I woke up to loud metallic clanking. Inside my room stood a tiny dragon child with white hair and eyes, wearing a VITA. She stared at me while clapping loudly. A glowing aura surrounded her.

  Ivaldie

  Species: Dragon-Tiershen (Standard genome)

  Standing Emissions: 21

  Age: 7

  Affinity: Diamond

  “I’m awake, awake! Stop making noise.” I yawned and stood up; that instant, armor appeared all across my body. A realization of the current time struck me. I was late for the morning lesson.

  “Magnus Glanzvoll. You have abused the draconic hospitality by avoiding a lesson. How do you plead?” Her stern face was comical, combined with her childish appearance.

  I scratched my head, thinking on the fly. “I’ve been suffering from the aftereffects of getting my VITA.” I shrugged. “And I’m only late for five minutes, it’s not that bad.” I didn’t feel a shred of shame.

  Her eyes opened wide. “Human sloth knows no bounds!” Ivaldie suddenly proclaimed, raising her hand high with index finger closed and thumb parallel to the palm. A sword of light started manifesting in her hand. She pointed it at me. “You shall be punished! Follow me.”

  I stared blankly at the tip of the sword. It was a starpower construct.

  Starpower Sword

  Created with: Solidification Form

  Mastery: Initiate

  SE: 4

  Description: That form. We must learn it.

  “No need to be so aggressive first thing in the morning.” I sighed. “You could’ve just said to go.” I flared starpower, strengthening my body. Clarity filled my mind immediately. “What are you staring at me for? Lead the way, kid.”

  She gave me a long glare and let go of the sword, making it disappear. With a confident expression, she proclaimed, “I am the leader of the unripe class; you will give me my measure of respect.”

  I rolled my eyes. What’s with these demanding kids? But since she is the one who’s supposed to be the exemplar specimen of the class, I’ll play along… for now. Bowing, I spoke apologetically, “I’m sorry for disrespecting your authority, class leader Ivaldie. This pathetic human couldn’t have hoped to reach the great standard of dragons, so please, I beg you, be considerate.”

  Her mouth opened wide. She clenched her hands and spoke strangely softly, “Y-you are forgiven, human. Follow me, quick!” Ivaldie slammed the door open and started running.

  Kids are just as easy to trick as in previous life, dragons or not. Focusing on my affinity, I flooded my body with empowering starpower, feeling how the energy infused into every muscle of my being.

  “Here we go, first day at school, and immediately an exam.” I rushed out, trying to catch up to the dragonling. The little class rep ran a little too fast for my liking, but with strengthening, this was a breeze.

  Corridor after corridor, I followed the dragon, checking in with my mental map, until we reached our classroom. I wiped the sweat off my brow. Ivaldie gave me a last glance before stepping inside.

  “There he is.” Resounded a voice filled with an amazing amount of venom. Varaxis stared at me. “Why are you late?”

  Why was the dean my teacher? I thought I would be assigned to someone different. The room was spacious, almost the size of a football field, with a long window stretching across the far wall. An orderly line of dragon children stood along the middle. Twelve kids total.

  Unlike most dragons I’ve seen before, these had quite a bit of variation. One girl in the middle was two heads taller than everybody else, with torn wings. Another, at the end of the line, looked small and frail, as if a slight wind could knock her down. Even the others had some kind of trait that differentiated them, be it longer wings, bigger claws, or larger eyes. All of them were looking at me with varying gazes of pity.

  “Magnus Glanzvoll. Why are you late to the exam?” Varaxis repeated, her crimson eyes vibrating with anger.

  The standard excuse is to blame it on someone else, “I’ve received severe brain damage during the absorption of VITA, courtesy of Avennture’s carelessness. It impacted my sleep.” It’s only been eight minutes. I should throw in the apology to preserve my reputation: “I apologize for making you wait.”

  Varaxis glared at me as if trying to see into my soul. I didn’t avert my eyes. After a short stare-down, she spoke loudly, “You may stand in the line; your punishment will come later.” Then she turned to the white-scaled girl. “You have done well, Ivaldie.”

  Shrugging, I went to stand at the beginning of the line. Ivaldie joined me soon after. The dragonlings looked uneasy, constantly sneaking glances at me, as if my very presence was offensive to them.

  Varaxis put her hands together and started rapidly performing forms. A glowing orb appeared in between her hands and started stretching and reverberating. A nearby girl bumped my shoulder. Scouter told me her name was Ixis. She whispered quietly, “You are that confident?”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  The dean immediately stared at her, making Ixis gulp. Just in time, the orb fell on the ground, compressing into a tiny dot. With a whistle, it exploded into sparks, and something growled.

  Geist Manifestation Technique

  Type: Phasics, Reflectics – forms that manipulate starpower directly, Symbolics – forms that impose ideas into reality.

  SE used: 50

  Description: This technique makes a monster and there are thousands possible ways and variations. I bet we can make a maid with it.

  There stood a four-legged beast, larger than a shepherd dog, with a wide mouth filled with needle-sharp teeth. Its red scales glistened under the artificial light. Its twitching legs looked like they were ripped straight out of an insect and connected to this monstrosity.

  Ratifier Geist

  SE: 30

  Affinity: Emerald

  Note: Brute force monster. No tricks – pure power.

  It growled, staring at the girls with hungry eyes that looked at different people at the same time. Drool constantly fell to the floor, disgusting mouth. Are they going to make these kids fight it? What kind of school is this?

  Varaxis smiled and looked over at me. “Today will be the day I will test your combat skills. During the last week, you have trained in combat fundamentals, becoming ready to serve the greater purpose. After this, I will give course recommendations.” She raised her hand high and, with a smile, proclaimed, “By the order of the line, the first tested will be Ivaldie.”

  The white-haired girl nodded, taking a confident step forward. “Yes, ma’am!” An aura surrounded her body as she approached the rabid geist.

  It seems that I made a huge mistake. There is no way I can defeat that thing; hell, I don’t think any of the kids can defeat it. I had to watch carefully, it has to have a weakness… Or at least that’s what I told myself, trying to escape the crawling dread.

  Ivaldie raised her hand, summoning a white sword. “I am ready!” She loudly said, holding the weapon defensively.

  Ratifier’s mouth gaped wide open as it let out a demonic screech. Ivaldie held steady. Ratifier’s insect legs pressed close to the ground as it leaped towards Ivaldie. She masterfully side-stepped the bullet-like trajectory of the geist and slashed its side. No blood dripped out of it.

  Ratifier roared again, jumping at Ivaldie. In that moment, she raised her sword, ready to lunge at the geist. Realization set in the monster’s cruel eyes as it flew right at the sword. Ivaldie’s eyes shone brighter; she stuck the sword deep into the ratifier’s gullet, making it squeal. The geist fell on Ivaldie; it wasn’t done. It bit down on the blade, swallowing it deeper, threatening to bite the girl, ignoring all the damage.

  Ivaldie didn’t look scared; her face was almost relaxed. She grabbed the monster’s biting mouth. Golden light surged across her arms as she started ripping open its jaws.

  This unbound cruelty seemed to only excite the crowd of girls as they cheered on the class rep. With a crack, its jaw was broken. The beast gurgled and spat at Ivaldie, only to be pummeled by the girl as she wildly banged on the monster’s skull.

  “You can do it!” The girl right next to me shouted.

  My hands started shaking; I understood what was coming next. With a final slam, she cracked the ratifier’s head, making it drop dead over her. The crowd became silent as Varaxis approvingly nodded at the sight. Ratifier started melting. First, its skin, then its bones, then its organs, until nothing was left but sludge. The liquid shone with green, levitating from Ivaldie and gathering back into an orb, turning into a small green gem.

  Actualized Potential (30 SE)

  Affinity: Emerald

  Description: Can be broken to turn into items or consumed to increase SE.

  “Excellent performance, you are free to use the core,” Varaxis said, already making gestures to summon another.

  “I will rise without consuming cores.” She said resolutely. “As the class leader, I will donate it to the lowest on the line.” Ivaldie looked at the frailest girl at the end of the line and threw her a gem. The girl caught the gem, nearly falling in the process. Donating a valuable resource is utter foolishness…

  Despite this, Varaxis smiled at the gesture. Another core was already forming in her hands. I was doomed.

  Ivaldie returned to the line, giving me a smug smirk. This wasn’t going to end well.

  “Dean Varaxis!” I took a step forward, flaring starpower for bravery. “It appears I misunderstood the purpose of the line. I won’t be able to compete with a ratifier.”

  All eyes turned to me, Ivaldie stared with contempt, and others stared with shock. Varaxis’s lips curled. In the utter silence of the room, she accelerated the manifesting technique, quickly throwing the sphere on the ground.

  “This is not acceptable. You took the place in line, so you will fight the ratifier.”

  The orb of light unfurled into geist. The same ratifier as Ivaldie faced, but slightly smaller and 2 SE weaker. I was fucked.

  “How is this okay? Do you want to kill me?” Whispers descended on the crowd as Varaxis raised her hand.

  “You will live, but you must face the results of your disobedience. You will fight, Magnus Glanzvoll.” I could see the corners of her lips lifting up. She was enjoying this.

  I had to think, had to do something. I didn’t want to die a second time. “Can I have five minutes to prepare?”

  The glowing eyes of the ratifier were focused on me unblinkingly, a small puddle of drool already collected beneath its legs. Varaxis approached me, staring me in the eyes. “No, you cannot. Now fight.”

  “This is unreasonable! You didn’t even give me any time to learn combat techniques.” The others already spent some time training, and I got barely a week!

  Varaxis grabbed me by the cloak, dragging me out of the line towards the empty space, then she pushed me deeper. “Fight!”

  Trying to regain balance, I intensified starpower. Already, the geist was preparing to jump towards me. Time slowed down as my mind went into overdrive. I couldn’t just die here, not after everything!

  The chill of dread penetrated my spine. The monster leaped. It was a predictable trajectory. I tensed my body and tried slipping away. Just in time, I managed to escape its jaws, but the monster jumped again.

  My mind was torn apart by possible actions, but instinct took over. I pushed starpower into my hands, assuming the force form. I needed to focus the force. My heart pumped like a drum as the beast jumped at me.

  “Left!” I thought with all my being, as I pushed my hand leftwards, feeling the wind from the gathered force. Ratifier yelped in surprise, and the monster’s head suddenly turned in the air. Its body landed on me, dropping me to the ground with sheer weight; my VITA protected me from the impact.

  Already, the ratifier’s jaws were clacking menacingly as it quickly turned towards me. I wasn’t going to wait for death without struggling, not again. I closed my ring finger and pinkie. Bright light started shining from my index and middle fingers as I stabbed them into geist’s eye, smashing it with all my force.

  The beast whimpered, growling, as its legs twitched uncontrollably and its jaws bit the air. I kept going, sticking the fingers deeper, ignoring the visceral disgust, hoping to survive.

  I kicked and scratched at the monster, hoping to drag it away, all while mutilating its eye. It didn’t give up. Ratifier opened its mouth wide and bit over my shoulder, sinking its needle-teeth into me.

  Agony overwhelmed every thought in my body. I tried kicking harder, punching more, but the beast just didn’t let go. There was no room for thought, only pain and struggle.

  I couldn’t breathe, trying to get the geist away. It didn’t even budge. Deep cold pierced my core, as I felt myself growing weaker and weaker. Breathless, I stared at the eye of my killer…