55 Opening Of The Martial Hall
“Since all of you will be taking your first Practical Trials in a few weeks, I have decided to impart to you a simple and effective spell that will help you in more ways than one,” Professor Lionel said as he gazed at the First Years inside the Training Ground.
“Those who are aiming to become Magic Knights may already know this spell,” Professor Lionel added. “But for those who don’t know, today is your lucky day.”
The Knightly Professor then took out his magic sword and held it in front of him.
“Amplifico!”
Professor Lionel’s body briefly glowed before he gave everyone a calm gaze.
“Amplifico is the name of the spell that boosts your strength, stamina, flexibility, as well as overall body performance,” Professor Lionel explained. “However, it doesn’t increase your Mana Capacity, or the strength of your spell. It is more of a physical boost than a magical one.
“But, remember this. Just saying the name of the spell won’t trigger its effects. You need to have a clear picture of what you want to have happen inside your head. If you only think of increasing your speed, only your speed will increase. If you just want to be stronger, only your physical strength will increase.
“In order to maximize this spell, you need to envision yourself to become strong in all aspects. Strength, Speed, Flexibility, Stamina. Of course, this spell can also enhance your thinking capacity, allowing you to multitask. But, don’t worry about multi-tasking for now because this is an advanced ability.”
Professor Lionel then waved his hand and dozens of straw dummies appeared in front of him.
“Now, let’s see how much potential you can squeeze out from your bodies.” Professor Lionel grinned. “All of you will punch one of these straw dolls, and the strength of your attack will be displayed from 1 to 1000. This will give you an idea of how much your physical abilities are boosted with the help of the spell, Amplifico. Now, let’s start!”
One by one, the First Years all punched the straw dolls, getting various results.
To everyone’s surprise, the one that got the highest score in the test was Ethan, who was very accustomed to physical labor since he helped his grandparents on their farm.
The straw doll had calculated that his punching power was at 230, while the next strongest was only at 150, which was done by Nicole.
Although she didn’t originally apply for the Martial Arts Training Classes, Chloe decided to add the course to her schedule, so that she could spend more time with Ethan during the weekdays.
Also, she wanted to know a bit of self defense because she understood that even though Ethan would be her partner during their missions, having no means to defend herself aside from magic was a lesson she learned during the Initiation Ceremony.
Chloe’s punch was at around 80, which made the young lady very disappointed.
When everyone had their turn, Professor Lionel asked everyone to use the spell Amplifico and punch the Straw Doll again.
This time, Nicole’s result jumped to 400, while Chloe’s punch rose to 250.
Ethan had also used the spell and punched the doll one more time. However, his new record was only 240, which was ten points lower than Chloe’s.
“Well, don’t feel bad about it,” Professor Lionel commented. “Clearly, the spell didn’t activate. If it did, you’d have at least doubled the score.”
Chloe, who had beaten Ethan in the exam, had a smug look on her face.
“Hahaha! It looks like I’m stronger than you now,” Chloe said as he made a gesture to jab at Ethan, making the latter smile bitterly.
“Yes, yes, you’re very strong.” Ethan sighed in his heart. “It’s good to know that my partner in the Practical Exam is this strong. I feel a lot safer now.”
“Mmm!” Chloe nodded. “Don’t worry. Just leave everything to me. I’ll finish our mission in a flash!”
The young lady suddenly felt that she could do anything with her newfound strength. However, just as everyone was feeling pleased with their results, Professor Lionel cleared his throat, catching everyone’s attention.
“Do all of you remember the Initiation Ceremony?” Professor Lionel asked. “The Zombie, that is the Boss of that Dungeon has a striking power of 500. Take note that these test dummies are only for Beginners.
“There are more advanced straw dolls that could measure up to 100,000 points, which are used by the Magical Knights, as well as Battle Mages to test their physical prowess. So, if you think that you are already strong enough to punch any monster that you see, think again.
“That monster’s physical power might be greater than yours, which might lead to an early death if you are not careful.”
Professor Lionel wanted everyone to survive their upcoming Trials, so he shared this basic body strengthening spell to them. As the Martial Arts Instructor of the First Years, it was his duty to ensure that they at least knew how to boost their physical abilities, which would help them finish their missions.
Every year, there were many First Years that returned to the Academy with serious injuries because they had overestimated themselves. Although Magic was a very powerful tool, it was not absolute. 𝞸𝔳𝗅xt.𝓒𝒪𝓂
There were many monsters that have immunities to certain spells, and elements. If the student happened to specialize in one of the spells that had no effect on Monsters, their chances of beating them nearly dropped down to zero.
This was why the Martial Arts Training Classes were given to the First Years, so that they could better prepare themselves for unexpected surprises.
“I have good news for all of you. After our many days of training, I have finally decided to take the next step of your Martial Arts Training,” Professor Lionel declared. “Tomorrow, the Martial Hall will open. There are countless Martial Arts and Self Defense Techniques that can be found there.
“You are free to choose one Martial Arts technique that you can practice at your leisure. If the technique that you chose didn’t seem to fit your style, you can swap it for any other form of Martial Arts.”
At that moment, Ethan raised his hand in order to ask a question.
“Go on, Ethan.” Professor Lionel nodded.
“Professor, is there a way to find the right Martial Arts for us?” Ethan asked. “Like the method of finding the right wand for Wizards and Witches?”
Professor Lionel smirked after hearing Ethan’s question.
“Good question,” Professor Lionel replied. “Just like how Wizards and Witches find the right wand for them, the same can be said for Martial Arts. Those who have graduated from the Academy have even combined several Martial Arts together, forming their own style, which matches their preference.
“Unlike finding Wands, there will be no Wand Master to teach you how to find what fits your style the most. But, you can tell the Martial Director what kind of weapons you like to use, or if you are looking for a particular Martial Arts. He will help you find those scrolls inside the Martial Hall.
“Just remember this. Avoid becoming a Jack of All Trades. While having multiple fighting styles is good, don’t try to learn all of them. This will only diminish your fighting prowess, especially those who are aiming to become Magical Knights.
“As for those who don’t want to be Magical Knights and Battle Mages, I propose that you look for the Self Defense Techniques in the Martial Hall. Creating barriers and binding spells are also the tried and tested methods to fight against people in close quarters.
“To those who have already formed teams, it is also a good idea to synchronize your techniques with each other. Only those who prefer to go Solo, don’t need to have matching Martial Techniques that will empower all of its members.”
Professor Lionel then summoned more Straw Dolls, giving one to each student to practice on.
“For the duration of our class, I want you all to practice using the spell Amplifico,” Professor Lionel stated. “The three who have the highest results will get 100 Merit Points each! So, do your best everyone!”
After hearing the generous rewards of 100 Merit Points, the First Years once again shifted their attention to mastering the spell that boosts their overall physical performance.
Ethan looked at his straw doll with a resigned look on his face, and punched it repeatedly.
Since he still couldn’t use Magic at this point in time, he vented his frustration on the punching bag in front of him.
Although his punches got stronger with each strike, he was still fifth to the last student, who had the lowest results when the class ended.