"When the formation of these Demonized Soldiers is broken, that is the perfect time for you to strike."
In the front of the classroom, Professor Ailene stood with her back to the screen. She held a long wooden pointer stick as she taped it sharply against a grainy image of a monstrous creature on the screen.
"This one here, the one without any weapons, is the Shaman," She said, her voice echoing off the walls.
"This is your first priority when engaging with a group of Demonized Soldiers. Remember, the shaman provides the buffs to it's allies and casts spell at you from a distance. If you don't take it out first, you're in for a long draining battle."
As she continued her lecture, the rest of the class was leaning forward and scribbling notes as if their lives depended on it.
Verso however, was sitting at the very back of the room. He was completely separate from the other students and instead of taking notes he was busy doodling in his textbook while still thinking about everything that had happened yesterday.
'If I want to pass the exam, I need to go about the smart way.' Verso thought, his pen scratching against the paper.
He knew the exam's format by heart at this point.
To get into the Summoner's Academy, he had to pass the entrance exam. The written portion of which was worth thirty percent of the total score while the special test was worth the other seventy percent.
A worried sigh escaped his lips as he leaned back in his chair.
'That just means that even if I get a perfect score on the written, I will still fail if I can't handle the special test.'
According to everything Verso had heard, the special test was the part everyone dreaded.
Every year, the major Summoner Academies would come together to create a unique scenario. This scenario was designed to push an Awakened to their limit, measuring not just their raw strength but also their potential and quick thinking ability.
'I can't pass that test as I am now,' Verso thought grimly. 'I need to find a way to get stronger and I need to do it fast.'
He slowly looked forward, but he wasn't looking at the Professor or the screen. In front of his eyes was a transparent blue window. It was similar to the one he had seen yesterday, but the information on this one was significantly different.
Verso had spent a good chunk of last night trying to figure out how to navigate the system and he had finally found what he was looking for.
---
[✦Summon Window✦]
Name: Nameless Skeleton
Title: Little Bone
Rank: Primitive (0%)
Stats:
[Strength: 4]
[Agility: 6]
[Endurance: 3]
[Mana: 5]
Manifestation: [Cleaver]
Abilities: [Mending]
---
'Tch. These stats are absolutely trash.' Verso thought, clicking his tongue quietly.
He looked at the numbers again. Compared to the strength of the demonized soldier on the screen, his little skeleton was basically a toothpick. If he sent it into a real fight right now, it would be crushed in mere seconds.
But as his eyes scrolled down the window, they stopped at the Manifestation section.
Yesterday, while he was alone in his room trying to figure out how to use his summon, he had made a surprising discovery. Although his skeleton was weak in its miniature form, but it packed a little surprise.
Verso hummed in his seat as he remembered the feeling of holding his summon's manifestation in his hand.
Even though Verso had expected the Skeleton's manifestation to be a bone club or something useless, he was surprised by a large ivory cleaver.
Unlike the summon, the weapon was brutal looking. The blade was made of smooth, white bone that felt cold to the touch while the handle was wrapped in dark leather that provided a surprisingly firm grip.
It looked primitive, almost like something a caveman would use but it's craftsmanship felt undeniably high.
Verso remembered the moment he had tested the edge. He had barely touched the side of the blade with his thumb and it had instantly sliced through his skin.
'I guess the little guy isn't as useless as I thought after all.' A small, silent chuckle left Verso's mouth.
At least he wouldn't be going into the dungeons empty handed. If he couldn't rely on the skeleton to fight alongside him, he could still at the very least use it as a weapon.
His gaze shifted back to the status window, specifically the percentage written next to the rank.
---
Rank: Primitive (0%)
---
'I guess I need to make this number reach a hundred to make the little guy evolve.'
This was not exactly hard for him to deduce as the system had already told him how his summons also had the ability to evolve and grow stronger.
And, even though he wasn't quite sure how to increase that number right now he at the very least knew that this was his best shot at getting stronger as soon as possible.
RRRRRING!
Suddenly, the school bell rang, cutting through Verso's thoughts and the Professor's lecture.
"Okay class, that was it for today!" Professor Ailene said out loud trying to make sure the student's heard her.
"Remember to go over your notes! And for those of you who have awakened make sure you practice alongside your summons!"
She grabbed her leather bag from the table in front of her before walking straight out of the door without sparing a second glance at the students.
"I missed out on the entire lecture..." Verso muttered to himself.
He slowly stood up and stretched his sore muscles a little. Although, he felt a bit guilty for ignoring the class, he knew that he did not exactly have a choice.
'The mission isn't all that bad though,' Verso wondered to himself as he thought back to the red mission window.
'It promises me a reward while going hand to hand with what I had already set out to do.'
Even prior to the mission, Verso had already planned to give it his all for the Summoner Academy Exam. As for him, this was the only place that held the answers to his questions.
Thinking about it a more serious look appeared on his face as he started walking towards the door.
But just before he was about to get out of the room, he felt a sudden violent tug as a heavy hand reached out from behind and grabbed his collar, pulling him backward.
"Don't you think we have some unfinished business?"
The voice was low and filled with malice. Verso did not even have to turn around to know who this was.
'I really can't catch a break.'