"Our energies are washed by our ancient genes, thus are in the same element as our superpowers. That is why we are limited by our superpowers. Now I want all of you to form a basic dagger with energy so as to see the limits placed upon you through your ancient genes." She said and the sword in her hand vanished.
Miles pondered for a while and couldn't help but ask, "Tutor Olsen, how about people without elemental superpowers? Are their energies washed too?"
"Excellent question, Number 2! Ten Merit Points for this brilliant question." Olsen exclaimed cheerily as she pointed at the chart in the air.
"Like, I said earlier. Each person has several potential superpowers, including elemental powers. It is true that after awakening other pathways collapse, those potential powers are still there. So to say, that elemental power or element your ancient gene possesses is still there." She explained. Miles was illuminated all of a sudden.
"You mean—"
"Yes! Every person has an innate element! But those awakened other types of superpowers are prone to other branches, so their development in Heart Branch is going to be limited. But it doesn't mean they can't use it! " She said with an approving nod.
Miles looked with astonishment. 'What about me?' He wanted to ask but swallowed the bitter question.
Students looked at each other, then raised their hands to create a dagger with nothing but energy. The reason they were confused was that it was as easy as breathing for geniuses such as themselves to form a weapon with energy. Yet, Tutor wanted them to form weapons as simple as this.
Miles looked at the students and guessed their elements. Alex was holding a dagger with lightning crackling on it. It was a dark shade of purple in color. Number three had a light orange dagger in his hand, shining with light and giving out some heat. Number 6 was holding a gray dagger that looked like it was made of metal and it was carrying attributes of her superpower. Coincidentally her element was metal!
Tutor Olsen started from the front seat and introduced one by one. "Number 94, superpower Earth Spear. Body Seed.
As you can see, she is holding a dagger brown in color. It is because her energy is mixed with her superpower and only allows her to use Earth elemental energy. And because her seed is Body, her control over energy constructs is weak. After all, weapon creation is under the Heart Branch. But if she were to change her superpower into other forms, her control would be a lot more obvious.
Her superpower is the most basic form of Earth elemental. Thus, the dagger she formed is carrying the same basic attribute. If she learns the gravity branch of Earth Element in Extol-Rank, her dagger can carry gravity attributes as well. But she will never be able to form a fire elemental dagger." She said and was about to continue but a student asked a question.
"Tutor Olsen." The student was Number 4. She was a girl with a rare Swamp elemental superpower. "I have Swamp type elemental power covering both water and earth elements, thus being able to learn water and earth elemental abilities. Shouldn't number 94 also be able to learn fire through the lava, which is the mixture of Fire and Earth elements?" It was a good question indeed. People with rare elements were always much more appreciated by any force because of their attributable advantages, but it wasn't only because of superpower, but because of their future limitations as well.
"Sadly no. That is why our superpowers are critical, and I said it limits our abilities with energy." Tutor Olsen shook her head and answered, "In your case, your superpower is already a mixture of these two elements and will allow you to learn two elemental abilities with energy as soon as you comprehend them, but it doesn't mean a person can break their elemental barriers to learn mixture elements, and jump to other elements from there.
Let's take you for example again. You have the potential to learn water and earth elements and can further promote their rarest form of ice and gravity of two elements, but you cannot jump into the liquid fire just because you have water elemental abilities. This will be your limit." She explained. This was the cruelty of life. People born with rare elements would have advantages in life since birth.
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"Let's continue. Number 74, superpower Grass Blades. Rare Wood elemental. Not bad. As you can see, his green dagger is in the form of his wood element. Because he has Heart Seed, his dagger is stronger and more durable. He can create daggers close to real weapons and use them to fight longer than a person with Body seed."
Tutor started to introduce elements and seeds, and their effects over the daggers one by one until it was Alex's turn.
"Why don't you create one?" The tutor looked at Miles and asked as she was walking towards Alex and couldn't help but notice Miles's hand was empty. But she frowned when she saw Miles's raised palm. Out of all daggers, only his was ethereal, almost invisible. As if she felt something, her pupils shrank to the limit, then she exclaimed in surprise, "Spectacular. What is your element?"
"I don't have a superpower, Tutor Olsen," Miles answered.
"I don't ask what your superpower is. What is your element, boy?" She asked again impatiently. 'Didn't you just ask the most critical question, and figure out everyone has an element!'
Miles looked at Tutor with a questioning gaze and thought for a while, in the end, he couldn't find an answer. "I don't know." Miles could only say.
"Then what are your parents', siblings' elements?" Tutor Olsen asked again. Miles thought for a while, then decided to say. It wasn't a secret anyway.
"My Grandfather and Father have the Null element, while My mother has Mind Power, never seen her element. My brother can copy others' powers, while my sister can merge them." Miles thought and said as he counted in his mind. When he looked back at the classroom, everyone was looking at him with their mouths agape.
"You are— You are a Cross?" Tutor Olsen asked with a stutter.
"Yes, I am the youngest," Miles answered with a smile. Everyone left their identities at the doorway when entering this academy, so he wasn't worried about his identity. People here wouldn't treat him differently just because of his family, right?
"And you failed to awaken? How did I never hear it before?" Tutor Olsen asked the first part while mumbling the second. Miles only nodded, because my grandfather hid me out of embarrassment?
"Still, I saw the null element. It has a gray color, while your brother and sister have rainbow-colored energy. Evelyn on the other hand has blue energy, her element is water. Yours doesn't match with any of them." Tutor Olsen said while shaking her head. "So strange."
"My ancient genes got destroyed when I used the fourth strengthening serum, my father said it might be related to that," Miles answered honestly. He knew Tutor Olsen was just trying to help him explain his energy, so he wasn't keeping anything from her.
"If Malcolm said so." She said This was the second time he called his parents by name. Miles felt she knew his parents but it was just a guess. "Let's skip you for now." She said and lastly explained Alex's dagger and element. After she was done with that she finished the lesson.
When Miles and Alex were leaving, all eyes were on them. At first, Miles thought they were looking at Alex, but later he realized a fair share of them were looking at him. After all one of them was the youngest Cross while the other was thought to be the Marooner.
"You are famous now." Alex chuckled as he saw how people were looking at Miles, but Miles only pointed at five girls looking at Alex with their faces flushed. Alex showed his nervous expression and quickened his pace.
While they were about to leave the school to enter the valley, a clerk approached and stopped them.
"Number 2. Dean Milosh wants to see you." The clerk said as he looked at Miles with a wandering gaze.
'I thought this school wouldn't give a shit about our identities. Why do people react so weirdly?' Miles shook his head and turned Alex. "You go without me. I will see what Dean needs from me."
"Alright, we can go together tomorrow too," Alex said and left. Miles nodded to the Clerk and followed him.
"Do you know why Dean wants to see me?" Miles asked while they were walking. Dean Milosh himself said their identities were worthless than trash. Why was he so interested so suddenly?
"Unfortunately I do not." The clerk answered with a smile. They didn't speak after that. The clerk took him from the freshmen area to the sophomore area, from there to the city. In the city, there was a military headquarters and Milosh was there.
There was a train system built in the city to allow fast transportation, but the Clerk decided to walk, so Miles could only follow. He thought the clerk did it to show him the path from school to the city lest he would be lost on his way back.
When they were at the top floor of the headquarters, the clerk knocked on the door and let Miles enter first. Milosh was sitting on his desk. When Miles entered, he raised his head from his wristwatch and gestured to him to seat to chair across himself.
Miles sat and was about to ask what he could do for Milosh when the latter said.
"Show me your energy."