"So, let's start with breakthroughs." Professor Reat stood in front of the large board, his long black ponytail falling down his back. "Can anyone tell me the requirements to break through into the Iron Tier? We've covered this a few times." In the first row, a young woman student in the gray uniform raised her hand, and the professor turned toward her. "Yes, Oliveira?"

"Good manipulation and sensing," she began, lowering her hand. "Which means for Coppers to be able to double the density of ten uniums and also sense aether within a ten-foot radius."

"Good." The professor started pacing in front of the class, his gaze sweeping through the students. "So far, around twenty first-years have hit the Copper's cap and meet those requirements, yet only three have managed to break through. Why is that? You know, that's a great question."

A hush fell over the class and every student's eyes locked onto the professor. They would all eventually hit that wall—a wall that got thicker and harder to break with each Tier. If one took a year to go from Copper to Iron, it would normally take them ten to twenty to ascend from Iron to Silver… and that was if they could even reach Silver.

While almost anyone could get to Iron, Silver was different. The vast majority of Wielders couldn't make that breakthrough without extensive resources, which was why Iron was often called the 'commoners' Tier.'

"There are certainly hidden requirements we haven't yet discovered," Professor Reat continued. "However, we do know that soldiers during wars, and adventurers who Rift Dive, tend to break through more easily. The exact reason isn't clear, but most folks assume it's about pushing our limits. On a battlefield or in a Rift, you're often forced to fight people—or beasts—stronger than you. Something you probably wouldn't do outside of those situations."

'Told you!' Nightmare exclaimed within the necklace. 'We should've started Rift Diving a week ago!'

'Yeah, yeah,' Seth answered with a sigh.

A hand shot up on the right. "P-professor," a student began, his voice wavering slightly. "How come some people like the Surani twins can break through without Rift Diving or wars?"

"Another good question." Professor Reat leaned against his desk, a faint smile playing on his lips as he looked toward Elena, one seat away from Seth. "Some have an edge through inherited potential; others obtained it through education and determination. In the twins' case, it'd say it's both. They arrived here already three steps ahead and have also worked harder than most of you."

Seth noticed a handful of students wearing the gray commoners' uniform giving Elena envious looks. Can't blame them. With the gear and resources she has access to, not a single one of them can even dream of catching up to her.

"If you have the means, there are ways to boost your chance of breaking through," Professor Reat said, his gaze flicking briefly to Seth. "Such as expeditions into areas with high aether density while protected by powerful Wielders, or the use of enhancers—consumable or non-consumable ones—that can be found in the wild and Rifts. However, nobody wastes resources like that just to reach Iron. It's simply not worth it."

The expedition to the Black Mountain, Seth thought, remembering Professor Reat's potential reward from his bet with Marine. If it works, he could become one of the youngest Gold Wielders Kastal's seen in a decade.

"Alright, alright, hands down for a moment," the professor said, calming the flurry of arms raising in the class. "Hold onto those questions, we'll come back to those methods in a bit. For now, let's talk about what happens after stepping into that Iron Tier. I'm sure you've all heard about it, right? The hundred extra attribute points, the improved efficacy of aether flow through your body, the boost in life expectancy, the increase in the amount of Ranks needed to the next Tier, and so on. That's all exciting, but what's truly important, and what is going to shape your future as a Wielder, is your subclass."

"Professor, can we distribute those hundred attributes however we want?"

Professor Reat shot a glare at the young man in the front who'd just blurted the question out. "We raise our hand to speak," he snapped. "And no, you can't. They follow your current ratios. Essentially, your Well gets ignited again and enhances your body, building upon what's already there."

The professor turned and drew a quick sketch on the board, a large circle inside what seemed like an upper torso. "We won't go too deep right now, since it'll be extensively discussed in your Wielder Class Theory course. But basically, once you meet the specific requirements for a possible subclass, whether it's a specific attributes' threshold or some sort of achievements, and your Well fills back up to a hundred percent for the first time, you'll experience your first Revelation."

Professor Reat scribbled dozens of new lines inside the large circle on the board, turning it into what looked like a spiderweb. "A Revelation refers to the phenomenon when new grooves suddenly form into one's Well. No spell scroll, no spell shard, nothing. Some say it's a gift from the gods in recognition of the Path we chose. Others believe it's our body's way to adapt, building those grooves to help get through all the challenges we've been facing."

The man tapped the board, then looked at the students wearing the commoner uniform. "For those who don't have the Path Theory class, you might not know that, but this is one of many reasons why your Path is so important. What you've been doing with aether, what you've been focusing on, all you've accomplished—that's what determines how strong and useful that free spell is going to be. You cannot let it go to waste. People who slack off always regret it later on when their Revelation ends up being a Common spell barely worth a few coins."

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Professor Reat paused for a moment, allowing the class to take in his words before going on, "This happens once per Tier. The very first time being when you obtain your subclass. So, that's why it's also important to try to meet the requirements and get one before advancing to the Silver Tier… especially for those with limited resources. You don't want to miss out on a free Iron-Tier spell perfectly tailored to your way of fighting."

While students whispered among themselves, a young man on the right raised his hand, and Professor Reat pointed his way. "Yes, Iann?"

"Does the grade of the spell we get depend entirely on our Path?"

"Excellent question," the professor answered, leaning against his desk once more. "I'd say it's mainly determined by your Path, but your subclass also plays an important role. Certain subclasses, for example, Spellblade and Crusader, never receive spells below Rare."

Jenna elbowed Seth, her eyes sparkling. "See? Nothing below Rare!"

Seth shot her a teasing smile. "Well, there's a first time for everything."

She pushed his arm in response. Seth knew all too well that the young woman had been aiming to become a Spellblade ever since she could walk. Casting powerful elemental spells while fighting with swords—what kid wouldn't dream of that? The Rare Revelation with every breakthrough was just a plus.

As the lecture went on, Seth's mind drifted to his own possibilities: Druid, Shaman, or Tamer—the three most common Primalist' subclasses according to Professor Albert from his Primalist Theory's course. Druids specialized in spells that modified their body; Shaman focused on long-range nature-based casting; and Tamer fought alongside arcane beasts as allies.

A few weeks back, the bearded professor had mentioned never having personally seen a Primalist with a subclass outside those three but had once heard about someone who'd awakened as a Survivalist—a Rare subclass. That person had supposedly grown up in a high-risk, high-aether region, and that environment had helped him shape a special Path for himself.

Seth had already crossed that one and two of the others off his list. With how much time he'd spent with Nightmare and Link, it seemed almost certain he'd end up a Tamer. Hopefully, though, his Revelation wouldn't be something completely useless, like a spell that let him talk to beasts.

'I hope beasts get Revelations too,' Nightmare said. 'I'd definitely get a powerful spell. Considering I've done most of the work in our hunts.'

'I don't think they do,' Seth answered, thinking back to when the direwolf had learned Shadow Bite as a pup. If beasts obtained new spells that way, it felt like it'd be too much to also also have Revelations on top of that. 'I think, for you, learning spells is more about instinct and figuring out how to use aether within your body?'

'Then why haven't I gained anything since Shadow Bite?'

'I don't know.' Seth sighed inwardly, wracking his brain for a plausible explanation. 'Maybe… beasts' bodies have limits? Like, a number of spells it can handle per Tier? Wielders can't learn more than seven per Tier.'

'So humans could learn seven and me only three? That's absurd.'

Seth turned his attention back to Professor Reat, who was now delving into the historical aspect of Revelations: how countless Scholars had tried to pinpoint for decades their origins without success, and how many still tried to keep a glossary of possible Revelations along with the achievements of the people who had gotten them. The professor explained that for years, Wielders had kept the spells they received from their subclasses a secret, fearing they might be killed by nobles out of jealousy. While Houses nowadays were often selfish and ruthless, decades ago it had been even worse.

As class drew to its end, students began stuffing books and parchments into their bags. Out of the corner of his eye, Seth noticed Jenna staring at him. She wants to know more about the weekend's ambush.

"Don't forget to write that essay during your week off," Professor Reat said, sitting at his desk as students started to stand up and leave class. "Two thousand words on the history and practical use of the spell of your choice."

Jenna jabbed Seth's ribs just as he rose from his seat. "Don't try running away," she said, a smile on her face. "You got ambushed by two students, and now they're getting expelled. That sounds juicy and I want all the details."

"There's nothing interesting to say," Seth answered with a sigh, putting away his notebook into his messenger bag. "They tried to kill me, I got away, and somehow the academy found out about it."

"Uh, huh?" Jenna raised an eyebrow as she followed him down the stairs, Elena close behind. "Where did they ambush—"

"Seth, could you stay a minute?" Professor Reat said from behind his desk while returning his chalk to his leather bag. "There are a few things we need to discuss."

Jenna and Elena exchanged a glance before looking back to Seth. "You're not getting out of this," the Warrior warned him. "I wanna know everything."

Elena, remaining silent as she often did, merely nodded, her crimson hair swaying as both of the girls headed out of the classroom.

The moment the door closed behind them, Professor Reat gestured to Seth to take a seat in the front row. "Is your Tenebrous Direwolf Iron yet?"

Seth blinked, surprised by the sudden question, then shook his head. "No, professor. He's only been at the cap for a week."

'I'm not your direwolf,' Nightmare growled through their bond.

'I know, I know.'

"It needs to reach Iron, and quickly," Professor Reat said, pinching his nose's bridge. "Things are about to get complicated."

"Why?" Seth asked, his heart slowly beating faster in his chest. "Is it about your Vanishing Pocket Watch, professor? Do you want to get it back?"

The professor sighed, rubbing his face with both hands. "Roland Seralp died yesterday from his injuries."

Seth froze, his stomach turning into a tight ball. "He—what? But I gave him a Healing Potion. There must—"

"Half of his neck was basically melted. Did you really think a potion would save him?" Professor Reat interrupted, leaning on his desk and pitching his nose's bridge. "Look, Director Ryehill and the board know it wasn't your intention. But they still have to cover their asses. The Seralp House isn't that powerful, but they're allied with the Faertis and the Crestors, and those ones could cause troubles."

Seth swallowed hard, his throat tightening. That was why still no one knew about Nightmare. "So, I'm… getting expelled?"

"No… well at least not for now," the professor answered, getting up and circling behind his desk. "I told them you'll be my candidate for the Rising Stars Tournament at the end of the year, so they agreed to let you stay. But they made it clear they won't intervene in case of future… reprisals."

"Even if it's on the academy's grounds?"

"I'm not sure," Professor Reat said while stroking his chin, as if thinking about a plan. "Some of the professors might step in, but definitely not all of them. It'd be better for us to prepare for the worse."

Seth frowned. "For us?"

A sly smirk appeared on Professor Reat's lips. "You didn't think I'd let my golden goose get killed by some nobles, did you?"

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