Damian and Michael wore their bracelets and started heading toward the classroom together.
As they were walking, Michael couldn't help but sneak a few glances at Damian.
"… If there is something you would like to say, feel free to do so."
"I apologize for speaking out of turn on the day of the Orientation."
Michael spoke with a sincere expression.
Damian looked slightly surprised, his eyes widening a little.
"… Why are you so surprised? Whatever I said that day was based on the fact that you arrived late at the Orientation.
I thought you were one of those who lack discipline. I didn't want others following your example.
I might have come across as arrogant, but my intention wasn't bad."
"I was just training and forgot about the time. I didn't have any intention of stealing your spotlight."
"… I don't care about my spotlight being stolen."
Michael's face stiffened slightly. One of the reasons he had spoken like that on stage… was exactly this.
"Anyway, don't worry about it. Just make sure the Nobles in our class don't follow the example of our seniors.
I don't want to waste my time teaching everyone a lesson."
Damian spoke casually, as if discussing something insignificant. He genuinely didn't want to bother with social construct nonsense.
"You do know that including me, there are four SS ranked talents in our class.
Are you really that confident in staying ahead of us?"
As they reached the classroom door, Damian turned toward Michael.
His eyes were calm… certain… .
And completely unshakable.
"… If you guys can even beat me once, I will leave this Academy."
"… "
****
Michael had never met a commoner who possessed such absolute belief in himself.
Ever since he was born, there had hardly been anyone capable of challenging him among his peers.
Whether in theory or raw talent.
No one had ever surpassed him.
It could be said that after crossing paths with Damian, he had tasted his first defeat.
But that didn't mean his confidence had shattered.
It just meant Damian had an early start.
He and the others could catch up within a month.
Logically, that was the most likely outcome.
And yet…
Michael looked toward Damian, who was already sitting at the back of the class, fully focused on his breathing technique.
'Why is he so confident?
It's like… he never considered us competition in the first place…'
As Michael was lost in thought, Leonard Ashford, Iris Langsten and Adrian Murdock entered the classroom.
All the Nobles were familiar with each other since childhood.
Since all four of them shared similar talent levels and age, their families ensured they stayed connected.
"Michael, did you see the forums today? And congratulations on entering the council," Iris said first.
"Don't even mention the forums. I almost wanted to rip those commoners apart.
Do they think we can't see what they write?"
Leonard spoke with clear irritation. He was one of the Nobles who held a strong bias against commoners.
Adrian, on the other hand, remained completely relaxed. He even waved casually toward Damian.
"… I suggest focusing on getting stronger. Don't get involved in all this.
We already had an argument about this in the council.
The President doesn't want any of this nonsense spreading in the first year.
So make sure your subordinates behave," Michael said calmly.
"This is bullshit. Michael, you've been acting like a pussy ever since that guy defeated you.
Do you really think he can hold onto his rank and council position?
All four of us will be able to crush him in a few weeks."
Leonard clearly wasn't taking Damian seriously.
And it wasn't just him. Many Nobles and even some commoners thought the same.
"Hey! Watch your mouth!" Iris snapped, clearly irritated by Leonard's crude tone.
"… What do you think, Adrian?" Michael ignored Leonard and turned to Adrian.
"Hmm? Oh. I wouldn't underestimate Damian.
You guys remember the Norrington incident, right?
My sister showed me the CCTV footage.
That guy over there butchered terrorists like it was nothing.
And he had just awakened the previous day. There were E-rank enemies among them.
Now that he has entered E- rank… he is even stronger.
My sister warned me not to make him an enemy.
And you all know… her warnings are never without reason."
Everyone went silent at the mention of Elizabeth.
She was powerful.
And she possessed a Seer-type skill.
If she had warned her own brother…
Then they should indeed take Damian seriously.
At that moment, Professor Seraphina entered the classroom.
The room instantly fell silent.
****
Seraphina placed her tablet on the desk but didn't activate it.
Instead, she crossed her arms and looked at the class for a long moment, as if measuring how many of them would actually survive long enough to make use of what she was about to say.
"You all release Aura," she began calmly, her voice steady and completely unhurried.
"And most of you probably think that combat is about who can release more of it.
That if you can push out more Aura than your opponent, you automatically win. That kind of thinking only exists inside classrooms and training arenas.
On real battlefields, people like that die very fast.
Because raw output means nothing if you cannot control what happens to that Aura after it leaves your body."
She started walking slowly between the rows, hands behind her back.
"When Aura leaves your body, it immediately starts losing structure.
It disperses into the environment, it loses direction, and most importantly, it loses intent.
What most first years don't understand is that nearly half of the Aura they release during an attack is wasted before it even touches their target.
It leaks from poor control, it scatters because their breathing is unstable, and sometimes it simply collapses because their mind hesitated for a fraction of a second.
That is why two Awakened with identical Aura output can have completely different combat effectiveness."
She stopped near the center of the room and tapped lightly on one of the desks.
"There is a concept you will start hearing more about from this year onward. Aura Magnification.
And before any of you misunderstand it, it is not a technique you activate like a skill.
It is not something you switch on and off. It is a state of efficiency.
It is the result of your body, your breathing, your Aura circulation and your Will all moving in complete alignment."
She turned and wrote slowly on the board: 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x.
"At what we call one-times magnification, your Aura is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. Nothing more, nothing less.
This is where most Awakened spend their entire lives. They release Aura, it strengthens their attack, and that's the end of it. It's stable, reliable, and mediocre."
She tapped the second number.
"At two-times magnification, something changes.
Your Aura stops behaving like something you release, and starts behaving like something you are forcing into the world.
The same amount of Aura will hit harder, penetrate deeper, and transfer force more efficiently.
On paper, it sounds simple. In reality, most people struggle for years just to stabilize this level outside controlled environments.
Because at two-times magnification, your mistakes don't just reduce power. They destabilize your entire Aura flow."
She moved away from the board again, voice still calm, but heavier now.
"At three-times magnification, Aura stops being just energy.
It starts behaving like authority. When you strike someone at that level, you are not just hitting them with power.
You are overriding their resistance. Their Aura has to actively fight against your intent.
And most Awakened, even elites, can only maintain that state for a single strike. Maybe two.
After that, their breathing collapses, their focus breaks, or their nervous system starts rejecting the strain."
She glanced across the class slowly, making eye contact with several students.
"And then there is four-times magnification.
At that level, Aura stops behaving like something physical at all. It behaves like command pressure.
If two Awakened release the same raw Aura output, the one at four-times magnification will always win, because their Aura is simply… more real. Harder. Denser. More absolute."
She leaned lightly against the desk again.
"But before any of you start imagining yourselves reaching that level, understand this clearly.
Magnification is not decided by talent alone. It is not decided by rank. It is decided by stability.
If your body cannot handle the strain, your magnification collapses.
If your breathing rhythm breaks, your Aura loses coherence.
And if your Will fluctuates, even for a moment, the entire structure falls apart."
Her eyes turned colder.
"And when magnification collapses during an attack, you don't just lose power.
You lose control of your own Aura.
And losing control of Aura in the middle of combat usually doesn't give you a second chance to learn from the mistake."
She straightened again and looked at the class as a whole.
"Most of you will spend years learning to stabilize two-times magnification.
A small number of you might touch three-times in your career.
And four-times…" She paused briefly.
"… four-times is where you stop being just an Awakened and start becoming something closer to a battlefield anomaly."
She picked up her tablet finally.
"I will teach you all about Aura Magnification. Pay attention
…"
Damian was again filled with awe at how much he didn't know about Aura Control.
It was as if Professor Seraphina's lessons were a treasure trove.
'I need to get her to teach me personally…'