Fragarach

Ancient language

[A few moments after the first student went inside the circle.]

“Don’t hold back and defeat the illusion.” The instructor said as he gave a stern look.

“Y-yes sir.” The student replied with a shaky voice.

[Do I look that intimidating? I only told him not to hold back so why is he so afraid?] the instructor thought as he look at the shaken student.

[The illusion is like a dummy target that can withstand a certain amount of destructive power but since they are students right now, the calculated destructive power is much lower than that of the standard illusion.] he thought as he slowly calculate the destructive power the student might produce.

[Not to mention that it they can’t manage to give a high destructive power enough to pass the requirement, this illusion-]

“-Might fight back the moment you failed to deliver the lowest requirement of destructive power. But since the students in the academy has different mana types, the creator of the runes formation needs to create it with the destructive power of different types of mana manipulation in mind.” Raven said as he studies the kind of runes that are used in the formation.

Everyone around him were a little surprised when he said something out of the blue. This caught attention of the other students since it is also a possibility.

“H-how can you say so, Raven?” Cassiopeia stuttered as she ask how sure Raven of his conclusion.

Those are the same question that the others want to say but since Cassiopeia already speak up in their stead and they are too shy to even ask something from a student that they thought is illiterate and oblivious of such things so they only waited for his reply.

[Was Thomas and Kate and the others sure about him being uneducated?] one of Kate’s friend thought as she glance at Kate and the others.

“Is he really illiterate? He seems to know a few things about runes. Even I had a hard time learning about those things from our tutor.” One of the students said as they wait for Raven’s reply.

“Look at how he stare at the runes that are barely even visible to our eyes from this distance.” A demi-human students said as she stare at Raven.

[I only said what I thought aloud and manage to grab their attention with just that single sentence. It seems that they are really determined to learn things but what is holding them back from doing their best? I can feel their piercing stares directed at me. Are they really waiting for me to answer Cassiopeia? But helping them realize things is also beneficial for the future, then let’s make this a reference for their future.] he decided as he flash a smirk.

“Based on the runes that the creator of the formation used, every mana type has a minimum destructive power programmed to withstand the power and looking at the whole formation placed like that, doesn’t it look like an arena?” Raven said giving the other a hint.

[Woah, how did he understand that much just by seeing it only once?]

The eyes of an instructor widen after hearing Raven’s explanation regarding the truth behind the rune formation.

[I just happen to pass by here to see if the students are behaving like what they are ordered to do. I never would have thought that a student has keen eyes and deep understanding about a rune formation. To be honest, I, myself is struggling in understanding about rune formations but to see a student younger than me who has more knowledge of rune formations is rubbing me off badly. And I can’t blame the student cause it’s my fault for being incompetent.” The instructor thought as he focused his hearing to Raven’s explanation.

[How come this commoner has that much knowledge regarding the runes formation that the instructor used? They do not disclose such things to the public since it is ought to have its benefits in the future.] a student from another class thought as his attention is also caught by Raven’s explanation.

“How can you understand what the runes that are used in the formation? Did you learn how to understand them, Raven?” Cassiopeia asked with a confused expression.

[How can he tell its purpose after seeing it for the first time? Even an expert rune creator will have hard time knowing the purpose of a single rune let alone understand a rune formation in a single glance. Is it possible that he was taught by a true expert in rune formation?] her thought come rushing in her head like a flood.

Cassiopeia’s question sent chills to Raven’s spine as he face her with his eyes wide open in surprise.

“Huh? What are you saying? Runes are just like foreign language except that in this case the words used as runes are ancient language. And a rune formation is a group of ancient words made in a sentence. That’s is why a rune formation is defective if the ancient words or runes used in the formation is wrong or in an incorrect order.” He explained further.

Everyone around them turn their heads toward him in surprise.

[Are you kidding me?! How can he know such thing?] the instructor who decided to listen

[I know that runes and rune formations are very complicated things. Aranx buried that information in my head really bad that I can still remember what he did in order for me to understand every strand of its existence.]

Raven thought then found the hair all over his body standing like pine trees. [Ugh, the memories.]

“Hey I have been listening to you since the beginning because at first you really caught my attention when you said what’s the purpose of the rune formation but now I think you are just out of your mind. And I am not even kidding.” A demi-human student said as he tried to understand what Raven had said so far.

“He’s right, the more you say the more it gets complicated to understand the details.” Another one added.

The students could no longer stay silent after hearing Raven explain the things that even they did not learn. The instructor can tell that the students are surprised because he feels the same way that they do.

Cassiopeia on the other hand stood still lost in her thoughts as she tries to understand the information that Raven told her.

[Is it really possible to learn runes that easy like Raven did did?]

“If you don’t think that I am right then why don’t we wait and see what happens next?” Raven said while flashing a smile at the students around him.

[Wow he really did say that in front of others? Is he not afraid of everyone around him or he is just that confident.] Kate thought as he glance at everyone around her.

Thomas is a little tilted as well since he had a hard time learning the basics of the runes.

[How come someone like him has more knowledge in everything? He is only a commoner and the education between a commoner and a noble is like heaven and earth. But how? How in the world did he acquire such knowledge?] he thought as he glare at Raven.

[If Raven is really knowledgeable about runes than most of the expert rune formation creators then isn’t this an opportunity?]

“Raven can you teach me the basics about runes and rune formations?” Cassiopeia ask with a meek tone.

Raven’s eyes move towards her direction, his eyes glistened as the rays of the sun went thought his eyes.

[So she wants to learn about the basics of runes and rune formation? We’ll it wouldn’t hurt to teach someone what I learned.]

“Of course, it was really hard at first but when you understand the basics you’ll say that ‘What was I even worried about?’ “he said with a flash of smile on his face.

Time seems to have stopped when Raven answered her in such happy tone. His voice rung in their heads like a song that never left their ears for a long time.

[Huh?!]

At that moment the first student started to manipulate his mana to take form. He extended his right hand then a condensed formed at the tips of his fingers. The wind around the area started to gather in a single point beside the illusion pulling everything that could not withstand the force the condensed wind.

*FWOOOSH!*

[So he has a wind mana type, wind mana types have high destructive force so I programmed the rune formation to withstand a wind mana type attack on a high level. Let’s just hope that he pulls of a high destructive power but if he fails, then I am afraid that something bad is about to happen.] the instructor thought as he saw the condensed mana forming beside the illusion that he created.

[This much condensed wind is enough right?] the student thought as he glance at the instructor.

*BOOOM!*

*EXPLOSION!*