The Runic Alchemist

Munching on the dry fruits, they reached the classroom just as everyone else began pouring out.

"What's going on?" Einar asked a pugilist boy nearby.

"Bloodedge likes to hold his classes outside, in the training grounds," the boy answered, a bit shyly. Damian could understand the guy's feelings though.

They followed the others to the outdoor training grounds—a simple space with practice dummies and a vast, barren expanse of dirt. A perfect rectangle without any grass. At the center of it all stood the knight himself, Bloodedge.

The middle-aged, wavy-haired knight looked younger than Worldscribe and Runefather, though not by much. His perfectly styled blond hair and actor-like, rugged appearance were still intact.

"Look closely. That's your future, Sam, if you make it to forty," Damian said quietly, falling into line with the others.

"Huh? Why wouldn't I? Don't say crap like that. And you, fat elephant, stop giggling."

"Wheee!" Toph said, clearly offended.

"He does look like you, though. Maybe he's your long-lost uncle?" Einar added.

"I don't see it. Bloodedge is so pretty," Grace commented matter-of-factly.

"Fewwwhhaa!" Damian nearly laughed out loud but managed to hold it in at the last moment.

Sam just sighed, looking ahead with resignation as Bloodedge cleared his throat to gather their attention.

"Welcome, fifth years. Combat Arts, as some of you may already know, is about refining and enhancing your techniques. In this class, we'll focus on personal combat skills rather than large-scale or group tactics during the first half-term.

"Choose the weapon of your choice, and remember: spells, mana, and runic items are strictly forbidden in this class. This is purely about your skill as close-quarter warriors. Mages who've opted for this class will receive no exceptions."

Everyone scrambled to select weapons from the neatly organized pile of average-quality arms. Starting with real weapons? That was bold, but not surprising for fifth years, the most advanced students in the academy.

Damian noticed for the first time that he was the only Knowledge Keeper student present. There were barely any mages, save for anomalies like Grace, who likely had some background in weapons training due to her noble lineage. He hadn't asked much about her family, though he remembered the name—Ashbourne was the Duke of western Dawnstar that he remembered but they had a large family tree. She might not be from the main family.

There were plenty of new faces from the Fist of Valor section, mostly pugilists. He wanted to do aura control practice. And the sword was considered better for it compared to the spear, though once mastered, switching to other weapons like the spear would be easy with a bit of practice.

Three people looked at him weirdly when he started testing the quality of his blade with some simple swings. Sam, Einar and Lucian.

"What?" Damian finally asked.

"Weren't you a spear user?" Einar asked.

"You're really going to level both, huh?" Sam on the other hand knew he used both.

Lucian remained silent, her expression clearly saying, 'You have a soulbound spear… You have a soulbound spear…'

"I need to master the aura blade," Damian explained.

"You haven't mastered it yet?" Einar disdained.

"Useless. Go back to your drawings," So did Sam, not so subtly though.

Even Lucian was looking at him with 'Are you for real..?' eyes. Damian just sighed, making a face at all three of them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Bloodedge addressed the group again, his voice firm. "All of you should at least know the basics by now. If not, extra classes are available. Learn that, then you will be able to grasp this."

"Fighting and killing, despite what songs and stories may portray, is not an art. It's a straightforward exchange of power, technique, focus, and strategy. Fall short in even one, and winning becomes hard. Fail in two, and your chances are nearly impossible. Fail in three? You're already dead."

He paused, picking up a simple sword from the pile before continuing.

"Aura blade is an important skill. If you already know it, good. If not, you need to learn it by the end of the year, or you will fail this class. I will teach you everything from start to finish including aura blade, but for now, let's see what you've got. Do your warm-up routine and pair up with the student next to you."

Einar paired with Evrin. Grace looked around for a partner, but Damian stayed put. Sam was already ahead of him, leaving him - even though he was right next to him a second ago.

What loyalty..?

He and Toph remained alone. Damian put Toph beside him as he started stretching and warming up, whoever was left at the end will find him anyway.

A few minutes into the routine, a pugilist boy approached him. He was leaner and shorter than most of his peers, but there was a quiet confidence in his eyes—Damian had seen that look before, it was the look of a warrior. Whoever the boy was, he sure had fought real battles once or twice.

Without a word, Damian nodded, and they took their positions.

Bloodedge gave the signal, and the training began.

Damian's sword cut through the air in a tight arc, sharp and deliberate. The pugilist shifted to the side with a quick step, closing the distance in a blink. His fist shot toward Damian's ribs, fast and controlled, but Damian twisted his body just enough to deflect it with the flat of his blade.

The easy block surprising the pugilist boy. Yet there was no pause.

The pugilist ducked under Damian's follow-up slash and lashed out with a low kick aimed at sweeping him off balance. Damian reacted instantly, hopping back with just enough height to avoid the blow, his sword tip flashing forward in a thrust that forced the boy to roll clear.

His swordsmanship felt so rustic after not using the sword for a long time. Even holding back his speed and strength was a little out of balance. But there was no time for feelings.

The rhythm of the fight tightened as they moved in again. Damian's strikes were fluid, his blade testing every angle with precise, economical cuts, but the pugilist was equally sharp. He stayed inside Damian's reach, slipping through the gaps in the sword's path and firing off quick, punishing strikes.

A jab to the shoulder, a glancing hook to the side—none landed clean, but they kept Damian moving. Guess, he was upping the power behind his fists little by little. A sudden pommel strike caught the pugilist off guard - confirming what he already kind of suspected, but he recovered instantly, using the force of it to spring upward with a hard uppercut. Damian shifted his head at the last second, the punch missing by inches, and answered with a sweeping cut that narrowly missed as the pugilist bent backward out of range.

Damian had to give the kid some praise, even some second rankers were not this skilled and focused. He was surprised by many of Damian's aspects yet showed no hesitation in his technique.

Both reset, eyes locked, the space between them charged with tension. Bloodedge made them stop at exactly that time though, so they relaxed. Well Damian did, the boy still seemed a bit confused and on edge.