"Ethan! You were incredible!"
Aila's excited shriek pulled Ethan from his thoughts. She bounded over like a cheerful sparrow and threw her arms around his, the soft press of her body making a blush creep up his neck.
"Ahem! Aila, mind your decorum! People are watching!" Ron called out, a hint of jealousy in his voice, though his face was beaming with pride for his friend.
"You're our hero, Ethan!" Buck added with a broad, honest grin, clapping him on the shoulder.
Surrounded by his friends, the whirlwind of thoughts in Ethan's mind settled, replaced by a simple warmth. Just then, his eyes caught a flicker of movement. It was the mysterious girl. She wasn't speaking to anyone, simply moving alone through the boisterous crowd, heading down a quiet path deeper into the academy grounds.
A strange impulse took hold of him.
"I... I need to find a restroom. You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up!" Ethan made a clumsy excuse, slipped out of Aila's grasp, and hurried after the girl.
He followed her carefully, keeping a safe distance. She turned into a small, secluded grove of trees, a place few students seemed to visit. She stopped and knelt beneath an ancient tree, seeming to speak to something on the ground.
Curious, Ethan peeked from behind a thick trunk. A sleek, pure black cat was elegantly licking the girl's fingers, and on her face was an incredibly rare, gentle smile. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, illuminating the side of her face. Only then did Ethan notice that her skin was almost translucently pale, her features as delicate as a doll's, but her eyes were as deep as a starlit ocean.
As if sensing his gaze, the black cat in her arms suddenly looked up. Its golden eyes glowed like two lanterns, staring directly at Ethan's hiding spot from a dozen meters away. The girl's head turned to follow.
There was no surprise in her eyes, no anger, only a profound calm that was deeply unsettling. Ethan's heart skipped a beat; he felt utterly exposed.
The girl stood, said nothing, and holding the black cat, vanished into the deeper shadows of the grove.
...
Thanks to their outstanding (or rather, world-shaking) performances in the trials, Ethan, Aila, Ron, and Buck were all successfully admitted to the Magic Academy as first-year apprentices.
However, the reality of academy life was far crueler than the entrance exams.
One month later, in Practical Magic class. The lesson was one-on-one mock battles.
"Next match: Viktor versus Ethan!"
At the instructor's call, a lavishly dressed, arrogant-looking blond boy swaggered onto the dueling platform. He was Viktor, the son of a viscount, who had demonstrated an 'Excellent' rank in the lightning element.
"Well, well, if it isn't the commoner who made a mess with that weird fire," Viktor sneered. "I'd advise you to surrender now. It would be a shame to have your hair singed off by my lightning."
Ethan ignored the taunt and took his stance. For the past month, he had tried countless times to increase his strength. But the damned "Desire Points" simply wouldn't increase except by completing specific system quests. His combat power was still a pathetic 0.6. This meant that despite his 'Above Exceptional' fire affinity, the power he could actually wield was less than that of a student with an 'Average' rank.
"Begin!"
As the instructor gave the command, a cruel smile twisted Viktor's lips. He didn't even bother to chant, simply raising his hand as sparks of electricity danced at his fingertips.
"Paralysis Bolt!"
A ball of crackling lightning, the size of a human head, shot towards Ethan at incredible speed!
Ethan's pupils shrank. He dodged on pure instinct, rolling to the side just in time. The bolt zipped past him, leaving a blackened crater on the stone floor.
"Not bad at dodging," Viktor mocked. "Let's see how many you can avoid! Chain Lightning!"
This time, three bolts of lightning shot out in a triangular formation, sealing off all of Ethan's escape routes!
"Dammit!"
Left with no choice, Ethan summoned his black-red fire, attempting to form a firewall. But with only 0.6 combat power, the wall was more like a thin, flimsy curtain of flame.
*BOOM!*
The three lightning bolts tore through the fire curtain as if it were paper and slammed into Ethan's body.
"Argh!"
An intense wave of paralysis shot through him. Ethan cried out, his body convulsing as he collapsed, his hair standing on end and smoking.
"Hahaha!" Viktor stood over him, arms crossed. "And they called you a genius! You're just an empty shell! What good is your weird fire if it's as weak as a child's toy?"
The entire class erupted in laughter. Lying on the ground, unable to move, Ethan was consumed by a tide of humiliation, anger, and a bitter hatred for his own weakness.
"Match over! Viktor is the winner!"
Aila, Ron, and Buck rushed to his side as he was carried off the platform.
"Ethan, are you okay?" Aila asked, her voice laced with worry. She pulled a small vial of a pale green healing potion from her pouch. "Here, drink this."
"That bastard Viktor! He went too far!" Ron fumed, punching a nearby pillar.
Ethan took the potion from Aila, the warmth of his friends' concern slightly easing the sting of his humiliation. "Thank you, Aila," he said, his voice hoarse.
She gently wiped the dust from his face with a handkerchief. "We're friends," she said, looking him in the eye. "Don't carry everything by yourself. It's just one loss. We'll win it back next time!"
Looking into Aila's clear, trusting eyes, Ethan clenched his fists. He had to get stronger. Relying on this wretched system wasn't enough.
Then, he remembered the man. The sword instructor who had approached him after the second trial.
*"Your magic is crap... but you're a born warrior."*
*"A mage who can handle close combat is a nightmare for any enemy."*
That was it. If magic wasn't working, he would learn the sword. Ignoring Aila's protests, Ethan pushed himself to his feet and, with a new fire in his eyes, began walking toward the West Training Grounds.