-------
“Why are we even here?” Seraphiel complained, using [Hohō] to leap from one branch of a tree to another, as the two of them made their way through the jungle terrain.
Kaede glanced at her sideways. “Part of the 2nd-class curriculum is to hunt a beast in their natural habitat. You’re being scored on the level of the beast you hunt, in relation to your own level. If you want to get promoted to 3rd-class at the end of the year…”
“No, I know that, but why here.” She emphasized the last word.
"It was the closest world on the route Mahora is taking currently," Kaede replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which it kind of was. And it wasn't what Seraphiel was asking.
"No, I mean why in the name of all that's holy are we trekking through a humid and blisteringly hot jungle when there were other perfectly good terrain types available? I have sweat in some very inconvenient places that sweat has no place being in." She complained while wiping her forehead. The whole time they were trekking through the canopy of the trees, looking for suitable prey.
“Oh, that. We’re here because you poisoned my lunch.” Kaede explained with a small amused twitch of her lips. “And I would’ve thought you had enough Vitality to not be bothered by the heat.”
“You know damn well there’s a difference between effective Vitality and actual Vitality. I might not be harmed by the heat, but that doesn’t mean I’m not affected.” She grumbled, jumping down to ground level. “And I poisoned your lunch because you tried to spy on me.”
“Information gathering is quite literally in my Class description. I even got a level from the attempt.” Kaede now grinned openly. “Besides, I’m not saying the poisoning was unwarranted. I’m simply explaining cause and effect. You try to poison me, no matter the reason, and I’ll make sure that your assignment is very unpleasant in all ways possible. We could’ve gone to the beach, but now we can’t.” Kaede was clearly having fun with this.
A loud growl came from the bushes, likely attracted by their talking voices, as they were not bothering to be quiet.
"Look." Seraphiel emphasized her words by gathering her power. She also pulled out a spear provided by the academy and tossed it into the air where her [Telekinesis] grabbed it. The growls of the beast rampaging towards them were cut short as the spear was launched at the poor creature with the combined power of [Energy Control] and [Telekinesis] creating a sort of improvised railgun, destroying a decent chunk of the jungle in the process. “I’ve fulfilled the mission conditions. Now can we go and get a bath? Or barring that, a shower? I don’t exactly enjoy sweaty ti-“
"I don't know if that counts." Kaede pointed at what remained of the hulking creature. "It was barely level 70. I guess I could theoretically give you a passing grade, but it wouldn’t be a very good one. You know I expect better from you.” She was grinning the whole time.
“Charlotte damn it!” Seraphiel cursed and resigned herself to trekking through the jungle further.
“And what did we learn?” Kaede asked smugly.
"To use stronger poison next time," Seraphiel grunted. Vengeance was a dish best served early and often.
------
“Come now. Surely this one is enough for a good grade?” Seraphiel asked, standing on the corpse of a giant snake. The venom was still dripping from the snake’s fangs, corroding the ground below. “It’s more than double my level, and I even took it in one piece so you can harvest all the materials.” That had been the challenging part.
“You mean you can harvest all the materials.” Kaede pointed out. “Part of the 2nd-class studies is about taking monsters apart efficiently. That’s half the reason we’re here.”
"That's what I said," Seraphiel claimed innocently.
“Uh-huh. Well, get to it. I can’t grade you until you complete the assignment fully.” Kaede jabbed a thumb towards the corpse.
With a small sigh, Seraphiel pulled out a knife. It was the first Witchblade she’d consider passable enough to be used that she’d created. The difference between [Bonesinging] and [Advanced Bonesinging] was quite large. Someone might have considered her earlier creations good effort, but she knew the difference between a real masterwork and trash. Even now, this was the largest blade she’d managed to create without compromising the integrity of the Wraithbone. And it was pretty damn far from being a masterwork. It was barely usable though.
[Low-B grade Witchblade] was the System’s evaluation.
It was a great tool for this purpose, however, which was why she'd brought it along. There was nothing sharper than a proper Witchblade reinforced by an Aeldari Farseer. The blade didn't even need to touch the target, as the aura surrounding the blade created the first incision. Just like she tried to do at every opportunity, she attempted to perform the whole procedure using nothing but her [Telekinesis], as precision work like this was the best kind of training.
Many monster hunters and academy students who planned on careers related to monster hunting took a Skill related to disassembling the corpses of monsters. This was one of the areas where her experience made such Skills pointless. She'd disassembled every type of monster at some point or another, and no Skill would be able to provide her with knowledge on how to do it better. And no matter how much help the System provided, it couldn't upgrade the materials produced, no matter the level of the Skill. The best you could achieve was to disassemble the carcass perfectly, recovering all the useful materials. No extras would be created out of thin air, and the scales of a snake would never turn into Dragon scales by System shenanigans. She didn’t need the System’s assistance to achieve perfect results. Even while challenging herself by using just her [Telekinesis], she quickly and efficiently took the snake apart, piling the materials off to one side, ready to be used. She even remembered to create a pit to get rid of all the offal and waste parts that couldn’t be utilized.
[Congratulations! [Advanced Telekinesis] has leveled up from 60 to 61!]
“How about it?” It was her turn to be a little smug.
“Hrrmm. I suppose I’ll have to give you some credit. You aren’t being judged on what you could do, but in comparison to others of your level. I know you’re cheating, but no one else at your level could’ve taken down a monster over twice their level, with two Classes, and three Class evolutions. And your disassembly work was perfect, as expected.” Despite their recent shenanigans, Kaede was always fair when it came to grading. “Pop-quiz. How does monster leveling work?”
A fair question as such things were taught in the theoretical lessons after reaching 2nd-class as students. “Intelligent monsters level just like us, except they get offered specialized Classes tailored to their physiology and species. Unintelligent monsters use their species both for leveling Class and Race. When they get extra Classes, they simply double up on the bonus. So, a level 100 Tiger would get their Race points tripled, once for their Race and twice for their Class, which would also be Tiger. They get the same amount of Skill slots, which are filled with what the System considers to be appropriate Skills usually associated with their species. If they gain some special achievements, their Class might evolve during Class evolutions. A Tiger might become a Winged Tiger or something similar. This might or might not be enough to also increase the rank of their Race, but it will help evolve their Skills at the very least.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“And why do monsters tend to level up faster than intelligent species?” Kaede threw in another question.
“Because everything they do is considered an activity associated with their Class, and they only have a single Class. As such, every action levels all their Classes at the same time. Also because the gods are dicks and want to make sure the intelligent races have enough monsters to kill to continue leveling.” Seraphiel stated the last part with some humour in her voice.
“Quite. That last part is an unofficial theory, but I’ll allow it. Most would argue that helping us level is a benevolent act though.” Kaede challenged her a little bit, like a good teacher should do.
“Only if you assume they do it to help. The more likely explanation is that it’s more entertaining for them this way.” Seraphiel countered right away.
"You sound as if you have some inside knowledge," Kaede suggested, while storing away all the materials Seraphiel had gathered. Most of them would be used by the General-track students to practice their crafting, and the rest would be sold at appropriate opportunity. The students could claim a portion of the catch if they could give a good reason for it, but usually the academy took all the materials.
"Well, I've probably dealt with more gods than most," Seraphiel admitted straight away. She knew Kaede had already recognized her, so why bother being secretive about it? "Some of them wound up here, though I don't know how many."
"Are you not worried about grudges? They're going to figure out your identity soon enough." Kaede asked getting serious.
"Hah! Most who have picked a fight with me have ended up dead. And I have way more gods that owe me a debt of gratitude than those that might feel slighted by my actions. And I’m not afraid to collect if things get too hairy.” She wasn’t entirely as confident as she was putting on, but she also wasn’t used to being in such a weak position, so she projected confidence almost as a reflex. Sometimes appearing confident was enough to deter anyone from taking a swipe at you.
------
Raziel and Seraphiel were lying down side by side on the lounge chairs, for once using Eva's resort for the purpose the name implied. They were both taking a much-needed break while Kaede was handling some of her other duties as a teacher. Both of them had been working hard, and Raziel was almost as shocked at his own progress as Sephy’s. Although, the latter really shouldn’t surprise him anymore. The former however did. He’d been working hard, so he expected progress, but gaining almost thirty levels in both of his Classes was still a lot. Instructor Kaede really knew what she was doing!
Levels weren't the most shocking part. It wasn’t even his Skills, which had gone up faster than ever. It was something more intangible than that. He was just better. He couldn’t explain it. It was something not covered by the System. He knew what to do and could anticipate the actions of his opponents much more easily. He was also reacting instinctively, taking the best course of action in response, instead of trying to come up with plans consciously. It didn’t work against Sephy of course, which is why it had come as such a surprise, although he was holding his own better. However, when he fought against his friends, the difference became obvious. As he’d been promoted through the student levels so quickly, he was a bit younger than many of his friends and had spent less time at Mahora. At first, it had meant he had some trouble consistently matching his friends, although he’d pretty much caught up by the time Sephy had arrived, now he was defeating them regularly. And they weren’t close fights either. He was stomping them.
“What are you planning for the future?” Sephy suddenly asked out of nowhere.
Raziel turned his head just enough to look at her with a raised eyebrow. “Where did that come from?”
Sephy seemed a little hesitant, something of a rarity for her. “I’ve just recently been thinking about it is all. We have our whole lives in front of us. What do you plan to do with that life?”
He frowned a little in thought. “I haven’t given it much thought. I plan on graduating from Mahora. I suppose it would be nice to find a great Pactio partner while we’re here.” It was too bad you couldn’t form Pactios between two Knight track students. Or you could theoretically, it just wasn’t done as that went against the purpose of the whole thing. “Maybe even find a girlfriend. We’re going to be here for a long time. Is it not a bit too early to be thinking about any future beyond?”
“But if we don’t have an overarching goal, how do we know to make the appropriate decisions to reach those goals?” Sephy asked, sounding troubled.
“I mean, that’s not wrong exactly, but you’re forgetting something. We’re Angels. We have forever to reach those goals. Even if you decide on some goal later, you can just take the appropriate actions after making that decision. Even if the goal requires some particular Classes for some reason, you can always just reset your Class and grind the new Class up. We have time as Angels. Besides, what's the point of making too many plans when we don't know what happens one year or ten years from now? You might be planning on becoming an Archangel or something, and then something happens that completely changes your mind. Then all that work would be wasted effort." Raziel was rather proud of himself for that one. He'd given the matter some thought at least.
“So…what? Just wing it until you come up with something?" Sephy asked as if completely mystified by the idea. Come to think of it, she'd always been very driven, as if striving for something. He supposed goals were useful in that sense. Drive was a helpful thing to get things done. He’d never been aware of what her goals were though.
“I’m not saying that. Just work on getting better, and be ready to change when the situation requires it." He decided to go out on a bit of a leap. "You've always been very driven Sephy. That's admirable, and I don't think you necessarily need to change that. I just think you need to learn to relax and let go as well. You don't always have to be training or striving towards a goal. It's okay to let go once in a while. Like we're doing now. Rest is important. And Light forbid, having some fun."
Raziel watched as that seemed to sink in slowly. He didn't think his sister would change immediately, but perhaps if the message was repeated long enough, some of it might stick. And maybe then he'd have a chance to catch up!
“I’m suddenly reminded of a song.” Sephy giggled out of nowhere, getting him curious.
“Sing it.” He suggested. All of the Angels were musically gifted. Something about angelic choirs meant to glorify the gods or something like that.
Sephy seemed a little surprised by the suggestion, looked ready to refuse, then seemed to change her mind just as she opened her mouth, bit her lip a bit, and finally nodded. It was strange to see her go through such a scale of emotions so quickly, but it was interesting.
She got up and made a strange gesture, as if holding something in her hand. She closed her eyes for a moment and swayed from side to side, as if listening to some silent music.
“I’ve been getting crushed beneath the pressure
Will of fate is heavier than ever,
It has made a hostage of all our dreams.”
‘Ah, not a very cheery song.’ Raziel thought to himself, though he could somewhat see how the words might connect to the topic they had been discussing. She sounded great though.
“Never can escape and never running
And we are still desperately struggling
Even now, persistent I will be!”
Sephy’s voice changed a bit in pitch and got a calmer and more emotional tone while she opened her eyes and looked straight at him.
“And all the shard of our hope,
Still, ever close
Lost in the rubble beneath.”
She grasped her hands together as if praying, and her tone got a kind of fighting, challenging tone to it
“This hope I swear to find
with my two hands, in time
swear I’ll be changing the world,
You will see!”
Oh, now it was getting a lot more upbeat and reaching a crescendo. Her voice got almost growly.
“FIGHTING GOLD!
You'll only find it in those
Believe in what is deep inside
I promise you will shine!
BREAK THE MOLD!
Until your fire dies!
Against the Gods tonight!
Determined we will fight!
Ye, who have indomitable souls!
FIGHTING GOLD!”
By the time Sephy was stretching out the last growled ‘gold’, Raziel was already fully caught up and invested in the song. His sister’s Charisma was fully shining through and he almost felt like jumping up and down to cheer along for the song.
“Even more than prayers that are ringing,
the most precious, sought-after thing
is moving forward with your heart!"
Now she was adding some kind of odd dance moves to the song as well, seemingly getting caught in the performance as well. Raziel hadn’t seen that kind of dancing before, but it looked fun!
“As we crawl all across the planets
How we seek to understand them
And all the stars above us in the sky!”
She pointed a finger right at him almost challengingly.
“So build a future with me, no one has seen
Unyielding bonds you must embrace!
And wounded resolutions, unfinished resolutions!
Take that first step and you’re walking away!
FIGHTING GOLD!
You’ll only find it in those
Believe in what is deep inside
I promise you will shine!
BREAK THE MOLD!
Until your fire dies!
And once we have the power
We will conquer every hour!
Ye, who have indomitable souls!
FIGHTING GOLD!”
Now her voice let down into a calmer tone and she returned to the peaceful, almost praying position.
“And there’s this peace
Let go of it, and you’ll see!”
The peace didn’t last long though as she quickly started those odd dancing moves again.
“FIGHTING GOLD!
You'll only find it in those
Believe in what is deep inside
I promise you will shine!
Break the mold!
Until your fire dies!
And once we have the power
We will conquer every hour!
Ye, who have indomitable souls!
FIGHTING GOLD!”
As the song died down, she actually stuck a pose, with her finger making a sideways V in front of her eyes, and then her eyes suddenly went unfocused, which Raziel recognized as someone getting announcements from the System.
"That was so fun! I've never heard a song like that." Raziel gushed while clapping his hands.
“I have.” A third voice interrupted them. “Though not quite that one.” Eva walked closer along with Kaede, both of them also clapping a bit. “I see you’re putting all that useless Charisma to use. I suppose we already know one thing that we can do for the school festival.”
Sephy then said a word that he didn’t understand, but was clearly meant as a curse.