[Awakening Overview]

  [Leox Lether]

  [Awakening Stage: Second Stage]

  [Awakening Stage Progress To Next Stage: 5%]

  [Classes:]

  Grandmaster Immortal

  Apprentice Monk

  Apprentice Fire Mage

  Novice Swordsman

  Novice Water Mage

  Novice Wind Mage

  Novice Earth Mage

  [Class Skills:]

  Deathless Rebirth (Immortal Skill)

  Weave Current (Water Mage Skill)

  Greater Overheat (Fire Mage Skill)

  Flame Coating (Fire Mage Skill)

  Flame (Fire Mage Skill)

  Tempest (Wind Mage Skill)

  True Counterstance (Monk Skill)

  Purity Of Body (Monk Skill)

  Cleave (Swordsman Skill)

  Mud Wall (Earth Mage Skill)

  [Fusion Skills:]

  Stormblade (Wind Mage/Fire Mage Skill)

  [Discard Skills?]

  [Rank up for increased Overview complexity...]

  ---

  After finding success in trying to copy what he had seen Drake do in the fields, Leox was not only now 5% through the second awakening stage, but he had also earned a new section that displayed his fused skills.

  Stormblade was exactly what he thought it was. The flames from Flame Coating had been pumped with enough mana to heat up the wind from his newly learned Tempest skill, creating a shock effect. The power of the lightning ran through the blade at that moment, increasing the power of the blade by incredible amounts.

  As he left the field, Leox looked back at the scene he had left behind him. It looked like a ferocious battle had taken place, and would surely get him in trouble if he was found out. Yet still, he didn't care. This was something that he needed to confirm to himself.

  I can't afford to be weak, not anymore. With this new fusion, everything's changed. But I need to learn its limits. If I end up pushing myself too far in battle, then there's no use.

  In other words, I need experience.

  Leox returned to his room to sleep, as his body felt physically drained from bringing itself back to life and was currently restoring his mana. For the next few days, until he went out with Collector Meruvio, he decided that he would make it a habit to find a place to train his newly learned shock skill. Perhaps at a location that he didn't mind destroying.

  Professor Gutaru stepped out from the field, no longer needing to hide in the building reserved for professors, peaking out of the window. There was another professor who walked beside him. A beautiful woman dressed in a brown pencil skirt and blazer, both the same colour as her long hair. Her name was Tayana, and she was in charge of teaching the Year Ones Class Two.

  As they emerged onto the field, staring down at the dirt that had been destroyed, Gutaru scratched at his stubbly beard.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "What do you think?" Professor Tayana asked, now squatting down and lifting a piece of dirt, examining it closely. "That's a lot of magical output."

  Gutaru placed his hands in his pockets. "A bit too much output. Too much to survive." He responded.

  He and his fellow professor had watched the entire event take place. They hadn't intended to, but with both of them being practically nocturnal, and spending most nights together, it was hard not to hear the sounds. It was no surprise that the young student was able to use both the fire and wind elements, and since he had progressed to Stage Two, skill fusion wasn't all that difficult to figure out, even if Gutaru had not yet covered the topic in their classes.

  What confused both of them most though, was how much mana the boy had been able to pour into the skill. He had even collapsed as a result, and Gutaru felt certain that it was a result of first reaching Overcharge, a state where you rely on your life force rather than mana to use a skill, and then, eventually, reach death.

  "So what," Tayana chuckled mockingly. "You think the kid is immortal?"

  "Of course not. Death is inevitable. However, he's definitely hiding some of his classes."

  Tayana stopped examining the dirt and now started lifting large chunks and forcing them back into place, before using her boot to stomp them down securely. It wasn't her job to tend the garden, but she didn't want the boy getting in trouble for the mess he had made.

  "Well, unfortunately for you, forcing others to reveal their class is illegal. Say one thing for the Fourth World, we've done a great job at creating laws. Can you believe that torture was legal and practised frequently within the Third World?" She ranted before adding. "Hmph, it still is, if Emperor Alom demands it."

  Gutaru ignored her, as he continued to think about what he had just seen. After realising that there was no conclusion to come to, he decided to leave it be for now. However, he would continue to keep a close eye on the boy. If not due to suspicion, then instead with acknowledgement, as any awakened who could use that much mana without dying would be useful in the upcoming days.

  "Your swordsmanship is much different today, Leox. You're so strong."

  Astra spoke sincerely as he ducked beneath a horizontal sword swipe aimed at his chest. In an agile manoeuvre, he twirled around Leox, using his back to push off of him, putting distance between them.

  Leox found himself smiling as he charged in again, swinging his blade viciously, aiming at his opponent's midsection. As long as he didn't use any of his skills, he was able to go all out against Astra, as he was confident in the boy's spearmanship. The two traded after blows, sometimes Leox got the better of Astra and put him in awkward positions, but most times the exchanges ended with Astra emerging victorious.

  This time was no different. Leox froze as he stared down at the blunt spear point at his neck. Astra held the blade, smiling as he always did.

  "You got me again." Leox shrugged his shoulders just before the end of training was announced by Gutaru. However, Astra was looking at him strangely.

  "You don't seem as upset about it today." He pointed out, his pink star-shaped eyes glistening in the sunlight.

  That's because I actually made progress for the first time yesterday, he wanted to admit, but he was not ready to expose his fusion to anybody just yet. Instead, he just laughed.

  "Losing to you isn't so bad. Besides, I'm sure you grew up fighting." He replied. His and Astra's conversations were only ever about their sparring sessions, so he realised he knew nothing about the boy.

  "Hmm, not quite. I grew up watching the stars. It brings me so much more joy than fighting."

  As the boy looked up, gazing at the faint glowing lights in the distant skies, Leox couldn't help but frown.

  You're telling me that you're just a natural fighter. How does that make sense?

  As they discarded their weapons, Leox quickly had another glance at the other students who interested him most. Laughter and Samson had their usual expressions on their faces. Like Leox and Astra, the pair had only ever spared each other, and their rivalry seemed to be deadly, with both of them having come out on top an equal number of times. Laughter had adopted a dual-wielding style, utilising two daggers at a time, whilst Samson continued to use the greatsword.

  Then, he glanced at the student who, if he guessed, was one of the top five most talented students in the first year. Marybetha, the stern-faced girl with green hair and glasses. She had been chosen by a variety of different opponents. First, she fought the other girls and found almost no challenge amongst them when it came to physical combat. Today was the first day that she had been chosen by a cocky student named Jasper, who was supposedly the son of a high-ranking Holy Knight stationed in the Undying City palace. He fought with the rapier, whilst Marybetha fought with the longsword. Her blunted weapon ended up breaking the man's forearm and sending him to the medical room.

  ...

  After dinner, the students attended one final lesson with Gutaru, during which they were introduced to the concept of “Futile Efforts.” The theory was coined by a Pentagonian philosopher named ópperdrang, who argued that resisting the apocalypse was ultimately pointless. He believed that with each successive era, the apocalypse grew more powerful, causing each world to be destroyed in less time than the last.

  The First World endured for roughly 2,200 years before humanity was almost entirely wiped out, save for a mysterious few who somehow survived and repopulated the world. The Second World lasted 1,400 years before meeting the same fate. The Third World survived for only 900 years before its destruction. Now, 500 years into the Fourth World, the apocalypse had already begun, albeit still in its earliest stages.

  According to ópperdrang, every new world gave rise to a stronger apocalypse and a faster end. If this pattern continued, he believed, humanity was not fighting for survival, but simply waiting for its inevitable extinction.

  It sounded like a topic that could only spread hopelessness amongst its students. At first, Leox didn't understand why Gutaru bothered explaining such a philosophy to the class. Then, he realised that it was because for some, it would invigorate them. If the apocalypse were to become stronger, then so should they.

  Leox was one of these people. He had never seriously thought about the fate of the world, as his focus had been on discovering the mystery of his immortality, whilst hiding it from others.

  Yet at that moment, he couldn't help but feel a strong desire for the world to continue existing.