"Stay focused. Calm your mind—and don't waste a second. Maximize your Arcana after training."
Class C's supervisor, Ms. Wu Qinghua—or Supervisor Wu—strode among the students seated in the spacious dojo-like hall, its polished wooden floors gleaming under overhead lights. Her gold-rimmed glasses and neatly tied hair gave her an austere, composed presence.
"Your cells are most receptive right after physical exertion," she reminded them, voice low but firm. "This is your golden window."
Supervisor Wu also taught them the Arcane Refinement Method.
Two meters away, Zoe Reed suppressed a smirk before settling into a proper meditation posture. Across from her, Wyatt Young glared at Liam, thumb drawn across his throat—classic intimidation.
Liam chuckled under his breath but closed his eyes and turned inwards.
He summoned the Interface in the darkness behind his eyelids.
Two Potential Points remained.
From the midday session, Arcane Refinement Method (Incomplete) Lv.1 had reached 92.9%. An upgrade might be moments away.
After a brief consideration, Liam allocated one point to Constitution and one to Spirit.
Constitution governed his cells' energy absorption and capacity. Spirit influenced his efficiency in drawing Arcana from the environment.
Both were critical to his growth—and more so under pressure.
Allocate Points!
With Spirit climbing to 11, Liam's vision darkened and his pupils dilated slightly.
His mind felt empty… peaceful… as if he'd just slept ten straight hours.
Mental clarity surged. It was sharp enough to feel like telekinetic focus.
Liam stared at his shirt, thought about tugging on it—and expected it to move.
Nope.
He sighed, eyeing himself. Was it… just a placebo?
He dropped his expectations and returned to silent meditation, activating the Refinement Method.
Arcana began coalescing overhead, invisible currents threading through the rafters, focusing downward into him.
He realized just how exponential the benefits were as he climbed: with 11 in both attributes, his absorption rate soared—roughly 40% more efficient than earlier.
The air around him thickened with Arcana. His body drank it like a desert craving water.
Then something unexpected happened: each refinement cycle now yielded more XP than before.
[Arcane Refinement Method (Incomplete) Lv1: +3 EXP][Arcane Refinement Method (Incomplete) Lv1: +5 EXP]…[Arcane Refinement Method (Incomplete) Lv1 → Lv2!]
The flood of Arcana swelled again. Even his enhanced Constitution couldn't contain it all—some drifted off into the surrounding air.
Zoe and another classmate glanced over, confusion flickering across their faces.
Where did all that Arcana come from...?
Supervisor Wu paused in her walk. She peeked up toward the ceiling, then down at Liam. Her expression remained impassive, but her posture stiffened.
An hour passed in a blur of focus.
The dojo remained softly lit, punctuated by the low hum of conversation. Liam opened his eyes and exhaled heavily.
His cells slowed their excited dance. Before him, the Interface displayed the final updates.
Strength: 9 → 10![Arcane Refinement Method (Incomplete) Lv2: +2 EXP][Arcane Refinement Method (Incomplete) Lv2: +1 EXP]
"Ahh," he murmured as he stood, stretching like a waking predator.
Across from him, Wyatt stared casually with two hands in his pockets, lips twisting into a cold smirk.
Liam returned the smile.
Free Combat took place in the large outdoor sparring yard, shared by all year groups. Although rules allowed cross-class matches, most students stuck to sparring within their own class. Every month, the academy hosted inter-class bouts—and those matches carried a different sort of prestige.
"They're not sticking together like usual. Why's Class C lined up for an outdoor duel?"
"They say that bottom-rank cadet finally snapped and challenged Wyatt Young."
"Want to bet? Should we crowd over?"
"Yeah, let's go!"
Seeing Supervisor Wu standing nearby, Liam offered Zoe a helpless grin.
Quietly he asked, "Why'd you call her over?"
Zoe crossed her hands on her hips, an indignant pout on her face.
"If we didn't bring Supervisor Wu, what if Wyatt goes too far?"
She paused, her expression smugly proud. "He's got power—but he's not Zach Whitaker. He won't snap in front of her."
Liam didn't disagree.
Across the yard, Wyatt glared back, jealousy and tension flickering in his eyes from seeing Zoe and Liam whispering together.
Will he really hold back?
Liam inhaled sharply and scanned the gathering crowd.
Human nature, he mused. They'd abandoned their own sparring drills to watch this.
He even recognized faces from Combat and Evasion classes—plus both Coaches Warren and Quinn.
Aren't they supposed to be at lunch?
He winced. He knew this wasn't business as usual.
Wyatt strode into the makeshift ring—an 8×8-meter square painted in yellow on the grass.
Rules were simple: stay inside, don't run, and don't cause serious injury. Breaking the boundary was frowned upon... but not the end of the world if you got tossed out.
Wyatt turned his smirk into a shout, rallying some cheers from his classmates.
"Wyatt! Show that runt class who's in charge!"
"He'd better not pee his pants!"
"One pretty face ain't gonna save him!"
The taunts filled the air until Zoe's piercing cry cut through:
"Liam—don't hold back!"
Her voice was high, urgent. For a few seconds, it drowned out the noise on Wyatt's side.
Liam glanced at her and nodded once. Then he spotted Ryan Tao—his quiet roommate—poking a fist in silent support from the crowd.
He acknowledged him with a quick nod, then turned his attention fully to Wyatt.
(Liam's inner question lingers.)
This wasn't just a fight to prove who's stronger.
It wasn't even about surviving the match in one piece.
He asked himself:
How will I win?