Ethan woke the next morning feeling oddly refreshed. He was up at the same time as Barry, sometime after 8 a.m. They went together to get breakfast at the dining hall, and all along the way, the scribe practiced his attributes.

  There was no sense in trying to hide a power he couldn't use without understanding it. Ethan had to risk showing others his abilities in exchange for that knowledge. Counting on those who saw his pen and circles having no idea what they were seeing, he practiced. Even if they could understand, he wasn't sure those who were watching were those he should be afraid of. No, it was the dark figure that visited him last night that he feared. Of course, he didn't tell Barry a word of what had happened.

  “I think I'm getting close to revealing my system.” Barry dug into a plate of bacon, eggs, and steak for breakfast. “I just need to go a little further. I think practicing that magic is helping it come out.”

  Ethan looked down at his modest plate of cut fruit, bacon, and eggs. Although it was humble, everything was cooked to perfection. The eggs were perfectly dippy, and the bacon had the exact amount of crunch that he liked. The fruit seemed to have been plucked straight from the vine, then diced and served to the students. It was the best bacon and eggs he had ever eaten, and he could hardly spare a thought as he ate.

  After taking a sip of his juice, Ethan nodded and smiled at his companion. "I think you're right about that. Which brings up an interesting question. Do the people who run this academy know how new systems work? They never gave us much instruction and seem to be just as much in the dark as we are."

  “There's your first mistake.” Barry belched and pounded his fist against his chest before removing whatever blockage was obstructing his throat. “Giving a damn about what other people think? That's a slow death, my friend.”

  Ethan blinked a few times as his mind processed that statement. "You're right, of course." He dug at the food on his plate, cutting a small piece of a melon that tasted like cotton candy and placing it in his mouth. "We've got to worry about ourselves before we worry about others, huh?"

  “Which reminds me, I still need to do that assignment for that flying freaking chihuahua.”

  The rest of breakfast was pleasant. After Barry's statement, Ethan was able to clear his mind and focus on the task at hand, enjoying the most delicious food he'd ever had. Now that he had somewhat acclimated, he was feeling more comfortable. He needed to figure out something even more important. He understood that there was a point system that was basically everyone's grade. Both Ethan and Barry were somewhere near the bottom of the list right now for Gale House, but students could also make real money. He wasn't sure what they called the money, but he had seen coins exchanging hands in shops and had heard interesting whispers about what a student could do with those coins. The first thing he would do, of course, was get better accommodations.

  “When I finally get my system working, hopefully your system will be working too." Ethan pushed his plate away and folded his hands on the table. "Then, I'd like to propose some kind of business venture with you."

  "Yeah? Like what?" Barry folded his arms and leaned back, skeptical of whatever forthcoming proposal Ethan had to offer.

  "I have absolutely no idea right now, but there's got to be a way for the two of us to make some cash. I know our basic needs are met. We have a place to stay and food to eat, but I have the sinking feeling that eventually we're going to need to make and spend quite a great deal of money."

  "Money was very important back on my home world, so I don't see why it wouldn't be important here." Barry reached his hand out and shook Ethan's. "There we go. That's a verbal agreement that I'll join you in whatever harebrained scheme you have to offer. But for now, I have a different proposal."

  "What is it?" Ethan looked at his companion skeptically.

  "Let's go practice that mana control you're so terrible at. I don't know if you're aware of this, but at noon we have to go to Opaque Pearl Building 2 and take the class on the subject. Might as well be ahead of the curve."

  A surprised smile spread across Ethan's face, meaning he agreed. They headed out onto the streets and found a park neither of them had visited before. The prevalence of such areas was made clear as they settled under a broad oak tree. Other students were in the park practicing their own forms of magic. They were all non-destructive types, like barriers and other things the scribe didn't yet understand. With each cast, he felt the pen within his chest twitch, as though recognizing something about the spell's structure.

  As the duo practiced, Ethan realized there were two facets to controlling Mana. There was broad control and fine control. Ethan was very good at broad control. He could move a lot of Mana around his invisible channels at once, but when it came to shaping that Mana into something that made sense, he was almost completely useless. Barry had him try to pull small amounts of Mana from his soul, and he failed completely, but still they drilled until 11, when the big man forced the scribe to do a few laps around the park.

  “You’re the devil.” Ethan doubled over, feeling as though his lungs were on fire. “Now I have to go to class sweating like a pig.”

  “That’s why I go shirtless.” Barry did a few flexes for good measure.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Opaque Pearl Building 2 was located in the eastern part of the walled section of Gale House. It was near one of the guard towers and provided no brilliant views. The flat nature of the city meant that, as you approached the center, you were provided with fewer and fewer interesting things to look at. Unless the thing you wanted to see was another massive wizard's tower.

  This was another building designed to host a singular class. It had the same wooden chairs and tables Ethan had seen at Bantari Building One. Although there was no professor at the head of the class yet, several students had already filed in, including Amelia. Barry sauntered up to her first, taking a seat and groaning loudly. She gave him a flat look and shook her head. The scribe found his own seat next to her and settled in.

  "Good morning," he said, pulling the pen from his chest and getting back to work.

  A curious smile curled across Amelia's face as she watched him. "You're working hard, aren't you?"

  “Have you ever worked on a problem and been so close to solving it, but each time you try to take a step forward, it feels like you're walking through tar?” Ethan fixed his face in concentration as he worked on another ring before him. Several other students around were watching intently.

  “Unlike most people here, I came voluntarily.” Amelia's eyes went unfocused as she looked off toward the middle distance. “I came here from another world. A world that is still there. My body wasn't destroyed. It had already been integrated into the grand system. So, I spent quite a lot of time training before coming here. I know what you're going through.”

  “Oh, so that's why you're so good.” Barry’s booming voice echoed throughout the class. “I thought I was just kind of an idiot, you know?”

  Interest in whatever Ethan was doing waned with time, and he smiled to himself. The old approach was the wrong one. This was just another form of magic people didn't understand. If they couldn't wrap their heads around it, they would soon lose interest. They had their own forms of sorcery to worry about. Eventually, the teacher entered the room. The scribe swiveled, spying a mantis-like creature he thought he recognized for a moment. He realized it wasn't Suzanne who had brought him into this world, but another mantis creature with large black eyes and pale white skin. It skittered to the front of the room and assumed the position behind the lectern. When the professor spoke, a feminine voice came out, rolling over the class with a soothing, chime-like quality.

  "We have new students today. Please give them all the support you can." The professor wasted no time soon after going into the lecture.

  Amelia leaned over, shaking her head as she whispered to Ethan, "Her people typically don't take names, but we've named her Professor Sally."

  Ethan had to try hard not to laugh at that. He didn't disturb the other students with his giggling, but the subject's professor, Sally, covered topics he had already been taught by Amelia and Barry. Still, he paid attention the entire time while practicing his circles, which didn't seem to offend anyone, not even the professor. Lectures in this academy were typically about 30 minutes long, especially if they were project-based foundation classes. Once that time was up, it was straight to practice. Students moved their desks to the sides of the rooms and began experimenting with their mana.

  Professor Sally moved between the students, giving tips about their form and control. She eventually edged closer to Ethan and lingered near him, chittering with what might have been excitement, rage, delight, or disinterest. He couldn't tell.

  "Your pool of mana is deep. I could sense it from the head of the class." The professor moved closer, the air tingling with magic. A small bubble appeared around them, and she continued, "I can sense the nascent system in your chest. You're building it, aren't you?"

  "I don't think people are supposed to know that," Ethan said, looking around nervously.

  "They cannot hear us, and it is not my station to spread such information." The professor moved around him, getting a new angle as she assessed him. "Yes, I think you'll do quite well in this class."

  “Since you already know the worst kept secret in Gale House, do you have any tips for developing my system?”

  "Show me those attribute circles again," the professor chittered.

  Ethan determined that it was a sound of excitement or interest. He withdrew his pen once again and drew his favorite ring. It was the one representing the Mind attribute. Just as he was about to tell her what it did, she proposed her speculations.

  "That one represents the concept of mana. I can feel its depth and breadth within that ring."

  "You can tell that just by looking at it."

  "When you're as old and practiced as I am, these things come easily." The professor reared back, showing her full height for the first time. "If you wish, you may visit me outside of class hours to develop this further. You've already accomplished the task I've set for this week, so I shall grant you the points now. Perhaps you and your companion can help instruct other students who are having trouble."

  The barrier of silence faded, and Ethan was left with a sense of deep confusion. He was pretty certain somebody like the headmaster wouldn't have been able to detect something like this, but maybe he was wrong. Why would a professor teaching a foundation-level class be so skilled at this? He shook away the thoughts. This academy wasn't about being self-centered. He was actually kind of good at something. Maybe not as good as Barry, but he could help spread that knowledge to some students who were having trouble. Amelia was already doing the same.

  Ethan tapped Barry on the shoulder, breaking him from his concentration. "Let's go help some of those little guys having trouble." The scribe gestured to a group of young human students who were huddled in the corner. They were somewhere between 18 and 20, although it was hard to tell.

  "Good idea. Gotta spread the love, right?"

  Helping other students gave Ethan a chance to realize how good he was at controlling his mana. It came down to a matter of visualization, which he was happy to instruct the other kids on. They were reluctant to accept the help at first. Each had come from a world that suffered a pretty brutal destruction, but once the friendly vibes spread around, they were all smiles and doing their best to move mana through their channels.

  "Your assignment for this week is to successfully pool mana in your palm." The professor addressed the class from the head of the room, gaining all their attention as they continued to practice. "You’re welcome to remain here to keep practicing. I encourage those of you who have already mastered this technique to help those who haven’t. But you’re free to leave if you want."

  Ethan shared a look with Amelia and Barry. They all nodded in unison and went on to do exactly as the big man had said. They were going to spread the love.