The morning lesson began with a quiet rustle of parchment as the cadets took their seats. Standing at the front podium was Instructor Luna, her posture poised and authoritative.
"Since you are all seated in Class S, I assume you already know the basic procedures of spirit core awakening," Instructor Luna began, her clear voice carrying across the lecture hall. "However, since not everyone here comes from a background privileged enough to be taught the finer details, we will review the foundational principles."
She leaned lightly against the desk, surveying the room. "As you know, every individual is born alongside a spirit animal. These spirit animals possess distinct Tiers, and they, not you determine the path you will partake in. You do not choose your path, your spirit animal chooses it based on raw compatibility."
Instructor Luna raised a finger, outlining a faint rune in the air. "At birth, intricate spirit runes are engraved into an infant’s back. However, they remain in a completely dormant state. At first, the person and the spirit animal are entirely separate entities. You must wait ten years for the body and soul to mature enough to handle the connection."
She paused, looking around the room. "Can someone describe how their personal awakening ritual went?"
A boy with bright blue hair and clear blue eyes in the third row raised his hand. Ares recognized him, his name was Julian, a cadet from a minor Baron family like Adela.
"Yes, Julian. Stand and share," Instructor Luna nodded.
Julian stood up cheerfully, brushing back his blue hair. "In my estate, we set up a circular stone altar with standard catalyst offerings. I sat in a mediation pose at the center and used a silver ritual knife to cut my palm. I smeared my blood onto both the altar and my spirit animal, which ignited the dormant runes on my back. The spirit animal dissolved into the runes, forming my spirit core."
"Correct," Instructor Luna said, gesturing for him to sit. "That is the standard procedure followed across the empire since its founding."
She proceeded to spend the next hour breaking down the progression tiers: Tier 1 representing initial core formation, Tier 2 focusing on core reinforcement and elemental refinement, up through Tier 5 the pinnacle realm of complete spirit integration.
Once the lecture wrapped up, the cadets dispersed to their respective elective modules. Having no further classes for the day, Ares made his way directly to the quiet, shaded corner of the outer training grounds.
...
He sat cross legged on the packed dirt with gleaming Tier 2 monster cores from Ciel in his lap. Sweating lightly in the afternoon sun, he drew their dense energy into his channels.
Hours passed, and something was wrong. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
’The gap isn’t closing.’ He narrowed his eyes at his inner core. Tier 3 stood in front of him like a chasm. No matter how many cores he absorbed or how hard he pushed his body, he couldn’t find the bottom of it.
"What a remarkable student... and what an interesting secret you’re hiding."
His eyes snapped open. Every hair on his body rose, and an icy chill ran down his spine. ’I didn’t sense anyone behind me!’ He spun into a defensive stance.
Two paces behind him stood a woman in an elegant, floor length black dress, a medieval style umbrella resting against her shoulder. Long raven hair framed a pale face, but it was her eyes that froze him: cold, slanted, and milky white. They seemed to look straight through him.
The Headmaster.
There was no mistaking the suffocating aura around her. She was the strongest being in the Empire, a legend who had appeared out of nowhere years ago and reached the mythical Tier 5.
Before he could think, she moved. She didn’t step or run. She was simply in front of him, and her slender, pale fingers tilted his chin up.
"Using abilities outside your designated criteria..." she murmured, her white eyes glinting.
’I hid it perfectly during the entrance trial. How did she see? Did I let my guard down?’
Before he could pull away, the Headmaster gave a soft, melodious laugh and let go, stepping back half a pace. Find the original chapter at g.com.
"Don’t worry, little cadet." She twirled her umbrella. "I know you’re not a threat. You hold no hostility toward the Academy, despite harboring a cold, inherently violent spirit animal. Your nature doesn’t match its malice, and yet the two of you are compatible. Quite fascinating."
He stood rooted. ’She saw through the disguise instantly. As expected of a Tier 5.’
"Tell me." She leaned on her umbrella, her gaze locked on his. "How are you able to use abilities outside your path? Is it an artifact?"
He weighed his options at lightning speed. Lying to a Tier 5 who could read muscle twitches and heartbeats is suicide.
"It’s my spirit animal’s trait," he said steadily, giving her part of the truth. "It lets me copy and use another person’s technique after analyzing it."
The air in the training grounds grew unnaturally heavy. A crushing, soul binding pressure settled on him, threatening to drive his knees into the dirt. The Headmaster searched every fiber of his being with her white eyes.
Then the pressure vanished as if it had never been.
"Fascinating." A thin smile touched her lips. "I won’t probe further. My curiosity is satisfied, and everyone is entitled to a few secrets."
She started down the shaded path, then paused and looked back over her shoulder, her eyes sharp and knowing.
"To reach Tier 3, cadet, you must achieve harmony with your spirit animal," she said softly. "Stop treating it as an external tool. Treat it as yourself. It is you." She tilted her head. "We’ll meet again soon."
Before he could blink, her figure dissolved into mist.
Iver stood alone in the quiet clearing and let out a long, ragged breath as the tension left his body. He had survived.
He didn’t linger. He gathered the rest of the cores and hurried back to his residence to think.