Though Amelia walked in my direction while talking with her friend, I had my eyes on her the entire time.
She might have felt my gaze, but still chose not to return it.
As both of them approached us, John and the rest kept looking at them.
"The space there is a little cramped up, so Amelia suggested sitting with you guys on this end."
It was Ameliaâs friend who spoke up.
As I shifted my gaze to look at her, the girl returned it for a few seconds before smiling at me.
"Jessi."
She winked at me, or at least tried to, as Amelia nudged her at the side.
I just nodded at her greeting, while John, along with Diana and the rest, greeted the two of them.
Maybe...
It was some protagonist energy that made Amelia approach her destined friends.
Looking at Noah, I could see that he had already begun to have a polite and energetic conversation with the two newcomers, his eyes specifically on Amelia.
Not interrupting their talks, I took a seat in the corner, leaning my back against the wall, as nearly most of the class had done the same.
The instructor had taken out a notepad and was busy writing some stuff in it.
Soon, John sat near me, spreading his legs wide.
I didnât comment on his manners and began to scan the class again.
I was looking for a particular boy, and... there he was, sitting along with another girl who looked similar to him.
Their similar looks were a given, as both of them were twins.
Though both of them were eighteen years of age, their physiques told another story.
"Attention, everyone."
The instructorâs voice bounced against the walls, as I shifted my gaze to look at him.
"I will first show you some basics of fighting in hand-to-hand combat, as you will be doing the same."
Murmurs broke out among the class upon hearing the instructorâs words.
Previously, he had informed everyone to bring their weapons along with them, but now, he had changed the form of combat.
The anxiety among the students was justified, as not everyone was good at melee combat.
Many of the students were physically weaker than their counterparts, which was why most of them used weapons to fight, as they could easily strengthen their bodies with mana.
Also, fights with weapons were relatively easy for beginners, as they involved swinging the weapon at a sufficient distance, as opposed to directly using your body to fight.
After all, fighting using your body required everyone to have enough mind-body connection.
Though the same was true for using weapons, everyone here was merely eighteen years old.
They were still new to combat and werenât informed enough about the true intricacies of the various forms of combat.
"There is no need to fret. Your usual training will be using your weapons of choice, as I had previously informed you."
Seeing the panic among the students, the instructor clarified.
"But, hand-to-hand combat is a necessary part of becoming a true fighter, as your weapon will not always be by your side. You have to learn to make your body the ultimate weapon."
The bald instructor truly lived up to his reputation of being someone who was selected for teaching at Namda.
"Is everyone with me?"
"Yes."
The students replied in unison.
"I asked... Is everyone with me?!"
"YES, SIR!"
The instructor nodded at the unified shout from the students.
"Now, I want a volunteer among the students for the initial demonstration."
The instructor looked around, hoping for someone to stand up, but... none did.
In Johnâs words, no one looked interested enough to get their arses beat up.
The instructor waited for a few seconds, but seeing that no one stood up, shifted his gaze towards me.
Not shying away, I returned his gaze, but made no attempt to stand up.
Silence.
Seeing no reply from me, the instructor shifted his gaze to my left, looking at Noah, who was surprised at first, but then obediently stood up from his place.
Well... that was expected.
Walking towards the instructor, Noah raised his arms midway, stretching them behind his back.
Everyone could hear the cracking sound of his bones, as his figure loomed before the instructor.
The instructor was slightly shorter than Noah, standing at about 5â11". Though the formerâs bulky build made Noah look like a kid before him, despite Noahâs own strong physique.
"How good are you at melee combat?"
"Good enough."
Surprisingly, Noahâs answer was quite arrogant compared to his usual cheerful and polite way of talking.
The instructor didnât seem to mind his words, as he nodded in acceptance.
As the instructor stepped back and got into the usual stance, Noah followed the same.
Both of them now had their fists up before their faces, in a high guard.
"You are free to use mana, though I will be restricting my own."
On the instructorâs statement, Noah raised his brow, but chose to comply.
His ego seemed to have been damaged a bit, seeing that the instructor was underestimating him, butâ
Knowing that the instructorâs rank was surely above his own, Noah kept his emotions in check.
"You may begin."
Noah heard the words but didnât charge outright.
Both of them stood in the same place, analysing each other.
But the silence was short, as Noah jumped once on the spot and began to inch closer towards the instructor.
The instructor waited for him, not making any move.
Swoosh!
Before anyone could predict it, Noah launched a punch straight at the instructorâs face, only for the latter to tilt his neck, narrowly avoiding it.
"Whatâs his name?"
I asked John, as I didnât exactly remember the instructor introducing himself.
"Uhh... Itâs Zenur, I guess... or maybe something else. Sorry, even I donât remember it myself."
I just nodded, as the exchange between Noah and the instructorâZenur continued.
Bang!
Noah had quickly followed up with a clean uppercut, but it was easily blocked by the instructor, who simply smiled.
"My wife hits harder, boy!"
Zenur provoked Noah, and the protagonistâ
Easily fell for it.
I could sense the amount of mana that Noah had coated his hands with increasing upon the provocation.
Sigh.