After all the commotion caused by Ric and Yota, the teacher finally gave them a much-needed lecture. An hour later, Ric and Yota found themselves lying on the practice field, reflecting on the events.

"Sigh, that lecture felt like an eternity," Yota sighed, feeling exhausted.

"Yeah, that old man may be a healer, but his disciplinary methods are harsh. He beats us with his stick and then magically heals the bruises," Ric replied, rubbing his sore backside.

"Alright, enough dwelling on that. Let's get back to our training, Ric!" said Yota, determined to make the most of their time.

"Well, if you insist," Ric responded, mustering up his energy.

However, before they could resume their practice, Ren and Jim approached them, walking with purpose.

"Hold on a minute, Yota," Ren interrupted, his expression serious. "I need to tell you something."

"What's the matter, Ren?" Yota asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ric wasn't training you, Yota. He was actually using you as a test subject for his own magical experiments," Ren explained, his tone revealing a hint of anger.

Yota looked at Ric, seeking an explanation. "Is that true, Ric?"

"Actually," Ric began to speak, but before he could explain, Jim interjected.

"Yes, my friend, the curious mage,

Using you as his magical stage,

Through words and spells,

his experiment goes,

Crafting rhymes, as his power shows," recited Jim, gleefully joining Ren.

"Haha! Ric, you've been exposed and outsmarted!" Ren boasted, a sense of triumph evident in his voice.

Ric attempted to interject once again, but Jim took over, reciting another verse.

"We've unveiled and outwitted thee,

Claiming wits, we'll always decree!"

Yota, growing impatient, looked at Ric sternly. "Ric, if you have something to say, now's the time."

"HAHA! YEAH! IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, SAY IT!" Taunted ren

"Yes, I do actually," Ric began to speak but was once again interrupted by jim who said another rhyme from jim.

"Speak all you may, the truth holds its sway,

Yet we prevail, our triumph to display!

In our superiority, we firmly believe,

Our victory resounds, for all to perceive!" said jim while posing triumphantly.

"Speak up, Ric. We deserve an explanation," Yota demanded, crossing his arms.

Ric took a deep breath. "Listen, Yota, the training was indeed for you, but it was also an opportunity for me to experiment with my own magic. I apologize if it hurt you in any way. If you don't want to continue training together, I understand."

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Yota paused for a moment, contemplating Ric's words. "Nope! Let's keep training together," he finally declared, a smile spreading across his face.

With that settled, Ric and Yota left Ren and Jim behind, who were still striking dramatic poses, reveling in their self-proclaimed victory.

Fifteen days later, as night fell, Ric sat on his bed, reflecting on the progress he had made and the discoveries he had made about his abilities.

"After these intense 15 days, thanks to my experiments, I've gained a deeper understanding of my abilities. So far, here's what I've learned: First, I still struggle to create larger barriers. Second, the smaller the barrier, the stronger it becomes. Third, I've discovered the ability to make the barriers adhere to my body. Fourth, I've determined that I can only create a maximum of seven barriers simultaneously. And finally, the barriers don't deplete my mana when left undisturbed and naturally fade away after approximately 10 seconds," Ric summarized, jotting down his findings in his notebook before retiring for the night.

With a sense of accomplishment, Ric closed his eyes, ready to embrace the challenges and growth that awaited him in the days to come.

As Ric continued his training with Yota, he found himself delving deeper into the intricacies of his abilities. Ric pushed himself to explore new techniques and experiment with different ways to manipulate his barriers.

One morning, as the sun peeked over the horizon, Ric and Yota stood in the training ground. The air was filled with a sense of anticipation as they prepared for another day of training.

"Today, let's focus on your ability to manipulate fire to protect your body," ric suggested, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Imagine the possibilities if you can use your magic not just for offense, but also for defence or mobility."

Yota nodded, intrigued by the idea. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, visualizing the fire surrounding his body. Slowly, he extended his arms, allowing the mana to flow from his fingertips, enveloping his entire form.

At first, the fire clung to him loosely, as if unsure of its purpose. But with each attempt, yota concentrated harder, willing the fire magic to adhere to him with greater strength and stability. He could feel the energy coursing through him, connecting him to the fire as if they were an extension of his own body.

After several hours of focused practice, yota opened his eyes, his body now encased in a fiery suit of protective fire He took a tentative step forward, testing his newfound mobility. To his surprise, the fire responded to his movements effortlessly, shifting and reshaping with each step.

Ric grinned, impressed by yota's progress. "Well done, my friend! You've managed to merge with your fire, turning them into an extension of your own being. This opens up a world of possibilities for your combat strategies."

Yota, overjoyed, started to jump around and ran from here to there with lightning speed until ric stopped him and said "Don’t be so happy yota, as this method only increases your mobility not defence"

Yota exclaimed with joy and proud that "Ric come on! Are you saying that this fire defence is weak? See! It's surrounding my whole body! Leaving no way to attack me, as the fire is hot for others, they will get burned if they get close!"

"Haha" ric slightly laughed and challenged "if you believe that much in your fire suit then dont move!"

yota nodded, proudly accepting ric's challenge, he stood there while ric pointed his figer towards yota creating a small barrier at his finger tip while concentrating his mana in a single point, He launched the barrier as a gun launches a bullet, ignoring all the fiery defences, the barrier hit yota's stomach!. "GAARGH" yota Screamed in pain as he fell down grabbing his stomach. Ric hurriedly took yota to the teacher for healing and once again got scolded.

After that, days turned into weeks, and Ric's abilities continued to evolve. He honed his control over his barriers, summoning and dismissing them with ease. He grew more confident in his combat skills, blending agility, defense, and offense seamlessly. Finally the day for the exam was near and ric found himself sitting on his bed and reviewing and noting down his progress.

"Hmm... so this is what I can do after all these days of training. First, I still struggle to create larger barriers. Second, the smaller the barrier, the stronger it becomes. Third, I've discovered the ability to make the barriers stick to my body. Fourth, I've determined that I can only create a maximum of seven barriers simultaneously. Fifth, the barriers don't deplete my mana when left undisturbed and naturally fade away after approximately 10 seconds, Sixth, I can attack with my barriers by launching them, Seventh, I can boost my mobility by sticking barriers at my feet, Eighth, I can create a shield in any one direction by sticking all the 7 barriers together, Ninth, I can make the barriers float slightly, Tenth, The barriers can be created from any part of my body not only my hands. This is actually not bad! this should be enough for tomorrow's exam, well... even if it's not, I can't do anything as there is not enough time" Ric exclaimed. Satisfied with his progress, Ric closed his book and set it aside. He then laid down on his bed, ready to get a good night's sleep before the upcoming exam.