After passing through the classes of both mana theory and beast theory, in which everything went smoothly, they finally arrived at the hand to hand combat class.
A burly man stood in an arena waiting for the full class to enter.
Of course people instead of looking towards the professor were just talking and whispering as if it had nothing to do with them.
"Good afternoon class, my name is Daniel Brax and I will be teaching the hand to hand combat class but it seems the students aren't very interested in my class based on how you aren't even paying respects to your elders with a little silence huh."
"You may ask why is this class important?"
"What is a mage without mana?"
"What is a swordsman without a sword?"
"An awakener has to have the capacity of defending oneself with and without their main weapon of focus, and without a weapon all that is left is your hands."
The class which was originally a little unsettled by his words suddenly gain a little clarity.
No one actually wants to fight with their hands, they all know and carry multiple weapons because of that, but what the professor said held a lot of truth.
What would happen in the wilderness if they found their selves weaponless?
"Good, it seems you have gained some understanding as to how important this class is. Now before we begin the class, the first hour will be used to determine your combat efficiency without a weapon, I know for a fact that in this class there is an incredible swordsman, therefore I'd like to test him without a sword first."
He said and then looked at Calux.
Is he deliberately trying to target me because he is a Brax, or is he genuinely curious?
Oh well, not like I care honestly, no one here is a match for me.
'Father you've become very full of your self did you know that?'
Hehe but my dear daughter, am I wrong?
'...'
"Alright professor."
Calux walked up to a marble arena that looked to be unbreakable and the size of a football field.
He stood in the middle waiting patiently until the professor spoke up.
"Now, let's make this interesting, is anyone here willing to challenge the top student in hand to hand combat?"
The class went instantly still.
Who would dare challenge the person who broke the record by twice the points?
On one side of the classroom however, Max's eyes brightened up.
His father had taught him the secret arts of assassination from their main lineage of darkness, and although he couldn't use his affinity for this hand to hand assessment, his training was still there and there was no way Calux was better.
Unfortunately for Max, Calux had trained not only in weapons but also in hand to hand combat with his mother all his life, and to top it off... He was also a body refiner, to which none of the S class students were because they relied entirely on their bloodlines, skills, and mana.
Max knew that Kayden Lowe, the son of another Baron was a body refiner and could probably beat him in terms of raw strength, but Calux wasn't Kayden, therefore he had the confidence to challenge and get some of his lost face back.
"Professor, I volunteer to challenge."
Everyone looked at Max, and although some looked at him with pity and disgust, since he was constantly trying to undermine Calux, others thought about his bloodline and thought that perhaps in this case he'd have a chance.
On the stage Calux had only amusement on his face.
He really thinks that little bloodline of his and assassin training can beat a C ran body refiner huh...
Well, no one here knows this yet, so I guess it is normal to think that way.
Guess the class is in for another surprise.
'Father beat the shit out of this Max, I'm sick of him. If it weren't for your commands, I'd have eaten him already!'
Hush Nyra, a predator does not worry himself with the thoughts of an ant, you should know that, since you are an Apex predator at that.
'So? He's disrespectful to you, I can't stand it!'
Don't worry, after this 'exercise' Max will understand.
..
Max walked to the arena, and stood a few feet away from Calux looking at him with undisguised hatred in his eyes.
"I'll make you pay for all the disrespect I've suffered at your hands Calux Voidbane.'
"Yeah, yeah whatever, just get ready to fight."
Max got into a fighting position that could be said to be a mixture of martial arts and boxing, while Calux just stood there leisurely.
"Start!", the professor finally yelled.
Max quickly jump stepped towards Calux with the intention of fighting head on, and suddenly using his martial arts, shifted from hitting the face to hitting the ribs, however at the last moment Calux grabbed his hand.
"You're so slow..."
One has to know, that to body refine, you not only refine your muscles but also your eyes and inner organs.
This makes you not only stronger and sturdier but also helps your cognition, since your eyes are refined as well, you can improve your eye sight in a way that normal people who aren't body refiners, or are body refiners below your rank appear to be slower than you.
Suddenly, Calux twisted Max's arm in an unnatural way that earned him an awful scream.
After twisting his arm, Calux struck him with his leg, essentially separating a few feet and Max was sent flying towards the opposite direction.
The crowd was silent watching this happen.
They had seen Max's moves, although they couldn't replicate them they could follow them from a distance, but they couldn't see Calux move at all.
In the crowd, Kayden watched with wide eyes, he thought he was the only body refiner in the class.
Wasn't Calux a mage?
How is he also a body refiner?
Is he doing dual refining?! How many resources will that take! How the hell is he even above everyone in rank?!
"Hm... Professor, it seems Max is out of commission with just a single kick from me.."
Calux said feigning ignorance.
Although the professor was able to understand since he had refined himself up to the D+ rank like a lot of professors, he was still in shock.
Calux was a dual refiner, and it seemed his body rank was above his own as a teacher.
Never in his ten years of teaching had he seen such abnormality.
"Student Calux, are you also a body refiner?.."
Daniel asked to confirm.
"Hm? Yes. I've kept my body and core rank at the same rank since I awakened, therefore my body rank is at the C rank as well."
The professor opened his eyes wide.
The students had their mouths wide open.
Max in the floor couldn't even move properly after the single kick he received, therefore he wasn't even paying attention to his surroundings.
Karina looked at Seraphiel who was beside her with a questioning look, but Seraphiel's calmness said it all.
She knew.
Of course she knew..
"Seraphiel, may I ask, has Calux been pushing himself too much these past few months?"
Seraphiel looked at Karina, and for the first time didn't look at her with contempt, it was clear that Karina wanted to know just how much Calux had went through to be this strong.
"To be honest, a lot. His first two months were full seclusion, his mother told me he only came out to sleep and eat, and then went back to training, and after he got to the C- rank, he started diving into rifts with me. The rifts haven't pushed him too much, but he has definitely been working harder than anyone I've seen in my life."
Karina nodded absentmindedly.
She knew that she and her family had played a role in him pushing himself so much, that made her heart ache more than she admitted.
But right now, standing there as the strongest in the class just gave her the strength and resolve to want to get stronger and not be left behind by him, because if she did, she would never have a chance.
"Well Calux, seems this class for you should be aimed at refining your martial arts then, considering there are only two body refiners in S class."
Calux nodded but then corrected.
"Actually, apart from me and Kayden, Seraphiel is also a C- rank body refiner, therefore there are three of us."
BOOM!
Everyone's mind suddenly short circuited hearing this.