"First time here?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"All right. Your Player card, please."
Max handed it over. She scanned it, and his Academy information appeared on her monitor.
"I see." She checked the rest of his registration. "F-rank. You’re eligible, and the session is covered by your Player benefits."
She returned his card before asking, "What’s your class?"
Max hesitated.
The woman noticed and added, "You can leave that private. We only need to know your combat role and whether you intend to use any dangerous abilities during sparring."
"Close combat," Max answered. "And I’ll inform the instructor before using any skills."
"That’s fine."
She handed him a temporary wristband and directed him toward Hall Three.
Max thanked her and was about to leave when she noticed his gauntlet.
"One more thing. You’ll need to cover those claws."
She pointed him toward the equipment counter, where an attendant provided a padded covering designed for claw-type weapons.
Max fitted it over his gauntlet and tested his fingers. The covering restricted the claws from extending fully, but he could still move his hand comfortably.
Satisfied, he followed the corridor toward Hall Three.
The sounds of fighting grew louder as he approached, accompanied by occasional instructions and the sharp impacts of weapons striking one another.
Max could already hear several students reacting excitedly to something happening inside.
His curiosity grew, and he quickened his steps toward the entrance.
Hall Three was divided into several training rings, with weapon racks against one wall and an elevated platform for the instructors.
About twenty students were scattered around the largest ring. Some stretched or practiced short combinations while others watched a pair already sparring in the center.
His new field boots felt comfortable on the smooth training floor, and he was glad he hadn’t bought any of the heavy armor he’d considered.
"You came."
Max turned toward the familiar voice.
Talia approached from the equipment racks, carrying the shield she’d brought to the shop the day before.
The new reinforcement on the back was clearly visible, and she had exchanged her casual clothes for a dark Academy uniform.
"You said there’d be sparring," Max replied.
"There will. Hale lets new people watch a few matches before he puts them in the ring." She noticed the cover on his gauntlet. "Good. You’ve sorted that out."
She looked around the rest of the hall before saying,
"Come on. You should watch these two."
A tall young man with a wooden spear stood opposite a shorter girl using two blunt practice daggers.
The spearman kept her beyond his reach, forcing her to circle while he adjusted his grip. Whenever she tried closing the distance, the spearhead swept into her path.
The girl was fast. She slipped under one thrust, twisted around another, and nearly reached the spearman’s side before he planted his rear foot and drove the shaft across her path.
THWACK!
The shaft struck her padded shoulder, stopping her advance. She retreated before he could follow up.
"That’s Anton," Talia said. "E-rank Spearman. He’s one of the better students here."
Max watched Anton settle back into position. His movements were measured, and unlike the students Max had seen through the entrance yesterday, he didn’t leave his arms hanging open after attacking.
Even when he missed, the spear returned quickly enough to threaten the girl again.
’He’s good with that thing.’
Then Anton stepped forward and thrust toward the girl’s left shoulder.
Max noticed his rear knee bend a fraction deeper than before.
’He’s going low next.’
The girl deflected the first thrust and rushed forward. Anton shortened his grip, swept the spear toward her ankle, and caught her foot before she could turn.
THUD!
She landed on the mat. Anton lowered his weapon immediately and offered a hand.
"Point to Anton," the instructor called. "Both of you, back in line."
Talia glanced at Max. "What do you think?"
"The dagger user should’ve waited. He was trying to draw her forward."
"You saw that?"
"Yeah, his weight changed before the sweep."
She looked toward Anton, who was putting the spear back on its rack.
"Most people don’t notice that until they’ve taken a few hits from him."
Max shrugged. He’d learned to pay attention to movements like that from the Gate, or maybe it was his instincts at work.
The next pair stepped into the ring, one carrying a broad training sword and the other wearing reinforced gloves.
Max expected another straightforward spar, but the glove user suddenly released a brief gust of wind beneath his feet.
WHOOSH!
He slid sideways and struck toward his opponent’s exposed ribs. The swordsman recovered in time to parry, then used the flat of his blade to shove him back.
The crowd applauded, but Max leaned forward. The wind skill hadn’t lasted long, but it had changed the angle of attack almost instantly. It reminded him of Burst Step, although its movement was much shorter.
’So that’s how other Players use movement skills.’
He kept watching, interested in how the student timed it between ordinary steps rather than using it every time he advanced.
The skill seemed to consume a noticeable amount of mana, and the boy became more conservative after two activations.
There were other abilities too. A Swordsman strengthened his blade with a thin layer of mana, while a defensive-class student briefly hardened his forearms to catch a strike that would otherwise have scored a point.
Max began to understand why the Academy bothered with sparring against different classes.
A monster’s body usually gave away what it could do. A Player might look completely ordinary until a skill changed the fight.
But none of the attacks were particularly difficult for him to follow.
It was strange. These were trained Players, and some of them clearly knew their weapons better than he knew his own gauntlet.
Yet their attacks still gave him more time to react than he was used to having.
’Have I really gotten that much stronger?’
"All right, gather round."
A short broad man with bald hair and a weathered face stepped into the center of the ring and announced. The Instructor.