Chapter 145 A man’s gotta shoot his shot!!
Inside the elementary classroom, the sun’s rays filtered through the window as Miss Katherine, with her commanding presence, stood before the class, delving into a lesson on Mana control and manipulation.
“That’s why even with a great Mana reserve, most people end up flat without proper control,” she emphasized, her hands clapping together, allowing a moment for the significance of her words to sink in.
On the digital board, a human-like figure displayed a circulating energy around its body, a visual representation of the intricate workings of Mana.
“Furthermore, if you look at the center here, you’d find the core. Although it could be located elsewhere in various individuals, it’s all the same. Multilayered and ever-present. Plus, it’s the source of the Mana flowing through you,” Miss Katherine explained.
A curious voice piped up from the class, “I was told by my dad, who is a police officer, that if you push hard enough, you can peel off one core and expose the next, making you even stronger!!”
“That’s correct. That’s why the cores have layers. The last layer, the one closest to the end, is called the third and final core. Whenever a person is able to crack this one, we say this person has unlocked their third affinity and hence, is able to wield the spirit mode!” Miss Katherine shared with enthusiasm.
“Spirit mode?” Kan, who had been somewhat detached during the class, suddenly engaged. His hands supported his jaw as the words caught his attention.
[Spirit mode, rare and almost impossible to achieve. Once a person unlocks this level of Mana flowing through their body, they cease to be in any rank in the system. Mostly, they are classified as something beyond mortal, a god!] Hela explained, helping Kan to clarify his confusion.
“So what you are saying is that at my current level, I’m a level two indigo initiate, right? And the highest level known is the crimson archmage, right? And even that is barely achievable. Then there’s something higher than a crimson archmage?” Kan sought confirmation.
[Great, you have it all figured out then!] Hela affirmed.
Kan, now more attentive, shook his head and absorbed the remainder of the lesson. Throughout, he couldn’t help but notice Miss Katherine’s gaze drifting past him, not as if she was merely looking past him but as if she was genuinely looking at him, creating a certain indescribable feeling within him.
“Alright, remember to practice circulation! It will help you achieve a higher layer!” Miss Katherine exclaimed as the class dispersed.
As Kan made his way towards the exit, he was unexpectedly called back. “Hey Kan, hold on, I’d like to see you for a second,” Miss Katherine requested, prompting Kan to return towards her desk.
“You look a tad bit different, new uniform I assume?” Miss Katherine pointed out to Kan, who nodded in affirmation.
‘She’s able to tell. I have three of these. Two so far have been soaked with blood from fights. This is my last one!’ Kan thought.
“So I noticed you haven’t signed up for an after-school activity yet, which is why I called you back. You’ve been absent some days as well, but I’d have that talk later. What’s important now is that you sign up immediately for an after-school club as it’s imperative for pushing your grades as well as gauging your social interaction levels,” Miss Katherine said, then handed Kan a piece of paper.
“That would be all,” she said briefly, dismissing Kan.
Kan turned around and continued towards the door but had no idea he was being looked at from behind.
‘I was right. He is a different breed altogether. The enormous and abnormal growth spurts I have been noticing, which should have stopped a long time ago, the absences, and not to mention, his ears are drawing inwards by the day,’ Miss Katherine thought. Her eyes were fixed on Kan, eying him from head to toe. Then, turning around, she scampered through her belongings, packing a few things from her desk as if in a hurry to leave.
“I wasn’t wrong, It’s not about the traces of Mana left by him on my Monday some days ago. This is not about that strange feeling I had that day. This Elf, no…this thing is not an Elf!” she proclaimed as she walked out of the class door, shutting it behind her.
********
Kan strolled through the unfamiliar clubhouse complex, his eyes scanning the array of clubs that lay ahead. Following Miss Katherine’s directions, he was engrossed in the list of clubs, hoping to find the perfect one. Amidst his concentration, he collided with a hurried student, tattooed with a snake on his neck. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝘤ℴ𝑚
“Hey! Watch where you’re going!” barked the student, red eyes glaring. Without waiting for an apology, he sauntered away, leaving Kan to apologize for a mishap that wasn’t entirely his fault.
“Sorry, mate. Wasn’t paying attention,” Kan offered, choosing not to escalate the situation on his first day. Adjusting his uniform, he continued towards the clubhouses.
“Not that I would do it if it wasn’t necessary. Plus, I guess a little bit of exposure and interaction could go a long way in ensuring that I am able to meet new people. The gang’s depleted in number, now hether we wanna face it or not, we must start recruiting!” Kan said as he walked on.
Before him were different set of drawing on the wall, some were that of footballers, singers, dancers and painters.
Nearing the first clubhouse he could see, the rhythmic beats of dance music caught his ear. “This must be dance club!” Kan said realizing it was a dancing club. Kan, aware of his lack of dancing prowess much like singing which he oddly had the skill for, decided to explore other options. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of other students.
Moving ahead, he encountered a neglected bottle shard on the ground, he almost tripped and fell but he held himself up and hissed. “I guess cleaners don’t know about the whereabouts of this club complex.” Kan commented and kicked the bottle away.
Approaching the next clubhouse, silence enveloped the air, the small bow sign by the door hinting at an archery club. Uncertain whether to enter, Kan hesitated at the door, waiting for a sign.
After waiting for a while he decided to step in. Eventually stepping in, he found an empty room adorned with perfectly shot arrows at the center.
“What a nice shot.” Kan said as he saw the arrows on the wood circular board. There were two bows lying on the ground with none in sight.
“This place seem deserted to me.” Kan said to himself and decided to take his leave.
As he turned however, his hearing prowess came into play as he picked up strange sounds. “Is that what I think it is?” Kan muttered to himself, getting closer to the source of the sound. He could hear a faint moaning from behind one of the boards placed near a wall. Kan’s curiousity got the best of him so he decided to see for himself.
As he walked behind the board and peeked, to his surprise, an intimate scene unfolded behind the board.
“Oh fuck!! My bad man!!” Kan quickly began to apologize.
