“Hm, I felt that was genuine enough. Let’s continue, first you need to learn how it feels to be struck with Alteration magic.” Seryne said. “Then I’ll teach you how to cast it.”

 

Ezekill stood up as they continued to spar, Ezekill thought there might be a way to evade her magic. But he must think how Alteration works there must be a mechanism like every magic. Ezekill bent the light around him as he constructed his light magic. Golden magic circle manifested around him moving upwards and downwards from the center of his body. He was invisible.

 

Seryne ticked her tongue, she can’t target him if he wasn’t seen as he guessed.

 

“I never thought you already know some Alteration magic, other than that lightning skin of yours.” She said while scanning the surroundings.

 

Ezekill leaped and slashed but missed as she floated in the air. He was seen, Seryne used the chance to attack him. Ezekill’s body suddenly got heavy, it was like carrying a weight of barbells, he bent his knees using Crystalis as a support. He forced himself to stand up, his forehead furrowed and he clinched his jaws. Seryne dived readying to slash him, Ezekill managed to parry and swung his Crystalis with the weight of a Greatsword. He stumbled, he had a hard time rebalancing himself. But this was nothing, his body was trained after all he could take a few lifts.

 

He smiled challenging her, he then felt another massive stiff on his muscle, he clinched his jaws like someone with a stroke. He fell once more. Seryne pointed her dagger into his throat, he gulped.

 

“Dead again.” She smiled in annoyance.

 

Ezekill and Seryne sparred another round, he got up again. He just discovered that she needed a visual on her target to cast the magic, but why was it so fast he had no time to dodge, when he revealed himself he got struck by paralysis in an instant.

 

Ezekill tried it, he glanced at her extending his arms he tried to paralyze her but to no effect. He made an intent to make her stop moving, altering her bones into stone. Magic circle was constructed, but it was broken, denied by the Greater. He clicked his tongue.

 

“My apprentice, altering the world with mana is very different from other schools of magic. It’s not simple.” Seryne said. “Try something simpler, the more subtle the easier to cast.”

 

“Here’s something to motivate you, to rack your brain.” Seryne said. “A dagger, right?” She was holding it, flipping. “Watch.”

 

She changed the dagger into a spear, grip stretched into a shaft, the blade extended. “Imagine what you can do with your own body, and other mortals.” She smiled wickedly then quickly reverted her smile, her colors being shown for a second.

 

“I’m sorry, my apprentice, this is what power can do to you, you just do that. But I’m changed, don’t worry. I just can’t control it sometimes. You won’t die from one stab right?” She said as if it was a joke.

 

She’s a psychopath, fuck my teacher is a fucking psychopath! He thought while putting an awkward smile to her.

 

“That’s amazing, Master Seryne, I’ll try my best!” Ezekill said.

 

Something more simple, more subtle, he smiled as he thought. He got an idea on what to do. Seryne and Ezekill continued.

 

Ezekill cast a stone bullet, it zoomed in as fast as the fastest caliber. 

 

“I am untouchable!” Seryne shouted.

 

A bubble-like barrier stopped the stone bullet on its tracks, Ezekill quickly moved in, buffed with his velocity manipulation, and aura on his boots. He managed to tapped the unguarded Seryne surprised with his speed. Her eyes widened, as Ezekill’s cold eyes gazed at her. “You can’t move,” he whispered.

 

She clinched, and turned into a ragdoll. She was surprised, she couldn’t resist. She stumbled into the ground. “Eze kill,” he smugged.

 

[You learned Paralysis Touch!]

 

Her eyes widened, she forced herself to break free from the paralysis, she turned her arm into a blade-like weapon. She swung, Ezekill bent backwards to evade the slash. He put some distance, as she got up. Her death-gaze, her bloodlust was high, the atmosphere was cold. Then she gasped in realization, she held her face. She stood still. “I’m sorry, p-please don’t leave me.” She held her urge, biting her normal arm.

 

“No wonder, no one wants to learn from you,” Ezekill murmured, thinking he made a mistake of choosing her but without her. He wouldn’t know the full potential of Alteration. Even if he dies he would just come back to life anyways.

 

“Master Seryne, I won’t, I will continue learning from you.” Ezekill bowed his head.

 

Her cheeks widened as she smiled, and ran to him and hugged him. “Thank you.”

 

Her huge breast was pressed against Ezekill’s body in her fine red dress. It made him blush, he couldn’t resist the allure of her breast. 

 

She smiled at him, “Oh you’re into dark elf.”

 

“Ahh! No! No! It’s not like that!” Ezekill tried to evade her look.

 

“Ahem, may I ask what happened to you? Master Seryne if you don't mind?” Ezekill tried to change the topic.

 

“Hm, I'm not really comfortable talking about my past, but I think you deserve to know me, a little bit.” Seryne frowned.

 

“I was working for bad people clearing 'obstacles' for them. And I'm not a dark elf, I'm a demon. I changed myself to avoid shame. I lost my honor when I lost my blade. No, my blade was destroyed by my people, hence my honor, and I got shamed.” Seryne said. “Is that enough for my apprentice? I won't go into the details of how I lost my honor. Such shame is unbearable and the reason I changed into a dark elf.”

 

“I-I understand,” Ezekill said.

 

“I'm planning to turn into a human, being a dark elf brings my darkest desire. But Mila said just because the way of the dark elf was about killing, deceiving, that doesn’t mean I’ll justify my actions by looking like them. Mila taught me how even the smallest life is precious. That’s the reason why I look like this. I want to change, but it's hard, I'm sorry for almost drawing your blood.”

 

“But you like this appearance, are you not? I think I will keep my dark elf appearance for my apprentice.” She said while adjusting her dress, making it bounce.

 

“I understand, we're not perfect and I forgive you, I don't mind actually but you're trying your best to change so yeah. I also have problems if that makes you feel better.” Ezekill said and not answering her question.

 

“Let's take a break my apprentice,” she smiled.

 

Elizabeth stood in line with the other students who chose to learn illusion.

 

“What is an illusion? Illusion magic presents an imitation of change but not actually changing a thing only from the target's mind. A master illusionist can abuse reality. I am One a Master Illusionist, the youngest to become a master of illusion at the age of twenty. Eleventh tier on Psychic affinity, tenth tier on Light affinity, ninth tier on Shadow affinity, eight tier on Sound affinity. I am one of the greatest mages you could ever encounter, and a friend to the black witch herself. On her request I came here from faraway, it took a great effort so I’m hoping the journey was worth it.”

 

“Demonstrate yourself, show me your worth.” One said.

 

“She’s full of herself, I came here to learn papa's illusion.” Elizabeth frowned.

 

Elizabeth stepped forward, she took her steel knuckles. She stomped her feet creating a vibration wave that blitzed towards One. One jumped out of the way before the magic was cast. Elizabeth was taken by surprise when she leaped before her magic like she knew that Elizabeth would do that. The other students watched in shock.

 

One was gone from her visuals, she made no sound unlike Ezekill when he turned invisible. “Any moment now,” she murmured.

 

She gasped as One appeared behind her, she cast a shockwave punch, boom echoed into the air. The mirage of One vanished. One revealed herself again in front of her, stepping on her sonic trap a bellow and shriek made her mirage disappear once more.

 

“Tsk, another Illusion.” Elizabeth said.

 

“Don’t let your guard down, girl.” She revealed herself behind her.

 

Elizabeth turned, she gazed at her but she didn't want to hurt her, she felt calm as she walked towards her. Why did she feel serene, One took her dagger but she still let her guard down, why couldn't she feel her hostility. One pointed the dagger on her throat. “Dead,” she said.

 

“You’re good at sound magic, that’s a great start towards mastering illusion.” She said while circling around her.

 

“Confidence, better you also have it. Being an illusionist is not about just tricking a person, if you don’t feel confident about it then the target will notice and break the illusion. That’s lesson One. Pun intended.” One said.

 

“You passed, dear.” One said.

 

“Now, who’s next?” One said.

 

Inside the training room for healers, and priests alike, Yvonne was shocked that Roy took Restoration class instead of something else, like destruction, boys who attended a prestigious university would always go for classes that made them stronger. But he’s the only boy in the class, every girl inside the training room murmured.

 

“What is the prince doing here?”

 

“I don’t know, he’s really cute up close.”

 

“Wait, maybe he’s weak, that's why he’s here?”

 

“No, he’s if you only saw him fighting in the entrance exam, maybe he wanted to serve Herana, yes he might be!”

 

“Then he’s going to be a priest? What a waste, why does Herana always get all the cute boys?”

 

“Oi, that’s blasphemy, don't talk to our Goddess like that!”

 

“In my hometown, our local priest is very handsome! Why does she get all the good stuff?”

 

“You’re going to get cursed if you keep talking to our Goddess like that! And it’ll rub on me because I’m talking to you! So stop.”

 

“Fine, fine.”

 

Yvonne listened to their murmurs and sighed. Hopeless girls, not even an adult yet, their mother should teach them discipline. She thought.

 

They talked in front of Herana’s huge altar along with training dummy with visible muscles and nerves, she may be heard everything what they said. And probably giggled.

 

“You took Restoration Roy? Why?” Yvonne asked.

 

“Well, I was curious about something, I heard Restoration does more than healing.” He replied.

 

The old priestess arrived behind them, and overheard their conversation. “Yes, restoration does more than healing, young one.” She smiled, her kind wrinkle cheeks widened. She was the type of an old lady that would feed you until your stomach bloated.

 

“I rarely see a young man interested in Restoration, but the one who studies Restoration will turn into a great man. For example, the Saint hero Layawin, so there’s no need to be embarrassed, young man.” She was a lot older looking compared to the other masters as she was human. She had wrinkles as she was wise, her kind voice made everyone tranquil.

 

Everyone sat in front of their dummies, the old lady walked towards the altar table with the dummy in place. The dummy had carved lines serving as muscles, and nerves.

 

The body dummy shone bluelight when she cast and moved her healing around showing how to heal each part effectively.

 

She showed the students on how healing works, she could redirect her mana around the body, concentrating more mana into a wounded area and allowing that area to heal at an accelerated rate. While this technique was effective on external, physical wounds, its ability to repair soul injuries and cure illnesses was more limited. The skill level of the healer, as well as the quality of the healer’s Arcane Core, also played a role in its effectiveness. 

 

Priests, healers alike were not revered as with someone who had power and glory. It was always the warriors who were written in story books, and the ears of the patrons at taverns when the bards sang their glorious journey. But their deeds usually left destruction in its wake, a mage who eviscerated an evil villain with a ball of meteor was rightfully earned the title hero. Even those who fell from the mage’s magic, they were remembered for facing overwhelming evil, no matter how the people were affected.

 

The appreciation of Restoration art was not like destruction. But little did the world know Restoration had saved the world over and over again, from ravenous nightmares, from infectious diseases, and killing the unkillable rogue undeads.

 

But the practitioners of the art weren't looking for glory, but to do good in the world. That’s what Roy was hoping for, what he wanted to learn.

 

Becoming a Paladin was a fitting choice for him.

 

Roy practiced basic cure wounds on his dummy, he did what she said but the body didn’t glow bluelight like everyone else, not even the faintest light emitted. He tried to call the old lady but she didn’t even mention her name, why? He thought.

 

For the old lady it didn’t matter, as long as it was helping them, she taught them the first fundamental of Restoration. Don’t seek glory, help people. Title, names, family names, was not important there was no need to know. Let the people choose to know you.

 

The old lady showed Roy the correct way, after a few tries the dummy glowed, she then smiled at him. Roy’s cheeks widened as his effort was fruitful.