Miss Mina nodded, and Harry stood up. In a serious tone, with no expression, he asked,
"Ma'am, can Aetherbound absorb energy from other Aetherbound? And if they can, what can it be used for?"
Miss Mina was a little surprised by the question. It was related to a very specific topic. Unlike the other two questions, which were about Aetherbound in general, his question directly addressed the absorption of energy—a very rare ability among Aetherbound.
While thinking about it, she remembered Principal Graves telling her that if a student named Harry asked a question, she should try her best to answer it.
She sighed, stood up from her seat, looked at Harry, and said,
"That is a very unique question, Harry. No one has asked me about this in my entire teaching career."
She continued,
"This isn't simple, so let me explain it from the basics. Aetherbound can absorb energy, but it is extremely rare, and the energy must match their element. For example, if an Aetherbound has the fire element, they can only absorb fire magic."
She paused before continuing.
"Even in that case, there are stages. At low core saturation, they can absorb energy through their hands. The absorbed energy can only be used for a counterattack with their own move. It cannot be used to restore energy in the body. It can only boost the counterattack or neutralize the incoming attack."
"At high core saturation, they can use the absorbed magic more freely. They can convert it into energy or even use it to heal themselves."
"Finally, at peak core saturation—above eighty percent—although there are hardly any Aetherbound who have reached that level, it is believed they can absorb natural energy directly from nature, regardless of the element."
Hearing this explanation did not make Harry happy. Instead, it made him anxious.
He thought for a moment before asking,
"Ma'am... can they only absorb energy through their hands?"
Miss Mina nodded.
"Yes, because the hands and legs are dual points."
She suddenly stopped and laughed softly.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you all about that. I'm sorry."
She continued explaining.
"There are eight energy points in the human body through which energy flows: one in the brain, two in the eyes, one in the heart, two in the hands, and two in the legs."
"These points are extremely important for Aetherbound. If one of them is damaged—for example, if someone loses a leg—it disturbs the energy flow and restricts their abilities."
She then returned to Harry's question.
"As I said, the hands and legs are dual points, and they are also the end points of the energy system. They have the ability to store and absorb energy from other points. That is why most Aetherbound use magic through their hands."
"Those who use body reinforcement magic must supply an equal amount of energy to all the points in their body for it to work properly."
"So, Harry, there is a possibility that energy could also be absorbed through the legs. Other than that, there is no known way."
Harry sighed in disappointment.
He thanked the teacher and sat down.
Miss Mina smiled and said,
"Thank you, wonderful students, for being so attentive and obedient. I hope all of you become successful. Have a nice day."
The students stood up and bowed as the teacher left the room.
Miss Mina quickly headed toward the principal's office.
When she entered, Principal Graves was sitting at her desk, reviewing the reports of the students who had participated in the fighting class after Harry's session.
Miss Mina bowed and said,
"Ma'am, I have completed the elemental class for Sections A to C."
The principal nodded.
"Good. Give me the report in two days."
Miss Mina hesitated before speaking again.
"Ma'am... Harry was also there."
The principal looked up.
"What about him?"
Miss Mina replied,
"He asked a question. It was rather strange."
The principal's expression changed slightly.
"What did he ask?"
"He asked if Aetherbound could absorb energy from others and what methods could be used to absorb it. I explained everything I knew."
The principal fell into deep thought. She suddenly remembered the fragment repulsion test that Supervisor Clark had conducted during Harry's retest.
A realization struck her.
Without hesitation, she pressed a button on her desk.
Three supervisors entered the office and bowed.
In a serious tone, the principal said,
"You three will monitor a student named Harry from Section A. Maintain your distance and keep observing him. If you notice any anomaly, report it to me immediately."
The three supervisors bowed again.
"Yes, Ma'am."