S-Class Classroom
S-Class consisted of 30 students.
Even the weakest among them stood at Silver 1-Star.
The classroom buzzed with life in the absence of a teacher. Conversations overlapped, laughter echoed, chairs scraped lightly against the floor as a few students wandered about. Others remained seated, watching, waiting. The atmosphere was energeticâborderline chaotic.
Thenâ
The door opened.
A woman with crimson hair and black eyes stepped inside.
Silence fell instantly.
Students returned to their seats as if pulled by an invisible thread.
Her presence alone demanded order.
Elisaâs gaze swept across the room before she spoke, "Has everyone arrived?"
A student stood slightly. "Professor, Asher has not arrived."
A faint murmur passed through the class.
Almost everyone knew Asherâthanks to the incident during orientation. His absence was hard to miss.
Moments later, the door opened again.
Asher walked in.
Calm. Unbothered.
As he made his way toward the backâ
"Why are you late?" Elisaâs voice cut through the silence, sharp and controlled.
Several students exchanged amused glances.
This should be interesting.
"Iâm bad with directions. I got lost on the way," Asher replied, his tone steady, expression unchanged.
Elisaâs eyes narrowed slightly. "Is that the truth?"
"Yes."
She observed him closely.
No shift in breathing. No irregular heartbeat.
"...Very well. Be on time from now on."
With that, the tension dissolved.
Asher moved to the last bench and sat down quietly.
Elisa turned to the class.
"Good morning. I am Elisa, the professor in charge of S-Class. Today, we will focus on improving your mana control."
Her voice was calm, precise.
"Sit still. Close your eyes if needed. Visualize the flow of mana within your bodyâas a current, as light. The clearer your perception, the stronger your control."
"Now, imagine gathering that mana into a single point. A small orb resting in your palm. Begin large... then gradually compress it. Smaller. Denser. But never lose control."
She paused.
"Watch carefully."
Elisa raised her hand.
Mana gathered.
At first, it shimmered faintlyâthen condensed, shaping itself into a delicate form.
A sparrow.
It perched lightly upon her palm, its form stable, almost lifelike.
A moment later, she released it.
The sparrow dissolved into the air like mist.
"For today, you will replicate this," she said.
"Form a sparrow using your mana and maintain it for at least five minutes. You have one hour."
A quiet tension settled over the room.
Using mana internallyâto strengthen the bodyâwas one thing.
Manifesting it outside the body... controlling it... maintaining its formâ
That was far more difficult.
Five minutes?
It sounded simple.
It wasnât.
Still, under Elisaâs watchful gaze, no one dared hesitate.
They began.
Minutes passed.
Most struggled to even hold their forms for a single minute.
Twelve students crossed five minutes.
Then ten minutes.
Only four remained.
Rank 4 to Rank 1.
Leon Zevark.
Celestine Voltaris.
Aria Velmora.
Kevin Vermontâthe youngest son of Duke Draven Vermont.
Even among them, strain began to show.
Time ticked forward.
Kevin was the first to falter.
15 minutes, 34 seconds.
His construct collapsed.
Leon followed.
20 minutes, 20 seconds.
Celestine held on slightly longer.
20 minutes, 40 seconds.
Thenâ
Only Aria remained.
Her expression didnât change.
Her mana construct remained steady.
29 minutes, 30 seconds.
Only then did it finally disperse.
No one was surprised.
The Velmora family was renowned for their mastery over mind-related spells. Control was their strength.
Celestine stood composed, though a faint satisfaction lingered beneath her calm exteriorâshe had surpassed Leon.
Leon, on the other hand, remained indifferent.
As if none of it mattered.
Ariaâs face was empty.
Kevinâs expression was no different.
"Those who failedâcontinue," Elisa instructed. "Clear your thoughts. Focus solely on control."
Thenâ
Her gaze shifted.
To the back.
To the only student who hadnât even begun.
Asher.
He sat there casually.
Watching.
Drinking juice through a straw.
Yesâjuice.
And technically... she couldnât even punish him for it.
A few students stared at him, confusion evident on their faces.
This... is the one the Headmaster spoke about?
The one with the best mana control?
"Why have you not started yet, Asher?" Elisa asked, irritation creeping into her voice.
Asher didnât even look bothered.
"I still have thirty minutes. Why rush?"
A few students blinked.
Elisaâs brow twitched faintly.
"When I said five minutes, I meant it as a minimum. I need to know your limits to guide you properly in future lessons."
Asher smiled faintly.
"You should have said that earlier."
A pause.
"I didnât realize you were an idiot," Elisa replied flatly.
A few students stiffened.
Butâ
Asher laughed.
Light. Unbothered.
"Well, now you do. Keep that in mind next time."
Silence.
Who... reacts like that?
Ignoring them all, Asher finally moved.
Mana gathered.
Effortlessly.
No visible strain.
No focus.
No change in expression.
Time passed.
Thirty minutes.
And stillâ
The construct remained.
Perfect.
Stable.
Unwavering.
The real shock wasnât the time.
It was him.
He wasnât even concentrating.
He was still drinking juice.
Some students began to wonderâ
Is that even juice?
But Elisa said nothing.
Which meantâ
It wasnât anything special.
"Thatâs enough," Elisa said at last.
Her gaze fixed on him.
"What is your limit?"
Asher tilted his head slightly.
"Maybe... around an hour."
Indifference.
As if it meant nothing.
A brief silence followed.
"Class dismissed," Elisa said. "Next session will be after one week. Until then, continue practicing your mana control."
She paused.
"And choose your additional subject. Submit your selection through the Academy app or visit the Admin Block. You have one week."
Without another wordâ
She turned and left.
The classroom remained quiet.
But only for a moment.
Because nowâ
Everyone was thinking the same thing.
That boy...
is not normal.