Aeres Academy - Chapter 28 preview

The rest of the class was very much hands-on. We were split into three groups, allowed to review, touch and play with the various materials, asking questions of the Professor or one another. In short order, the Professor found the subject matter experts in the group - children of miners, jewelers or monster part cleaners - and had them answer the questions, allowing us to learn from individuals who had practical experience handling these resources.

I soaked it all in, as best I could, reeling a little with the sheer volume of information. It was rather unfair, that so many of my peers had such skills and knowledge at their fingertips. The only consolation that I had was that I was not the only one who found themselves out of their depth. People like Kira - who came from a merchant family and thus knew the value of everything, but not the practical details of handling - or Yorrick, whose background; a more rough and ready one leant him little help. There were others, children of menial workers or those who stumbled into this life who were just as confused. 

Perhaps I did have one advantage – I knew how to learn. Kira and Yorrick latched onto me as we moved along, listening to me repeat to myself points of knowledge even as Brand was left behind, showcasing his knowledge about monster hide treatment. He spoke on the cleaning and manipulation of the furs and leathers with great confidence, sorting through the pile and answering questions. Everyone took part in the review of the material, talking enthusiastically. 

Or almost everyone. 

"While I cannot fail you for your lack of participation, your fellow students could use your expertise," Professor Wynn murmured to Rayzan as he stood off to the side, arms crossed, a smirk on her lips. 

"Why bother? Two thirds of them will fail. If we're lucky," Rayzan said, sneering. "Working hard to make friends with fools is a waste of time." A shake of his head. "Look at them. They should know all this already, but here they are, acting as though what you provide is Mana to a neglected core."

A single eyebrow rose and it was enough to make Rayzan duck his head a little, his arrogance fading under her silent disapproval. "Not that your knowledge is, uh, wrong, Professor. Just that they should know such basics and we can plumb the full depths of your understanding..."

"Better, but your arrogance is showing. Not everyone has your advantages, Raz." 

"The public libraries and the circulars are available to everyone. Classes are run every single day by others, as are the open air fares. Nothing you've said should be new to them, if they were willing to learn." He pressed on mulishly causing the Professor to sigh and turn away, returning to those students intent on learning.

All too soon, the class ended, many of us splitting off to return to the dorms or their homes. Meal time in the dining hall would begin later, though I took idle note of what was fast becoming my regular companions. Kira had her own residences outside, as did Brand; it was only Yorrick who stayed in the dorms. Of interest, was how Rayzan headed for the arena and training grounds rather than leave, as did a few others.

Arrogant, he might be, but dedicated he certainly was.

I certainly debated following along, but after some further thought, I chose instead to conduct training in another form - spending time, flat on my back on the floor of my room, cycling through breathing exercises as I worked on further visualizing and firming the engine within me. The better the connection to my core, the more efficient it grew at harnessing the ambient Mana and thus, the more potential I could gather in my version of the lake.

Physically, I could always improve, but my skill continued to be my greatest advantage. Improving that, above all, was my goal for coming to the Academy. Whatever advances I could make in the next few months before graduation was important. Especially with how my skill worked.

Hours later, when the bells struck again, the final one of the day before it was time for the first candle; I emerged from my meditation. Hours of meditation was tricky for most people, a skill that had to be practiced over the course of decades. 

Finally, I shifted my attention to my sheet.

Skill: Conserve

Level: 4

Potential: 102%

Target: Self (Only)

Siphon Level: 7%

Extrusion Control: Low

Number of Vaults: 1

Vault 1: Health

Conserved: 121.65 days

The amount I had conserved in Vault 1 had increased once again, mostly from leeching off Pallieni and her magic. I still felt a little a guilty about that and was more certain than ever she was beginning to suspect something, but for now, I'd take what I could get.

More importantly, was the increase in potential. 

Anywhere else, any other system and I would have called it experience, though potential really was understandable too. The more that I built up my skill, the more I learnt and understood visualization, the firmer and higher the amount of energy I stored within me, the wider my skill could grow. 

Now that my potential had reached 100% again, I could utilize it to grow my various aspects of the skill. The pressure in my soul from all that potential was uncomfortable, like having eaten too much. Stuffed to the brim. 

So far, I hadn’t been able to add a vault and even now, I could sense a barrier to that option. It was not a possibility at the moment, but I had a feeling it was but a matter of levels. Till then, I could manipulate that potential to increase my overall level or other aspects. Some, though, like whether I could shift from self to others felt even more firmly locked away than creating a new vault. 

In other words, in my visualization, I had to upgrade that engine in my mind to something a little more sophisticated. If I had realized what I was doing, realized the full extent of what the various imagery we used was meant to showcase, I would have started out with something simpler like a steam engine.

One of the problems of coming in halfway – or at the high school level – of skill development was needing to catch up with everyone else. You made decisions and some of them were less than optimal.

Thankfully, I had decades of scifi TV to draw upon, a robust imagination and the realization that I did not actually have to make anything that would make sense. Not that I was that mechanically inclined – though I had enough knowledge from working on helping out – to have a basic idea of how most things worked. I could handwave large portions of things away, so long as it functioned within the landscape of my mind.

With my potential capped, I knew I had to make the decision soon. There being no better time than now – and with the surge from reaching new floors not likely to happen again – it was time to go for the upgrade. In this case, I started swapping out the main engine. Nothing too major, just a small upgrade to the basic model in my mind. In this case, making it look a little sleeker, a little shiner on the outside.

I felt the rumble through my soul, a warmth that spread out and encompassed my body and the aura that projected from it. My world lurched for a second, before it settled down; the engine humming along; if a little less attached.

Skill: Conserve

Level: 5

Potential: 1.4%

Target: Self (Only)

Siphon Level: 7%

Extrusion Control: Low

Number of Vaults: 1

Vault 1: Health

Conserved: 121.65 days

Upgrade done. A part of me noted that the lock around vaults were finally open. I assumed it would be, soon; so it was good to see it true. That was, obviously, going to be the next upgrade.

For now though, my stomach was growling loud enough to remind me that I’d only had a quick snack before making my way back, and this body was young enough to need multiple nutritious and calorie laden deposits a day.