There was a vast difference between full-body augmentation, and it became clearer to Tyrus than ever before. Full-body augmentation was overwhelming—a gate thrown open, pouring mana everywhere at once. It was powerful, burning through energy with little regard for efficiency. Focused augmentation, however, was a different beast entirely. It was about channeling mana into a single point or limb with deliberate intent to prevent wasteful spending on mana, yet bolstering one's strength.

  "Seems like two students have already figured it out," Instructor Geroth said, approaching Tyrus and Aeithen. "And here I was thinking it'd take you all at most a week to figure it out. You two were right in starting small instead of trying to augment an entire arm or leg. Master using augmentation on a single finger and work your way up instead of rushing headlong into an untrained path. That's what effort and persistence are for."

  Aeithen inclined his head and bowed. "Rhusan, Instructor Geroth. It is thanks to your wise guidance that I have been able to refine my approach."

  Geroth clapped his hands together, gathering everyone's attention. “Now listen up, all of you! What these two are doing—starting small, focusing their mana with intent—that’s what you should all be striving for. Trying to augment an entire limb or your whole body right out of the gate? That’s like trying to sprint before you’ve learned to walk. You’ll trip, fall, and break something—and if you’re lucky, it’ll only be your pride."

  "They are not casually expending mana as if it were free. Instead, they are channeling and guiding it, ensuring that every drop serves a purpose. This is how one preserves their vessel and remains upright while their opponent is left incapacitated on the ground." He gestured towards the Power Reflector Dummies. "Now, let's resume our practice. Everyone, begin with small increments. Focus on perfecting control of a finger, then a hand, before even considering moving on. If it takes weeks for each person to master this technique, then let it be so. It is the progression that brings enjoyment to training!"

  With a smile on his face, the instructor left to find a new student to teach and guide. Tyrus shifted his attention back to the dummy and took a breath. While the instructor made it sound like channeling and guiding mana to his fist was easy, there was still some slight difficulty with the restriction rings. Tyrus felt it briefly, but the rings would disrupt the flow, actively pushing back the mana streaming through his pathways. He could cope, though, as long as he stayed focused.

  Tyrus stepped forward and gathered his mana into his fist. A warm, fuzzy feeling encompassed his chest as he guided the energy. He could see it clearly; his mana heart beating as blood and mana circulated toward its designated target. Red and white, so distinct and simple to see—and yet so easy to lose control if one hasn't had the practice.

  His hand glowed white, brimming with power. Instead of taking a swing at the dummy again, Tyrus stayed in position, getting a feel for the process. The amount of mana he lost as the seconds passed was practically miniscule compared to full-body augmentation. It made sense, given that he was focusing on a single point rather than dispersing energy throughout his entire body. However, instead of a full suit of armor, he now only wore a gauntlet. He'd have to keep that in mind.

  I'll call this partial augmentation for now. There's nothing more fun than learning about sorcery!

  For the remaining time in class, all Tyrus did was fine-tune his partial augmentation. Instead of a fist, he would do each individual finger and toe, one by one. And when he did those, he would focus on augmenting his fists, an entire arm, a leg, and even his head. There were a lot of things he learned after experimenting.

  Depending on the location of his chosen spot, each one had a different amount of time it took for the mana inside the mana heart to reach and augment it. For instance, augmenting his fingers was quick and efficient—the mana traveled a short distance and required minimal effort to maintain. His legs, on the other hand, took slightly longer, the energy needing to flow through longer pathways and adjust to the increased strain of supporting movement and weight.

  Instructor Geroth noticed his progress; he paused in his rounds, watching Tyrus with an expression that was equal parts impressed and cautious.

  “You’re making good progress,” Geroth said as he approached. “But don’t overextend your mana heart. Sorcery rewards curiosity, but it punishes arrogance. Keep that in mind.”

  “Yes, Instructor Geroth."

  As Geroth moved on, Tyrus returned to his practice, this time slowing down to focus more intently on refining his control. Each movement, each flow of mana, was a lesson in itself. He could feel the improvement with every attempt—the way his pathways seemed to align more naturally, the resistance of the rings growing less intrusive.

  By the end of the class, Tyrus felt a deep sense of satisfaction. His limbs ached, and his mana reserves were noticeably depleted, but he couldn’t stop smiling in his head. This was what he loved about sorcery—the endless potential to grow, adapt, and discover something new about himself. There was no greater joy than learning, and even better, it was done at a pace he set himself. It was just Tyrus and his body, taking their time to hone their skills.

  "Tsk. You make everything seem so easy."

  Tyrus turned to see Elias staggering over to him, arms drooped. His freckled face was caked with sweat, and his hair clung to his face like a wet rag pressed onto skin.

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  "It's because I've had time to practice augmentation before coming to the academy," Tyrus said.

  "So have the rest of us as soon as we awakened. You and Aeithen are not normal."

  When Tyrus frowned, Elias' face fell. "Wait, I didn't mean it like that! What I meant is that you guys learn way too fast compared to the rest of us. That's why I've been asking if there were any secrets you could share or if you're just naturally made to be a sorcerer."

  “There’s no big secret,” Tyrus said. “It’s just practice. A lot of practice. Before I came here, I spent most of my time experimenting with mana on my own and fighting a lot. When it’s just you and the wild, you learn fast or… well, you don’t last long.”

  Elias nodded furiously at each word as they headed out of the tower. "So what you're saying is to go out in the wild and pick a fight with any wild beast I see? That doesn't seem too bad."

  "It can't be just any wild beast," Tyrus continued. "For one, I've fought a drake, a two-tusked boar, and a cluster of rock spiders."

  Elias froze mid-step, his jaw dropping as if Tyrus had just declared he could fly. “A drake? A two-tusked boar? Rock spiders? Ah, I see what's going on. You're joking with me. There's no way you fought those things!"

  Tyrus shrugged. "If you don't believe me, that's okay. It does sound crazy now that I say it out loud. Still, I'm not saying you have to fight those things. Just make sure that what you're fighting is challenging."

  "...I will keep that in mind."

  They vacated the tower alongside everyone else, stepping outside to a refreshing breeze. Leaves from the courtyard fluttered around them, carried by the gentle wind. The crisp air smelled faintly of pine and earth, a welcome contrast to the sweaty scent of the towers. Tyrus tilted his head back, taking a moment to enjoy the coolness against his face. The distant chatter and footsteps of hundreds of students walking toward the dining hall echoed off the walls, fading into the background as he let his thoughts wander.

  Elias was the first of the two to break the silence. "I have to stop by Barachus Hall real quick and grab a few books for my next class."

  "Barachus Hall is the one with the shacks, right? How is it living there?"

  "Absolutely terrible! The place looks like it’s about to collapse any second," Elias groaned, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "The walls creak every time the wind blows, and don’t even get me started on the draft. It’s like the building was designed to make sure you never feel comfortable. Don't even get my started on how I have to share the place with four others."

  "Sounds cozy."

  Elias shot him a flat look. "Yeah, if your idea of cozy is waking up with a spider dangling from the rafters. I swear, the academy must think it’s character-building or something."

  "Maybe it is. Think of it as practice for surviving in the wild."

  "Ha! Sure," Elias said, rolling his eyes. "Except in the wild, I wouldn’t have to deal with Decean."

  "Decean?"

  "A roommate sent from Horo himself," Elias explained with a dramatic sigh. "He snores loud enough to wake the dead, leaves his undergarments everywhere, and has this weird habit of talking to himself at night. Honestly, sometimes I think I’d prefer the spider."

  "Sounds like you’re living an adventure already."

  "Yeah, an adventure I didn’t sign up for," Elias muttered, but there was a faint grin on his face. "Anyway, I’d better get moving. See you around, Tyrus. Thanks for the tips, though I definitely won't be fighting any rock spiders or drakes."

  Elias waved goodbye as he hurried off toward Barachus Hall, weaving through the crowd. Once he was out of view, Tyrus thought of what to do next in his free time. He wasn't all that hungry, and waiting in front of the door of Beast and Elemental Spirit Science sounded like a boring option. Instead, he set his sights on the commons, remembering the headmaster's words about the many facilities within the place.

  I'll do a bit of reading at the library again. Hopefully, the books I want aren't checked out.

  Tyrus turned on his heels and took the northern path, strutting toward the commons. A small gap formed in the crowd as he passed through it. His ears twitched whenever a glare or a rude comment reached him. He ignored them and continued on his way, climbing the steps two at a time.

  The commons had an equally fancy and pristine interior, like Lavarun Hall. As soon as students entered, they were welcomed by a room adorned with marble white and ocean blue colors. There were abundant seating options, like armchairs and couches scattered throughout. Enchanted sconces decorated the walls, emitting a gentle glow that filled the space with a comforting and warm light.

  Numerous hallways spread out amongst the first floor, each one leading to different sections of the commons. Since the place was so big, there were signs in front of each hallway marked with arrows and names of the sections within them. The dining hall, kitchen, and study rooms available to everyone was to the left alongside other facilities while the ones leaning toward entertainment were to the right; where he wanted to go was one floor up.

  Up ahead in the middle of the commons was a spiraling staircase that led to the higher floors. Tyrus moved toward it and stepped into the stairwell, ascending to the second floor. He spotted the library entrance nestled on the eastern side of the commons. Enchanted ivy that shimmered faintly with shifting colors, a subtle indicator of the library's protective wards framed its arched doorway. Pushing the oak doors open, Tyrus stepped inside and was greeted by the familiar scent of parchment and ink.

  The library was vast, its shelves stretching high and packed tightly with books of all sizes. It was four times the size of the library in Selena's manor and more appealing. Students were scattered throughout, engrossed in their reading or jotting down notes on paper that sometimes shimmered as they wrote. The sound of pages being turned and the quiet murmurs of people speaking were like music to Tyrus's ears.

  Tyrus glanced around, searching for an available seat. The front ones were already taken, and the tables towards the back were hidden by the rows of shelves. As a result, they tended to fill up first. He let out a quiet sigh, hoping that one of the tables was unoccupied. Otherwise, he would have to make do with reading on the floor. He didn't mind it too much since there was carpet to cushion him.

  After a brief search, dodging stacks of books on the ground and ladders leaning dangerously against the shelves, Tyrus found two tables on the left-most middle, one occupied by a lone woman, hunched over a book. Her chestnut hair was put into a bun, and she wore spectacles that hung delicately on her straight nose.

  "I vow, on the lives of those vile harpies, to become a silver pin once more! It's not my fault they get harder to earn as the years go by. The competition in this damn academy is no joke..."

  Tyrus's ears flicked as the woman muttered to herself. A glance at her face revealed a hint of familiarity, and after another second of scrutinizing, he recognized her voice and features.

  "Fiona?"