Euris made his way through the crowded hallways, his eyes occasionally flicking down to the directions displayed on his watch.
"…Combat Class. Room C-17…"
He adjusted his grip on his bag slightly as he followed the signs.
"…Let's see what this one's about…"
When he finally reached the room and stepped inside—
He paused.
"…Oh."
This wasn't what he expected.
The space was massive.
More like a training hall than a classroom.
Students were already scattered throughout the room, grouped up in clusters.
But what stood out most—
Was what they were carrying.
Weapons.
Armor.
Equipment of all kinds.
Some students wore sleek, reinforced armor that shimmered faintly with energy. Others carried swords, spears, or strange hybrid weapons Euris couldn't even name.
And then there were the ones with clearly expensive gear—polished, glowing, and far more refined than the rest.
"…Yeah… figures…"
Euris muttered.
His eyes shifted.
Along one wall—
Was an armory.
Rows of weapons lined neatly across it.
Simpler.
More uniform.
But still radiating a faint energy.
Magiquipment…
Before he could get a closer look—
BANG.
The sound echoed through the entire room.
Everyone froze.
Euris turned sharply toward the source.
An old man stood near the center of the room.
Late seventies, maybe older.
Thin.
But there was something about him—
Something heavy.
Presence.
"Hello, everyone," the man said, his voice calm but carrying effortlessly across the room. "This is Combat Class."
A pause.
"My name is Silas."
His gaze swept across the students.
"I will be your instructor."
Euris raised an eyebrow slightly.
That's the teacher…?
Silas didn't waste time.
"Anyone without magiquipment," he continued, gesturing toward the armory, "will select a weapon from the wall."
He crossed his arms.
"After that—you will form groups of four."
No one moved.
Silas' eyes narrowed slightly.
"NOW."
The word hit like a shockwave.
Everyone moved.
Euris included.
He made his way quickly toward the armory, slipping between students as they rushed to grab weapons.
As he got closer—
A notification appeared.
"Would you like assistance identifying the optimal weapon?"
Euris blinked.
"…Yeah. Obviously."
He selected Yes.
For a brief moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
One of the weapons on the wall lit up faintly in his vision.
"…There…"
Euris stepped forward and reached for it.
A staff.
About three feet long.
Made of a dark, metallic material that felt solid but balanced in his hands.
"…Feels… familiar…"
It reminded him of the metal bar from earlier.
He turned it slightly, testing the weight.
"…Not bad…"
Another notification appeared.
"View weapon stats?"
Euris smirked slightly.
"…Yeah. Do that."
The screen shifted.
[WEAPON STATUS]
Type: Basic Magi Staff
Core Stat Bonuses:STR +3SPD +2INT +0ENG +0HUM +0
Skills: None
"…So it boosts stats…"
His grip tightened slightly.
"…That's useful…"
He gave the staff a small spin before heading back toward the main group.
By the time he returned—
Most people were already gathered.
Talking.
Comparing.
Showing off.
"Yeah, mine gives +8 strength—"
"I've got a fire affinity boost—"
"My family had this custom made—"
Euris didn't say anything.
He couldn't.
No flashy weapon.
No talents.
No elements.
So he waited.
It didn't take long.
"I see you've all selected your weapons," Silas said, his voice cutting cleanly through the noise. "Now—form groups of four."
Movement exploded across the room.
Students quickly gathered with their friends.
Or people they already knew.
Or people they thought were strong.
Euris stayed where he was.
Watching.
"…Yeah… figures…"
Groups filled up fast.
He started walking slowly along the edge of the room, scanning for any openings.
One group needed one more.
Then didn't.
Another needed two—
Then filled instantly.
"…Great…"
Then—
He noticed something.
One person standing alone.
Not moving.
Not looking for a group.
Konner Gryff.
"…Of course…"
No one was approaching him.
Not because he was weak.
Because he was too strong.
Euris hesitated for a second.
Then shrugged.
"…Screw it…"
He walked over.
"Hey."
Konner looked at him.
"…Mind if I join your group?"
The room went quiet.
Whispers started immediately.
"Is he serious—?"
"That guy's dead…"
"He just picked the worst possible partner…"
Euris ignored all of it.
Konner looked at him for a moment.
Then—
"…Sure."
Just like that.
The room erupted into quiet chatter again.
Silas slammed his foot into the ground.
"QUIET!"
The sound echoed.
Silence followed instantly.
"Now that groups are formed," Silas continued, "you will be selected to battle against other groups."
He gestured toward the center of the room.
Where an arena-like space had opened.
"Each group will choose a name and enter it into the raffle."
A pause.
"Move."
Euris looked at Konner.
Konner looked back.
"Pick the name," he said simply. "I'll warm up."
"…Alright…"
Euris grabbed a slip of paper and quickly wrote something down before dropping it into the raffle.
He didn't overthink it.
Didn't need to.
Then he stepped back, taking a seat near the edge of the arena.
Students gathered around.
Watching.
Waiting.
The first two groups were called.
They stepped into the arena.
Euris leaned forward slightly.
"…Let's see what we're dealing with…"
The fight started.
Weapons clashed.
Energy sparked.
Movement blurred.
These weren't beginners.
Even the "weaker" students—
Were strong.
Faster.
More coordinated.
Euris watched carefully.
Analyzing.
Trying to understand.
Then—
Another notification appeared.
"Would you like to record combat data for analysis and mimicry?"
Euris froze for a second.
"…Record…?"
A slow grin spread across his face.
"…Yeah…"
He selected Yes.
The system activated instantly.
Subtle overlays appeared in his vision.
Tracking movement.
Measuring speed.
Highlighting patterns.
"…Oh… this is good…"
Really good.
Euris leaned forward further, completely focused now.
Every strike.
Every dodge.
Every mistake.
All of it—
Being recorded.
Stored.
"…If I can learn from this…"
His grip tightened around his staff.
"…Then maybe…"
For the first time since arriving—
Euris felt it.
Possibility.