CHAPTER 25: MIND GAMES

"If you are here because you think this will be easy, you are already wasting my time."

Without another word, Professor Halric turned and picked up a piece of chalk.

Unlike their previous teachers, he used no magic. He had no floating words or glowing diagrams. Just a line of white scraping against a dusty blackboard.

He wrote the word Enchantment at the top and turned back around.

"Enchantments are magical formulas embedded within physical objects." He began. "They are built to produce effects when activated, powered by either the ambient mana in the environment or directly by the user’s mana."

He paused.

"You carry enchantments every day. The coins you spend? Enchanted. That lantern above your head? Enchanted. Your spell tokens, even the lifts that take you to different floors in certain buildings. Enchantment is what allows magic to persist without a mage present."

Noah nodded slowly. So far, it lined up with what Arlo had shown him earlier.

"However," Halric continued, "unlike spellcraft, enchantment is not about shaping mana in the moment. It is about forethought. Design. Calculation."

He began writing again, symbols and equations that looked nothing like the runes from Spellcasting.

"When enchanting an object, you must consider its material, its size, its structure, the intended effect, the expected duration, the method of activation, the power source, and many little things. Only then can you even begin to inscribe the first formula."

He stepped away from the board, dusting off his fingers.

"That is why most of you will fail this class."

A few students stiffened in their seats.

"Enchantment is slow. Tedious. It takes months to complete a proper array. And most of you are here to fight. To cast spells and awaken skills. Enchanters do not shine on the battlefield."

He folded his hands behind his back again.

"But if you stay... if you commit... this field will reward you in ways combat magic never can."

He listed examples next. Enchanted weapons that ignited on command. Rings that could shield their wearer. Scrolls that stored entire spells for delayed use. Even armor that could boost the speed or strength of the wearer for a few precious seconds.

"Enchanters shape the future." He said. "They create the tools that warriors and nobles rely on. They leave behind legacies in steel, stone, and spellscript."

Noah found himself writing rapidly, eyes fixed to the board as Halric continued.

He didn’t know if he’d walk the path of an enchanter. He didn’t know if he had the patience to work on something for months without seeing any fruits.

But he was ready to learn.

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The enchantment class ended with the sound of benches scraping against the stone floor and groaning students shuffling out of the room.

Noah walked out alongside Arlo, his head feeling like it was about to burst.

The formulas, theories, calculations, it all blurred together in his mind. For all the interest he had in learning everything about this world, enchantment might just be beyond him.

It was just too slow. Too precise. Too technical.

Professor Halric had said most of them wouldn’t return after this semester, and Noah couldn’t help but agree. He wouldn’t waste time mastering something that wasn’t meant for him.

As they stepped out into the sunlight, Arlo stretched his arms with a yawn. "So," he asked casually, "are we heading to the arena now? It’s about time for your duel to start."

Noah chuckled, a low sound in his throat. "The duel already started."

Arlo blinked. "What?"

Noah smirked. "The duel started this morning when Ben came to our table to try to get under my skin before the fight. I’m about to do the same thing to him."

Arlo raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"I’m going to eat." Noah patted his stomach. "A nice, full lunch. While he waits at the arena wondering why I’m late. Let him stew. Let him fume. He’ll be good and irritable by the time I arrive. The kind that’ll let him make mistakes."

Arlo laughed. "That’s devious."

Noah just grinned.

They quickly made their way to the cafeteria. It wasn’t as crowded as earlier, which was strange considering the time. Most of the first years were gone.

Arlo tilted his head, scanning the mostly empty hall. "Looks like they’re all at the arena already. Probably trying to get the best seats."

Noah nodded silently, grabbing a tray of food with Arlo and moving toward their usual table.

Before they could sit, three Stone-tier students approached them.

Noah recognized them. They were from his dorm floor, some of the same ones who had rushed him the night before at Damien’s command.

They stopped a few feet away, looking sheepish.

The tallest of them, a broad-shouldered boy with cropped brown hair, spoke first. "Hey. Uh... Noah."

Noah turned fully to face them.

The boy cleared his throat. "We just... wanted to apologize. For what happened last night."

Another nodded quickly. "We were wrong. Nothing justifies ganging up on someone for a spell token."

The third lowered his head. "We’re sorry."

Noah studied them for a moment, arms folded. Their voices didn’t tremble. There was no mockery in their eyes. Just shame.

He gave a slow nod. "Apology accepted. I understand."

Relief bloomed on their faces, and one of them even smiled faintly.

They nodded again and stepped away, heading for another table.

Noah and Arlo finally sat down with their food.

Arlo leaned over, whispering, "Look at you. Big man of the Stone tier."

Noah didn’t reply right away. Instead, his mind was on those who created a society where those at the bottom had to tear each other down for a single scrap from the high table.

Before the hour was out, he’d be facing one of them.

Ben Stanley.

"They’re not my opponents." He finally said. "They’re simply a product of the environment."

Arlo looked up, brows raised.

"So, if I want to change the people," Noah grinned, the expression savage on his face, "I have to change the environment."