Increase Talent: Become More Stronger!

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[Swordsmanship Class / Strength Evaluation]

[No. 1: Ash F. Oarth. Total Damage: 731,856.]

[No. 2: Eris F. Hillwood. Total Damage: 283,832.]

[No. 3: Eric La. March. Total Damage: 197,482.]

"So... That's just like him. Hero, you're amazing. Can I even defeat you?" I muttered. Honestly, I had no idea whether I could even destroy this so-called hero.

If I remember correctly, his power had increased severalfold.

Although the evaluations between the Mage Class and the Fighter Class differed, that didn't really matter.

Either way, the fact that Ash's power exceeded 700,000 was undeniable.

From that alone, I knew I stood no chance against Ash.

Instead, I realized I had no choice but to train extremely hard.

If I didn't, I would never be able to make up for the difference between us.

But still... why? Why did Alicia's mana only show 150,000?

"That's strange... Did she tamper with her evaluation?"

Maybe. I thought there was a chance Alicia had manipulated the academy's evaluation mirror.

But considering what had happened, it seemed unlikely that Alicia could deceive the academy's system.

If her power weren't so low, I wouldn't even suspect her of cheating.

Yet deep down, I couldn't shake the doubt in my heart.

I was really curious—did Alicia actually alter her evaluation?

If so, I wondered just how powerful she truly was.

Whatever the case, the fact remained: I couldn't accurately gauge Alicia's strength.

For a moment while I was observing her, I knew there was no way I could see through her.

Even if I tried, it would be completely in vain.

But then again... was it possible that Ash knew Alicia's true strength?

In any case, I didn't really care about Alicia's power.

From the start, I never believed she intended to sabotage Lunar Academy.

'She's a mysterious woman. I know that. She seems different from who she used to be. It feels like she's someone else entirely.'

Honestly, I didn't think of Alicia as her former self at all.

Rather, I saw her as someone with the demeanor of a mature adult.

Still, I couldn't understand why her personality had changed so drastically.

If I looked at Eris, she hadn't changed at all.

But Alicia? I kept thinking she was someone else entirely.

Seriously...

I really didn't want to deal with this troublesome woman.

But it didn't matter. I knew I'd eventually have to fight them.

'Ash... Let's meet again in our second year. I can't wait to fight you when the time comes.'

...

"Welcome, students of Class C. From today onward, your second year officially begins. Please introduce yourselves."

For a moment, I noticed some students in the front row raise their hands.

I wasn't sure why, but I guessed they wanted to start the introductions.

"My name is Victoria Leah Novaria. I hope we can all get along."

"The daughter of Count Novaria? I'm so glad we're in the same class. I'm Aurora, the first-year representative from Class C. Nice to meet you."

"So it's you? I've heard the rumors about your leadership. You even managed to recover dozens of valuable treasures from an uninhabited island. I hope we can work together."

Alright...

I honestly didn't understand how I ended up in the same class as Victoria.

If I recalled correctly, I never thought she would be transferred into Class C.

But whatever. I just hoped she didn't intend to become my enemy.

For now, I could only pray that I wouldn't have any issues with my new classmates.

Suddenly, my gaze was unintentionally drawn to a certain boy.

That's right. This guy... he was the one I beat up during our first year.

But judging by the look on his face, I figured he was still pissed about my presence.

Noah...! Why am I in the same class as him?! This makes no sense!

Ah... Great.

I knew it. There's no way I could relax in the second year.

Just from the hostility in his eyes, I could tell staying calm would be impossible.

Damn it... Why am I surrounded by enemies? This is so unfair.

Forget it.

Without saying a word, I quickly turned my gaze back to the front.

As more students introduced themselves, I realized it was almost my turn.

"Thank you, that will be all."

"Very well. Next... You, please introduce yourself."

"Ahem. I'm sure many of you already know who I am. I'm the adopted son of the Emperor. You may call me Noah. Noah L. Lionheart."

Sigh...

Clap— Clap— Clap—

Honestly, I didn't expect my new classmates to clap for him.

From the expressions of the Class C students, some of them clearly admired him.

Some even looked afraid, probably remembering how he unleashed a killing intent at a previous event.

Still, I had no doubt that a few of them were less than thrilled about his presence.

And sure enough, I was right.

"Hmph. Noah? A prince? Who cares. Once a commoner, always a commoner. Filthy blood."

Truth be told, deep inside, I was seething.

But I knew I couldn't afford to lash out.

"..."

"Uh... Alright. I hope everyone gets along. And you over there... could you introduce yourself?"

"Ck. I'm Liam Von Theodore. I don't care about any of you. Don't even think about approaching me."

I see...

Von? Was he a noble from one of the ducal families?

If so, I guess it made sense why he was acting so arrogant.

"As expected from the Theodore family. Just as arrogant as their ancestors," some students whispered, recalling the rumors about that family.

If not for those rumors, would they even act this way?

Just look at Liam's face—it was filled with irritation.

Even so, that alone made it clear to everyone that no one wanted to follow in his footsteps.

As I finished processing everything, I figured it didn't really matter anymore.

In the end, the fact that I had decided to move to Class C was unchangeable.

"Alright, that's enough introductions. Since we all know each other now, I want you to focus on today's lesson."

"Understood."

"Today's lesson is..."

Several days passed, and now I found myself surrounded by dark energy.

Judging by the aura around me, I could tell I was about to break through.

Without wasting any time, I focused all my attention on my core.

I recalled the process of reaching the Warrior Stage and Mage Stage.

Naturally, one must purify the essence within their core.

As I began condensing the energy inside me, I could feel everything start to change.

My inner world—yes, it was shifting.

Within seconds, small trees began sprouting inside my inner world.

Until eventually, the process hit a standstill.

Time passed, and I had no idea how long I had been meditating.

But one thing was certain—Eris and Professor Amelia had started focusing on their own tasks.

Fwoosh!

Out of nowhere, a gust of wind swept across the area where I was meditating.

As I opened my eyes, I couldn't help but express my surprise.

"Master, did I do it correctly?"

"Yes. For now, you've mastered 70% of the Wrath power. You've made progress."

"Really? It's all thanks to you. I'm truly grateful."

Even my hearing had improved beyond what it used to be.

This is it!

This must be what they call the Mage Stage.

It was nothing like I had imagined.

Honestly, I never expected the Initial Mage Stage to bring such rapid growth.

There's no doubt—my strength had now surpassed what it was when I broke through to the Innate Stage.

This was a twofold increase.

Indeed, a twofold increase was terrifying.

If I hadn't become this strong, I wouldn't have noticed the change in myself.

But now, I knew—I couldn't be defeated by an average Warrior or Mage Stage expert.

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