Chapter 14 Weapon Style

The next morning arrived quickly, and I rose from my bed, kicking off the blankets that clung to me like a dream.

"What should I pick..."

Today was the day we would be presented with various weapon styles to choose from in the Mage Academy's storage.

Magic arts, Weapon Styles, and Battle Styles are divided into categories ranging from one to seven stars, with seven being the strongest and one being the weakest.

As first-year students, we would only receive weapon styles that are two stars or lower. Even so, the Academy was very generous to provide Weapon Styles free of charge, since they cost a lot of Arcons.

I tried to recall every eligible Weapon Style in the storage, but since the playable characters already had a Style on their own, they decided against selecting a second one. As a result, my knowledge was limited.

"I'll just decide when I get there..."

As I exited my apartment, I hurried to the classroom and took a seat at the back by the window where Kai was ejected yesterday. The broken glass had already been fixed, and it looked like nothing had ever happened.

Gradually, more students filed into the classroom. Drake and Kai arrived with around 15 minutes left before class started. Kai's auburn hair and face were still disheveled like yesterday, but his eyes were alert. It appeared that he had learned his lesson.

Rose and Tess came just before the lecture started, deeply engrossed in conversation. However, as soon as they entered, Rose's eyes locked onto my seat.

'The weather is beautiful today!'

I looked out the window, pretending not to notice her stare as the girls took their seats.

Swish...

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew into the room, and a man with a chiseled face and a smile appeared at the front of the classroom.

"Hello, my students!"

Robbin's overjoyed voice drew a few death stares, but he didn't seem to care.

"Today we have a very special event... Today, you'll receive your own Weapon Style!"

Murmurs spread throughout the class, but most of the students glared at Robbin with distrust, fully expecting him to lie.

"Once your name is called, go straight towards the storage room on the 1st floor!"

He started naming us one by one, with a few-minute intervals, so the students would have some time to choose their Weapon Style.

The faces of those who returned were lit with smiles as they fidgeted in their seats, trying to suppress their need to test what they had received.

Others tried to get some kind of information out of them, but they kept their lips sealed.

"Aiden Steele!"

Finally my name was called and I rose out of my seat, walking down towards the door and exiting the room while ignoring the single gaze that followed my trail.

***

Tess leaned her head against her palm, playing with her red bangs that fell down on the table. She was getting really bored of this class, since nothing interesting was happening.

Her deep brown eyes scanned her friend Rose, sitting nearby her, her gaze strangely attracted towards the door of the classroom.

"You seem weird..."

Tess remarked, drawing Rose's attention. Rose flinched as though caught in the act of something embarrassing, and her blue eyes met Tess's with a hint of hesitation.

"What do you mean?"

She asked, her voice laced with uncertainty, making Tess shrug.

"You've been staring at the door ever since that guy with the dark hair left. Is he someone you know?"

Rose's pointed ears twitched at the mention of Aiden, giving away her interest. Looking around, she leaned in and spoke in hushed tones.

"He saw through my Disguise Cloak..."

Tess's eyes widened in surprise. The Disguise Cloak was known to be an item that could perfectly hide one's identity, and the fact that someone had seen through it was alarming.

"Why hasn't he been arrested then? If he can identify you through the cloak, isn't he a danger to your safety?"

Tess came from an influential family, and she knew firsthand the value of the Disguise Cloak. The thought that someone could bypass its magic sent shivers down her spine.

Tess and Rose had been friends since childhood, and Tess was fiercely protective of her friend's safety. As the only friend of Rose, who hailed from a royal family, Tess felt like she had a responsibility to look out for her.

"I'm not sure..."

Rose replied, her voice trailing off as she noticed the classroom door opening. The guy with the dark hair had returned.

***

Upon arriving at the storage room, an academy personnel promptly checked my identity before signaling for someone to unlock the massive metal doors inscribed with various runes.

Click...

The storage room seemed to stretch on endlessly, with towering shelves housing a plethora of books on various Magic Arts, Weaponry, and Battle Styles.

"Feel free to choose anything from this shelf..."

The personnel informed me as they led me towards the right corner of the room where the items available for first-year students were kept.

"This is tough..."

As I walked along the shelf, a few books caught my eye, but nothing seemed to really grab my attention.

Eventually, I settled on two books that seemed like they would be a good fit for me. I scratched my cheek, mulling over which one to choose.

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≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? [ ★★ ]

???? ???????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????????????, ???????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????.

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

The number of stars a Weapon or Battle Style has is incredibly important, as it indicates the number of moves or techniques the Style possesses.

For instance, a sword style with four stars might have four techniques, such as:

» Weak Slash

» Strong Slash

» Advanced Slash

» World Splitter

However, these techniques aren't instantly unlocked and require days of practice before the user can perform them. This is known as the proficiency level, which ranges from Novice to Grandmaster.

Novice → Apprentice → Advanced → Master → Grandmaster

It's believed that someone with Grandmaster proficiency in a one-star Art or Style can defeat someone with Novice proficiency in a seven-star book.