Instructor Seraphina Dusk continued her explanation on the intricacies of basic magic theory.
"...And that's how the first layers of magic formulas are formed. Now then, everyone, let's take a short break before we continue."
At her words, the classroom buzzed to life. Chairs shuffled, and cadets began to file out of the room one by one, each heading to grab something a snack, a drink, or just a breath of fresh air.
Clara Winslet, sitting at the far end of the room, stood up gracefully and made her way outside. Kael Vi-rel, who had been observing her silently since the beginning of class, took this as a golden opportunity.
Outside the Classroom Hallway.
Clara Winslet stood in front of the vending machine in the hallway, peering at the drinks displayed inside. Her expression wavered in uncertainty.
"Should I pay with my smartwatch…?" she murmured, tapping the screen. A second later, her face stiffened. "Oh no. It's out of battery? Seriously?"
She rifled through her pockets with growing concern. "I don't even have any spare coin shards either... What am I supposed to do now?"
Kael Vi-rel, who had followed shortly behind her, saw the situation unfold and decided now was his chance to break the ice.
Without a word, he stepped beside her and placed his own smartwatch against the vending machine scanner.
Beep. Beep.
The machine lit up.
"The Vending machine is active now. Please choose a drink," Kael Vi-rel said casually, a small grin on his face.
Clara Winslet blinked. "Huh…?" She glanced to both sides, startled. "Wait, what? Why are you…?"
"Just pick something before I change my mind," Kael Vi-rel interrupted, trying to act cool.
Clara Winslet stared at him suspiciously. Then her expression twisted with confusion. "Wait Kael Vi-rel?
Do you… know me?"
"Of course. Who doesn't? Every new student knows the name Kael Vi-rel the students whom got top soot at the practical exam."
Kael Vi-rel paused, slightly flustered. "I see… I guess my name has spread more than I expected."
"Yeah, you're kind of a big deal." Clara Winslet smirked.
"Now choose before the machine resets. Kael Vi-rel quickly change the conversation"
She hesitated. "Ah no, I'm fine, really" But just as she raised her hand to refuse, her smartwatch brushed the screen by mistake.
Beep! Beep!
"You have selected: Golden Lemon Fizz 1,000 Shards."
"Oh no! I didn't mean to press that!" she exclaimed in a panic. "I-I'm sorry, that was a mistake!"
Kael Vi-rel just chuckled and retrieved the drink, tossing it gently toward her. "Don't worry about it. Just take it."
She caught it reflexively and stared at the bottle. "Thank you…
Um, if you see me next time, say hi, okay?"
"Sure. I'll do that."
Clara Winslet gave a small smile, turned around, and walked away quickly, her ponytail bouncing as she disappeared down the hall.
Kael Vi-rel stood there for a moment, watching her go. He scratched his head with a sigh.
"So she's the type to get flustered easily, huh? That wasn't too bad… My first impression should be fine. I think I managed not to look like a total weirdo."
He chuckled softly, then frowned. "Still… why do I feel like I activated some hidden flag? Nah it's probably nothing. I just need to get closer to her slowly and help her adjust to school life. If I do that... maybe I can finally take things easy around here. Heheheh."
Back in the Classroom.
Instructor Seraphina Dusk was already writing on the board as the cadets returned. Symbols and runes filled the surface in elegant, glowing patterns.
"The foundation of all magic begins with control and consistency. As you can see, this formation uses a double-layered triangular circuit with compressed mana flow…"
Kael Vi-rel sat back at his desk and sighed. His eyes drifted toward the board, but his focus was elsewhere.
"I won't learn anything useful from just staring at the board," he thought. "Let's try training instead."
Closing his eyes slightly, Kael Vi-rel began gathering mana in his arms.
"Create two ropes of magic from hand to hand… twist them together… form a thicker rope… again, again…"
Mana strands flowed between his hands, invisible to the others. He repeated the process quickly, weaving the ropes over and over.
"Pull the ropes into a single strand… compress… condense… Then divide it into two and twist again…"
He gritted his teeth as the process grew harder. "My magic power is still low… and the skill is too weak to maintain form stability. Every time I try, the thread shrinks… and disappears."
Ding!
> Your Magic Power has increased by 1.
Your Magic Power has increased by 1.
Your Magic Power has increased by 1.
A smile tugged at Kael Vi-rel's lips. "Alright… it's working, little by little."
"If I can keep this up… I might be able to unlock a unique skill. Not just any skill an S-class one. Or maybe even two."
I might get ultimate magic concentration skill which is S class and another one which is also S class.
Ding!
Your Magic Power has increased by 1.
Your Magic Power has increased by 1.
> Your Magic Ruler has increased to E-Class.
"It's going to take time… but I'll get there. Just one or two weeks. That's all I need."
Kael Vi-rel's hands twitched from the strain, but he ignored it, deeply immersed in his silent training.
"Cadet Kael Vi-rel."
"Cadet Kael Vi-rel."
He flinched.
Instructor Seraphina Dusk stood at the front with her arms crossed, eyeing him sharply. "It appears you're not paying attention to the lecture."
"Ah no, Instructor Seraphina Dusk! It's not like that"
"Then please, come forward and solve this question on the board for me."
Kael Vi-rel groaned internally. "Ah, crap… I really didn't want to stand out right now."
"Can you please forgive me for this I won't do it again.
"Cadet Kael Vi-rel." please come forward
He stood up reluctantly, walking to the front of the class as whispers followed him.
"So much for keeping a low profile," he muttered under his breath.