After school

Magic beast and monster simulation training facility.

A teenage boy with black hair and large brown eyes, holding a shiny new massive hammer stood eagerly in a space.

[Maxwell Aster... Orc simulator.]

[Begin!]

Following the soothing voice was an unnerving sight of black mana swirling opposite Maxwell.

This swirl of mana continued to contort unnaturally, quickly forming into the structure of a terrifying creature.

The monster to emerge from the amalgamation of mana possessed strong hog-like legs that supported a grey, muscular body standing upright. The creature's physique boasted boulder-like shoulders and four fingers. Across its chest and arms, the creature adorned itself in tattoos that emitted a dim white hue.

The orc's terrifying visage featured giant tusks, capable of impaling anything in its path. Protecting the monster's privacy, the orc wore a broad rag wrapped around its waist, covering its crotch.

"ARRGH!"

"Nice to meet ya!" Maxwell rested his hammer on his right hammer, ready to swing it at a moment's notice.

"HMPH!" Wasting no time, the monster charged at the magic knight.

"I'm Maxwell, thanks for asking." Maxwell pouted and swung his at the orc.

"RRRRR!" The Orc slammed its fist into the boy's hammer, matching his force.

THUD

The Orc launched its fist upwards, forcing the boy's arms and hammer to the sky.

BAM

'So strong!'

"PFFT!" Maintaining its momentum, the orc huffed fearsomely and charged forward, trying to ram into Maxwell's body.

"Woah." Surprised by the monster's eagerness, Maxwell placed his foot on the crouched monster and propelled himself above the orc.

"I'm here!" Middair, Maxwell transitioned into a somersault, snatching and swinging his hammer down at the orc's back

Aided by its enhanced senses, the orc snapped its head backwards and blocked the attack with both arms.

"You're pretty quick for your size." Adjusting his grip on his hammer, Maxwell found footing on the orc's arms and jolted one of his feet backwards, kicking the monster's nose.

SPLURT

"ARHGH?!" The monster staggered back angrily, gripping its bleeding nose.

Before the monster could remove his foothold, Maxwell performed a backflip with his hammer.

Taking advantage of his momentum, the Rising Star swung his hammer at the orc's head.

WHOOSH

Still holding its gushing nose, the orc lowered its head, avoiding the mighty hammer.

Noticing Maxwell was unable to control his movements midair and continued to spin, the Orc discharged its fist.

"Mercury." Unable to dodge the attack, Maxwell turned his hammer to liquid metal, moulding it into a spherical shield.

"Steel." Using Metal magic once more, Maxwell commanded the hammer to turn solid before impact.

THUD

"Mercury." Maxwell turned the metal into a sludge once more, making it wrap around the Orcs arm and extend to the ground and himself.

"ARHG?!"

"Steel." On command the sludge solidified, trapping the orc's arm and creating a platform for the spell caster.

Stolen novel; please report.

Now able to halt his spinning, Maxwell stepped on the platform and sprung at the stationery orc.

Maxwell coated his foot in Earthly Aura, causing his dirty boots to glow a faint blue.

DUMMM

The magic knight slammed his foot into the monster's head, fracturing the creature's skull.

CRACK

"ARRRR!"

"Mercury." Showing no mercury, Maxwell called upon the solidified metal.

The grey sludge released the orc's arm, slithering its way to its head and into Maxwell's hand.

"Steel." Maxwell's sludge returned to its original shape as a massive hammer.

Rearmed with his trusty weapon, Maxwell swung his hammer at the monster's head.

BAM

[Maxwell Aster, Status: Passed.]

[Score out of 85/100.]

[Areas for improvement.]

[Take fights seriously, if you can end a battle instantly. Do so, you never know what an enemy is capable of.]

[Don't hesitate.]

"You sound like Donny." Maxwell sighed, wiping a single bead of sweat from his forehead.

'Should I do another one? No, I wanna check out the gravity room.'

[Would you like to participate in another simulation?]

"No thank you." He smiled nervously.

'Can that thing read minds? Wait, is it even a thing? It's not a person? Right?!'

The room began to gradually fill with smoke as Maxwell's brain overworked itself.

***

Dorm Alpha's gravity room

'It's smaller than I thought.' Maxwell gazed at a large building, half the size of the academy's gymnasium.

"Let's see what it's got to offer." Maxwell smiled and walked through the glass doors.

'Glass doors?' That's a first.'

The building's interior mirrored its peculiar exterior. Built from primarily wood, the building's inside boasted smooth carpet floors throughout. Ahead of the building's entrance was a broad table, manned by an academy assistant.

Behind the assistant and his station was a massive purple curtain which seemed to distort Maxwell's senses.

'I can't sense any mana or Aura.' Maxwell frowned.

"Welcome to the gravity room!" The assistant smiled.

"Thanks..."

"Can I please have your name and grade?"

"Maxwell Aster, I'm a first-year."

"Hmm..." Entering the boy's details into a magic ball, the assistant's friendly smile turned into a frown.

'Here it comes.' Maxwell's mood dipped.

"So you're a commoner." The assistant scowled at the student.

"Y-yes."

"The rules are simple, don't enter the circles with your shoes on and don't disturb others. I'm sure you can at least do that... Commoner?"

"Yeah."

"Tsk. No manners at all." She shook her head.

"Thank you." Shrugging off the assistant's blatant classism, Maxwell walked past the desk and opened the curtain.

"Woah."

Behind the large curtain, the floor was made of white marble. Drawn on this plain floor was a black circle.

Inside this massive circle were multiple purple magic circles, their diameters ranging from two meters to ten.

In the centre of these multiple magic circles was an even larger one, this one's diameter being one hundred and twenty. Occupying these magic circles were dozens of sweaty teenagers, most of them struggling to stand.

In the largest magic circle were only three magic knights, all of them being third-years who engaged in full combat despite the overwhelming weight.

'So each of the circles increases the gravitational field within its bounds. And the biggest one has the biggest gravitational force.' Maxwell studied the students training within the circles', some students were trying to merely stand, others were running in place and a few were sparring.

'I'm guessing you can change the gravity.' He took off his boots, placing them in a small pigeonhole.

'I'll start small.' The first year walked to the smallest magic circle.

"Hey, first year!" A second year called.

"Y-yeah?" He turned cautiously.

"You're supposed to fetch a magic crystal before you enter the magic circle."

"Oh..."

"How else are you going to power the magic circle dummy!" The blonde second-year smiled.

"That makes sense." Maxwell nervously chuckled, making sure to keep his speech as formal as possible.

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing."

"Hey, I don't bite you know. What's your name?" The second year chuckled.

'Here we go again.' The first year internally sighed.

"Maxwell, Maxwell Aster."

"Maxwell, Maxwell, Maxwell. Oh, you're the eighth Rising Star in the first year." The second year smiled.

"You know me?"

"Yeah of course I do. Every competent student makes note of the Rising Stars of the other grades."

"I guess that makes sense."

"I'm Cicero. A second year, I may be your senior but you don't have to be so formal towards me." He grinned.

'He doesn't mind that I'm a commoner?'

"Let's go get that magic crystal so we can begin training!" Cicero grabbed Maxwell's arm.

"Okay." He smiled.

The pair returned to the counter, where Maxwell's mood immediately plummeted once more.

"Assistant Aelia, why didn't you explain to the newbie about the magic circles?" Cicero frowned.

"I apologize, Lord Cicero, I was under the impression he'd been here before." She shot the commoner a sharp glare.

"..." Ignoring the assistant's apology, Maxwell followed Cicero to the magic crystal room.

"So here you have four magic crystal colour options." Cicero pointed at four different shelves.

"The higher the rank the stronger the effect of the gravity?" Maxwell guessed.

"Kinda, you can still adjust the gravity's strength at the magic circle. But there is a minimum and maximum gravitational force for each crystal rank."

"Ohh, that makes sense."

"I'm assuming you'll start with white rank?" Cicero grinned.

"Yep!"

***

*Extra Information:

Rank: White Rank

Edible?: No

Drops: Tusks

Weaknesses: None

Behaviour: Travel in groups, usually lead by a superior orc monster or even other monsters.

Habitat: Mountains and dungeons

Attacking style: Use their strong bodies to fight, they don't use any martial arts but they do use every single limb.

Abilities: Incredibly strong and strong tusks.

Description: Standing at a towering three meters tall, these creatures possess an ashy grey skin decorated with intricate white tattoos. On their faces they have large pale tusks protruding from their faces, acting as weapons for biting and impaling opponents. Wrapped around their waists, the monsters hide their jewels with a single rag.

Note: There are no female orcs, only males so the way they reproduce is currently unknown.