The day after the field exercise, Alpha Class was given the morning off to recover. Most students spent it sleeping, treating injuries, or simply relaxing after two intense days in the Whispering Woods.
Lukas woke up late, feeling completely refreshed. His enhanced regeneration had already healed the minor cuts and bruises from the exercise, and a full night's sleep had left him energized.
[You have been idle for 8 hours]
[+8 to all stats]
[Current Stats: Strength 199, Agility 199, Mana 199, Endurance 199]
One point away from two hundred. He'd probably hit that by the end of the day.
After a quick breakfast in the dining hall, Lukas decided to spend the free morning exploring parts of the academy he hadn't visited yet. The campus was massive, with multiple buildings, training facilities, and recreational areas he'd barely touched.
He wandered through the gardens behind the main academic building, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Students were scattered around in small groups, some studying under trees, others just relaxing on benches.
"Lukas!"
He turned to see Marcus jogging over with Kieran following behind.
"We've been looking for you," Marcus said. "A bunch of us are heading to the training grounds to mess around. Want to come?"
"What kind of messing around?" Lukas asked.
"Just casual sparring, testing out new techniques, that kind of thing," Kieran said. "Nothing serious. Elena's coming too, and a few other people from our team."
Lukas shrugged. "Sure, why not."
They made their way to one of the smaller training grounds, where a group of about ten students had gathered. Elena was there with her notebook, as always. Theo stood off to the side, observing quietly. A few other Alpha Class students Lukas recognized but hadn't really talked to were also present.
The atmosphere was relaxed and casual. Students paired up and sparred at half-speed, focusing more on practicing techniques than winning. Some worked on magic control exercises, creating small displays of elemental magic.
Lukas paired up with Marcus for a light sparring session. They moved through basic forms and exchanges, neither putting in serious effort.
"You know, I've been thinking about the tournament announcement," Marcus said as they circled each other. "Are you going to participate?"
"Haven't decided yet," Lukas replied, deflecting Marcus's practice swing. "Depends on what the events are."
"Fair enough. I'm probably going to sign up just for the experience, even if I get knocked out early."
They continued for a few more minutes before switching partners. Lukas ended up sparring with Elena next, who was surprisingly competent with basic sword forms despite being primarily a mage.
"I've been studying your fighting style," Elena said as they practiced. "You adapt really well to different opponents. Is that something you trained specifically, or does it come naturally?"
"Bit of both," Lukas said. "I pay attention to how people move and adjust accordingly."
"That makes sense. I've been trying to incorporate that kind of adaptive thinking into my magical research."
The morning passed pleasantly. No pressure, no expectations, just students practicing and improving at their own pace. It was the most relaxed Lukas had felt since arriving at the academy.
**[You have been idle for 1 hour]**
**[+1 to all stats]**
**[Current Stats: Strength 200, Agility 200, Mana 200, Endurance 200]**
He'd hit the milestone. Two hundred across the board put him comfortably at the level of veteran Royal Knights and experienced combat mages.
Around midday, the group started dispersing for lunch. Lukas walked with Marcus, Kieran, and Elena toward the dining hall.
"That was actually pretty fun," Marcus said. "We should do that more often."
"Agreed," Elena added. "It's nice to practice without the pressure of evaluations or competitions."
The dining hall was crowded and noisy. They found a table near the windows and settled in with their food.
"So I heard something interesting," Kieran said, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Apparently Cassius is putting together some kind of advanced training group. Invitation only, focused on pushing beyond standard curriculum."
"How do you always know these things?" Marcus asked.
"I pay attention," Kieran said with a grin. "Word is he's invited about five or six people. All strong fighters or people with potential."
"Who got invited?" Elena asked, curious.
"Not sure about everyone, but I know Elara is in, obviously. Some second-year named Adrian. And supposedly he invited someone from our year, but I don't know who."
They continued chatting about various academy rumors and gossip. Lukas mostly listened, occasionally contributing but content to let the conversation flow naturally.
After lunch, he decided to head to the library. There were some advanced combat theory texts he wanted to look through, and the library was usually quiet in the afternoon.
He found a secluded corner on the third floor and settled in with a stack of books on tactical command and battlefield strategy. The information was interesting and might be useful for future group exercises.
He'd been reading for about two hours when someone cleared their throat nearby.
Lukas looked up to see Cassius standing a few feet away.
"Mind if I sit?" Cassius asked, gesturing to an empty chair.
"Go ahead," Lukas said, marking his place in the book.
Cassius sat down and was quiet for a moment before speaking. "Your team performed well in the field exercise."
"Thanks. Your team's score was impressive."
"We had the individual strength to handle multiple gold-rank encounters," Cassius said matter-of-factly. "Your team took a different approach and made it work. That's worth respecting."
Lukas waited, sensing there was more to this conversation.
"I'm organizing advanced training sessions," Cassius continued. "Small groups, focused practice on specific skills and techniques. The academy's standard curriculum is good for building foundations, but some of us need more."
"Makes sense," Lukas said.
"I'm inviting a few people I think would benefit from and contribute to these sessions. You're one of them." Cassius's expression remained neutral. "The sessions are voluntary and informal. No pressure, no obligations. Just an opportunity to train with people who take improvement seriously."
Lukas considered it. Training with top-tier students like Cassius and Elara would definitely be challenging and potentially useful. On the other hand, it meant more visibility and more chances for people to notice his growing strength.
"I'll think about it," Lukas said. "When do the sessions start?"
"Next week. I'll send details to everyone who's interested." Cassius stood. "Let me know by the end of the week."
He left as quietly as he'd arrived.
Lukas returned to his reading, though his mind was elsewhere now. Cassius's offer was interesting, but he wasn't sure if the benefits outweighed the increased attention.
He'd decide later.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Lukas finished his reading, grabbed dinner, and returned to his dorm to relax.
[You have been idle for 6 hours]
[+6 to all stats]
[Current Stats: Strength 206, Agility 206, Mana 206, Endurance 206]
[Daily Skill Lottery Available]
[Would you like to draw?]
He selected yes.
[Drawing...]
[Skill Acquired: Battle Focus (A-Rank)]
[Battle Focus: Enhanced concentration during combat, filtering out distractions and improving decision-making under pressure. Reduces mental fatigue during prolonged fights.]
Good skill. It would help maintain peak performance during extended battles.
The next morning, Alpha Class resumed their regular schedule. Professor Kaine ran them through tactical scenarios and combat drills, pushing everyone to improve their coordination and decision-making.
During one drill, Lukas was paired with Ace for a two-versus-many scenario. They had to work together to defeat five opponents using teamwork and strategy.
The exercise went smoothly. Ace fought with his usual determination, and Lukas supported where needed. They won the scenario without much trouble.
"Good coordination," Professor Kaine commented. "You two adapted well to each other's fighting styles."
After the drill, Ace approached Lukas. "Thanks for the support back there."
"No problem," Lukas replied.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Ace seemed hesitant. "How do you stay so calm during fights? You never look stressed or worried, even against tough opponents."
Lukas thought about it. "I just focus on what needs to be done instead of worrying about what might go wrong. Stress doesn't help, so why waste energy on it?"
Ace nodded slowly, considering that. "That makes sense. I'll try to keep that in mind."
He walked away, and Lukas moved on to the next drill.
The week continued in that pattern. Classes, training, casual interactions with classmates, and steady growth from his idle system.
[Current Stats: Strength 230, Agility 230, Mana 230, Endurance 230]
By the end of the week, an announcement was posted in the common room.
NOTICE: INTER-CLASS TOURNAMENT
All students are invited to participate in the upcoming Inter-Class Tournament, scheduled for three weeks from today. The tournament will feature multiple events testing various skills and abilities. Details and sign-up information will be distributed next week.
—Academy Administration
Students gathered around the notice board, discussing and speculating about what the tournament would involve.
"A tournament sounds interesting," Marcus said. "Though I'm not sure if I'm ready to compete against the whole academy."
"It could be a good learning experience," Elena suggested. "Even if we don't win, we'd get to see how we measure up against other classes."
"I'm definitely signing up," Kieran said. "Tournaments are great for making connections and gathering information."
Lukas read the notice with mild interest. A tournament meant opportunities to test himself against strong opponents, but also more attention and scrutiny.
He'd decide whether to participate once he knew more about the format.
For now, he had three weeks to continue growing stronger.
And with his system working constantly in the background, three weeks would bring significant improvements.
He was curious to see where his stats would be by the time the tournament arrived.
L