When they walked through the cafeteria doors, Kestevere joined the students preparing for the dreaded nutrient shake. He was getting used to it, but no matter how much he tried to accept it, he could not get past the fact that it was a fruit smoothie impersonator. With a sigh, he walked over to where Trysta had sat down. Unlike himself, she had access to the school's finest food.

“So, how do I eat nice food like you are?” Kest asked her while glaring jealously. She patted her mouth after the last bite she’d taken before answering.

“Easy. You’ll be receiving tests weekly in your classes. You have to do nice on the tests if you want nice food. The more classes you excel in, the better the food. I don’t have many people that I have to try competing with. Still, maybe you’ll be a challenge,” she said with an antagonistic grin.

“Yeah, I will. Just wait,” Kest pouted as he drained the rest of his shake. The worst part was the collection of vitamins and minerals that sunk to the bottom. “Any advice on the advancement or anything else? You’re probably the most seasoned person at the academy, so I’m sure you’ve found some information.”

“Well, sure, but why would I share that information with someone that could easily fail?” She countered.

“Because I won’t fail. So, are you going to tell me or not?” Kest said, crossing his arms.

“Fine, how about this. Take this as a challenge. By the end of the week, have your magic network extended to at least one limb. It can be an arm, a leg, or even your head if you want it to explode because you don’t know what you’re doing. They can regrow limbs, by the way,” she said, grinning as the color left Kest’s face. “If you can’t do it, though, I guess you’ll just be like the others that come to this academy thinking they’re all high and mighty,” she said, shrugging.

“You’re on. One limb is gonna be cake,” he said with false bravado, knowing she was just goading him into doing better. Growing up, he may not have been around people often, but he could tell when someone pushed him to do better.

“Fine. The Professor will grade it anyway. With that said, though, it’s time for my private lessons, so you’ll have to excuse me. Some of us are too large for this small pond,” she said before playfully sticking her tongue out and walking away. Kest was left alone to think about what she’d said and the challenge she’d given him. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t do it, but he didn’t know where to begin.

“So you already ran into the queen, did you?” Gerold asked as he sat before Kestevere and watched Trysta leave the cafeteria.

“The queen?” Kest asked in confusion.

“Yeah, that’s what the students that have been here for a while call her. She’s been here for years due to special circumstances, but because of that, she’s elite. Most people, including professors, have said that she’ll probably be able to bypass the intermediate academy within a semester. There’s nothing left to teach her at this level. Still, they wanted to ensure that she would be fully prepared because of her background,” Gerold finished before taking a bite of the mashed potatoes on his plate.

“Even you have real food,” Kest complained as his mouth watered. He cleared his head from thinking of Gerold’s food and asked, “So if she’s so far ahead of everyone, how is that fair to the rest of us? How should we compete with her if we go to the advancement exam?”

“I doubt she’ll have the same exam as the rest of us. Think about it. We all had the same entrance exam, and most struggled to get past the two goblins. It’s not something I ever asked her, but most people say she cleared the entire exam without a scratch. That takes some serious firepower,” Gerold said, shoving another bite of food into his mouth and chewing obnoxiously.

“You could act a little more like a noble, you know,” Kest said.

“I would if I wasn’t so jealous. She’s a total genius; ever since I got here, she’s been at the top. I’m no match for her, and I had everything given to me. I don’t know what her deal is. That, and you,” he began, jabbing his fork towards Kestevere, “are the first person to speak to her in a very long time. Normally, she doesn’t make time for the rest of us. Maybe you made a good impression?”

“I doubt it. I wasn’t able to do anything in the Magic Refinement class. I couldn’t even begin to take the first step to complete this week’s task. Maybe it was a pity,” Kest said with a chuckle.

“Hmm, maybe. How about tonight? I’ll help you out. It’s not strictly forbidden, but it isn’t suggested. The number of arms blown off by incorrect technique isn’t a short list,” he said with a shudder.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Looks like it’s time for the next class, though,” Kest said with a sigh and waved goodbye to Gerold. He had to pay careful attention to the map he was given during Gerold’s orientation to ensure he went to the correct building. The next class he had to attend was a Court and Military Conduct course. It was everything he’d been born around and picked up on, allowing him to think about everything he’d spoken to Gerold and Trysta about.

First, he had to place near the top in his classes or, at the very least, score well. The second was his bet with Trysta to gain information about the advancement test. The third was figuring out how to expand his core and the mana network. There wasn’t much else to think about since he knew everything else he’d faced so far. Looking at his schedule for the semester, he noticed that the next course was about wild beasts. Instead of wasting his time in his current class, he simply studied at the back of the room so that he’d be able to crush the next class.

The clock tower outside chimed, signaling the end of the class. He made it to the next class quickly and found they were in a large building built so that various beasts could be brought in. The Professor was pretty relaxed, and it showed. Her name was Professor Blythe, and the entire first class just consisted of going over various non-magical beasts and their role within the more extensive ecosystem that is still developing.

“Throughout history, beasts were initially non-magical in nature and easily subjugated. Over time, these same beasts began to branch off from one another. Usually, the first level of change is for an animal to become a ‘dire’ animal,” the Professor said in air quotes. “The animal branches off from the original and is usually larger, more powerful, more aggressive, and they tend to have some ability. An example of this is the wolf and dire wolf. The wolf is smaller and is not usually a threat, as all of you know. The difference is evident when facing a dire wolf. One can take down an untrained human, even if they have magic. They have teeth capable of piercing steel armor and fur capable of dulling blunt force. They are truly fearsome.”

The Professor continued through the class, listing familiar magical creatures that were not threats. She then began to cover some of the more common beasts. She explained that magical creatures are different from magical beasts. A beast wasn’t bipedal and didn’t have the intelligence to strategize. Kestevere said that even the coyotes he’d faced were intelligent, but he wasn’t willing to argue with the expert. He supposed that she was talking about the ability to form large camps or have some kind of hierarchy where they’d wage war with a large enough population.

When the class ended, Kest went to the cafeteria to get his shake. He was eager to return to his room to begin training so that he could push through whatever was stopping him from going beyond his current level of magic refinement. When he arrived, he noticed that Gerold wasn’t there yet but wasn’t willing to wait for his roommate. Laying in bed, he began digging deep within himself to grasp that feeling he’d had before. It was as if he was reaching toward the power itself and allowing it to lead him instead of the reverse.

He opened his eyes and realized that nearly thirty minutes had passed. He huffed in exasperation and decided to shower before Gerold arrived. He undressed and stood under the warm water that ran from the showerhead. While he was standing under the water, the pieces began to click in his head. He was trying to reach the power and push or pull it instead of allowing a path for it. With that change in perspective, he let his mind wander to the power within him and pictured the mana flowing through a newly dug canal in his body. He dropped to the floor of the shower as the pain began coursing through him. It was like touching a burning stove, but it was inside his body instead. He groaned as the pain started to fade and realized that he’d been lying in the fetal position. Turning from the water and taking a deep breath, he hoped the rest of the process wouldn’t be so painful.

By the time he’d gotten out of the shower and dressed, Gerold had arrived. He told Gerold what had happened, and Gerold began to laugh loudly.

“Most people don’t figure out their method for at least a week. Usually, it’s a much longer process. I guess you don’t like losing, do you?” Gerold asked rhetorically, receiving a shrug in response.

“You’re right, I don’t like losing. I also like to do what I say I’ll do,” Kest said thoughtfully as he stretched his chest. There was still a dull throbbing where his mana channel had begun to form.

“That’s fair to say. To answer your question, normally, it doesn’t hurt that much because the person expanding their mana network has a space that’s lowering, or in the class we take, eliminating the pain. Luckily for you, I was able to figure out how we can do that here as well. Unfortunately, this isn’t something that can be used in a fight or anything because it takes two people concentrating. Imagine healing a cut as it happens. You can stop the damage as it occurs, so the pain isn’t as severe,” Gerold said as he lowered himself onto the floor. “Sit down, and we’ll start. I’ll go for as long as you want or until I run out of mana. I'd be surprised if you can hold out that long.”

“Prepare to be surprised then,” Kest said with a cocky grin on his face. He sat on the floor and braced against his bed. He could feel Gerold’s magic reaching him, so he expanded his mana. The pain wasn’t nearly as bad, but it felt like clothing grazing a cut. As they continued, it began to worsen until he was nauseous and shaking from the pain. He’d expanded the single branch of his network nearly to his shoulder.

“You know,” Gerold began, and Kest noticed his breathing was ragged, “I didn’t expect to be pushed that hard. Maybe I need to start trying harder in that class as well. I thought you’d stop within a couple of minutes from discomfort.”

“Yeah,” Kest started before covering his mouth with both hands because of the nausea. When it passed, he continued, “I have much catching up to do. Since I have friends now, I have to make it through the next advancement exam with you and Trysta. I won’t be left behind.”

“Just don’t push it too hard. Haste makes waste, as my father would say,” Gerold said with a chuckle before he went to the bathroom to shower. Kest realized he needed to do this before a shower from now on because of the sweat, but for tonight he simply didn’t care. A few moments after his head touched the pillow, he was fast asleep.