Chương 32: The Weight of One Step

The practical examination began on a clear Monday morning. There were no strange noises beneath the academy. No sealed doors. No mysterious discoveries. Only students standing in rows across the training grounds while Professor Gareth inspected them one by one. Leo stood near the end of his group with his hands in his pockets. Amon was beside him. Masha stood on the other side. Alice was slightly behind them, listening to the instructions. Professor Gareth raised his voice.

"Today's examination will measure three things: control, adaptability, and combat judgment." Several students straightened.

"This is not a competition to determine who possesses the greatest amount of mana. If you cannot control what you possess, then its quantity means very little." Leo's attention sharpened. That was something he agreed with. Gareth continued.

"You will face a series of controlled combat exercises. Your opponent may be another student, a training construct, or both." A student raised his hand.

"What about injuries?"

"Minor injuries are expected." The student immediately lowered his hand. A few students laughed. Gareth ignored them.

"Begin." The first examination was individual. Students entered the arena one at a time. Some relied heavily on elemental magic. Others preferred weapons. One student created three stone walls and used them to restrict the movement of a training construct. Another overwhelmed his opponent with lightning but exhausted himself before the exercise ended. The instructors recorded everything. Leo watched carefully. Not because he was searching for weaknesses. Because he wanted to understand how other students fought.

Amon eventually stepped into the arena. His opponent was a tall second-year student named Roderick Hale, known for using defensive earth magic. Roderick raised both hands. Stone Bastion The ground erupted. A thick wall rose between them. Amon smiled.

"That's all?" The wall moved. Not outward. Forward. Roderick had transformed his defensive spell into a battering ram. Amon's expression changed. He stepped sideways. The stone crashed past him. Roderick immediately followed with another spell. Earth Bind The ground beneath Amon's feet hardened around his boots. Amon pulled. Nothing. Roderick charged. His stone-covered fist swung toward Amon's chest. Amon released a burst of flame. Ignition Burst The force shattered the earth around his feet. He slipped free.

Roderick's fist missed. Amon turned his body. Flame Edge Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Fire gathered around his wooden practice sword. He struck the stone coating around Roderick's arm. CRACK. The stone shattered. Roderick stumbled. Amon stopped his blade before it reached his throat.

"Point." Roderick stared at him for a moment. Then laughed.

"Damn. You got faster." Amon lowered his sword.

"Your walls are getting better too." From outside the arena, Leo nodded. Amon had improved. Not dramatically. But enough. Masha's examination came next. Her opponent was Clara Venn, a student specializing in wind magic. The match began with Clara attacking immediately. Gale Needle Thin blades of compressed air shot across the arena. Masha raised her hand. Stone Veil A curved barrier formed before her. The wind blades struck. Fragments of stone scattered. Masha didn't wait. She stomped once.

Earth Ripple The ground beneath Clara shifted. Clara lost her balance. She recovered quickly and launched herself backward with a burst of wind. Masha followed. But Clara had anticipated it. A gust struck Masha from the side. She fell. The instructor raised his hand.

"Point to Clara." Masha stood and dusted herself off. She wasn't pleased. But she didn't complain. Leo noticed something. Her defense had been excellent. Her problem was transition. She was too comfortable waiting for the opponent to attack. He made a mental note. Masha would need to learn how to force the opponent to react. Then came Alice. Her opponent was Elena Marlowe, another light-element user. The arena brightened as soon as the match began. Radiant Arrow A spear of light shot toward Alice.

She moved sideways. The attack passed her shoulder. Alice raised her hand. Luminous Thread Thin strands of light formed around Elena's wrists. Elena cut them with a burst of mana. Alice didn't hesitate. She created another set. And another. Elena broke them. Alice created more. The battle became a contest of endurance. Eventually, both girls stood several meters apart, breathing heavily. Neither had enough mana remaining to continue safely. The instructor stepped between them.

"Draw." Alice lowered her hand. Elena smiled.

"That was exhausting." Alice laughed softly.

"I agree." They shook hands. Leo watched from the edge of the arena. Alice had not won. But she had demonstrated something important. She could remain calm when her original plan failed. That was a quality many talented magicians lacked. Then Gareth called his name.

"Leo." The arena became quieter. Leo stepped forward. His opponent entered from the opposite side. Daniel. The same student he had fought during the previous practical exercise. Daniel rolled his shoulders.

"I've been waiting for this." Leo drew his sword.

"Then don't disappoint me." Daniel smiled. He raised his hand. Blue mana gathered around his fingers. Azure Spear A concentrated projectile formed. Leo didn't move. Daniel released it. Leo stepped aside. The spear passed him. He advanced. Daniel fired again. Azure Barrage Five projectiles. Leo changed direction. One passed beside his ear. Another struck the ground. The remaining three followed his movement. Leo accelerated. Not with internal energy. With footwork. He entered Daniel's range. Daniel raised a barrier.

Blue Ward Leo's sword struck it. BOOM. The barrier cracked. Daniel's eyes widened. Leo stepped back. The barrier recovered. Daniel smiled.

"You've gotten stronger." Leo rotated the sword in his hand.

"So have you." Daniel attacked. This time, he didn't rely on distance. He formed a short blade from condensed mana. The two weapons collided. CLANG. Leo's wooden practice sword and Daniel's mana blade met. Daniel pushed. Leo shifted his footing. The pressure traveled through his arms. He didn't resist it. He redirected it. Second Form — Returning Tide His sword changed direction. Daniel's blade was pushed aside. Leo stepped forward. Daniel reacted quickly. His knee rose. Leo blocked. Daniel twisted.

The mana blade came toward Leo's shoulder. Leo turned. The blade grazed his uniform. A thin cut appeared across the fabric. The arena went silent. Leo looked at the damaged cloth. Then at Daniel. Daniel smiled.

"Got you." Leo returned the smile.

"Once." He changed his stance. His next movement was different. There was no wasted motion. No sudden burst of speed. No unnecessary power. He stepped into Daniel's attack. Third Form — Silent Crossing The wooden blade stopped against Daniel's chest. At exactly the same moment, Daniel's mana blade stopped beside Leo's neck. Both froze. The instructor stared at them. Neither moved. Finally, Gareth raised his hand.

"Draw." Leo lowered his sword. Daniel lowered his. For a moment, neither spoke. Then Daniel laughed.

"That was much better than last time." Leo nodded.

"It was." He looked at the cut on his uniform. The battle had taught him something. His sword techniques were becoming cleaner. But his body still wasn't completely accustomed to the changes inside him. He would need to train more. Not harder. Smarter. After the examination, the four friends sat beneath the large oak tree behind the training grounds. Amon had passed. Alice had drawn. Masha had lost. Leo had drawn. Masha was still staring at the ground.

"I should have won." Amon bit into an apple.

"You'll beat her next time."

"I know."

"You don't sound convinced."

"I am." She looked at Leo.

"What would you have done?" Leo thought for a moment.

"You waited for her to create an opening." Masha nodded.

"Next time, create one yourself." She considered his words. Then nodded.

"I'll remember that." Alice smiled.

"You've become quite the teacher." Leo looked at her.

"I'm not teaching."

"You just gave Masha advice."

"That's different."

"How?" Leo paused. He had no answer. Amon laughed.

"There. Finally found something he can't explain." Leo ignored him. For several minutes, they simply sat together. No monsters. No criminals. No masked figure. No strange discoveries. Just four sixteen-year-olds talking about their mistakes after an examination. Leo found himself thinking that perhaps these moments were just as important as training. A person could become stronger through battle. But learning how to live beside others required something completely different. That evening, Leo returned to his room.

He placed his sword against the wall. Then he looked at his damaged uniform. A single cut. Nothing serious. Yet it reminded him of something. He had relied on his instincts during the fight with Daniel. That was dangerous. His instincts belonged to a warrior from another life. This body was sixteen years old. It had limits. It had weaknesses. And if he continued pretending otherwise, eventually those weaknesses would become injuries. Leo sat down. He closed his eyes. His internal energy began to circulate.

Mana followed. For several breaths, the two remained separate. Then— they touched. This time, Leo did not stop. He allowed the contact to continue. Heat spread through his chest. His heartbeat accelerated. Pain followed. Leo gritted his teeth. The two energies moved together for three seconds. Four. Five. Then the pressure became too great. He stopped. The room fell silent. Leo breathed heavily. His hands were shaking. But he was smiling. Five seconds. Yesterday, it had barely been one. Progress. Small. Painful.

Real. Leo opened his eyes. He looked toward the sword.

"Again tomorrow." He did not know how long it would take. He did not know what the final result would be. But for the first time, he wasn't trying to recover the strength he had possessed in his previous life. He was building something that belonged entirely to this one. End of Chapter 32.