Minor Enlightenment is a VERY rare Skill, Jacob Cloud. Absorb it immediately before this upstart tries to barter for it. She most definitely wanted to give this to the Princess.

I thought you were on her side.

I'm your mentor, first and foremost, King Baalrek sighs. And Princess Iskara doesn't NEED this. You do. This Skill will make your current problem, your poor perception of your own body, something that is usually governed only by talent, much less significant.

Really?! I immediately absorbed the Skill, not waiting to hear any offer from this Professor.

The crystal warms in my hand and turns fluid like honeyed light. It draws into my palm and runs up my arm in a thin river of shining light. The Grimoire appears over my wrist, flipping open to a new page unprompted. Letters rearrange themselves, and I watch Meditation (Silver) fade while a new line writes itself in bright gold ink.

Minor Enlightenment (Gold – Evolution)

Focus to link the breath, blood, and mana in one body. Heightens interoceptive awareness of veins, nerves, and bones. Increases control over circulation and flow of Mana. High cost when active. This Skill replaces Meditation and will influence the power of later Skills in this line.

As soon as I finish absorbing the skill, I feel a strange feeling spread through my body. My chest heats up as I absorb the skill, and I feel it settle deep in my soul. My skin glows gold for a heartbeat, and then the light fades. I turn my attention inward, and I can already feel my veins more clearly than before.

This is not going to magically get you to be able to fight toe to toe with the other Champions, Cloud. However, once you bring it to Level 100 and absorb Crystal Focus, you'll be much further along the path to catching up with these monsters.

But I don't want that. King Baalrek knows I don't want a magical shortcut that solves my problems. I want something that will give me a chance, however small, at bridging the gap between me and the other Champions. They stand too far in front of me right now.

As I'm sitting in front of the Infernal woman, a thought suddenly dawns on me.

"Excuse me, Professor, I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Jacob Cloud. I'm happy to be taking your class this semester."

I bow for good measure. The room smells like hot iron and chalk.

"I'm Professor Veythra."

"Oh?" I raise an eyebrow. "Are you by any chance related to—"

"I'm her aunt, the Queen's sister."

"Nice," I say, at a bit of a loss for words. "You're a Princess, then, too?"

"At the Academy, Professors are forbidden from using their Royal titles, Cloud. Just Professor Veythra is fine."

"Sure, sure. Sorry, I didn't mean to pry or offend."

I see the Infernal sigh. Her eyes fix me in place, and the tips of her horns start to glow dully.

"How did you solve those puzzles so quickly?" she asks, changing the topic.

"Well, you might have heard about me helping out your niece, right?"

The woman's eyes narrow, and I feel her strong aura fill the area. The braziers flare in response, causing the shadows to flee to the corners of the room.

She grits her teeth. "Continue," she orders.

"I have been instructed by someone who happens to know a lot about Infernals, especially about that wretched King Baalrek. They are something of a scholar on the topic, you could say. Possibly, the foremost expert alive."

"Baalrek," Professor Veythra says, trembling. "I've lost dear people to his cursed trials. That Iskara could survive one is truly a testament to her abilities beyond even your wildest imagination."

"Yeah," I say. I clear my throat. "I went through one of the easier Dungeons—it was actually malfunctioning and that's why I survived. Then, I learned more from my master. So, that's how I learned how to solve puzzles. I am… sort of a minor expert myself on King Baalrek, I suppose."

"Of all great figures in our history," Professor Veythra grunts, "you chose to learn about that bastard?"

This woman is very uncouth, I hear King Baalrek say.

Listen, I'm only calling you names because she hates you. I'm grateful for the help you've been giving me lately.

I swear I can hear the smile on King Baalrek's face, but he doesn't say anything.

Now the room grows quiet again. Unlike before, the Professor is no longer ignoring me, and she taps her fingers on the desk while she studies me. Dust floats in the warm air, and the chalkboard behind her shows a faint map of lines that look like roots. In the silence I peer over her shoulder at a diagram of what looks to be the Rising Sun and Judgment Blaze Veins.

"Your level is low. Your Skills… I can feel them. Quite pathetic. What made you a Champion? I was one, too. I know how hard it is to destroy one of those barriers. You're smart, but you're not strong."

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"I happen to know quite a bit about barriers, Professor," I say with a shrug.

"So I've heard. Just like that bastard."

Rude.

"Just like him," I nod. "He's quite a fascinating figure, you know? Beyond the malicious tests."

"I know, Cloud. He was one of our strongest. The Cursed King. You must know all of his title by now."

I nod, but I actually don't.

Do you have that many?

I don't like them.

Alright.

"So," I point at a dusty blackboard behind her. "Are you going to teach me how to use this skill while we wait?"

Professor Veythra looks at me like I've grown a second head.

"You?"

"Me."

"YOU?"

"Me?"

"YOU?!"

"Me, I guess," I reply, frowning. "Is that a no? I mean, I can just wait around and meditate."

"Cloud, if there had been any other challenge than a puzzle—anything testing real powe—you'd have failed."

"We don't know," I reply calmly.

She hates me. Of course.

She's an Infernal woman, Jacob Cloud. Be careful what you say.

"You happened to be the trigger for the Generation of Legends. But how far do you think you can make it before this mistake is amended? How long can you walk beside true Champions before you falter, before you put them in danger because of how weak you are?"

"As long as I need," I reply. "Then, one day, maybe, I'll be as strong, if not stronger than everyone else. Or maybe never. Maybe I'll be strong enough when it matters."

"And if you're not, what, you plan on gambling other people's lives?"

"No. If they accept going on a mission with me, I'll try my best to fit seamlessly into whichever party takes me, Professor. For now, again. I don't want to get anyone killed. And one day, when I am not weak anymore, I'll remember those who lent a hand and waited for me. I'll also remember those who didn't."

Professor Veythra raises an eyebrow.

"Are you, by any chance, threatening me?"

I shake my head.

"No. But kindness breeds kindness, doesn't it? You may dislike me, but what if one day you need help from someone like me?"

"From someone like—"

"I saved your niece," I say, slowly. "Do you want to hate me for that, too? Does that earn me no respect at all? Not even a lack of mockery? Basic manners, that's all I ask."

Good speech, I hear King Baalrek said laconically.

"Fine," Professor Veythra gets up and bows to me. "Thank you for saving my niece, Cloud. Now, be quiet."

"Sure."

* * *

I spent the next two and a half hours learning how Minor Enlightenment feels. The braziers cast deep red light off the walls, causing the room to be distractingly warm while I meditate. It's not that different from Meditation, yet it asks much more from me. It drains mana at a much faster rate. I keep my breathing even so I can hold the state for longer. With each minute I stay in this state, my sense of my own body sharpens. I trace a slow current down my neck and into my shoulders, and I can count the branches of veins that feed my arms. I send a careful pulse of mana through my legs, and I can already tell where my movements skills are leaking power. It is hard, but I can already tell that this is important.

Can I ask a question?

Go ahead.

You know about the Grimoire, now. We haven't really talked much about it yet. Why is it so hard for me to improve my Skills even though I know everything that's wrong with them?

I hear a long sigh.

If you know how to jump, you don't necessarily know how to jump ten meters up in the air. That is the short explanation. Your veins keep changing every time you level up. The mana you wield becomes thicker, harsher, and is qualitatively better as you rank up. Conversely, this means, the stronger your Skills and Rank, the harder everything becomes to control. Right now, you could probably max out any Bronze Skill in a matter of days, at most. A Silver Skill, in perhaps a few weeks or less. But Gold? Platinum? You're starting to own more and more Skills which are becoming more and more complicated. And you can't rely on life-and-death fights all the time, Cloud. You've gotten used to a speed of progression that NO ONE has ever achieved before.

So, I'm just destined to become slower and slower as I rank up?

If by slower you mean possibly the fastest to level up Skills in this generation, of course. Progress WILL slow down. Diamond? True Diamond? Progressing those will take a level of effort you can't even begin to imagine. But don't forget, you have a Rainbow Skill which everyone would covet. Even I would have jumped at the opportunity of owning it. You might die before you can truly become powerful, but do not doubt the power of your Skill.

A few days ago, you said I'm weak, that these talents—

You're comparing yourself with the best, Cloud. Stop. Focus more on your Skill. They're equally talented to you, and have been training for considerably longer. If you play your cards right, the real question will become "how long will they stay stronger than you?"

Finally, I hear a pop, and I turn to see Princess Iskara enter the classroom. The runes on the door fade and the hinges ring once.

"Aunt Veythra," the Infernal says in greeting, not really looking enthusiast about seeing the woman. She looks at me and then at her relative and then at me again. "You made it here already?"

"Guess I got lucky," I say, smiling.

"He's been here for almost three hours," Professor Veythra says, not trading pleasantries with her niece. "Your performance was lacking, Iskara."

I see the proud Infernal Princess bow her head.

Then Iskara comes and sits beside me after she retrieves a Skill Crystal from her aunt. The bench creaks under her black, obsidian-like armor, and the light of her eyes dims as she studies me.

"What did you get?" she asks.

"Minor Enlightenment," I say.

Princess Iskara smiles widely and nods. "You definitely need the extra strength."

"Thanks? But I'm not that weak."

"You are."

"You are."

You are.

All three people, two inside the classroom and one inside my soul, speak at the same time.

* * *

I spent the rest of the time waiting for the others meditating while Iskara kept talking to her aunt.

All the Champions appear one after another, along with a few more people I don't recognize. Footsteps echo through the hall, and the air warms as more bodies fill the room. Once everyone arrives, I see Professor Veythra get up and wave her hand at the blackboard. She does not touch any chalk, yet diagrams and lines bloom in response to her mana.

"Welcome to Veins and Body 101. I'm Professor Veythra. This is a very exclusive Class. Today, we'll test a few mana circulation exercises that all of you should be able to do."

Then she points straight at me.

Jacob was the first to arrive, and by a considerable margin," she tells the class. "I think he should give us a demonstration, of what the most talented puzzle solver we have can do."

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