26th August

All the students had already changed into their jerseys and were gathered on the training grounds. The announcement made by Miss Yuan completely transformed the atmosphere. As everyone warmed up, Miss Iva engaged in a conversation with Miss Yuan in the courtyard.

After some time Miss Iva came onto the field and addressed the students, "Hey boys, and girls, as you know already that we have a big mission coming up, now I was trying to take things nice and slow with you but due to the current situation we have to jump directly into training."

At those words, excitement surged through the students. Their minds braced themselves for the challenges that lay ahead.

training. Ever since joining Avalon, all the students had one goal in mind—to master various . These were a collection of techniques and abilities possessed by trained , ranging from basic skills like projecting fire beams to more intricate ones like telekinesis and teleportation. In the most basic sense, it was what they referred to as 'magic tricks'.

"Now we will start with the basics until we realize what attribute each one of you is comfortable with, after that there will be the special training that will focus on it specifically. And with that out of the way, start with 300 high jumps kids!"

⛧ ⛧ ⛧

All of the students were already exhausted from Miss Iva's intense warm-up. They gasped for breath, their clothes drenched in sweat. But Miss Iva wasn't finished, she had only just begun, "Kids!" She clapped her hands to grab their attention, " What are you all doing slacking off, the real training starts now." Groans filled the air, but Miss Iva remained unwavering. , "Stop groaning and start training idiots, we don't have enough time. Get on your feet. NOW!"

Without a moment's delay, the students obeyed her command. They lined up, standing a foot apart from each other. Satisfied with their response, Miss Iva continued, "Now, your real training starts, I want everyone of you to sit down in meditation position and gather as much Crux particles around as you can, no holding back! Then you hold it for 5 minutes straight, during which you all will breath in a rhythm, taking a deep breath and then realizing it in 3-4 puffs. Don't let your leak during this. Now start!"

Yuki and the other students followed her instructions, taking their seats and entering a state of meditation. Yuki closed his eyes and entered the realm of darkness. As he focused his mind, he started to see luminous particles of various colours—white, yellow, and green—floating in the abyss. Intrigued, he directed his attention towards them. The number of particles increased, but the space between them also expanded. It was Yuki's first time meditating, yet his focus was unwavering. As his concentration deepened, he noticed a particle that stood out from the rest—it was bigger and of a distinct purple hue. Acting on instinct, Yuki decided to pursue it. He intensified his focus, attempting to approach the particle, but it seemed to drift away at an equal pace. The more Yuki concentrated, the more challenging it became to catch it. Eventually, the particle vanished into the abyss before him.

Yuki snapped out of his meditative state. More than 5 minutes had passed by and Iva was standing in front of him, "What did you see kid?" She asked. "Purple light" Yuki answered, her eyes widened after hearing those words, she stood blankly for a few seconds then slowly opened her mouth, "Purple light… Everyone who saw purple light during practice will meet me after you're done with your classes." The students exchanged confused glances, unaware of the significance of the purple light or why it held such importance.

"Now everyone will line up according to the colors they saw, in order of the rainbow from my left beginning with violet and my right ending with red."

As Yuki fell into line as instructed by Miss Iva, he accidentally bumped into another boy. Both of them immediately apologized, but as they looked at each other, they realized the significance of the encounter. The boy before Yuki was tall and slender, possessing a pale complexion and piercing dark blue eyes. Intricate tattoos adorned his neck and wrists, giving him an otherworldly and arcane aura. There was an undeniable air of mystery and darkness that surrounded him, captivating anyone who crossed his path. His black hair reached his chin, with long bangs swept to the left, and his broad face showcased a strong jawline.

Addressing Yuki, the boy spoke, "Oh, it's you, the 'prodigy' Shaman. So, you're one of the too, huh?" His voice was low and calm, each word carrying a weight that demanded attention.

Being labelled the "prodigy" Shaman was something Yuki had endured since his fight with John, and he knew it was meant as mockery. Yet, deep down, most people understood that he was far from deserving of such a title. This knowledge only fueled Yuki's frustration when he heard those words. He responded sharply, "Don't call me that! And for starters, who even are you? I've never seen you here before."

The boy maintained his composure and replied, "Indeed, someone of your caliber wouldn't be worthy of the prodigy title. I'm glad you recognize that, at least. And it appears you've already forgotten me. I joined two weeks ago." His voice remained calm, with deliberate pauses between his words.

"Oh, right. I remember now. You're the one who nearly cracked their head open while attempting to sit down," Yuki retorted, mocking the boy's previous clumsy moment. "What was your name again? Kane... Kyle... Perhaps Kylie...?" He couldn't resist taunting the boy, making jest of his delicate and somewhat feminine appearance.

A click of teeth escaped the boy's lips, revealing his annoyance. "'The fool doth think he is wise.' Your arrogance knows no bounds. If you do not rein in your ego, you will face even greater challenges," he warned, his words laced with a hint of admonishment.

"Oh really? Then let's see how difficult it is fighting you!" Yuki got near his face, provoking him.

"Stop fighting! You bunch really are good for nothing!" Iva interrupted them, diluting the atmosphere. "Get in line and if you try fighting each other again I'll make you run 10 kilometers with your feet tied."

They both exchanged grunts and locked eyes for a moment before returning to their positions in the lines. As they turned away, the boy called out to Yuki, "Hey, the name is Kai." With that, he walked away, leaving Yuki to respond with a sarcastic remark, "I'll make sure not to remember it."

Once everyone had settled into their respective positions, Miss Iva addressed the entire group, "So y'all might be wondering, what this color scheme has got to do with anything, well it does, the color you all saw tells what you carry, which in turn allows us to evaluate what element you're most suitable with. Now this is not an accurate measure but it gives us the groundwork to begin with. So I'll start naming all of the auras and their attributes, make sure you follow:"

+

Purple 一 Acrux 一 Special Case

Blue 一 Arcas 一 Electricity, Water and Ice

Cyan 一 Callisto 一 Water and Ice

Green 一 Dubhe 一 Organic, Air, Water

Red 一 Gacrux 一 Fire

Orange 一 Ginan 一 Fire, Air

White 一 Imai 一 Air

+

"As you can see, some auras are acquainted with multiple attributes while some are acquainted with only one, so let me remind you that elemental attributes are not that simple; these classifications exist only to simplify things and you shouldn't be surprised if anything that doesn't follow the rules of these classifications happen. It's just like chemistry, hell lot of exceptions… maybe that's why I used to be really bad at it."

"So what we will do now is teach you all specifically the skills your aura is affiliated with, we don't have enough time to train and evaluate your exact attributes and strengths."

"You keep mentioning that we don't have enough time, but just how much time do we actually have?" It was Lin who raised the question that everyone wanted to ask.

Iva made complicated expressions organizing her thoughts for a moment and then replied, "It's just speculation but… around a month." It was not her usual cheerful tone but rather a far more serious one.

"Shouldn't it be enough to get ready?"

"No… not against the threat you little ones are facing."

Once again the environment grew cold as everyone was made to realize the gravity of the situation.

"But that's the part we don't worry about, we just train hard to face hard enemies, got it?" She once again returned to her usual tone with that.

"Now enough talking, let's begin with the skill training."

⛧ ⛧ ⛧

After the exhaustive session of skill training, all the students made their way back to the classroom. Each of us had learned a wide variety of techniques based on our respective auras.

Those possessing the were taught techniques like [Spin Wall],[ Air Bullets], and [Vortex Creation]. Students associated with fire were taught [Torch] and [Flare], while those with learned [Healing], [Bubble Projection], [Silk Vortex], and [Blood Sense]. The students aligned with ice and water were taught [Cryo Bomb], [Cryo Beam], and [Hydro Pillar]. As for the students, they learned all of the aforementioned techniques, along with [Electric Blast] and [Bullet].

But that was not the case for those who possessed . As our affiliation was "Special Case" we were given special treatment. Not only were we taught advanced techniques but also given a small insight into relics.

However, the students with the , including myself, were given special treatment due to our "Special Case" affiliation. Not only were we taught advanced techniques like [Repulsion Field], [Bullet], [Hell-Fire], and [Barrier], but we also received insights into . Additionally, we were taught passive techniques such as [Blood Sense] and [Regeneration].

At first, it seemed like we were being given this special training because we were chosen or held some special status. But in reality, it was a matter of utilizing the academy's best assets. Among the 32 first-year students, only five of us possessed the , namely myself, Kai, Lin, and two other students whose names I didn't know.

There were many things I couldn't understand and wanted to discuss with Miss Iva. After the class, while the other students headed to the cafeteria for lunch, I approached her.

"What are you doing here kid? You should be having your lunch, aren't you hungry?" Miss Iva asked me as I approached her. "I have some questions," I said in a serious tone. "Guessed so. Why don't we talk while having a walk then."

⛧ ⛧ ⛧

"So ya want to know why was defined as a special case?" Miss Iva asked.

"How did you-... Well, yes, that's true but I have more questions-", Yuki responded, surprised.

"Like why your class was specifically selected for this mission?" Miss Iva continued, seemingly reading his mind.

"How do you know everything I'm about to ask!?" Yuki exclaimed.

"I've been a teacher for 20 years now, kid, I can read students like an open book." She replied with a knowing smile.

Twenty years? She looks like she's in her late twenties, just exactly how old is she now? Anyways, that isn't important now, "Then you must also have an answer to my question." He stated.

"Yes, what should I begin with? Pick your poison." Miss Iva offered.

"Tell me about first." Yuki requested.

"So ya see kid, these auras are all just a collection of around your body right? So why do ya think they possess types in the first place?" Miss Iva asked.

"Hmm… I never thought about this… maybe because the have types too?"

"Wrong. Crux Particles are a form of energy, like light or sound. They don't have types; they are simply energy," Miss Iva corrected him.

"Then why?" Yuki inquired.

"The correct answer is, the has nothing to do with . That's why normal humans who can't manipulate the particles also have an . As for why these have types, it totally depends on the nature of the . It depends on their capability to handle this energy, the more the strength of the the more attributes the can conjure during a fight.” Miss Iva explained.

"So that means aura is the strongest? And anyone possessing it can conjure all types of attributes during a fight?" Yuki asked, curious.

"Non. Non. Non. It's not that simple, kid. The reason why is special is because ya don't actually have to harness it during a fight. Ya can use many kinds of skills and attributes without harnessing your actual aura. When ya actually do it, it is like using a special move in a game, it will be rare, probably only once during a fight." Miss Iva clarified.

"Wait wait wait! What do you mean by 'you don't actually have to harness'? Don't you need to harness any kind of to perform even basic ?" Yuki pressed further.

"I knew ya would ask that! The thing is, when performing basic the you're harnessing isn't 'your' but the gathering of the around ya. The difference is like, when martial artists fight and when gunmen fight, gunmen are using the guns and their skill to handle them, which is not a part of them. While martial artists are using their own body and their own fighting techniques, which are a part of themselves. You get it now?" Miss Iva clarified.

"I see, I'm getting it now... Then about the next question. Why us? You could have easily got the seniors to carry out this mission" Yuki inquired, still curious.

"About that, kid… if it were me I would have loved to train y'all in this kind of situation… but even I know that this is too much for y'all. The teachers committee and Avalon HQ had a meeting where this idea was proposed, many teachers including me and Miss Yuan were against it, but unfortunately it all came down to vote. And because of one person y'all now have to go through this hell…" Miss Iva replied, her tone filled with a hint of frustration.

"Who…?" Yuki asked, wanting to know more.

"That's none of your business, kid. Ya don't have to worry about the politics, teachers like me and Miss Yuan will handle it. And ye shall now return to class, Jung Ji-Yeong Sir will have their first lecture, after they are done with 'that' part then we can begin with the 'special' part of your training." Miss Iva said, redirecting the conversation.

"What special part?"

"We will be teaching you how to wield weapons."