Students took turns testing their Arsha, mostly scoring within a two-circle range. No one had beaten Naylu yet.

"Look how far she got!" Exclaimed a student.

Beyond the third circle by about three meters, a Raya glowed brightly, surpassing even Naylu's reach.

"Did I actually do that?" the girl questioned, her tall, curly brown hair framing big hazel eyes and a lightly freckled face.

"You just got dethroned, Naylu," said Dariu.

Naylu sighed and drew a light smile, "It felt good while it lasted."

Approaching Naylu, the girl remarked, "Looks like we're on top."

"Y-yes, looks like it," he replied with a blush.

"I'm Eva," she stated, extending her hand for a handshake.

"I'm Naylu," he shook her hand.

"I'll see you around, Naylu." Eva said before walking away.

"A-alright," he timidly answered.

When he turned to Dariu, he encountered a smug expression and a stance with crossed arms.

"What?"

"Nothing," he answered, "my turn has come. Let's hope this is the one," he said, marching towards the circles. He then stepped into the center, extended his hand, and took a deep breath.

"Raya."

The ball of light emerged within the second circle, a couple of meters before the edge of the third one.

Average as well?!

With an average Lacus and now a similar Arsha, Dariu began to perceive that perhaps he had been merely an all-rounder with all his abilities set on average. While that wasn't an ill sign, it made Dariu confront the fact that perhaps he wasn't anything special. With a frustrated look, he returned to his place next to Naylu.

"That was not bad, Dariu."

"It was not good, either."

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Next was Hena, and with a yawn and a stretch, she stepped up, then assumed a nonchalant stance. She then conjured a Raya that did not surpass the first circle, reaching no more than two meters.

"Whatever," she said.

Noah stepped forward, creating a buzz of anticipation once more. He had the weakest Lacus in his section, and it was his time to shine and make up for his below-average performance so far.

"Raya."

In a surprising twist, his Raya appeared disappointingly close, just a few meters away.

Confusion spread through the other students; they were taught that each Lojius should excel in something, yet Noah seemed subpar in everything.

"How the hell did you make it through last night? You're so weak!" Shouted Hena.

Unfazed, Noah looked at Hena with usual unbothered expression, then lowerd his gaze to his hand.

"The poor guy," commented Naylu.

"On the contrary, he's blessed," opposed Dariu.

Rolan gazed long into Noah, then approached him, "Tell me, boy, have you seen Kudaishi before?"

"I have."

Indeed, everyone present had witnessed the spell known as Kudaishi just that morning. It was the very same spell that took the life of their classmate.

"I want you to cast that."

Caught off guard, the students gasped. As none had mastered advanced spells, the notion of someone casting a Daishi spell on the first day was surprising.

"It usually takes a couple months to master a Daishi spell, but I think you could do it right now."

"How?"

"Do you remember the last hand sign for it?"

"Like this?" He raised his right hand, forming a fingergun gesture.

"Exactly. Now tell me, what image does this spell invoke in your mind?"

"Blood."

"What else?"

"A lot of blood."

"Alright, keep that your mind, but make it more vivid; more detailed."

"A pool of blood spreading far and wide, bearing witness to the remnants of the fallen—those who dared to defy the mighty, now reduced to minuscule fragments scattered on the ground."

Silence fell upon the other students as they listened to the eerie description.

Suddenly, a small cyan energy orb began to take shape at the tip of Noah's finger.

"I knew it," said Rolan.

There are five requirements for casting advanced spells in Lojia: the required energy, a Nymph stone, the correct sequence of hand movements, the right visualisation, and lastly, an incantation.

"Say it, boy."

Normally, casting an advanced spell without an incantation would be considered impossible.

"Kudaishi."

From the tip of Noah's finger emerged a radiant cyan beam of energy. The beam, slender and fast, collided with a tree, leaving a medium sized hole on its trunk.

The whole section was left in awe as they witnessed the impossible unfold before their eyes.

"I've seen it only once before, but a Lojius with an exceptionally high Nayum could spellcast without incantations."

Wide-eyed, Noah lifted his hand to his face, gazing at it with a look of disbelief.

"You got something rare there, boy. It might be weak, but it's quick, really quick. Not only that, but your Nayum will also allow you to learn spells faster than the average person."

That could be incredibly useful if used correctly, Dariu pondered.

With a look of determination on his face, Noah returned into the crowd.

"Don't get cocky; you're still a weakling," Hena remarked as he passed her.

"Well, that's it for today. Testing your Nayum with basic spells is sadly not possible. However, I'm sure you already have a somewhat accurate grasp of it after realising the power of both your Lacus and Arsha. If not, it will become clearer once you start learning advanced spells."

It's likely average as well, Dariu noted. With an average Lacus and Arsha, his Nayum would probably align. He would become an all-rounder Lojius without specific strengths but without clear weaknesses either, which wasn't too bad.

"One last thing before you go," Rolan said, grabbing the training dummy and planting it back in its place.

"While your abilities are innate and beyond your control, they can actually be developed in the initial years of learning Lojia. After that, it's set in stone. And while any Lojius can slightly increase their potency, Arcadians are different."

He then extended his hand, his palm facing the dummy.

"Dhormu."

The energy burst was so potent that it propelled the dummy several meters beyond the third circle, surpassing Hena's previous record.

"This is the average Lacus of an Arcadian Lojius. It's what you'll strive for during your time here, assuming you want to avoid expulsion."

In other words, Arcadian Lojius have a typically greater average of power than normal Lojius, it's what sets them apart, Dariu noted.

"That concludes the session, you can get out of my face now."

As students exited, Dariu remained, approaching Rolan to have a conversation.

"Excuse me, sir. I was wondering if there is a library around?"

"A library, you say?" He scratched his head," there is one to the north, I guess."

"Alright, thank you," he said, leaving to Naylu who was waiting from a distance.

"What was that for?"

"There is something that I need to check, you want to join me?

"Yes, sure."