"Ah, it completely slipped my mind. I'm Flynt Rayce."

Lucas nodded at the introduction and got into his loose stance, his tail tensing as his pupils unfocused into wisps.

'Hmmm… his Spirit energy is quite familiar, was he in the cavern?…'

Lucas then "awkwardly" turned off his [Spirit Sense] as he said, "Sorry if I'm being rude; measuring up my opponent is an ingrained habit."

Flynt just smiled. "It's perfectly fine. I'm going to attack now."

Flynt took a compact stance, his legs just shoulder-width apart with his right leg forward. His knees were slightly bent, his body was upright, and his shoulders relaxed. His hands were held up in a simple guard, his left hand leading as he tucked his chin in.

After gauging each other for a few moments, Lucas suddenly shot forward. When he got in range, he uncorked a straight punch. Flynt smoothly sidestepped the blow and countered with an uppercut to Lucas's torso.

Pa!

Lucas caught the strike with his free hand. Borrowing Flynt's momentum, he pulled him into a headbutt. The maneuver caught Flynt off guard as Lucas smashed their skulls together like marbles, dazing him.

Before Flynt could regain his bearings, he was pulled in once more and spun into an explosive throw.

Boom!

Everyone in the field turned to Lucas's circle. He calmly lifted his head before he noticed their gazes. Looking at the crater he had just made and back up at the teachers, he chuckled nervously. Reaching into the crater, he helped Flynt up as he whispered, "Are you alright?"

Flynt shook his head before he blinked twice. "I'm good," he replied, in a tone that sounded more impressed than shaken.

Lucas offered a hand, and after a second, Flynt took it. As he stood, the students still watched them refocused on their tasks. The Prismari instructor gave a low whistle.

"Well, that was fast," she said.

The Beastkin teacher clapped his hands, drawing attention back to the center. "Well fought! That was the first match of the day. Explosive, efficient. You all saw how that went—clean moves, excellent control. No killing intent and no reckless power usage. That's what we're aiming for."

Lucas scratched the back of his head and backed away from the ring, Flynt trailing beside him. The latter gave him a sidelong glance.

"Lucas, right?"

Lucas nodded.

"You want to spar again?"

"That obvious?"

"Yep. Your smile is selling you out."

Flynt held his mouth in slight surprise. "I didn't know I was doing that..."

Lucas smirked.

"It's cool. We all get a little battle-hungry."

Flynt paused, then shook his head.

"It's not that… You fight like someone who's used to real violence. I want to learn from you."

At the sudden revelation, Lucas didn't answer. They exchanged a long look. Something quiet and unspoken brewed between them. Lucas got back into the ring and into his loose stance.

"Ready when you are."

Flynt cracked his knuckles and stepped forward.

After about an hour of sparring, Ulrik, the Beastkin teacher, clapped, releasing a small but loud shockwave that drew everyone's attention once more.

"That's enough for today. Next time we can get into some more guided training. Now, we have to give you an introductory lecture, so group up."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The training yard fell into low murmurs as the students conversed, sparring partners becoming acquaintances as they moved away from the teachers. At Lucas's sparring circle, Flynt opened his palm to reveal a floating Synap and held it up.

"Link?"

Lucas hesitated, then summoned his communicator and nodded. Flynt blinked.

"What's that?"

"My communicator. I don't have a Synap."

"Ah right. So how do I connect with—"

"Leave it to me."

The two devices chimed and pulsed with light as their contact information synced.

"And done."

Lucas said with a smile.

"Thanks, see you around, Lucas Maverick," Flynt said as he turned back toward the crowd.

Lucas watched him walk for a moment. Something about the young man still nagged at him, constantly telling him throughout the spar that his foe was… off. But he just pushed it to the back of his mind and returned to Sasha and Evélyne.

'As long as he is not a raving lunatic, I should not jump the gun and kill him on a hunch. Even if he was a lunatic, and still can't just kill him…'

With thoughts stewing, he got to the two women, Evélyne stood quietly as Sasha excitedly explained something to her, tail twitching and waving in the process.

"Fighting someone new was very fun, Mistress. Their moves are very different from ours, so it took me a bit to beat them. How fast did you—Oh, Sir Lucas, you're here! How was your sparring session?"

Lucas gave the enthusiastic Beastkin a small smile. "He was pretty solid. He learns pretty quickly as well."

Evélyne suddenly said, "He recovered quickly as well. Too quickly. Almost like he didn't try to win."

Lucas pursed his lips. "You saw that too?"

Evélyne nodded before adding, "Maybe he's not here to prove anything and is just here to learn?"

Before Lucas could reply, the female instructor—Wendlyn—began speaking. Her measured voice somehow overwhelmed the low mumbling of the crowd of thirty, causing the crowd to stop speaking and focus on the lecturer.

"Combat isn't just about brute force. It's about understanding the tools you're working with. And those tools are your Attributes, weapons, and your environment. For now, let's talk about Attributes."

She extended three fingers.

"Physique is often the core of a fighter. As you all know, it governs every physical aspect of your being.

Mind, on the other hand, is everything you can't see. Your reaction speed, willpower, and so much more are governed by this Attribute. It is what ensures you can both outthink and outlast a truly powerful foe if you use it well enough.

Finally, you have your Spirit. The Attribute that makes your fighting style your own. It is the bedrock of any advanced Skill, and improper mastery can never lead you to greatness."

The class absorbed her words with their full attention as the Beastkin teacher took over.

"Too many individuals overtrain one Attribute and ignore the others. A strong body without sufficient Mind and Spirit mastery is like a boulder: powerful but very one-dimensional and easily dispatched.

A sharp Mind without sufficient Spirit or Physique can only be a philosopher, not a scientist, let alone a warrior.

A powerful Spirit without an equal Mind or Physique can only lead to a fragile, if not suicidal, strength."

Wendlyn nodded. "Balance is everything. And your unique strength lies in how you weave your Attributes together. The greatest fighters don't just have high Attributes—they have a truly unique cohesion between those Attributes and maximize their potential."

She then paused to see if any student had a question. Lucas raised his hand quietly.

"Yes?"

"Is it better to build around a single dominant Attribute and patch up the weaknesses, or should we aim to keep them all even from the start?"

The woman nodded. "Great question. Some of you here are already at level five and have already made your choices regarding your Attributes. I just want to advise you not to take my word as law as I explain this."

Her gaze roamed around the class for a bit. Some students frowned, but they were in the extreme minority.

"It is generally accepted to build around the Attribute you favor most. This maximizes your combat potential from the onset, but if you are in a safe environment, spreading them evenly works best."

Another student raised a hand. "Yes?"

"Then how do we know the Attribute we are most talented in?"

"That's simple: you experiment and find out what resonates with you most. No one else can answer that question for you."

A female Beastkin raised her hand next. "Can two fighters with the same Attributes and styles have completely different results depending on how they use them?"

Before Wendlyn could respond, Ulrik butted in with a booming voice, "Of course! Wendlyn and I have very similar styles as melee combatants. But given our Essences and Spirit quirks, we fight in functionally very different ways from each other."

Wendlyn nodded. Looking around and seeing no more hands raised, she continued.

"Combat is not always about domination. It's about knowledge. Knowing yourself. Knowing your enemy. If you know both, you'll never lose a battle. We'll continue technical sparring later in the week," the woman said. "Today was about familiarization: seeing your peers, measuring your gaps, observing your tendencies."

Ulrik nodded. "We expect you to study with each other. Your opponents may one day be your teammates. Or your last line of defense."

He clapped his hands again. "Class dismissed."

Lucas lingered, watching Flynt from a distance. He seemed lost in thought, then glanced back. Their eyes met again for a moment. No words. Then the moment passed.

Sasha pulled Lucas by the arm. "Come on! The cafeteria! You promised!"

"I don't think I did," Lucas muttered, but let her drag him anyway.

Evélyne fell in beside them, quietly following, a soft smile on her face.

"Don't you want to eat the great food again?" Sasha asked, her golden eyes gleaming.

Lucas blinked. "Well no, but—"

"Then why are you hesitant sir Lucas, let's go!" Sasha concluded, her tail whipping excitedly much to the amusement of Evélyne.

Lucas shook his head and "begrudgingly" followed. With calm strides, they explored the wonders of the academy, making their way through its clean, open halls.

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