Extra's Magic

Chapter 9 Making Connections

?[ Next stop - Mage Academy ]

As I woke up, I heard a robotic voice announcing the upcoming station.

'I got lucky...'

I was fortunate enough to wake up just in time to prepare to get off the train. I rubbed my eyes, still feeling a bit sleepy and stretched my numb back.

Glancing around, I saw an elderly man sitting in front of me, gazing out the window. Despite his age and wrinkles, I could sense powerful energy emanating from him.

'He's probably an awakened...'

When the man noticed me looking at him, he smiled and his warm brown eyes met mine. It was unusual to see such warmth in the eyes of an awakened person, who often experienced many battles.

"Good morning!"

The elder said and I politely bowed my head, feeling the sleepiness disappearing in an instant. The man suddenly reached his hand forward and touched my forearms, where I had blocked a direct punch from the demon worshiper.

I winced in pain as he touched my arms, and the elder frowned in concern.

"Youngsters these days... always fighting from a young age!"

I felt a calming sensation wash over me, the source of the feeling being my hand which the man held in his palm.

"Don't worry, I'm just trying to heal you..."

The elderly man said in a gentle tone as he touched my swollen forearms, making me relax as I realized he meant me no harm.

As he worked his magic, I took some time to observe the man. In Leclentia healers are very rare and only a few could be met within the game.

"Are you by any chance, Teacher Williams?"

I asked, making the man lift his eyes from my swollen forearms.

"I am indeed, and since you've heard of me, you must be a student at the Mage Academy,"

I nodded my head in confirmation, making William smile. He soon finished recovering my arms, advising me not to get into fights.

We parted ways as soon as we got off the train, Williams going straight towards the castle in the distance, while I made my way to the dormitory.

As I walked through the academy grounds, I noticed that it was still early in the morning and not many people were around. However, I could see a few passersby carrying their luggage towards the dormitories designated for their class.

Clank...

Entering my apartment, I immediately dropped my bags on the ground and took out the cold takeaway food. I was starving and ate it like a monster, not even bothering to slice up the chicken.

After finishing my meal, I rushed to take a refreshing shower to wash off the grime of travel. I quickly dressed up in the clothes which consisted of a black shirt, black jeans, and black sneakers. Looking at myself in the mirror, I had to admit, I looked pretty cool draped in all black.

Grabbing my Katana I quickly headed out of my room, making my way towards one of the larger buildings located behind the student dormitories. This was where everyone, including the teachers, could train and hone their skills.

As I approached the training halls, I could hear the clanging of swords and the grunts of people practicing their combat techniques.

Walking through the front doors, my eyes scanned the spacious training halls, with various weapons and equipment placed neatly on racks. I quickly made my way towards the private training rooms designated for students and locked the door behind me.

"It's like I'm dreaming..."

The room was simple but had everything I needed to train, from wooden dummies to targets and weapons. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and centered myself before unsheathing my katana.

I had six more days until classes started, but I wasn't going to waste them just lying around in my dorm room. If I wanted to have a chance at surviving in this world, I needed to become strong. I needed to be able to stand side by side with the protagonists and somehow evade the eyes of enemies along the way.

Swish...

Swinging my Katana, I felt that my proficiency in wielding the sword had improved. This might've happened, because of the fight I've had with the Demon worshiper. Perhaps it was also due to some natural talent that this body possessed.

After several hours of intense training, my whole body was aching from swinging and thrusting my weapon. I sat on the ground, crossing my legs and closing my eyes, trying to regain my energy.

As much as I enjoyed training my melee combat skills, I knew that I couldn't neglect the importance of absorbing Mana. Mana was the essence of this world, and it was what allowed me to Rank Up and increase my body's limits.

I took a deep breath and focused my mind on my surroundings, trying to sense the flow of Mana. I felt a faint energy radiating from the air around me, and I began to channel it into my body, feeling it fill me up from within.

At first, it was difficult to control the Mana, and I could only absorb small amounts at a time. But as I practiced, I became more skilled, and soon I was able to take in larger amounts of Mana without feeling overwhelmed.

Taking a deep breath, I immediately knew that if I spent most of my week holed up in this Training room I'd be able to reach Rank F-.

"It's better to take it slow..."

But I decided not to, I've just reached G+ and was yet to stabilize my breakthrough. If I were to Rank up so suddenly my foundation would be weak and in a long run it would crumble.

Instead, I decided to spend the rest of the week focusing on honing my mana control. I closed my eyes once more and started meditating, visualizing the flow of mana within my body and practicing my control over it.

As I focused on my breathing and the flow of mana, I started to feel my body relax and my mind become more clear. With each passing moment, I felt more in tune with the mana around me and within me.