In the middle row, Tresca, Lucian, and Lucelle sat together, their desks neatly arranged side by side. Lucian sat on the outer edge, while Lucelle glanced around at their classmates, occasionally leaning over to whisper a brief observation to Tresca.
The heavy wooden door at the front of the room swung open, and Professor Mary stepped inside. She carried a thick ledger and a stack of instructional documents, setting them down on the podium with a firm, singular knock that instantly brought the room to silence.
"Good morning, class," Mary began, her sharp gaze sweeping across the rows of students. "Find your seats and quiet down. We are beginning our first mandatory general education course."
She turned to the chalkboard, picking up a piece of chalk and writing in clean, precise strokes: Gate Studies & Classification.
"Whether you intend to specialize in magic, aura, or tactics, understanding Gates is non-negotiable," Mary spoke, turning back to face the room. "This subject covers three core areas: Risk Level Classifications, the structural Types of Gates, and eventually, field practicals."
Mary tapped the board with her chalk. "We will begin with the fundamentals of Gate formation and how energy signatures determine their initial threat level."
She turned back to the class, resting her hands on the podium. "The most straightforward indicators of a Gate's level are its physical size and the density of energy radiating from its core. Note that I say energy—not mana, and not aura. Gate energy is a distinct, raw force entirely unto itself, which is precisely what makes it so volatile."
Mary picked up a small, metallic device from her desk—a brass-rimmed cylinder fitted with layered glass lenses and delicate energy-sensitive gauges—and held it up for the class to see.
"To measure this pure energy, we rely on detection instruments developed by Magic Engineers," she continued, setting the device down. "However, do not place absolute faith in these readouts. The technology is a recent invention, and its margins for error remain significant. Gates are still largely shrouded in mystery, and an incorrect assessment in the field will cost you your life."
Mary turned back to the chalkboard, drawing a vertical scale labeled from one to six.
"Next, we cover the Risk Level Classifications," she said, tapping the top of the scale. "Currently, history has recorded six distinct risk tiers for Gates. The classification dictates the minimum combat standard required for subjugation."
She wrote as she explained:
• Risk Level 1: Requires at least a Level 2 Mage or Aura user. Alternatively, a coordinated party of Level 1 combatants can clear it safely.
• Risk Level 2: Requires a Level 3 Mage or Aura user, or a full squad of Level 2 combatants.
• Risk Level 3: Requires a Level 4 Mage or Aura user, typically necessitating specialized combat units.
• Risk Level 4: Requires a Level 5 Mage or Aura user. These Gates pose significant regional threats if left unchecked.
• Risk Level 5: Requires a Level 6 Mage or Aura user—the elite threshold of human combat capability.
• Risk Level 6: The highest recorded tier in history. Subjugation requires a Level 7 Mage or Aura user, or a full mobilization of high-ranking military forces.
Mary paused, placing her chalk on the ledge before turning to face the class with an unusually solemn expression.
"While history only records up to Risk Level 6, theoretical models developed by scholars suggest the existence of a Risk Level 7," she said, her voice dropping a fraction in pitch. "Under our current classification system, a Level 7 Gate would require a Level 8 Mage or Aura user to clear solo—or an entire continent's combined military force."
She leaned against the podium, scanning the quiet room.
"To put that into perspective," Mary continued, her eyes sweeping over the silent students, "a Level 7 combatant is already so exceptionally rare that a kingdom is fortunate to claim even one. A person at that caliber is viewed as someone who can bring about miracles at will. To speak of a Level 8—or an entity existing entirely above our known system—is to describe something akin to a god."
"And humanity simply does not have gods on standby."
Mary cleared her throat, dusting off her hands before picking up her ledger. "Ah, on a side note—before I move on to the structural types of Gates—I forgot to mention something."
She set the ledger down flat on the podium and looked directly at the class.
"As your official advisor, I am responsible for certifying your individual combat levels," Mary explained, her tone firm. "If any of you experience a breakthrough in your mana or aura mastery during your time here, you are to report it to me immediately. I will conduct your evaluation and update the academy's official records accordingly."
"Additionally," Mary said, closing her ledger with a solid snap, "we will be holding your very first level assessment immediately following today's class."
She leaned forward slightly, resting both palms on the podium.
"You will not be fighting or casting spells for this initial evaluation. I will simply be reading your natural energy signatures using specialized measurement equipment over at the Energy Research Facility."
Mary scanned the room, her voice leaving no room for argument. "It is a quick, baseline procedure, but attendance is mandatory. Do not be late."
Mary turned back to the chalkboard, drawing three distinct icons across the surface.
"Now, moving on to the three structural types of Gates," she said, tapping the first icon. "First, we have Monster Gates. These are straightforward—simple portals connected to dimensions infested with beasts. If left uncleared, these are the Gates that inevitably cause catastrophic monster breakouts."
She tapped the second icon, a stylized open book. "Second are Narrative Gates. These are special, scenario-based portals where entry forces you into a specific historical event, trial, or story that must be resolved. Failure to fulfill the narrative's conditions causes the Gate to destabilize and convert directly into a standard Monster Gate."
Finally, she tapped the third icon, depicting a sphere merging with another. "Third are Living World Gates. These are active connections to distinct, populated realms attempting to migrate or merge with our own. The non-human races present in our society today—such as Elves, Dwarves, and even certain human populations—originally arrived through these very Gates."
Mary turned to the side, leaning her back against the chalkboard with a thoughtful expression.
"While Gates are undeniably dangerous, they are also humanity's greatest treasure trove," she said, raising a finger. "Clearing a Gate yields immense resources—artifacts, weapons, armors, alchemy and medicinal ingredients, precious metals, and invaluable monster byproducts."
She paused, letting the list sink in before her expression sharpened.
"However, the single most precious prize you can acquire from any Gate is its Gate Characteristic," Mary stated, her tone emphasizing every word. "This is a unique, condensed essence that grants specific properties or abilities to whoever claims it. It is found in only two places: harvested directly from the Gate Core itself, or claimed as a drop from the strongest entity residing within that portal."
"To clarify how these work," Mary continued, "a Gate Characteristic can be infused directly into your equipment—whether that is a weapon, a piece of armor, or an artifact. Doing so embeds the specific skills or traits stored within that characteristic straight into the item, allowing the wielder to manifest them at will."
She reached into her coat pocket and drew out a sleek, iron-hilted hunting knife, holding it up so the entire class could see the faint red crystal embedded near the hilt.
"This is a standard iron knife, but it has been infused with a low-tier Characteristic harvested from a Risk Level 1 fire-element Gate," she said.
Mary channeled a brief thread of her own energy into the handle. Instantly, the metal gleamed bright red, and a steady, controlled plume of flame erupted along the edge of the blade, casting a warm glow across the front rows.
"Notice that both aura and magic can act as the trigger to ignite the embedded crystal," Mary explained, extinguishing the flame with a light wave of her hand. "Your own mana or aura acts like a key, unlocking the distinct energy stored inside the Characteristic. At lower tiers, a Characteristic simply adds an elemental property or a simple trait. Higher-level Characteristics, however, contain far more complex abilities."
She set the knife down and reached behind her desk, pulling out a polished wooden staff tipped with an iridescent, pearlescent stone that shimmered with a pale blue hue.
"To give you an idea of what a higher-tier Characteristic looks like, this staff is embedded with a Level 4 Characteristic harvested from a Siren," Mary said, holding it upright for the class to inspect.
She unrolled a document attached to the weapon's casing and held it up. "Unlike the Level 1 knife, which merely adds an elemental property, this Level 4 Characteristic grants the wielder distinct, complex skills."
Mary gestured toward the text on the paper. "First, it grants active water generation and fluid manipulation. Second, it grants the wielder a specialized skill—a localized siren's hymn. When activated with aura or magic, the staff emits a faint melody that induces heavy drowsiness and sleepiness in everyone within the cone-shaped area it is pointed toward."
She lowered the staff, placing it carefully back behind her desk. "This is why higher-level Characteristics are heavily regulated and sought after by advanced combatants."
Near the front row, a student raised his hand. "Instructor, can an item hold more than one Characteristic?"
Mary smiled faintly at the student's question. "Good question, but no," she said, shaking her head. "An item can only hold one Characteristic."
She tapped her desk. "Once you put a Characteristic into a weapon or armor, it stays there forever. You can't take it out, change it, or move it to something else. The only way to get rid of it is to break the weapon entirely."
Mary held up the small fire knife again so everyone could see it clearly.
"There is one more crucial detail about Characteristics," she continued. "Many of them come with negative side effects, which is why equipping too many items with Characteristics can do you more harm than good."
She pointed to the faint red crystal on the hilt. "Take this Level 1 fire knife as an example. It generates real flames, but it offers zero fire control and zero protection for the user. If you hold it wrong or use it carelessly, you will burn your own hands."
"Because of this, Characteristics that come with no severe drawbacks are vastly more expensive and valuable in the market," Mary explained. "When choosing your gear in the future, always pay attention to the drawback—not just the power."
Mary glanced up at the clock on the wall and gently closed her lesson plan with a soft smile.
"That concludes today's lecture, everyone," she announced, her voice warming as she looked over the class. "Please pack up your things carefully. We'll be heading over to the Energy Research Facility next to take a quick look at your baseline energy."
She stood up from her desk and walked over to the classroom door, holding it open for them and resting a comforting hand against the frame.
"Form a neat line in the hallway for me," Mary said softly, giving a reassuring nod to a few nervous-looking students as they passed. "Keep your voices down so we don't disturb the other classes, and stay close together. Don't worry—the testing doesn't hurt at all. Let's head over."