Read 30+ advance chaps at my patreon
patreon.com/LordDraco
******
Ash swung his sword in a smooth crescent-shaped arc.
A dark aura-infused slash shot forward.
The attack crossed the lake and briefly split the water apart before dissipating in the distance.
Ash nodded in satisfaction.
Among all elemental affinities, Darkness possessed the greatest destructive power.
The problem was that darkness spells were usually slow and difficult to directly hit a faster opponent.
His Half Moon slash suffered from neither weakness.
The compressed aura blade traveled quickly, struck with tremendous force, and consumed far less energy than a comparable darkness spell.
For a physical fighter, it was an excellent technique.
And it was only the first of the three styles he had created.
And it was only the first of the three styles he had created.
After watching the lake return to normal, Ash adjusted his grip on the sword.
"Second Style: Flowing Edge."
This time, he did not release a ranged attack.
Instead, aura spread across the blade in a thin layer.
Ash began moving through a series of sword strikes.
Each swing flowed naturally into the next.
The aura coating the sword remained stable throughout the entire sequence.
The purpose of Flowing Edge was simple.
It reduced aura consumption while increasing the cutting power of every attack.
Unlike Half Moon, which focused on releasing aura outside the body, Flowing Edge focused on maintaining a constant aura coating during close combat.
It was efficient and practical.
The style was especially useful during long battles.
After several minutes, Ash stopped and nodded.
The aura consumption was exactly as expected.
"Not bad."
Raphael agreed.
"The efficiency has improved by another three percent compared to last week's version."
Ash smiled before preparing the final technique.
"Third Style: Aura Burst."
He gathered aura into his legs instead of his sword.
The aura circulated through his muscles and strengthened them for a brief moment.
Ash then stepped forward.
His speed suddenly increased.
In an instant, he crossed several meters and appeared on the opposite side of the clearing.
The movement was much faster than his normal speed.
However, it only lasted for a short burst.
Aura Burst was not an attack.
It was not also an movement technique but rather a reinforcement technique.
By temporarily reinforcing specific muscle groups with aura, Ash could move faster, jump farther, or strike with greater force.
The technique consumed little aura and placed relatively low strain on the body.
Because of that, it quickly became his most frequently used style.
After finishing the demonstration, Ash sheathed his sword.
Half Moon provided a ranged attack.
Flowing Edge strengthened close combat.
Aura Burst improved movement and physical performance.
None of the three styles were particularly flashy.
None of them were overwhelmingly powerful.
However, they were reliable, practical, and worked well together.
After all it was just the start of his discovery of the Aura Mastery and he have a long way to go.
Ash nodded and then he once again took a stance and begun to shadow practice to perfect his sword mastery.
Soon the others arrived as they begun to spar with Ash like their normal routine.
Three days also passed as now Ash was being hugged by sobbing Myra as he was going for the Academy.
" Mom, we can always call each other through the amulet" Ash said helplessly as she still sobbed saying but you are going so far.
It took Ash some time to console her and then he was able to move , waving bye to the villagers he flew towards the warp gate that will take him towards the White Griffin Academy.
But he made a pit stop in the Life woods waving bye to his emperor beats friends also and again telling them to take care of the village with his mother being the priority.
****
Upon arrival, an academy attendant greeted him and escorted him to his assigned room.
To prevent unnecessary conflicts and bullying between students of different levels, each year had its own separate wing within the academy.
The classrooms, living quarters, training facilities, and even dining halls were divided by year.
Students from different years rarely interacted unless they participated in special academy activities.
After imprinting the room with his mana and officially becoming its owner, Ash thanked the attendant and dismissed him.
He had already copied the academy map and stored it within Raphael's memory, so he had no need for further guidance.
The next day marked the beginning of classes.
Regardless of their chosen specializations, all first-year students were required to attend several common courses.
Theory of Combat Magic was one of those mandatory subjects.
Ash arrived early.
The classroom resembled a college lecture hall, with a pitched floor and desks arranged in a semi-circular formation.
At first glance, it seemed capable of accommodating at least two hundred students.
Under normal circumstances, Ash would have taken a moment to admire the room.
The lighting was perfect.
The marble floor was polished to a mirror-like shine.
The desks were crafted from high-quality materials and displayed exceptional workmanship.
Compared to the schools from his previous life, the difference was enormous.
Today, however, his attention was focused elsewhere.
As more students entered the classroom, Ash noticed that many of them appeared nervous.
Most had chosen seats near the back rows.
Judging from their behavior and positioning, they were clearly trying to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
While observing the room, Ash also spotted a familiar face.
The protagonist.
He recognized him immediately from book's information and the descriptions he remembered.
The perpetual frown on the boy's face was practically an identification card of its own.
Still, Ash only gave him a brief glance.
The same brief glance he gave everyone else.
He had no intention of approaching him.
Ash knew exactly how paranoid the protagonist could be.
Trying to force a friendship would only make things awkward.
So after observing him for a moment, Ash simply looked away and continued scanning the classroom.
Eventually, he made his decision.
While most students were hiding in the middle and back rows, the entire front row remained empty.
Without hesitation, Ash walked over and took a seat there.
The position gave him a clear view of the instructor's platform and would make it easier to follow the lessons.
After settling down, he quietly waited for class to begin while more students gradually filled the classroom behind him.