Chapter 21: Tri-Fusion Arts.
Adam Pov
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Uggggghhhhhhhhhh!
This is sooooooo boriiiiinnnnnnnng!
I groaned silently, feeling overwhelmed by the thought of repeating this routine again tomorrow. Leaning my head on the desk, I lamented the wasted time as the final general subject of the day concluded and the teacher exited the classroom.
“Are you okay? Did you find the lessons challenging?” Olivia's concerned voice broke through my thoughts.
I lifted my head, surprised to find the classroom emptying out faster than I expected. "Huh? Oh, no, the lessons were a breeze," I reassured her. Normally, I'd brace myself for another round of questioning from my classmates, but they dispersed in a hurry this time.
"Where's everyone rushing off to?" I asked, puzzled by the sudden exodus, especially since Olivia seemed unrushed.
“They're all heading to the cafeteria before the good food disappears. But I brought my own lunch, so I'm good to go,” she explained, rising from her seat. “That being said it’s best if we’re not late, let’s go together, shall we? I’ll show you where the cafeteria is.”
I followed Olivia, secretly plotting to have a chat with Nove. It had been ages since she said anything, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was up.
“Psst, Adam to Nove, come in Nove? Over?” I whispered, covering my mouth to avoid attracting attention.
“Adam, how can I assist you?” Nove's monotone response echoed in my mind.
“Nove, seriously, you’ve been as quiet as a mouse lately. What up?” I prodded, feeling like I was talking to a stubborn computer program.
“What do you mean, Alper? I’m just doing my thing. But since you've been ignoring my wisdom, I figured I shouldn’t disturb you by being silent,” she replied bluntly.
Uh-oh, she's not just quiet; she's mad quiet.
“Nove, I know you're doing your best in helping me out, and trust me, I appreciate it. But I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that I need to keep on the down-low. I'll spill the beans soon, promise. Can we go back to the good old days, please?” I pleaded, hoping to win her over.
There was a pause before she finally responded, “Apology… Accepted.”
Phew! Crisis averted... for now. But wait, can she really get ticked off? I thought she was just a fancy A.I. Do I need to watch my step around her from now on?
Following Olivia down the stairs, we entered the bustling cafeteria. It was like a scene from a chaotic food war movie. Kids were jostling, shoving, and practically doing gymnastics to get to the serving area.
“Oh boy, do I really have to wrestle my way through this crowd for some grub?” I muttered, feeling a mix of hunger and dread. Sure, I wasn't starving, but a full belly is always a good idea, especially with the evening ahead.
Olivia assured me she'd save me a spot while dropping a not-so-subtle warning about the school's rules against Metalweaving and fisticuffs on campus. I raised an eyebrow, wondering why she felt the need to drop that info. Her response? Apparently, most newcomers unintentionally kick off a cafeteria brawl. Great, just what I needed to hear.
I thanked Olivia for her advice, assuring her that Metalweaving or starting a fight was definitely not on my agenda. I mean, come on, I'm an adult—why would I stoop to that level? With tray in hand, I confidently joined the line, only to have some little punk snatch my tray and push me aside.
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I took in a deep breath.
“Oh, it’s on motherfuc-”
Needless to say, relying on my knowledge of human anatomy to gracefully maneuver through the crowd. Before I knew it, I emerged victorious, clutching a humble meal of rice, fish, and soup. Not exactly a gourmet feast, but hey, it's the principle of the thing.
Joining Olivia at our table, I smirked inwardly at my triumph. She had already dug into her lunch, which was fair—I hadn't anticipated emerging victorious from the cafeteria battlefield so swiftly. But now that I had a moment to sit down, I had a laundry list of questions for her.
The burning question on my mind was whether I could skip classes or not. I mean, who wants to sit through those mind-numbing lectures when you already know the gist of it, right? If I could ditch the morning sessions, it'd free up time to explore inside or outside the kingdom. And let's be real, that's where the real action is. I should be able to assemble a small team, work for some cash, or even dig up dirt on Alper's clan—if they're not just a bunch of shady characters then I could join them and even get access to that tantalizing Caelum lapis ore I heard about in history class with Sir Edwin.
So, when I broached the subject with Olivia, she dropped some good news: I could totally skip all classes if I felt like it. But—and there's always a but—there's a weekly test that tests everything you learned during the week. Fail it, and your credit score takes a nosedive. Ace it, and you're sitting pretty. Problem is, everything on the test comes straight from those snooze-fest lectures. But hey, since I've got Nove as my secret weapon and a brain full of knowledge, I could practically sleep through class and still come out on top. No more mornings wasted on math, language, or science—I'd rather hit up the library or something and learn things on my own pace.
Next on my list was Academy assignments, those mysterious tasks Nishra mentioned. Turns out, you need to be enrolled in specialized classes and get the green light from your personal teacher to even sniff at them. But the assignments are basically from gathering materials to doing odd jobs or slaying monsters, so there's never a dull moment.
These assignments sound like a golden ticket, a perfect excuse to ditch this kingdom if things get hairy. Plus, I could snag some primo materials for myself while I'm at it. But, of course, I'll need to level up my Metalweaving skills before I start dreaming of adventuring outside.
Olivia also spilled the beans on the specialized classes—they're totally optional but give your credit score a nice little boost. Problem is, that they only happen a few times per a week. None of them were on today's menu, unfortunately.
After scarfing down lunch, Olivia led me to the registration spot. Without hesitation, I signed up for Metalweaving and Alchemy for obvious reasons. There were some other classes that piqued my interest, like harvesting and combat, but they weren't calling my name like the big two.
As Olivia rattled off the class schedule, Nishra appeared out of the blue, blocking our path like a bouncer at a club. "Adam, training time," she declared.
I couldn't help but quip, "Do you ever take off that armor?" But before I knew it, she scooped me up and plonked me onto her spectral ride. I felt like a featherweight with my measly 11-point strength I couldn’t fight back either. And just like that, we were off, leaving poor Olivia in the dust.
Something tells me this training session is going to be a wild ride.
We bolted outside the academy, making a beeline for the kingdom's exit. Riding that spectral wolf was a trip, and before I knew it, we were back in the golden wilderness, soaking in the afternoon sun over the sprawling meadows.
"Today's lesson is very easy," Nishra announced as we dismounted. "You've got to hunt down a long-horned boar. But you can’t use your Nexus core, meaning no armor."
"Shouldn't you be teaching me on our first lesson instead of throwing me into the deep end?" I protested.
She shook her head, "The best lessons are hands-on. I'll guide you through Metalweaving and combat basics as we go." With a flick of her hand, she pointed behind me, and lo and behold, there stood a boar straight out of a monster manual, tusks as long as my arms.
"How many Metalweaving arts do you know?" she quizzed me.
"Three: Base, Fusion, and Fusion Forge," I replied.
She furrowed her brow. "Hmm, I was hoping you'd know Tri-Fusion, Strengthening, or even Joint Arts. We've got some work to do."
Just as I was about to ask what those were, Nove chimed in with an explanation. "Tri-Fusion is like a combo move of the three arts you know of, handling objects, heating, smelting, and fusing materials. Strengthening arts strengths up the durability of finished products, and Joint Arts is allows you to fuse two things together like using glue to stick them together."
"Looks like we're starting from scratch, Adam," Nishra declared. "I’ll teach you Tri-Fusion arts first, and then you’ll start your lesson for the day."
Oh my god, I'm going to learn a new Metalweaving art.
With some materials that I kept in store from being stuck in the cave before, I honestly couldn’t wait to start. I might actually need to search for some caves around here as well, considering the amount of special fantasy materials there are in the caves, If I fuse them and even use alchemy in the mix, I might be able to make some magical weapons or gear…
Huh, maybe I can even sell those to get some good about of money…
I just couldn’t help but get excited for what was in store for me next.