Week 1 Day 5

“Hey. We’ve got our first basic history class today.” Andrew knocked on his door the next morning. “Wake up!”

“Shit.” Ethan woke up, panicked, and rushed to get dressed. They only had two days of classes. “I forgot!”

“I knew most of us would, it’s our first week after all.” Andrew laughed outside, Most of the other guys looked equally sleepy. Basil had a look that he just partied all night long and could use another few hours of sleep. Jovan and Andrew were the only two that actually looked fresh.

“How the hell do you wake up so early?” Ethan wondered, he wasn’t sure why he was so tired either.

“It’s a habit.” Andrew laughed. “How was your rift? Did things go well?”

Ethan rubbed his eyes, they still felt a little dirty. “Yeah. Alia saved my ass.”

“You bet she did. Now come let’s go. We gotta at least sit in for the class if we don’t want to fail.”

“What.”

“The secondary classes are all compulsory. You miss it more than the permissible number of times, they’ll give you a deduction to your GP. And if you remain in negative GP for a month, you get expelled.”

“I... didn’t know that.” Ethan said.

“Come. Let’s not fuck up by not attending our first class.”

The class was held in one of the larger Lecture Theaters in the garden. Ethan quickly stepped out before the classes started and found somewhere quiet, where he summoned Kaname.

“You’ll join the class, and let me know who’s linked to the dogs.”

Kaname nodded, and they both returned to class. Ethan sat back where he usually was, all the way at the back, while the ninja-student sat somewhere in the middle-left.

[Kaname: Master, the dogs were spotted around the dark purple-haired girl. 7th row from the front, 3rd person from the left.]

Ethan’s eyes darted to the suspect, and whispered to Andrew. “Andrew, who’s that girl with the dark purple hair? Do you know her?”

“Of course I know her! That’s Lady Celeste Mirrorsong, of House Mirrorsong.” Andrew said.

“How the hell do you know?” Ethan honestly wasn’t expecting an answer.

“I secretly network with nobles.” Ethan stared as if he couldn’t believe it, and then Andrew laughed. “Okay, I’m kidding. I know her because her family rules Fullern. My hometown.”

“Oh. So... have you spoken to her?”

“As a servant, yes. She’s technically my superior, even if that’s suspended within the Garden as we are both students. Why?” Andrew ribbed him. “You’ve got an eye on her?”

Ethan ribbed his fellow student. “Please, I’m not a toad lusting after swan meat.”

“You’re an eagle, then.” Andrew laughed. Ethan’s own quiet laughter was interrupted by Kaname’s ping.

[Kaname: Master, can I know who Sara Argos and Camelia Everfrost are?]

Ethan quickly pointed them out to Kaname.

“Students.” At that point, a tall, tanned and handsome man walked into the room. “Greetings. I’m Grandmaster Seville Greenwood, and I’m your history instructor.”

There were whispers in the hall, but his stern gaze soon silenced everyone. His gaze hovered around the class, searching, and Ethan felt Grandmaster Greenwood’s gaze briefly land on him. It didn’t last very long.

His gaze landed on Kaname. It stayed there for a while. He then picked up a notebook, frowned briefly.

[Kaname: Master, I think I’ve been discovered.]

[Ethan: Do nothing.]

“Kaname Kaga.” Grandmaster Greenwood called out. Everyone’s eyes immediately looked for the named person, and wondered what she did to earn the grandmaster’s ire.

[Kaname: What should I do, master?]

[Ethan: Act normal. Uh, Just say, “Yes, grandmaster Greenwood.”]

“Yes, Grandmaster Greenwood.” Kaname stood, and everyone stared.

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Grandmaster Greenwood continued to stare for a moment, and then nodded. “You may sit. Just wanted to see who you are, because I don’t recognise the name.”

Ethan inwardly cursed. He should’ve given her a commoner surname! Andrew whispered. “Oh, that’s the girl you deal with, right?”

“...yeah.”

There were already whispers in the class. “I’ve never heard of House Kaga.”

“I apologise for the interruption.” Grandmaster Greenwood continued. “Today, we’re starting our history class. As an academy for our future warriors, my job is to instill in every single one, an understanding of our nation’s past, and an appreciation of what we are today. Many of you will rise through the ranks of nobility or our professional army, and my hope is that this foundation will help you make decisions in the future-"

Ethan’s phobia for lectures kicked in again, and he swore he felt sleepy. He tried his best to pay attention, but Grandmaster Greenwood’s voice was calming and soothing. The stories of the past felt like it was a rhyme from a lullaby, and Ethan struggled.

It was a good thing the class lasted for only two hours, as he swore he’d fall asleep during the second half. He swore there was no way anyone could keep awake for the entire class.

“Alright. Class over. See you in a week. Kaname Kaga, please stay back. I’d like to talk to you.” Grandmaster Greenwood declared.

Everyone started talking, some started to stream out of the class, and Kaname nodded at the grandmaster.

[Kaname: Master, Grandmaster Greenwood wants to talk to me.]

[Ethan: Act normal.]

“Miss Kaga, right?”

“Yes, Grandmaster.” Kaname said with a bow. She sounded perfectly calm, with perfect poise of a seasoned ninja.

“I’ll be blunt. Who are you?”

“I’m sorry?” Kaname said, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

The older instructor stared at the student list, and frowned. “The student list has your name, but your name doesn’t exist outside of this list. I know every single noble family in this kingdom, none of it Kaga. Your magical energies also feel... unusual. So, my question to you is, what and who are you?”

“I... I don’t know what you are talking about, grandmaster.” Kaname said with perfected cluelessness. Pretending to be innocent is something every Ninja knows how to do, when discovered or captured.

“Really? Hmmm. Give me your hand.”

Kaname stretched out her hand, and Ethan felt incredibly worried. Was this the moment the ruse fell apart?

“This’ll hurt.” He made a small cut on her fingers, and it... bled.

Red.

“Eh?” Grandmaster Greenwood stared.

He looked at the small drop of blood on Kaname’s fingers, tapped it briefly, and back at Kaname with a gaze of incredible curiosity. Kaname, somehow, avoided his prying gaze without ever attempting to look back. The Grandmaster’s core flared briefly, and at that point, every single student still present in the theater froze and watched.

“Very, very interesting.”

[Kaname: Master, he’s using some kind of ability on me.]

[Ethan: Act cool.]

“Well, Miss Kaga, I’ll let you go today. But I expect to see you next week.”

“Yes, grandmaster.”

Kaname nodded and walked out briskly.

[Kaname: Master, I will withdraw outside and find a secure place to disappear. My timer is running out.]

[Ethan: Got it.]

“Aww she’s gone?” Violet said to the handsome boy that already relocated to sit next to her. “I wanted to speak to her!”

“You can speak to me instead, Miss Whitetower. I’ll ask her to see you tomorrow.”

“It’s nice of you to offer, but that’s not necessary, Jon! I’ll talk to her myself.”

Ethan reminded himself to add Kaname’s name to the room list. It’s likely that others would start questioning if Miss Kaname Kaga vanished suddenly, so he needed to get stronger, asap, or Kaname couldn’t appear again.

“You wanna come for coffee? I heard from Alia you guys made some money from the rift.” Andrew asked. “There are some new guys joining.”

“I can’t. I’ve got something on. I’ll try to join the next one, alright?”

“Oh sure.”

***

“I want to use the cultivation room.” It wasn’t far from the lecture hall. “Attuned to shadow-element, please.”

“Certainly. Let me deduct 5GP from your card. You have the room for the next 4 hours. Enjoy!”

He felt the intense magical energies in the room. He closed his eyes, and started to meditate. He felt the room flood with shadow element energies, and his core sucked them in.

Shadow-element energy took the form of gray-black specks in his mind, and here, it was as if the entire room was flooded with them. Ethan sat and consolidated the energies within the air, the intensity of the shadow elements was so huge, that he felt his core expand over the four hours.

[Common-grade Core of the Shadow Swords advanced to 7th stage of the 1st realm].

[The Core of the Shadow Swords unlocked the following Common-grade Skill - Stab of Darkness]

[No skill slot available. Stab of Darkness placed in Storage]

[You may swap one skill per day]

It went up so quickly and then, his other skills also leveled up from the improved shadow energies in the air.

[Ethan Blacktree]

[Core: Common-Grade Core of Shadow Swords]

[Core Cultivation : Seventh Stage- First realm]

[Skill Frame : Skills slots available 0/4]

[Common-grade Shadow Steps - Level 5] (+1)

[Common-grade Body Enhancement - Level 4] (+1)

[Rare-grade Sword Unity - Level 1]

[Common-grade Shadow Copy - Level 3] (+1)

[Storage]

[Common Grade Stab of Darkness - Level 1]

“Sword unity’s still at level one.” Ethan cursed. Sword unity strengthened the power of his sword-attacks and would make it easier to take out the level 1 rift monsters. Right now, he needed multiple hits to take out a regular level 1 rift.

Body enhancements improved his abilities all around, it improved his strength, speed, endurance, but it’s increments were marginal because it was just common-grade.

Shadow copy meant his copy lasted longer and could take more damage.

Leveling skills as it is was a matter of time, practice, and cultivation.