Chương 43: Potential Has a Price

Ch 43 - Potential Has a Price The instructor stepped farther toward the front. From there, he would end up standing right in front of Zeph.

"There are common sigil types that almost everyone knows about. There are also a few that are quite rare, so not many people have them," the man said, glancing at Zeph for a brief moment. Zeph didn't return the look. The instructor then walked back toward the stage.

"Offensive, Defensive, Debuff, Support, Utility, Equipment, Weapon." He paused for a moment. Then he continued.

"Summon. Transformation."

"Every sigil type has different potential, different mana costs, different ways of handling it, and different room for growth." The man slowly scanned the room once again.

"Is a Weapon-type sigil something everyone should have?" He paused again before answering his own question.

"There's a significant difference between fighting with a weapon created by a sigil and using a physical weapon that you carry yourself." The instructor went through each sigil type in detail. He explained how people needed to be smart about the direction they developed their sigils so they wouldn't end up with duplicate types. For example, if someone already had a Weapon-type sigil that manifested as a sword, it would be a waste if their next sigil was another Weapon type that manifested as a spear.

The same applied to Equipment-type sigils with overlapping functions.

"Sigils like Summon and Transformation have tremendous potential," the instructor explained.

"But they're also difficult to control, and even harder to cultivate."

"If you unlock a Transformation-type sigil early, you'll seem powerful because of its incredible potential. But that strength comes with a price. It will become harder and harder to develop as time goes on. The greater the power, the greater the challenge. You have to pay for that potential." Zeph swallowed. His first sigil was a Transformation type. The instructor didn't stop there. If anything, he looked like he was showing off.

A powerful aura burst from his body, making it difficult for the students to see him clearly.

"That's only the unlocked potential of my core," the instructor said. The next instant, he vanished from the front of the stage. A wave of confusion spread through the room. Then someone noticed him standing at the back.

"How did he move that fast?" A second voice shouted, "Look! The instructor's over there!" Before anyone could make sense of it, the instructor appeared somewhere else. But he was still standing in the previous spot as well. Then another copy appeared. And another. Soon, four identical instructors stood in different parts of the lecture hall.

"Whoa... what kind of sigil is that?"

"Is it an Illusion type? Or maybe Offensive?" The four instructors began walking between the rows of tiered seats while another calmly returned to the stage. They took turns speaking, seamlessly continuing the explanation as if they were all the same person. One of them suddenly raised a hand. A spirit beast in the form of a small hawk materialized and settled on his shoulder.

"Is that a Summon-type sigil?"

"No way..."

"That's incredible..."

"With the right combination of sigils," the instructor continued, "I can act as a scout with my summon. I have escape methods, ways to confuse my enemies, reliable defensive abilities, and enough offensive power to deal meaningful damage." The four copies slowly gathered at the front of the room. As they stepped together, their bodies merged into one. The blurry aura surrounding him gradually faded until his figure became clear again.

"With careful planning and the right development path, you can build yourself into whatever role you want in the future." The instructor folded his arms.

"A defender. A striker. A support. A scout. Your sigils should serve the path you choose, not force you into one you never intended to walk." He let the words hang in the air for a moment.

"Think ahead. The choices you make with your sigils today will decide the kind of Awakener you become tomorrow." The room fell silent. The students were still staring at him in amazement. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Then, almost all at once, the lecture hall erupted into loud applause. Zeph gave a slow nod. The lecture had been far more interesting than he had expected.

The instructor's demonstration had been especially impressive, turning abstract explanations into something everyone could actually picture. It wasn't hard to imagine what everyone else was thinking. Who wouldn't start imagining what kind of Awakener they wanted to become? What kind of Sigils they hoped to unlock? What role they would eventually play? Not long after, the class came to an end. The students gradually filed out of the lecture hall, leaving in groups or on their own.

Zeph stayed behind with his three friends, waiting until most of the crowd had cleared before making their way toward the exit. It was far better than squeezing through the sea of students rushing for the doors, with people shoving past one another and filling the hallway with noise and chaos. The four of them walked through the academy corridor, passing streams of students heading in the opposite direction. As they did, bits of conversation drifted over from nearby groups, clear enough for them to hear.

"Are you sure she's a new student? The one who skipped straight to the second year?"

"Damn... I didn't see her yesterday. She's seriously gorgeous."

"I know, right? She doesn't even look real."

"And she's ridiculously talented too."

"I heard the instructors were talking about her." Zeph caught every word, even though none of them were speaking particularly loudly. Beside him, Suki let out a long sigh.

"They're definitely talking about me," she said. Zeph glanced at her before chuckling.

"Yeah. I think so too." Suki immediately puffed out her cheeks. They continued down the corridor until they spotted someone leaning casually against the wall. The girl noticed them almost at the same time and waved with a bright smile.

"Hey! You guys! I've been waiting for you." It was Lena. Or... was she actually the person those students had been talking about? Zeph stopped in front of her, quickly noticing that several students had also slowed down to glance in their direction.

"So?" Lena asked with an eager grin.

"How was your first class? Was it fun? What did you learn? I feel like I'm missing out. Honestly, I probably would've been fine starting from the first year too."

"No," Suki answered before anyone else could.

"It was incredibly boring. You wouldn't survive it, Miss Lena."

"Hm?" Lena looked at Suki before laughing softly.

"I don't know. I'm pretty good at studying, so I enjoy almost any class. But I won't blame anyone if they think it's boring." Suki turned her face away and folded her arms.

"I still absorbed everything perfectly," she said.

"I could repeat the entire lecture word for word. If you want, I can teach you."

"I'd love that." Lena smiled warmly and reached for Suki's right hand.

"Come on, let's go eat. You too, Zeph." At the same time, Lena reached out with her other hand and grabbed Zeph's left hand. Before Suki realized what was happening, Lena had slipped neatly between the two of them, holding one of their hands in each of hers as she cheerfully led them down the corridor. Suki blinked in surprise. A second later, she puffed out her cheeks again. She narrowed her eyes at Lena, convinced the girl had done it on purpose.

The five of them left the building and stepped onto the academy grounds. The area was much busier now, filled not only with first-year students but also with students from the higher years. Second-years, third-years, and even a few fifth-years could be seen walking across the campus. At first glance, they all wore the same academy uniform. The only differences came from the class they were attending, whether it was a theory lesson, practical training, or something else.

The easiest way to tell them apart was by the emblem pinned to their uniform. Each year's emblem matched the color of a sigil grade. First-years wore green, the color representing Common-grade sigils. Second-years wore blue, followed by purple, gold, and finally red for the fifth year. It made it much easier to recognize a student's year at a glance. Even so, there was another difference that stood out just as much.

For some reason, the higher a person's rank became, the more obvious it was from their appearance alone. It was as if ranking up naturally refined the body. Their skin looked healthier and clearer. Their faces appeared more vibrant. Their physiques became stronger, more balanced, and better defined. Because of that, it wasn't unusual for high-ranking Awakeners to look exceptionally handsome or beautiful.

Many women who had reached higher ranks still looked decades younger than their actual age, as though time itself had slowed for them. Afterward, they entered the academy dining hall. The massive cafeteria was divided into several sections, with each floor reserved for different year levels. The higher the floor, the higher the students' year, and in some areas, even rank requirements applied. Of course, higher-year students and stronger Awakeners were free to eat in the lower sections if they wanted.

The restrictions mostly worked one way. By the time they arrived, Madou was already waiting at one of the tables. Judging by the number of empty plates in front of him, he had clearly started eating without them. Zeph and the others joined him before splitting up to browse the long rows of food counters, each offering a different selection of dishes. Zeph felt a little overwhelmed. There were simply too many foods he had never seen before. Even the meat looked completely different from anything he had eaten back.

Some cuts carried faint traces of elemental energy, while others gave off an unusually rich aroma that made his stomach growl. Seeing his hesitation, Suki stayed beside him.

"Zeph, if you like meat, you should try this one." She pointed toward a tray filled with thick slices of grilled meat.

"It's from a Tier 2 monster. The mana inside is gentle enough that Rank 1 can digest it without any problems." She moved to another dish.

"This one comes from a Fire-element beast. If you're planning to develop Fire-related abilities in the future, eating monsters with matching elemental affinity can be slightly more beneficial over time." Then she pointed at another platter.

"This one actually tastes better, but its mana has already faded, so it's mostly just good food instead of something that helps your growth." She continued explaining the dishes one after another, from monster species to elemental affinity, nutrition, and even how they affected cultivation. Surprisingly, she spoke with confidence and remarkable depth. It was completely different from the side of Suki she usually showed everyone else.

For the first time, Zeph realized the girl possessed far more knowledge than she let on. After that, he filled his tray with mostly meat. For some reason, his appetite kept telling him to eat as much of it as possible. Maybe it was instinct, or maybe his body simply craved the rich mana contained within the monster meat. When he returned to the table, however, he stopped in surprise. A towering stack of empty plates sat in front of Hugh. There were so many that they almost hid the large boy from view.

"Damn, Hugh," Madou said with a laugh.

"Were your parents planning ahead when they gave you that name? Were they hoping you'd grow up to be... huge?" Suki let out a soft laugh at the joke.

"Seriously, aren't you worried all that fat is going to cause health problems?" Hugh only laughed.

"Not at all. That's actually one of my strengths." He proudly patted his stomach.

"The more I eat, the stronger I get... even if I end up getting fatter."

"Are you sure you won't just become slower later?"

"Nope." Hugh shook his head.

"I wouldn't even mind growing even bigger. Imagine being a three-meter-tall giant. That would be awesome." So that was how Hugh pictured his future. Come to think of it, a giant standing over three meters tall would definitely be intimidating. By that point, Hugh would practically look like a monster himself.

"As long as I get to enjoy good food, that's all that matters." Hugh let out a light chuckle.

"I'll leave the rest to my Mana Core. Isn't that one of the greatest miracles an Awakener has ever received?"