, she would've achieved the same result in a tenth of the time, using only a fraction of the mana.

But on the other side of that coin, such mastery came at an exponentially increasing difficulty, demanding relentless dedication and discipline.

Seraphine's success was a mix of talent and effort. After all, less than 10% of the trainees had managed to master their breathing techniques, yet she had done so. 

Even Ashen himself had only reached the third level of MistForge Breath, though that was mostly due to its notoriously harsh requirements.

As for comprehending a concept… That was an entirely different beast.

Understanding it wasn't enough; you had to feel it, live it, sometimes even become one with it just to attain a glimpse, the first of the three stages of concept mastery.

By the time Ashen's thoughts returned to reality, they were already standing outside their rooms.

"Alright, Miss Nurse, thanks for your care today. Have a good night." Ashen waved as he unlocked his door.

Seraphine clasped her hands behind her back and smirked. "Good night to you, too, Mr. Hart. And remember, this nurse is always dedicated to your health. So if you ever feel off somewhere, you know where to find me. I promise I'll make you feel much, much better."

She slipped into her room with a wink, leaving Ashen momentarily stunned.

Regaining his composure, he let out a small sigh before stepping inside his own apartment. Tomorrow, another grueling training session with the coach awaited him, and he had to be in top shape.

Still, the slight redness on his ears betrayed the fact that Seraphine's teasing had affected him more than he cared to admit.

***

Another day, another relentless training session.

Ashen was already adapting to this grueling lifestyle. Heck, at this very moment, he was out on the field, a whole two hours before class, repeating the same basic spear techniques over and over again.

This routine had become his norm over the past two weeks. 

While he considered himself a genius, the fact that his mana reserves were lacking gnawed at him. He hated that feeling of inferiority, so he did the only thing he could: train harder than everyone else to maintain his edge and silence the growing unease in his chest.

The rhythmic whoosh of the spear sliced through the still air of the empty training ground, accompanied only by his steady breaths.

Thrust. Vertical slash. Sidestep. Parry. Thrust…

Each movement flowed seamlessly into the next, as though he were engaged in a deadly dance with an invisible opponent.

After two weeks of relentless practice, he could confidently say he had grasped the basics of spear combat… or at least, that's how it might look to an outsider. 

But Ashen knew better. He wasn't delusional. No matter how smooth his movements appeared, he was still standing at the starting line.

And his bracelet made sure to remind him of that fact.

The shadow conjured by his bracelet evolved alongside him, adjusting to his progress with an almost eerie precision. 

Every time he thought he had mastered a move, the shadow would demonstrate a superior version of it. A sharper, faster, and more efficient version.

It was like having a personal instructor tailor-made for his skill level, showing him, step by step, how to wield and master the spear. Ashen was almost certain that the bracelet had some kind of built-in scanning function that tracked his progress in real-time. The coach was truly a freak of nature to have crafted such a thing.

Still, based on his observations, Ashen was confident that he ranked at the top of the class in weapon handling. Most trainees were still fumbling with the basics, aside from a select few who clearly had prior training.

Then there was Seraphine.

Her existence was an anomaly. While most struggled to grasp the fundamentals, she wielded her whip like a seasoned expert after only two weeks of picking it up.

Ashen had seen fast learners before, but this? This was something else entirely. And no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't wrap his head around it…

Ashen halted his movements, resting the spear on his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he scanned the field.