"Well, I think we know what you're good at now. I guess you have your gear then."

Cecilia spoke as she looked at Dirk. He was practicing with the hatchet, and he showed talent with it. Cecilia had been shocked at how capable he was with all the weapons he used. It was like he naturally knew how to use everything, and even the things he was unfamiliar with he could pick up rather quickly.

In the end though, Dirk showed preference to the four weapons he chose, and Cecilia didn't oppose him. With his weapons determined, she put them in his possession. Dirk received two short knives, one long knife, one combat hatchet, a spear, and a bow with some arrows. Dirk also eventually received the armor that his mother was entrusted to design.

One day while Dirk was training in his house, Cecilia barged in unannounced. Dirk went to meet her and saw her place a case on his table.

"Alright, come take a look! I had a friend of mine make it himself for you. It isn't anything crazy, but it will be more than enough for what you're facing. I guarantee its protection from anything below a Tier 5. Of course, everything depends on the situation, but you're not stupid enough to be totally reliant on your armor. Anyway, open it up."

Cecilia explained before pointing Dirk toward the case. He walked over to it silently before popping it open and grabbing the garments inside.

The first thing he grabbed was the torso armor. A black leather long sleeve shirt with dark grey metal plating around all vital areas including the chest, sides, stomach, and even a spine guard the length of the shirt. Dirk was surprised at how well thought out the plate placement was. He then realized how knowledgeable his mother was about such things.

Next were the pants. Those were the same black leather and grey metal. There were metal coverings around the knee, butt, hips, thighs, shins, and the back of the calves. All the leather was fitted as well, so it was only a bit bigger than his size. His mother explained to him that he would be growing quickly, so this would give him a little more room and make the armor last longer.

Next was the boots, helmet, and gloves. The gloves had finger and knuckle plating, while the boots were surprisingly similar to combat boots from Earth with plating in the toe, heel, and sole. As for the helmet, it was shaped like a hood with thicker than normal leather on it. There was even a mask that could cover his face.

The armor also had many different straps and holders for various things like weapons and items. There were a few knife sheaths for the knives and hatchet Dirk received as well as a holder for his spear. This would make sure all his weapons could be secured to his body and equipped quickly. Then there were some pouches for miscellaneous items and whatever he would want to keep on his person.

Cecilia had Dirk try everything on. When he had it all equipped, he looked just like an assassin. The thought made him feel weird. Was this on purpose, or did his mother just really like dark clothing? Though if it were up to Dirk, he would have chosen dark colors too. Anything dark was simply advantageous to be in. Being completely honest, his mother surpassed his expectations with the armor. It was comfortable, surprisingly light, tough, and his movements weren't limited. The leather, despite not being thick, was very impact and slash resistant. However, as his mother explained, he shouldn't be letting himself get into bad situations where his armor would need to save his life.

Overall, the armor was fantastic. Dirk was thrilled to have it since it would increase his odds against any enemy.

"So?"

Cecilia asked with a smile seeing Dirk jump and move around in the armor. He nodded back to her.

"It's great. Thank you, mother."

"Of course! I can't let you go into the dungeons unprepared. This is a time of mistakes and learning. You must experience as much as possible while you face weak enemies so you make fewer mistakes when you face strong ones in the future. This armor will ensure that any mistakes you do make can be protected against."

She walked over to him and adjusted the armor as she spoke. After, she kissed his forehead with a loving smile.

"I want you to stay safe in the dungeons. They are a place of great opportunity but also great danger. You're a smart boy, so I want you to keep yourself safe. And if you ever have any questions or problems, just come to me."

"Understood."

"Good."

.............

Not long after Dirk got his armor, his mother left him alone. He took off the armor and placed it back into its container for later use. After that, Dirk got to do whatever he wanted before school officially started. He was all set and ready for the dungeons.

On the day before school started though, Ava came back. When she showed up at Dirk's door, he was a bit surprised. She seemed a lot gloomier than before.

"What's wrong?"

This was the first thing Dirk asked. Hearing the question, Ava's face dropped a bit. She took a while before responding.

"I saw... something not so good. But I don't want you to worry about it."

"...Alright."

Dirk answered simply before bringing Ava into the house. She was surprised as he acted so nonchalant.

"You really won't ask about it?"

She asked hesitantly. Dirk turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you want me to?"

"N-no."

"Then I won't. But you shouldn't worry about things unnecessarily either. You look stressed right now, and that may hinder your performance in the dungeons and in school. You either need to stop worrying about whatever it is, or figure out a way to solve the problem. If you need help, do ask."

"..."

Ava went quiet at his words, eventually just nodding. It was a bit heartless and lacking any compassion, but that's just how Dirk was. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Ava had a more emotional veil, and Dirk was the perfect counter to that. He kept things straightforward, which was sometimes how it needed to be.

That day, Ava went back to exercising with Dirk. He easily noticed how her stamina went down since she was heaving for breath by the end. Whatever was on her mind, it really took its toll.

................

"Be sure to get your books, and here's your class list. Since you wanted to try forging and enchanting, I've put you in both classes. You're also in your elemental classes plus the anima training class. Needless to say, you're taking a full load, but I'm sure you can handle it. If the forging or enchanting classes prove to be too much, then let me know and you can be dropped."

Ryker explained Dirk's schedule to him. Currently, Dirk and Ava were eating breakfast together, something that surprised Ryker a bit. He disregarded it though and talked about what he came for.

Today was the first day of school. Since it was Dirk's second year, not only would he be dungeon diving, but he could also practice forging and enchanting. Over the month break, Dirk had expressed his desire to try it, so his father enrolled him. This would add two more classes, but with Dirk's diligence, he could get through it so long as he was willing to invest a few more hours each day.

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Not only that, Ryker helped Ava with enrolling in alchemy. Since she had the water attribute, she was cut out for it, so she decided to give it a shot. And since she only had one element class and the anima training class, she had plenty of time to spare.

With their new schedules, Dirk and Ava started their first day. Dirk went to his first class which was the earth element class. Upon arriving though and picking a seat, the teacher made an announcement to the class.

"Today is your first day, but there won't be as much of an adaptation period. This announcement is being made to all of you second years: You will have your first kill initiation in one week. On that day, you will take the life of a monster with any weapon or magic of your choosing. A few weeks after that, you will have your first dungeon dive. The dungeon dives are optional, but the first kill is not, and there will be consequences should you fail to make the first kill. More details will be given to you when the day comes. Now, let's start class."

After completing his announcement, the teacher turned and opened up his book. Meanwhile, much of the class was shocked by such a bombshell of an announcement. Only some, like Dirk, already knew what this first kill initiation was.

Upon entering their second year, every kid would be placed in the arena with a monster which they would have to take the life of. Some students in the past had failed to kill their monster out of fear or incompetence. Those that cowered were usually expelled from the school on the spot, and those that at least put up a fight were forced to do combat training before making their first kill later. In Rita's words, it was the school's way of getting rid of the exceptionally weak willed. Anybody who wanted to become a capable mage or warrior needed to be capable of fighting and killing.

While Dirk had thought that it was a rather excessive initiation, this was a different world that worked on a different set of laws. Here, killing monsters was commonplace. For what the academy was preparing these kids for, maybe a first kill initiation wasn't so bad. At least it wasn't an actual person.

After the announcement, the teacher went on with the class as normal. Dirk was given a new book and introduced to several new concepts that he would be learning about through the year. The book had many new spell theories that were more advanced than the ones he had learned the year before. It would be like this for every class throughout the day.

Even the Anima class was more advanced. Like last year, Ava and Dirk were put in the same group. The instructor was even stricter than the last, and the first day only ended after every kid besides Dirk and Ava threw up. In this class, they would be taught more combat techniques and even an Anima techniques. That second part was only for those that needed it though. Unlike Dirk, not all kids had built in skills that came with their manual. This was the unfortunate consequence of receiving low grade manuals and techniques.

Finally, there were the forging and enchanting classes. The forging class was first, and here Dirk was put under the tutelage of a dwarf with no hair or beard. The dwarf had a face that seemed to be eternally covered in ash and soot, and he spoke while coughing.

"Okay! Listen up. Cough! I'll be your teacher for the year, and possibly the year after. Who the hell knows. Anyway, you all are... the second year class? Yea, you'll be learning the basic techniques. Shit like starting a furnace without blowing yourself up and how not to touch hot metal. You'd think it'd be common sense, but no, kids get burned every single year! Cough! Anyway! Just listen to the shit I say and hopefully some of you will show some level of skill. Now pick up your damned books and flip to the first- no, tenth page. Cough!"

The dwarf didn't mess around before getting straight into things. Dirk picked up his book which had some burned pages and flipped to the tenth page. When he did, he could see a hole in the middle of the page caused by fire.

'I can't scan a book that's been burned to nothing...'

He sighed inwardly before just listening along. He could also see the book of another student, though others were burned too. Luckily, after looking at enough, his AI was able to piece things together to form a full page.

They were introduced to several concepts that class, things like forging techniques, types of metal, types of fire, and the tools they would be using. Dirk scanned all the pages of his book, but since there were burned holes everywhere, he had to go to look at other student's books at the end of class to fill in the pages.

Ultimately, by the end of class he was only able to piece together the first few parts of the book. That was enough though, and when class let out, Dirk moved on to the enchanting class.

Upon entering this class, Dirk was surprised. There were only 6 students including him. 4 boys and 2 girls, and all of the students were at least a year older than him. Dirk wondered why there were so little students for a bit before the teacher walked in and started class.

The teacher was an older man, and even Dirk could sense a deep intellect from him. The man scanned around the students, pausing on Dirk for a bit before speaking.

"Welcome to enchanting class. I'm Master Hanns. This year, I'm going to teach the fundamentals of enchanting. I will also evaluate you all throughout the year to see if you have the ability to enchant. If you show no ability, you will be dropped. Now, allow me to explain what enchanting is."

Saying that, Master Hanns picked up a leather sack and stuck his hand inside of it. He then pulled out a long sword that was obviously bigger than the sack itself. Dirk's eyes bulged a bit seeing that impossible display.

"Enchanting is the process of imbuing magical functions onto items. Many items have inherent magic properties like an affinity to the elements or mystical effects on various objects. However, enchanting is the intentional practice of imparting a mystical effect. Take this bag, for example. This used to be an ordinary piece of leather from a Tier 5 monster. But after going through the hands of a dark enchanter, it became a spatial storage bag capable of containing many times its own size. With the right skill, intellect, and ingredients, there is nothing an enchanter cannot make. Many enchanters are also craftsmen of some kind, whether it be an alchemist or a blacksmith. Being a decent craftsman is almost a prerequisite to even attempting enchanting. However, there is just as much theory and mathematics in enchanting as there is crafting, so this takes both brains and brawn.

"The books I'm about to give you are exceptionally valuable. Only in places like this academy will you find such a book. Because of this, this book will never leave this room nor the academy. If you wish to take home information to study, you will need to write notes yourself. However, this room will also be open to you at all times during the day, so you can spend more time here with the book. Now, take your book and open to the first page..."

Master Hanns went on for a bit before handing everyone a book. Unlike the ones in the forging class, these were absolutely pristine. The covers had metal on them and the pages were made of parchment. The book was like a work of art itself. Dirk was quick to begin flipping through pages, scanning all information he looked at. Master Hanns glanced at him before continuing with class.

By the end of class, Dirk had scanned the entire book, and Master Hanns went through his introduction. This class would be filled with drawing, mathematics, theory of mana and magic, and applied practice. Dirk could tell how difficult the class would be as even he had a hard time understanding what any of the concepts within the book meant.

Soon, the end of class came. Dirk immediately stood up when the bell rang, but he was the only one. The other 5 students glanced at him before burying their noses back into their books. Dirk felt a bit weird for a second before shrugging and leaving.

Upon arriving back at his house, Dirk saw that Ava was down in the magic basement training her mana technique. He decided to join her, and the two spent a couple hours within the dense mana.

............

Dirk's week was rather uneventful as the day of the first kill initiation approached. However, he was about the only one who wasn't nervous in some way. Even Ava couldn't get her mind off of it, and she repeatedly discussed it with Dirk. She talked all about what kind of monster they may fight and how she would go about killing it. Dirk was mostly silent while she rambled on, only giving input occasionally.

Then, the day came. All of Dirk's classmates were nervous as they were all called to the arena. Dirk walked there with Ava and was surprised to see teachers and staff sitting in the stands. There were even a bunch of students, all waiting around as if they were about to watch a show.

Prior to coming to the arena, all students had prepared armor and weapons. The ones who only used magic were donned in various pieces of metal covering while carrying shields. Those who fought with melee weapons had their preferred weapon as well as their own armor. It looked like a child army was gathering as all the kids piled into the arena space.

Even Ava stood next to Dirk wearing rather decent armor. The armor fit almost all the specifications that Dirk had told her about. Not only that, but it looked just as nice as Dirk's. He was a bit surprised seeing that since Ava's parents were a lower class, thus they probably wouldn't be able to spend as much. But it looked like they decided to splurge for their daughter.

He was also surprised to see the war axe in Ava's hand. It definitely wasn't a bad weapon should it be used properly.

Unlike the rest of the students that he was looking at though, Dirk wasn't dressed in any armor. He wore the same plain clothes that he did while fighting in the competition. The only piece of gear he had on him was his large knife that he carried while sheathed.

The fact that he came with no armor greatly distressed Ava, in fact. The entire time that they were at the house prior, she had been practically begging him to put it on. They would be fighting a monster, after all. However, he just shook his head and grabbed only one of his many weapons. He gave a single reason as to why he didn't put on the armor: because it would get dirty.

Ava was baffled, but she didn't have the ability to force Dirk to listen to her. Thus, she could only walk with him to the arena, glancing at him with worry.

After all the kids were gather in the arena, the principal, Duke Hillshire, stepped up on the stage and overlooked everyone with a solemn gaze.