The Over-Break System

With the departure of Headmaster Rivia, Professor Dennis was left alone and looking out over all the students in thought. Having MyrkLys do their Tier-2 Evaluations had completely offset his lesson plans for the first day, but it wasn’t too bad. Instead of going through basic combat procedures and being forced to do lengthy lectures by having the party put on a clinic for the rest of the class, Professor Dennis effectively skipped three months of lesson plans.

“Quiet down, students.” Clapping his hands loudly twice was all it took to reel in the attention of the hyped-up first years.

Hearing Professor Dennis’s hand clap, the members of MyrkLys all turned their heads towards the man off by the bleachers before heading over to listen to what he said. Gabby and Brance were the farthest away, but they could join up with Cynrik and the others in seconds, thanks to the benefits of their stats.

Gabby was all smiles until she met the steely eyes of Cynrik, who only smirked and patted her on the head as congratulations for a job well done. This was enough to perk up the girl, whose head flicked towards Brance.

“Let’s go hear what the Professor has to say; we can talk about your little stunt later,” Cynrik said before ignoring the bubbly chirps and noises Gabby made in response.

“I had initially wanted to start our first day by explaining the course syllabus and getting each of you out on the training field to move your bodies with some physical exercise. However, you all got quite the treat today. Not only did you get to see two evenly matched Tier-2 fighters square up against each other, but the impressive showcases that Ms. Gabriella and Mr. Benjamin put on for you all kind of blew away my lesson plans for the next couple of months.” Chuckling at the loss of his carefully thought-out plans, Professor Dennis welcomed the members of MyrkLys over and waved for them to join the rest of the class in the bleachers.

“The Headmaster and I were able to answer most of your questions after each battle, but that is all you will get about Tier-2 for the time being. From today’s exhibition, if there is one thing you should remember, it is that when it comes time to trigger Tier Advancement, you absolutely must inform either me during class or fill out the necessary forms on your Watcets and Academy Website.” Pausing his statement, Professor Dennis narrowed his eyes and glared at Cynrik’s back as he noisily stomped on the aluminum bleachers.

“Don’t be like the leader of the MyrkLys faction and think you are smart enough to handle any issues that may arise during the Evolution of not only your friends but also yourself. The staff of VSFA has aided hundreds of thousands of students over the years to advance successfully. As a result, we have an unfathomable amount of experience and knowledge about Tier Advancements. Unfortunately, Ivar Ragnarsson broke the trust between staff and students, and that breach of trust could have quickly turned deadly for everyone involved.”

[[FUCK I GET IT, MAN SHUTTT UP!]] Trying not to roll his eyes, Cynrik settled on plopping down on a metal bench and tapping his foot in agitation.

[[Take yo lumps, Cyn, I told you several times to do things the proper way, yet you are so against listening. So now our entire combative class understands how strong we are, even if we didn’t go full throttle, let alone Gabby and Benny, who did. All because you didn’t want to ‘LEAK’ our Evos to the Academy.]] Brance sucked his teeth in annoyance before guiding Gabby to sit on his right, with Cynrik on his left.

“The volatile nature of having not one but multiple Affinities increases the danger score when one Evolves, so the fact that the Ragnarsson brothers, who, as you all saw today, have numerous Elemental Affinities, could have backfired easily without the proper guidance.” Professor Dennis tossed Cynrik a scolding look before looking over at the helpless Brance, whose eyes screamed he had nothing to do with his older brother’s shenanigans.

“They were lucky this time, but luck is something finite. One day, if they continue trying to do everything by themselves, something will happen, and when it does, we, the Staff of VSFA, may not be able to help, for it will be too late. So remember my words today, and please, for the love of everything, follow the rules. This Academy has no place for Mavericks.” Huffing a tired breath, Professor Dennis straightened up and placed his hands behind his back.

“Now that the scolding is out of the way, let’s talk about the thrilling bouts you witnessed. For starters, the fight between the Ragnarsson brothers was a perfect example of what happens when two opposite beings with equal power fight. Not only do they fully know every one of the other’s moves, but they wield rival Elements—Light for Björn and Dark for Ivar. However, that didn’t slow them down, as every single attack had a higher level of meaning to it.”

“What we witnessed is no different from experts in their respective fields working with high levels of precision, without giving away a single opportunity to make a big move until the final seconds of the bout. It was thrilling and technical, a perfect example for all of you to remember as we move forward with our scheduled training. So Ivar, and Björn, good work; you both passed your Evaluations with flying colors; however, don’t forget to register your improved status with the Academy.”

“Thank you, Professor Dennis, and don’t worry, I will be sure to drag my Big brother to the testing facility as soon as possible.” Sitting up straight and nodding as he spoke, Brance gave the correct response the Professor wanted to hear; Cynrik, on the other hand, grumbled unhappily, which was ignored by everyone present.

“Moving along to Mr. Benjamin Sanford’s fight against Instructor Garrison….” Before Professor Dennis could begin his analysis, Garrison finished helping Alistar down a couple of potions and loudly cleared his throat.

“I can take over from here, Professor Dennis; my fight against Benjamin was outstanding. The wit and adaptability he showed on the battlefield are leagues ahead of what someone his age should be able to do. But, as I am sure some of you may have noticed, throughout the fight, Young Benjamin here was constantly learning. When the battle began, he was already putting himself at a severe disadvantage by choosing two different weapons he had zero experience in using. However, by the end of the fight, he was able to take in all the advice I was giving and execute it flawlessly, all the while laying a trap that I embarrassingly fell into blindly.” Instructor Garrison scratched the back of his head and made eye contact with Benny.

“You did well out there; it shows that even an old dog like me still has things he can learn from the new generation. So you get a pass from me, and I look forward to having you in my lessons in a few years; no matter what path you decide to take, you will always be welcome.”

Standing up stiffly, Benny bowed at Instructor Garrison before speaking.

“Thank you for the praise, Instructor Garrison; I learned a lot from our match and will keep it all in consideration as I try to build my style moving forward.”

Seeing that the two warriors were finished with their conversation, Professor Dennis glanced at Instructor Alistar, who was still chugging down stamina potions.

Noticing the looks he was receiving, Alistar wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stepped forward to address the class.

“My match against Gabriella Sanford was incredibly taxing. However, her display there was so far beyond a standard Ranger that it broadened my perspective of the class. In the past, I have fought against dozens of Psychic Archers such as her, yet never before have I been put in such a compromising situation. Therefore, I won’t downplay her achievements by blaming my lack of knowledge of her secondary Affinity and will instead praise how creatively she utilized it in combat.”

Gabby instantly perked up upon hearing it was her turn to receive an analysis of her fight.

“Using the trees to lay sufficient cover and keep me constantly on the move is something you must always be aware of when fighting a Chloro Affinity User. Don’t ever underestimate someone based solely on what Affinity they wield. Even something as simple as growing a plant can become a hazardous trap since living plants feel no pain. Moving along…” Instructor Alistar paused to sip another potion before continuing his train of thought.

“Much like her older brother, Gabriella chose a different weapon, the crossbow, unlike what she is used to, a Compound bow like my own. What surprised me the most, though, is that even without much experience, Gabriella could navigate heavy terrain while wielding a new weapon with ease. Pair that with the impressive display in using replicas of herself to draw my fire; the amount of strain she withstood has my highest praise.”

“Keep up the excellent work, and I look forward to finding out which bow you choose in the future. OH, one last thing, it is customary for archers to give something to the opponent who defeats them, so catch.” Flicking his wrist, a pair of two-fingered gloves (index and middle) appeared in his palm. Then with expert aim, Instructor Alistar flicked and flung out his hand in Gabby’s direction, sending the gloves flying over everyone’s heads and right into her lap.

“Huh…” Confused yet excited, Gabby quickly scooped them from her lap and tried them on, but when she realized they were too small, she looked at Alistar with tears threatening to spill over, making him chuckle.

“Just put some Mana into them just like your uniform. I always give a sturdy glove to whoever beats me in a mock battle; you are slightly different. Since I noticed how you kept switching between hands with your crossbow, I figured I’d give you one for each hand.”

Hearing Alistar’s instructions, Gabby quickly applied a little bit of Psychic Mana to the gloves, which turned malleable instantly and fitted them perfectly to her delicate hands.

“Thank you, Instructor Alistar!!” Nearly vibrating from excitement, Gabby had to be restrained by Brance since she was about to run down and give the man a huge hug.

With both Instructors finished with their praises, they turned and left.

“Now then, since there are only a couple of minutes left until the bell, I want to run through the course syllabus real quickly to give you all an understanding of what is expected of you for my class.” Not bothering to follow the two men with his eyes as they left, Professor Dennis took the time to explain a rough summary of what everyone could expect for the rest of the year, from daily conditioning exercises to increase STR and STAM to agility and flexibility training.

He explained how each student would have a specific regiment tailormade for them by himself to help the students reach their optimal growth potential.

Cynrik’s ears perked up at the mention of training, and he couldn’t help but grin sinisterly at his party, causing Gabby and Benny to shiver in fear. Meanwhile, Selene looked at him, clueless to what he was thinking, leaving only Brance to look at the sky and sigh.

“Hehehehe, double the training, hehe!” Cynrik’s creepy laughter sent chills down the party’s spines and caused the nearest students to turn around and give him a strange look.

-This series is exclusively published on Web if you are reading it anywhere else…You Wrong, Fam. PS Check out the discord, https://discord.gg/dcxKNJEMwg