Professor Catherine raised her hand and summoned a standard combat dummy.
It looked simple at first glance, but Isaac recognized the subtle enhancements from the class textbooks.
It was a modified version with intermediate combat protocols and a thin layer of mana shielding. Sparks flickered over its surface as it activated and took a loose combat stance.
“You can use any skill and weapon you like,” Professor Catherine said. “Don’t hold back. I want to see everything.”
Alice gave a short nod.
She took a breath, then reached into her spatial ring and summoned a massive warhammer.
The head of the weapon hit the ground with a dull thud. Unlike in the Academy, where she mostly relied on her fists due to her old stat limitations, that restriction no longer existed.
She liked fists, but she loved the warhammer. The feeling of the bludgeoning enemies and the satisfying crunch of their broken bones were music to her ears.
She swung it once, testing the weight. Then, without warning, she charged.
The dummy reacted, its arms shifting to block, but Alice’s strike smashed through its guard.
The head of the warhammer cracked against its side, knocking it backward.
Sparks flew, and the mana shield flickered.
Alice followed up with a spin. Her second swing crashed against its midsection.
The ground trembled slightly under the force. She didn’t pause, and quickly activated her Solar Dominion skill.
Light and flames burst from beneath her feet, expanding into a wide, radiant circle. The air shimmered, and a sun-like glow flooded the training area.
The dummy’s shell sizzled as the solar energy burned into it, dealing damage every second.
Her warhammer strikes, now empowered further by the domain, became even more destructive.
Isaac narrowed his eyes. Alice’s every attack was clean, and her strike were timed precisely. Though she seemed to be unable to control her strength well.
Alice moved in again, her body bathed in the light of her own domain.
The next series of attacks landed in brutal, calculated succession. Within seconds, the dummy fell apart, sparking and twitching.
Its shielding shattered. Its arms twisted at unnatural angles.
Alice exhaled and straightened.
Her domain stayed, forty still seconds remaining for it.
She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, then looked over at Professor Catherine.
The professor smiled.
She raised her hand and summoned a basic training sword.
“The dummy is too weak. It couldn’t handle your full strength. So I will be the one fighting now.”
Alice nodded and tightened her grip on the warhammer.
Then she charged.
She wasn’t worried about hurting Professor Catherine. In fact, she was glad for a chance to let loose.
Her warhammer came down with force enough to crater the ground.
Professor Catherine sidestepped it like it was a falling leaf.
Alice twisted, following through with a sideways strike. Professor Catherine leaned back, letting it pass inches from her waist.
Then Alice activated her skills.
Daybreak Incarnate morphed her appearance slightly.
It made her horns bigger and darker. Flames swirled around her arms and weapon, pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat.
Isaac wondered if her appearance would change more as the skill’s level increased.
Heart of the Eternal Sun filled her body with raw unending energy.
Steam rose from her skin and temporarily, she could use her skills without worrying about mana.
Her domain burned majestically, turning the entire area into a burning field of radiant golden flames.
She attacked relentlessly.
Her strikes blurred, crashing against the air like cannon shots. The heat warped the surroundings. Light and fire mixed together.
And yet—
Professor Catherine moved through it all without a scratch.
She dodged almost everything.
When she didn’t dodge, she parried.
Her sword barely moved, yet each motion redirected Alice’s full-strength blows like they were nothing more than practice swings.
The flames didn’t touch her.
The light didn’t blind her.
Nothing landed.
Alice growled and pushed harder. But every technique, every skill, every ounce of power of hers was handled like a joke.
Professor Catherine never used a single skill.
In the end, Alice dropped to one knee. Her breathing was rough and uneven.
Her warhammer leaned against the ground. Steam rose from her arms. Sweat soaked her back.
She looked up at the professor, frustrated stunned, and in awe.
Professor Catherine walked over calmly, unbothered. She crouched slightly, placing a hand on her hip and smiled.
“You fight well,” she said. “You’re just not used to your new stats yet. You’re wasting stamina with every motion, and your coordination’s still off.”
Her tone was soft, almost maternal, unlike when she teased Isaac.
Alice clenched her jaw but said nothing.
Emily stood off to the side, her eyes full of admiration. She looked proud of Professor Catherine and her eyes practically seemed to be saying that this was her auntie.
Isaac, on the other hand, was quiet. He stared at the professor with a serious expression.
’Crazy,’ he thought.
Alice could fight Level 50 to Level 52 Champion rank awakeners and yet she was defeated easily.
“How strong is Professor Catherine really?” he muttered.
A voice whispered near his ear. “Do you really want to know?”
The whisper sent a shiver down his spine. His body tensed. He turned instinctively and saw her.
Professor Catherine stood behind him with a teasing smile.
But he’d just seen her standing next to Alice. He blinked and looked forward again.
She was no longer there.
His gaze darted back. She was definitely behind him now, hands clasped behind her back, upper body tilted slightly forward in a casual lean with a smile.
She tilted her head.
“How about we have a battle in your room?” she said, her voice still teasing. “I’m sure you’d get to see how strong I am. And maybe I could teach you some other nice things too.”
Isaac rolled his eyes, but his gaze involuntarily drifted to Professor Catherine’s captivating figure.
Her full, heavy breasts strained against her tight blouse, drawing his eye with every subtle movement.
Her slender waist flowed into wide, curving hips that swayed enticingly, igniting a fierce, burning desire in Isaac’s core.
He blinked when he realized what he was thinking and looked away.
’I need to learn how to control these instincts,’ he thought.
Professor Catherine’s smile remained playful.
But fortunately she hadn’t notice his gaze, or decided to ignore it.
Then she added, “By the way, you were able to follow our fight from start to finish. That’s impressive. You must have a high Constitution stat… and strong Spirit Power, too.”
He didn’t reply.
He didn’t need to. She was already walking away, back toward Alice.
Alice finally got back to her feet, wiping the sweat from her face. Professor Catherine clapped once and turned to the rest of the group.
“Okay,” she said, her tone shifting back to professional, “I’ve got the gist of your abilities now.”
She glanced at the students standing nearby.
“Now we’ll start the actual class.”
Her gaze lingered on Alice for a moment before she spoke again.
“First, Alice your biggest mistake when we fought earlier was that you didn’t use any affinities.”
Alice nodded.
Professor Catherine gave a small smile and turned to the others. “For Isaac and Emily’s sake, I’ll explain affinities since they haven’t been taught about them yet.
“Affinities are elemental attunements that allow you to interact with mana in specific ways. From Level 1 to Level 5, the effects are internal, and can be used within your body only. Each affinity enhances different aspects of your body.”
She paused, letting that sink in, then looked at Alice again.
“What are your affinities?”
“Solar Fire, Fire, and Light.”
Professor Catherine nodded. “Hmm. It’s a good combination. If you had activated Fire, your strength would’ve increased. With Light, your speed would’ve gotten a boost.
“And Solar Fire… well, that would’ve enhanced your healing, your strength, and your speed all at once.”
She paced slowly in front of the group as she continued, “Solar Fire is a composite affinity. A rare one, too. It’s a mixture of Holy, Fire, and Light affinities. It heals, purifies curses and poison, increases your power and speed. The affinity is very useful, but also harder to level up.”
Alice gave a small nod. Her eyes were calm. She already knew most of this.
Professor Catherine turned her attention to Isaac next.
“Alice must’ve told you about her stats. When you watched her fight, what did you notice?”