The next day at the academy, the aura training class was a spectacle. The lecture hall was massive, its stone walls lined with tapestries depicting epic battles, the air buzzing with the energy of noble kids and knight hopefuls. The professor, a tall woman with silver hair and a no-nonsense vibe, stood at the center of the sparring ring, her body suddenly glowing with a shimmering coat of aura, like she'd been dipped in liquid light. "Someone, attack me," she said, her voice calm but commanding.
Han, of course, volunteered, strutting forward with his usual cocky grin. Lee's stomach twisted, his bruised ribs throbbing at the memory of yesterday's humiliation.
Han raised his hand, a fireball sparking to life, and launched it at the professor. The flames roared, but she didn't flinch. Her aura hardened, shimmering like a crystal shield, and the fireball bounced off harmlessly, sizzling into nothing.
In the same breath, she flicked her wrist, her aura stretching like a glowing vine, wrapping around Han's ankles. With a tug, she yanked him off the ground, suspending him like a piñata before releasing him. He hit the dirt with a yelp, his pride more bruised than his body.
The professor's eyes swept the class. "Who can explain what I just did?" she asked, her tone sharp.
A girl with braided hair raised her hand. "You solidified your aura to block the attack, then made it malleable again to manipulate it like a rope," she said confidently.
The professor nodded. "Correct. Today's lesson is about hardening aura for defense and shifting it back to malleable for offense. Take your time, don't rush." She demonstrated again, her aura flowing from a solid barrier to a fluid whip in seconds. The class paired off to practice, their auras flickering like fireflies.
Lee tried to follow, focusing on his tiny aura pool, but it was like trying to catch smoke. His mind wandered, his hands clumsy, and by the end of the class, everyone else was making progress, except him. Frustration burned in his chest, his fists clenching as he failed to even spark a flicker of aura.
The professor approached, her expression softening. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Lee," she said. "Practice after class. It'll come." Lee nodded, his jaw tight, but he was pissed, at himself, at his weak aura, at the old Lee for not figuring this out sooner.
On his way to the next class, engineering, of all things, Lee trudged through the academy's crowded halls, his mood sour. Footsteps behind him made him glance back, and his stomach flipped. It was the girl from yesterday, the one with wine-colored hair and a body that made his brain short-circuit.
She'd called his technique garbage, and the memory still stung. She waved, her smile bright, and he forced a wave back, even though part of him wanted to bolt in the opposite direction.
"Hey, have you been working out?" she asked, catching up to him, her voice light and curious. "Your body's looking kinda toned."
Lee blinked, caught off guard. Toned? Him? Then it clicked, the system's daily workout quests, plus those new stat points, must be paying off.
His arms did feel a bit firmer, his posture less scrawny. "Uh, yeah, I work out a bit," he said, trying to sound casual, though his heart was doing backflips. She grinned, reaching out to touch his chest lightly, her fingers brushing his tunic. "Cool," she said, her eyes sparkling.
Lee's face went nuclear, his mind flashing to an image of them kissing, her wine-colored hair tangled in his hands. His nose tingled, threatening a nosebleed, and he quickly shook it off, muttering, "Gotta get to class." He turned and hurried into the engineering room, his heart pounding, wondering how the hell he was supposed to focus now.
Lee settled into the engineering classroom, the air thick with the scent of polished wood and chalk dust, as the teacher, a tall man with long black hair slicked back like a rockstar, commanded attention. His voice was smooth but firm, carrying over the rustle of notebooks. "Most of you overlook engineering," he said, his dark eyes scanning the room, "but it's the backbone of civilization's progress. Without it, your fancy aura tricks would mean nothing."
Today's lesson was on dam construction, and as he guided the class through sketches of water flow and structural supports, Lee found himself leaning forward, his usual fog of distraction lifting. His hands moved almost instinctively, sketching precise lines and calculating load-bearing points. For once, his mind didn't wander, he was good at this, maybe even great, the concepts clicking like puzzle pieces.
During break, Lee wandered the academy's cobblestone paths, Lara at his side, her armor clinking softly. His excitement spilled over, his voice animated. "Lara, engineering's what I need," he said, grinning. "It's the only class where I actually get it, you know?, I'm not just sitting there lost."
Lara smirked, her dark curls bouncing as she nodded, but their vibe was shattered when Han sauntered up, his muscular frame looming. "How's your back, Fireheart?" he taunted, his dark hair falling into his smug eyes. "Still sore from yesterday's beatdown?"
Lara's eyes narrowed, her hand twitching toward her spear. "Say that again, Han," she snapped, her voice icy. Han laughed, loud and mocking. "What, Lee needs his bodyguard to save him now?"
The jab stung, and Lee's fists clenched, a fire igniting in his chest. He was done being the weak link, he'd get strong enough to wipe that smirk off Han's face.
Back in his bedroom, the silk sheets rumpled from earlier, Lee buried himself in his aura book, its pages worn from his obsessive reading.
Another book lay on the bed, Basic Engineering Principles, its diagrams calling to him like a siren. Lara sat nearby, her gaze soft as she watched him study, her presence grounding. He set the book aside and sank into his meditation pose, legs crossed on the plush carpet.
Closing his eyes, he focused on his aura pool, that tiny, stubborn orb in his mediastinum. He molded it, stretching and twisting each atom, his mind straining like he was lifting weights. After what felt like hours, he collapsed, sweaty and exhausted, his aura still pitifully small. Disappointment gnawed at him.
Lara slid closer, her voice gentle. "Didn't work?" she asked, her eyes searching his. Lee nodded, his voice heavy. "Yeah." She touched his shoulder, her hand warm. "It's fine, Prince Lee. Just keep at it, determination's all you need."