The hospital had made the wise decision to discharge me just over two days ago, meaning I could start the tasks I had set out for myself.
Of course, I decided to put them off until later, and started playing a game that would become incredibly popular around this point in time.
"Augment: Reality Online," read the title in large, fluorescent characters. The loading sound reminded me of a song I used to listen to when I was much, much younger.
I tried whistling along, voluntarily postponing actually starting the game.
The intro song turned out to be a much more formidable opponent to learn, leading me to decide that I could be doing much better things with my time instead of this.
I turned off my headset and retired to my bed, with the intent of procrastinating for the next few hours.
[Task delayed again. Noted]
I had all the time in the world (less than two weeks).
It's not like I was threatened in any way (the fate of the world hung in the balance).
It's not like it was vital.
While I was blatantly ignoring the truth, I was reminded of the stark reality I lived in.
I was attending a mage academy — one of the top in the country, for that matter.
I had homework — a mountain of it.
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"My god, do I really have to do all of this?" I had started trying to cope with the unreasonable quantity of homework I had to finish by today. (It was just past midnight, and my classes would start by 8:45.)
"This just isn't possible. Like it's actually just not doable." Resigning myself to my fate, I put down the 4 books I was reading simultaneously. I cocked my neck back over my chair and let out a groan so loud it would wake people kilometres away.
"Wait... I could utilise the power of child labour, couldn't I?"
I waddled into my sister's room, my ego bulging with the greatness of my idea.
"Hey, Sis~" I started, the "Brother Nonsense Meter" in the room blaring.
"No." She didn't even look up, didn't even consider what I had to say.
"Hey, no, hear me out." I pleaded, wanting even a moment to argue my case.
"Let me guess, homework you procrastinated, then realized you were fucked, then tried to come and ask me for help, correct?" She had accurately determined my situation at a single glance. I felt a faint pang of pride at her intuition.
"Language," I scolded, wanting to maintain some type of upper hand here.
"Oh yeah that really makes me wanna help you so much doesn't it?" She rolled her eyes at least a dozen times while saying that.
"I'll give you twenty." Having been left with no choice, I pulled out my trump card. Capitalism!
"What homework is it?" She had obtained a mysterious glint in her eyes at the sound of financial gain.
Did she really value money over our sibling bond?
"Yes," she responded, having apparently read my mind.
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"Aren, is this your work?" He asked, raising a sceptical eyebrow.
Was it really that obvious?
"Yes, sir, absolutely." I swear I heard a big red buzzer in the background, announcing the lies spewing from my mouth.
"Are you sure?" He did not buy it. He did not buy it in the slightest.
"Without a shred of doubt." It didn't even look like my writing.
I was done for.
Thoroughly grilled.
Finished.
"Sit back down." He had given up on trying to get the truth out of me.
How I just survived that?
I had truly no clue.
"Today's lesson is going to be on magic, more specifically, usages of Rune Inscriptions." He started, the chalk scribbling away furiously on the board.
It reminded me of a guy I used to know who ate chalk.
I don't think I'll ever look at chalk the same again.
"Does anybody know what runes are?"
My hand shot up, followed closely by Erhart, and Selene immediately after.
Wow, rank one and two for first years, outdone by yours truly.
Am I really so talented?
Maybe I didn't need Erhart. Maybe I could clear the great cataclysm by myself?
"Yes, Aren?" the instructor asked, pointing at me, his fingers white with chalk.
"Runes are ancient inscriptions that store and manipulate energy. They can contain spells that activate when triggered. hold passive enhancements to the user's abilities, or summon creatures, objects, or manipulate areas of space in specific ways. Runes can be anchored onto almost any surface, and can take varying amounts of time to set up depending on rune complication and user skill." I exclaimed proudly, expecting impressed stares from the entire classroom.
"Well done, couldn't have said it better myself. Although personally I would give more definite values but that's a further topic."
I looked around the room expectantly. Of course I should, I had just answered a fairly difficult question to such a high regard.
There were no such impressed stares, instead I found people looking away, with their heads on their hands, muttering something along the lines of "Anybody could've answered that."
[20 people are expressing dislike towards you!]
[400 points have been awarded]
Oh yeah, that's a good reminder.
At this point in time I was hated for apparently "having a big ego." Which I found ridiculous. I think my ego is perfectly reasonable.
I would have to work on that later, but for now I was too busy being superior to everybody else.
"Actually. That answer put me in a good mood. Practical time!" The instructor announced, flinging the stack of papers he was planning to hand out into the air like confetti.
That announcement elicited an overwhelming reaction from the class, the cheers could probably be heard miles away in some forgotten forest.
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We were midway through the treacherous trek to the school's training ground when the class started to realise maybe this wouldn't be so fun.
The rain was throwing it down. A few people had gotten their boots or shoes stuck inside the mud, and had to be pulled out by the help of 2-3 others, slowing down progress significantly.
Some students, more specifically the top 3, stepped lightly enough on the mud to both avoid getting stuck in it, and to avoid even leaving tracks on the mud.
I on the other hand, was part of the group that were making large indents on the mud and getting stuck every so often. Although I was able to pull myself out.
The group of top 3 at the front kept continuously glancing at me.
They were probably intrigued by my brilliance.
By the time we had made it another kilometre, the training ground started to come into sight.
It was a collection of maintained buildings, some looming to hundreds of metres high, some so wide you couldn't see both sides of it at the same time.
With a newfound determination, the progress of our group doubled, and before long we were climbing up the never-ending steps to the entrance of the training grounds.
Our instructor decided we should use one of the larger training grounds, usually used for third year fights.
We made our way in through the large oak doors.
On the inside, the place was not unlike a colosseum, with large rows of audience seating areas, and a smaller circle in the middle for demonstrations or spectating battles.
Once we had seated, I noticed that there was a mysterious lack of people in any chairs around me, and that everybody had condensed themselves into the chairs on the opposite side.
Wow. Honestly, just wow.
Before I could go on a mental tangent about unjustness and cruelty, the booming voice of the instructor deafened me
"Who would like to go first." He had already set up everything, from the altar to the stage.
My hand shot up, and I looked around, expecting to have had my hand up first again, only to see I had come third after Erhart and Selene.
"Erhart, since your hand was up first, come up." He did a beckoning motion with his right hand, while holding the clipboard in the other.
Erhart basically ran up to the stage, ecstatic to go first.
"I want you to make a basic barrier rune," the instructor commanded.
"Alright." Erhart then did something with his fingers for about 30 seconds before realizing that he had no clue what he was doing
"How do I do that exactly sir?" He had given up on trying to trial and error it.
The instructor then did a small scale demonstration.
Even from up here I could tell how well it was done
"System," I whispered, trying to see if I could see what the level of the barrier was.
The world went grey, and time slowed to a halt. The menu opened again, with a new feature at the bottom called "Basic Analysis".
When I pressed the button, the stat menu changed to the stats of the barrier
[B-Rank Basic Barrier▾
Able to block spells and attacks up to a certain level of strength.]
B rank?
To be able to make a B-Rank barrier in under two minutes...
Insane.
After the quick demonstration by the instructor, Erhart seemed to have understood the basics of it.
Erhart then copied the instructor's movements to the best of his ability, and after four or five minutes, he had created a barrier.
"System Analysis." It was starting to get annoying saying it out loud every time but it didn't bother me the absolute most. It's not like anybody was around me to hear me anyway.
[D-Rank Basic Barrier▾
Able to block spells and attacks up to a certain level of strength.]
He was able to successfully make a barrier after only seeing it once? Is this the talent of the to-be Sword Emperor?
It's not comparable to mine. But still.
"Selene," the instructor called out, "come up to the stage."
Selene then stood up, flicked her hair back, and strutted across the narrow pathway.
It was probably excessive but its Selene so she gets away with it.
"Do you need instructions on how to do it?"
"No, I'll be fine"
Lo and behold, two minutes later she had a successful barrier. It was a little less circular than Erhart's, but definitely more solid.
[C-Rank Basic Barrier▸]
I wasn't going to open the barrier information because it would just be the same thing again.
I could also comment on how impressive that is, but it would be pointless.
"Aren."
I got up confidently, and marched my way to the stage. I was slightly closer to the stage than Selene so it was a little less awkward.
"Do you need help?"
"No, sir, I'll be fine."
Remembering the barrier that the instructor created earlier, I was able to copy it almost perfectly.
The brilliant blue almost-sphere rose from the ground.
I didn't even need to check it, I knew it would be B-Rank.
But I decided to anyway.
[F-Rank Basic Barrier▾
Pretty much useless]
Okay first of all, how was it only F rank? Second of all, why did the system have an attitude?
[You dissatisfaction has been logged. It will not be reviewed]
I tried to enhance the barrier slightly before being ushered offstage by the instructor.
On my way back to my seat, I heard a series of whispers about all the people who had done the practical task.
I was a little relieved none of them could see the barrier stats.
Wait, stats?
Couldn't I use the system to check other people's stats?
I looked over at Erhart, where he was sat laughing and joking with a group of people.
"System Analysis," I chanted in anticipation.
[This person's stats cannot be seen at this moment.]
Huh?
Did the system just fail?
Maybe it would work if I tried it again
"System Analysis,"
[This person's stats cannot be seen at this moment. Please do not try again.]
...
Again?
"System Analysis,"
[Dude give it up it doesn't work.]
I could argue with the system but I really doubt that would achieve anything.
That's not going to work.
I tried it on Selene instead.
"System Analysis," I repeated, a little less hopeful
[This person's stats cannot be seen with ability 'Basic Analysis']
Oh so it was because of the basic analysis.
Then why didn't it say that for Erhart?
I assumed it was some main character nonsense and moved on from him.
I decided I would try find the rest of the commands.
"System Shop."
Nothing happened for about 5 seconds, and just when I had given up and was about to try the next phrase, a menu opened.
The menu was similar to the others, but it was still loading shown by the loading circle spinning around.
[Access Granted]
The shop was filled with everything, from shops to skills to relics, and dozens of other miscellaneous objects.
Thankfully it had a search feature.
["Analysis"] I typed into the search bar.
There was an option.
[Advanced Analysis] - 1500 points
I could not infact fund 1500 points.
So I decided I would give up on the shop for today.
I closed the menu and reality returned to it's usual state.
"So, does anybody have any question for today's lesson?" The instructor quizzed.
No hands went up as most would expect.
"Then you're dismissed."
There was a kerfuffle to get to the door, pushing and shoving for very little gain.
Somehow Selene and Erhart had already left through means I knew not.
But after waiting for a few minutes, the door naturally cleared, and I walked out, free at last.
[10 Days Left]