A wise old man

“Who the fuck are you?”

If you want vulgar, I’ll give you vulgar, you little

“There’s no need to go further, Mister Newman. As for who I am, I am the professor responsible for your orientation.”

John’s thoughts were interrupted by the disembodied voice.

“Where are you?”

An old man appeared at the opposite end of the courtyard. He was sitting cross legged, in a meditating position. He wore a tricivara, a kind of Buddhist monk robe that covered his left shoulder and left his right shoulder bare.

“I am here.”

John cast observe on him.

Aarav

Level 50 Monk

Firesmith Professors (Guild)

John nodded and sat. The Firesmith Academy courtyard featured a circular emblem set in red and black stones in the center. It was twenty feet in diameter, and depicted the school’s logo: A flaming anvil being struck by a hammer.

Aarav sat between the hammer’s handle and the base of the anvil. John sat by the fire. They sat there, staring at each other for an hour.

“Good. It seems you have patience.”

Aarav broke the silence.

“You have passed the first test. Demonstrate the primary function of your magical capabilities.”

John took a deep breath and cast Call Summon. Ignis appeared in front of John, howling a war cry.

“Good. Demonstrate any secondary functions your magical capabilities may have.”

John lit his left hand by casting flames and tossed a fireball at Ignis, who bit into it. Aarav seemed intrigued.

“Good. It is not often that our students exhibit secondary capabilities. I sense that there is even more to your magic, but secondary is as far as I will go. You have passed the second test. By now you are most likely questioning my motives. You were invited for an orientation, and are now being tested. I assure you, the tests are a part of the orientation. Next,” he said as he stood up, “your combat prowess.”

John remained sitting. The monk snapped his fingers, and a girl skipped out of the main building. She stood at five feet, eight inches, and wore her platinum blonde hair in pigtails. Her aura shone glowed a baby blue, although it was barely visible. She wore a Firesmith academy uniform. Her smile was radiant, and her eyes were sapphire blue. She had modest B-cups and a slightly defined ass. A grown woman in scrubs walked out after her, standing next to the master near the edge of the ring. John cast observe.

Level 4 Firesmith Academy Student

Level 34 Medic

That didn’t help much.

“Hi, I’m Andi! I’m going to absolutely destroy you!”

Her tone was peppy, and it did not match her words at all. John laughed.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Andi. Are you sure you want to take me on?”

“I wouldn’t be laughing, Fire Summoner.”

venerunt autem-ah!

She started chanting in Latin. John didn’t wait for her to finish. He stood up as he threw a fireball and commanded Ignis to sneak behind her and attack when the time was right. The fireball landed to her right in a splash of flames that lit her skirt on fire.

venerunt autem mecum-ugh!

She ignored her now nearly nonexistent flaming skirt and attempted to chant again. John threw another fireball to her left, aiming it so it would only light her sleeve on fire and continue flying. She didn’t move. The fireball lit her shirt on fire and flew into Ignis’s awaiting maw. It exploded and incinerated her shirt.

VENERUNT AUTEM MECUM SUNT AQUAE!

She managed to finally shriek out her spell, left wearing only her bra and panties. A circle about three feet in diameter opened up behind her, a swirling pool of water. Out of it emerged a swarm of little blue demons. John cast observe.

Level 1 Water Imp swarm

A miniature horde of water devils, their primary skill is coordinated offense.

John looked at his mana. 145/165. Still good on mana. He cast a double fireball, holding one in each hand. He ran towards Andi. Her eyes widened in fear. She thrusted her hand open palmed at John.

Impetus!

The Imps flew out of their summon portal and towards John. He smirked. The imps flew right into his trap. As soon as they got close enough for one of them to hit John with a water whip for a measly -1hp, John clapped his hands together, effectively detonating the fireballs. There was a medium sized explosion, only big enough to engulf John and the swarm. After the fire cleared, the imps were nowhere to be seen.

+15 Exp.

Achievement Unlocked!

John didn’t read the achievement. Instead, he continued his dash towards Andi. She was still in shock, and didn’t react in time to John’s hand spring. He landed behind her, with a fireball to her neck.

Duel Winner! +100 Exp.

“Good. You defeated a first-year student. Would you like to attempt to defeat a second-year student?”

John dismissed the fireball, noting that the mana returned to him.

“Do I get a little time to regain my composure?”

“How much time do you need?”

“Less than an hour.”

“That is not very specific.”

John rubbed his neck, embarrassed. “I’m not too sure of the specifics myself”

Aarav nodded. “Very well. You have an hour.”

John nodded in thanks and returned to where he was sitting. He meditated until his mana bar was full again.

“I am ready.”

“Good.”

Aarav snapped his fingers twice.

Andi left, and another girl entered what John now referred to as the Arena. The new girl was of a similar build as Andi, only with a much nicer ass. Her aura glowed a light green, and was brighter than Andi's. Andi whispered something to her, and the new girl nodded. John cast observe on her.

Level 6 Firesmith Academy Student

John stood up, and spoke first this time. “My name is John, and I challenge you to a duel.”

The new girl had midnight black hair, and red eyes. Fangs showed as she smiled and said, “I’m Brita, and I’m going to absolutely destroy you.”

John smiled. “We’ll see about that.”

Terra Impetus!

John knew what was happening before it happened. The bricks of the emblem rose from the ground and flew at John. He ran towards the attack, trusting parkour to dodge the bricks. Out of the 12 launched at him, two hit their mark for a total of -10 hp. John cast Flames and used them to leap ten feet into the air, at an angle where the sun was directly behind him. She looked up at him and flinched. John cast fireball four times in quick succession, each landing inches away from her body and lighting her uniform on fire.

Terra Munio!

John was hit by a wall of bricks rising up from the ground.

-10 hp

John’s parkour managed to get him a good footing, and he did a backflip off of the wall, landing a few feet away. Brita was inside a brick fortress, complete with turrets and crenulated walls. It was small, but impressive. The turrets were 20 feet tall, and each wall was only 15 feet long and twelve feet tall. John cast observe.

Level 8 Brick Fortress

Resistant to Fire attacks, weak to water attacks.

He checked his mana. 140/165. Still good. He ordered Ignis to try and climb the wall behind Brita, and he himself ran at the wall in front of her. His parkour activated and he jumped onto the side of the wall. He cast flames out of his feet and propelled himself onto the top. He ran across the wall and onto a turret with the help of another burst of flames. Ignis was sneaking behind Brita, so John got her attention with another fireball. He was done playing around with her, she was way more capable than Andi. He aimed the fireball at her face.

Munio!

Another wall rose up in front of her, blocking the fireball.

Impetus!

The wall flew out of the ground and towards John. John leapt from the top of the tower and landed hard on the wall as it flew for another -10 hp, sliding across it and jumping off of it towards Brita.

Munio!

She was getting predictable. John saw the wall coming, and reached out to grab the top. He used his forward momentum to flip forward and tackle Brita to the ground, a fireball in his right hand ready to strike the final blow and Ignis’s fiery maw inches from her throat.

Duel Winner! +500 Exp.

“Good. You defeated a second-year student. Would you like to attempt to defeat a third-year student?”

John nodded. Brita was breathing heavily under him, her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. Ignis trotted away, happy with its part in this victory.

“Very well. You have another hour to compose yourself.”

John returned to where he was sitting earlier. He meditated until his mana and health bars were full.

“I am ready.”

“Good”

Aarav snapped his fingers three times.

Brita’s fortress sunk back into the ground, and the bricks she had launched at him flew back into place. She walked back towards the building, where a young man was making his entrance into the Arena. He had spiky, anime protagonist style hair. It was blonde and static electricity sparked through it every few seconds. He wore a male Firesmith academy uniform; a burgundy blazer, white dress shirt, black and burgundy striped tie, and black dress pants. His aura glowed a deep burgundy, and was much brighter than Brita’s. His shirt was untucked and his tie was loosened, adding to his anime protagonist look. His eyes were yellow.

John cast observe.

Level 10 Firesmith Academy Student

I really need to level up observe or something.

John stood as Brita whispered something to the newcomer on her way out. He smirked. John waited for him to reach the edge of the seal.

“My name is John, and I challenge you to a duel.”

Ignis barked its agreement.

“I am Jean-Paul, and I will destroy you and your little puppy.”

John’s eye twitched. He cast flames in his hands.

“You may regret that threat soon, Jean-Paul.”

John didn’t give him a chance to reply as he ran toward his opponent. Jean-Paul held his right hand out in front of him, and a ball of crackling electricity manifested in it. John ordered Ignis to attack from the side. Jean-Paul let the lightning loose and John dove into a slide, narrowly matrix-ing his way out of a twitch fit. A few stray sparks hit him in the shoulder for -15 hp. He launched flames at Jean-Paul’s right arm, lighting his blazer on fire. Jean-Paul panicked and threw it off of himself, giving Ignis the opening it needed.

Ignis pounced onto the enemy’s arm and locked its jaw; causing puncture wounds with its flaming teeth, and burns with its flaming tongue. Jean-Paul screamed in agony. Then an electric shockwave exploded out from him, sending John and Ignis flying.

-20 hp

John rolled and recovered quickly, and scanned the battlefield for Ignis. Ignis had landed on its feet, but stumbled and fell. John felt his eye twitch again. Then an arc of blue lightning flashed from Jean-Paul to Ignis, and Ignis yelped in pain as it shuddered. John snapped. He cast Dismiss Summon as RageFlames erupted around him. He cast a double fireball and lobbed them both at Jean-Paul’s face. They exploded, intercepted by a ball of sparks. John ran at Jean-Paul again, this time using parkour to engage in complex evasive maneuvers so Jean-Paul couldn’t hit him. In theory, that is. John got hit once by an arc of lightning for 10 health points before getting Rageflame in range for damage. Jean-Paul’s eyes widened in fear and pain as he felt the fire burning his skin. Jean-Paul held his arms out in front of him, palms spread, and manifested a ball of lightning. John wasn’t having it. His hands, covered in both Rageflame and Flames, reached out and grabbed the ball of electricity out of Jean-Paul’s hands. He didn’t have time to be amazed, and held the ball over Jean-Paul’s head. Jean-Paul was crying.

Duel Winner! +1000 Exp.

Level Up! +5 stat points

“Good.”

John was teleported to where he was sitting before the fight began, his Rageflame still in effect. Jean-Paul was nowhere to be seen.

“You defeated a third-year student. Would you like to attempt to defeat a fourth-year student?”