After dinner ended. Thalien immediately headed to his room, and asked the servants not to disturb him. Only one month until the academy starts, and he has so many things he wants to do.
'Status screen' thought thalien sitting on his bed.
[STATUS SCREEN]
NAME: THALIEN VIRELION
OCCUPATION: VIRELION HEIR
LEVEL: 20
[STATES]
STR: 10
AGI: 13
MANA: 15
INT: 25
DEX: 20
[TECHNIQUES]
VIRELION SWORD ARTS(LEGENDARY SWORD ART) : 2% MASTERY
MASTERED: FIRST FORM:FIRST MOVEMENT: CLAWS DESCENT (95%)
(MORE INFO:)
A SWORD ART MADE AND IMPROVED BY VIRELION SWORD MASTERS ACROSS THE YEARS.
IT FOCUSES HEAVILY ON RAW STRENGTH, AND OVERPOWERING THE OPPONENTS BY AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF AURA.
IT CONTAINS 5 FORMS EACH WITH 10 MOVEMENTS
[SPELLS]
PLANT MANIPULATION (INTERMEDIATE SPELL): MASTERY (INTERMEDIATE)
(MORE INFO:)
A SPELL THAT ALLOWS THE CASTER TO MANIPULATE PLANT GROWTH, FROM INCREASING GROWTH SPEED TO GIVING THE PLANT SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES AND ABILITIES, WHEN MASTERED TO PERFECTION THE CASTER CAN CREATE NATURAL TREASURES BEYOND THIS WORLD.
IT IS THE BASIC SPELL FOR DRUIDS AS TRAINING IT CAN INCREASE YOUR AFFINITY TO NATURE.
NATURAL BLAST (BEGINNER SPELL): MASTERY (EXPERT)
(MORE INFO)
THE CASTER PRESSURIZE NATURAL ENERGY INTO A SPHERE THEN THEY BLAST IT TOWARDS THE ENEMY.
NATURAL SENSORY (INTERMEDIATE SPELL): MASTERY (INTERMEDIATE)
(MORE INFO)
IT ALLOWS THE CASTER TO SENSE LIFE WITHIN A CERTAIN RADIUS CURRENTLY (20 KM)
CAN BE OVERPOWERED BY STRONGER STEALTH TECHNIQUES OR SPELLS.
NATURAL SHAPESHIFTING (ADVANCED SPELL): MASTERY (BEGINNER)
(MORE INFO)
IT ALLOWS THE CASTER TO TRANSFORM INTO AN ANIMAL OR A MONSTER FROM THEIR CHOOSING THE STRONGER THE BEING IS RELATIVE TO THE CASTER THE HARDER IT IS, AND IT REQUIRES DETAILED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE BEING'S ANATOMY, BETTER MASTERY MEANS LESS KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED.
WHEN MASTERED TO PERFECTION THE CASTER CAN TRANSFORM INTO ANY BEING BY JUST SEEING IT ONCE.
Thalien reviewed his Status screen, and took a deep breath. In "Freeborn Saga" you always start with a 17-year-old character, and it advances as you play-You can make hundreds of years old characters-And depending on your lineage and talents you get a set of techniques and spells suitable for your character.
'MY skill set is not that vast since my parents insisted on building a proper foundation first, but it's still great'
'I've nearly mastered claws descent, and natural blast is at expert mastery, That's enough to get me in the top 5 of the first years'
While a beginner level spell is not that great, but when it's cast at an expert mastery it's hundreds of times better.
Spells are normally ranked between six ranks:
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Whisper
Echo
Tremor
And six mastery ranks:
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Expert
Master
Perfection
While Martial arts are ranked between:
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Legendary
Mythical
Transcendent
'Now that my Status screen is taken care of, I need to figure out a plan to go forward'
'I can't hide or keep a low profile since my talent in druidic arts is already known'
The rumors about him sensing and controlling natural energy at the age of 2, learning natural blast at 3, and getting to expert mastery at it at 8, have already spread.
Various archdruids have already visited him and even offered to teach him, but he already has his mom, so he didn't need it.
'And honestly that's not how I want to live'
Living in the shadows, hiding from attention, is not how he want to live. It's his second life, and he will live it to it's fullest.
'Now what to do…. I can go find an overpowered spell or martial art, but I can already get that from my parents and if my parents can't get it then I can't even dream of learning it at my current level'
'No I just need to increase my current training, at least until I get into the academy, there I will probably need to get the dagger art "Eternal night forest" it's good for my natural affinity and assassination arts talent'
Thalien took a deep breath.
'I just need to take my time preparing for the academy'
'Because after that I won't get a break'
The academy is one of the safest places in this world, but that doesn't mean It's uneventful, the academy is full of spars, tournaments, tests, and competition.
There are tests every day, tournaments every week. The rankings change every second, great privileges for top rankers, and even greater punishments for low rankers.
Teachers have absolute freedom on how to train you, punish you, and reward you.
'Watching from a screen I've never expected I'd be experiencing it in reality, it seemed exhausting, both physically and mentally.'
'Top rankers are always scared that someone will take there place, low rankers have to deal with disappointment and punishments from both the school and teachers, it's a place where nobody is happy, where everybody trains to their limit and then some.'
'It's true hell'
'Anyway, I need to go to sleep to get up early for my father's monthly evaluation'
With that he turned off the lights and went to sleep, not knowing what's waiting For him.
___
Next morning thalien woke up at the sound of knocking, and a professional voice saying
"Young master, the viscount wants you to wait for him at the training ground"
Waking up thalien looked out the window and found the sun still rising.
"What time is it?"
"4 am"
'4 am?'
"Alright, you can go now"
said thalien as he walked towards his bathroom to take a shower and get ready.
Once he was finished, he made his way to the training grounds where he waited for 15 min until father arrived.
"Father" thalien greeted, and Caelan nodded while pulling two wooden swords, and throwing one to thalien
"I heard from sir Thomas that you almost mastered claws descent"
"Yes, I believe so"
"That's impressive, since you just started learning six months ago"
"Thank you, sir"
"But I feel-no I know that you could have done better"
"Do you know why people's progress speed spikes by nearly 500% once they enter the academy"
"Because of the top tier teachers and training facilities, and the competitive nature of the academy" answered thalien.
"Sure, all those things help, but they are not the main reason. The main reason is the freedom the academy gives their teachers"
"The academy teachers have absolute control over your training, as long as they don't kill you and keep showing results, they can train you however they want, punish you however they want"
"No matter where you train and who trains you, there is always some sort of leniency, but what makes the academy teachers special is that they don't have that, they don't care, they only care about results."
"A lot of people can't take the physical and mental strain, and end up collapsing, or dropping out, but the ones who persist are the ones who end up ruling our world"
"Last night you said that you wanted to increase your training, that you didn't want to fall behind in the academy, but what if I said that not only can I help you not fall behind, but help you thrive, help you start on the top, and keep that position for the entirety of the academy and after"
"But to do that I will need to make this last month, the worst month in your, life, I will show you literal hell, hell comparable to the academy, you might even start to hate me after that month"
"So what do you say, do you want to 'not fall behind' or do you want to thrive" said caelan pointing the wooden sword to thalien, and looking him in the eye.