Later in the day between her morning and evening classes, Aria went to the training rooms with a new idea this time.
During her battle with the Adolescent Spider Queen, Aria used her light sphere like a flash grenade. She wanted to refine it and make it into a more useful battle skill. With her now level 2 Light Manipulation skill, she created her usual light sphere. This time the orb was created faster and felt easier to control. Now we're cooking.
Aria took this light sphere and once again expanded it to about 1.5 meters in diameter. She was trying to do something similar to how she made the star piercer. She condensed the sphere, so it had the same brilliance as the large sphere had. This time she made it to about the size of a baseball, nice and small. She took this new ball and threw it at the wall, but nothing really happened. It just dissipated into the wall. Well that was a bust.
She needed to try again, she needed something that would activate upon hitting an object or monster. Maybe if I could make a glass like casing around the light sphere? If I can condense the light within it, I can create more build-up of light that explodes upon impact?
Aria had the vision in mind but now she needed to make it into reality. She created the massive sphere of light in front of her. This time she focused on condensing the light only on the edge of the sphere. She imagined this edge was solid as she focused on making the solid edge smaller, forcing the non solid light to follow. She was able to get it to the size of a baseball again, this time it had a sheen on it that felt solid. Taking her newly created orb into her hand, she admired her work. Looks good but now let's hope it works.
She chucked the orb at the wall, this time it make a crack like sound once it hit the wall. After it fractured, it exploded a second later. The condensed light she forced into that state was now free to spread as it caused a blinding, but silent flash of light. The entire room was absorbed within this light as nothing could be seen. Aria watching her handy-work, was even affected. The light was so blinding that her eyes felt sore. I think a normal person would have injured their eyesight watching that.
This was a skill that could only be used in a dungeon, she didn't want to harm anyone's eyesight after all. Proud of her work she heard a ding noise come from the system.
[ New Skill Created - Luminous Blast ]
[ Luminous Blast Level 1 (Active) - Creates an orb of light with a shell or casing around it that breaks upon hitting an object. Once broken the highly condensed light "energy" is forced out, creating a silent but blinding flash of light. Costs 10 AP to use. ]
[ Title Effect "Crafter of Skills" activated, earned 3 free stat points due to creating a new skill. ]
Aria looked at her new skill with pride, when life gives you lemons, make a flash grenade.
...
Attending her evening classes, Aria was in Physical Fitness and Weapons Training. Ms. Everett had instructed them to do some exercises for the first part of class, which included running laps around the arena, push-ups, sit-ups, and lunges. After doing her daily quest for over a week, Aria felt confident in these exercises already. In fact she slowed down her pace to make it seem like she was struggling. Everyone around her was huffing and puffing, gasping for air while she was steady. Not even a bead of sweat could be seen on her face. My stats and training have come through for me.
Her lack of effort was however noticed by the instructor, Ms Everett. That isn't the body of a mere F-rank, is she hiding her rank or was she misranked? Ms Everett was confused by how this student had gotten her assessment. Normally your physicality was enhanced through awakening and depending on what rank and what bloodline, the stronger your physique becomes. And she is improving fast, her muscle definition has improved since I paired her with Victor. Im fact those two are probably the stongest physically here. Ms Everett was quite analytical and she noticed details that others may look over.
Once everyone finished the warm-up training, it was time to work with weapons training today. The school had a surplus of weapons that students could use for training, if they didn'thave their own already. Aria decided to use her daggers she obtained from the Gargoyle portal instead of borrowing. I need to practice with these and get used to them.
Everyone picked a weapon and was ready to go. Today after learning a few basic stabing and slashing techniques, they were going to lightly spar with the weapons. Aria was paired with Victor, who looked ecstatic.
"It's you again, glad we get to spar together!" Victor called out to Aria as he approached her. "What are the odds we get paired twice in a row?" He was a little dense in some ways. Unless it came to war or battle tactics.
Aria on the other hand didn't think this was a coincidence. She looked at Ms Everett and had a suspicion that she intentionally wanted Aria to spar with Victor again.
The two students found an empty spot on the arena floor. "I don't think I caught your name before, and what's your bloodline?" Victor asked suddenly.
"My name is Aria, and I don't want to tell you my bloodline." Aria learned how people here think, and didn't want a repeat of the classroom incident.
"Very well Aria, now give me a good fight this time please," he grinned, thrilled for the upcoming match.
Ms Everett called out, "Alright, when you are ready you may start. No kill strikes or anything that could cause life threatening injuries."
Aria stood before Victor who held a greatsword while she had her daggers at the ready.
"Those look like some fine weapons Aria, I'll try not to break them."
"Thanks their new," Aria decided to only block when absolutely necessary to avoid harm to her new weapons.
"Alright, you make the first move," Victor said as he placed his greatsword on the ground next to him.
"With pleasure."