"All right. I have finally returned." Auric smiled. Since he had finished experiencing the Element Department, he could finally visit the Evolution Department.
But before heading to the department, there was one more place he needed to go first. That was none other than his teacher's office.
"Teacher." Auric opened the door gently and entered the room.
Maya smiled. "Good job at the fight yesterday. It looks like you have revealed your second element. What do you think about the fight?"
Auric had reviewed the fight multiple times with Lindwurm.
Rather than starting with what he was good at, Auric actually criticized himself. "I have at least made five mistakes in that fight."
"Hoh?" Maya was quite curious about his own assessment. He wasn't so complacent even after defeating Simon, so he didn't need additional guidance from her. "Tell me about them."
"Yes." Auric raised his forefinger. "First, I was too inexperienced in combat. Simon had a much better aspect than I did, while my only advantage was having multiple elements. So, he got the better of me for most of the battle."
"Indeed. You told me that you had been studying all your life, so that kind of gap should be quite visible to you. Do you know what to do next?"
Auric nodded. "First, I'm going to train my stamina and physique. Without a good physique, I won't be able to keep up with anyone. Of course, I can't slack off with my elements."
"Good. This is your schedule for now." Maya handed over a paper.
It contained a very tight schedule for him as well as a diet plan.
"Let me ask you this first. You don't plan to become a muscle gorilla, yes?" Maya asked.
"Yes. I think my current physique is skinny, but it doesn't mean I want to be that buff. Still, having a good physique will be beneficial."
"Then there's nothing I should change in that diet."
"I understand. I will also ask my mother to help me with the diet."
"Need money for that?"
"Don't worry. I have plenty." Auric waved his hand. He had earned a lot as an evolution master, so money was not an issue for him.
"Your business seems to have gone extremely well. I assume that earning several million is easy for you." She shrugged.
"Ahaha…" Auric scratched the back of his head.
"All right. How about the second mistake?"
"My second mistake is that I completely relied on my second element to win the fight. If I think about it, I can probably become more creative with my plant element and somehow win without using the second element. For example, his lightning is terrifying, but it's not unstoppable. By changing the shape of my plants, I might be able to overpower him."
"Indeed. That's what the Element Department is all about. You are to master your element to the point where you can do things beyond its normal limits. Knowing about it early on is very beneficial for your growth. If you have a specific question regarding your element, you may come to me."
"Yes. Thank you." Auric nodded. He paused for a few seconds before continuing, "As for my third mistake, my fighting style is too straightforward. A feint or a trick should be incorporated into it as well. This will make my attack pattern more unpredictable."
"That is indeed a mistake, but it's not necessarily a mistake. Do you know why?"
Auric shook his head.
"Because the more experienced you are, the more you are able to identify feints in your opponent's movements. You can use feints during your early days, but you can't rely on them too much. However, that will be a different case if your ability is related to trickery, such as illusion."
"I see." Auric looked down, contemplating. 'Illusion…'
His first thought was Lindwurm.
"What?" Lindwurm squinted his eyes.
'I have been thinking about it. Your power is similar to an illusion, but the store can be changed and visible to everyone, so it doesn't seem to be an illusion. But it's clear that your power is related to it.'
"I won't tell you anything."
'No. I have been thinking whether you are my illusion or not. You might be my illusion. Either my dad has something to do with it, or I may have a condition like a split personality, and you were created from that split personality.'
Since he was the only one who could see him, Auric thought Lindwurm was like a split personality. He was formed with the image of his father, but the fact that he couldn't tell him might not be because of his father, but because Auric didn't have that knowledge about his father.
That was why his split personality wouldn't tell him anything.
But he couldn't rule out the idea that Lindwurm was his father's avatar.
"Maybe… maybe not." Lindwurm playfully answered.
'Yeah, yeah.' Auric didn't expect to get an answer anyway, so he just continued, "As for the fourth mistake, it's my battle techniques. Rather than learning other battle techniques, I should have focused on the plant-element battle techniques first for this duel."
"That's not necessarily a mistake. Yes, you need more battle techniques, but I don't recommend using too much of your time to learn one particular element. You must have heard the term, 'jack of all trades, master of none,' right?"
"Yes."
"However, you are not necessarily a jack of all trades. You may be able to do something even better. Combining multiple elements into a single technique."
"Combining multiple elements into a single technique…" Auric repeated her words with interest.
"That's right. Let's use the simplest one, a barrier, for example. You have a barrier technique with your diamond element, right?"
"Yes."
"Then, what do you think about using multiple elements to construct it? This is just a theory, so you're the only one who can find the answer. However, I can say one thing for sure. It's alright for you to start by working on all your elements simultaneously, even if you're not going to use them right away. This will be your foundation."
"I see." Auric hadn't thought about it. If he focused on one element at the beginning, the other elements would be neglected.
However, if he focused on multiple elements from the beginning, he could manifest them much quicker. The only flaw was that before those elements were revealed, Auric would be relatively weak.
Still, he planned to gradually reveal those elements, so it was a trade he was willing to make.
"How about the last mistake?" Maya asked.
"The last mistake. To be honest, I'm not sure whether this is a mistake or not. What do you think of my plan to reveal my second element so quickly? Should I hide it a bit longer?"
Maya smiled. "That's an interesting question. If you don't reveal it and lose, you will be underestimated. Your reputation will take a hit, not only as a fighter but also as an evolution master."
"Yes. On the other hand, if I reveal it, I can gain a lot. But that might also invite danger."
"Indeed. Normally, people are going to tell you not to be complacent and will ask you to hide your elements. However, I have a different opinion. Being too low-key is foolish in my opinion. If you don't reveal anything, you have to compete for resources."
Auric had the same opinion.
Maya continued, "But revealing everything is also foolish. People shouldn't know everything about you because they will learn how to defeat you. That's why I don't think it's a mistake to go according to your original plan."
Auric's original plan was to show a part of his talent, big enough to demonstrate his ability, but not big enough that people would go crazy about it.
This way, he could get resources while keeping his trump cards.
"I see." Auric let out a sigh of relief.
"It's good that you're able to assess your situation. I hope you can continue to reflect on your actions and not repeat your mistakes."
"Yes, Teacher."
"All right. Now that the boring topic is out of the way, let's continue with a much more fun one." She waved her hand up. "Give me your student card."
"Here." Auric took out the student card from his wallet.
She then inserted it into a device for a few seconds before returning it to him. "Take this. I have exchanged your resources for points. There should be five hundred points inside."
"Five?"
"What? Is it too little?"
"No. I just don't know the exchange rate." Auric shook his head.
"If you want to borrow a book from the library, you need fifty points. You know the training hall? The gravity room costs only twenty points per hour."
"Well, it will be gone before you know it." Auric smiled wryly. "How do you even get these points?"
"The Grand Magica College is working with the government, the police, and the military. The police are often issued a bounty to hunt bad guys, the government might post a random request, while the military usually wants to subjugate things."
"Can't they deal with it themselves?" Auric asked.
"They can, but this is a part of becoming an elite. The Grand Magica College provides an opportunity to gain real experience by working with them. They usually give us money, but this place converts it into points for us. We need money to run this place after all."
"Money talks after all." Auric chuckled, understanding the reality.
"If you want to exchange contribution points for money, there should be students who do that. You can go to the Exchange Center to find them."
"I understand."
"Now that I think about it, have you gone to the Training Hall and the Exchange Center yet?"
"Not yet." Auric hadn't had time to visit those places yet, but he planned to visit them soon.
"In that case, you should visit those two places today. The gravity room is quite useful for improving your physique. And since you are planning to head to the Evolution Department today, it will be good to understand how they work, especially within the college. The Exchange Center will be the place for you to work as an evolution master. Unlike the others, you don't need to hunt criminals for points, you can just do what you do best."
"I see. I will consider the bounties as a way to gain experience, but I won't recklessly head outside. I am aware I'm still too weak to do it."
Maya smiled. It was really good to have Auric as a student. She didn't have to explain everything.
Auric could easily draw conclusions and even admit his mistakes or flaws.
"Good. I will still check your progress from time to time. What is your plan after this? Do you plan to fully focus on your studies during the weekdays and open your store on the weekend?"
"That's my current plan. If necessary, I might have to use your mansion from time to time."
"I don't mind. Just follow my rules. That will be enough." Maya shrugged. "Do well, Auric."
"Yes, Teacher." Auric politely bowed to her.
Their conversation had taken too long, but it was true that he gained a lot from her. Maya analyzed everything he said perfectly and even suggested some improvements.
Most of the topics had been covered with Lindwurm as well, especially the technique to combine multiple elements to create a single technique. It wouldn't be just two or three elements. He might even combine all six basic cycle elements to form one technique.
It would be a very strong technique that no one had ever seen before, and he would be the only one capable of using it.
Still, it was easier said than done. He needed a deep knowledge of the elements, so he had to review his knowledge regarding the battle techniques as well.
Lindwurm even approved of her, thinking that she was more than qualified to be his teacher, despite being so young.
It looked like his schedule would be quite packed, as he had to learn the basics of being an evolution master, as well as visit the Training Hall and the Exchange Center.
"Ah, Auric. One more thing."
"Yes?" Auric halted his steps, wondering what she wanted to add.
"Give me the books you borrowed from the library."
"I have them with me. Why?" Auric took those books out of the Space Storage and placed them on her desk.
"You will be busy today, so I will return them for you."
"Oh!" Auric blinked a few times, unable to believe she was willing to do something like this. "Teacher, you're the best."