Serum

"Hey! How did you do that?"

After Dirk returned to his father and sister, Rita exclaimed and pointed to the table he came from. Dirk shrugged nonchalantly.

"I just fed it with mana."

"And do you not feel tired at all?"

"It took most of my energy, but not enough to make me pass out."

"...Well that's insane. I know you're only a tier 1, but..."

"Your sister was only able to get a 9 on her test, and it took everything she had."

After snapping out of his surprise, Ryker spoke. 

"The minimum to pass is 5, and that's also where a significant portion of students land. I would say that 60% of students land between 5 and 6. The rest are dispersed between 7 and 9. Only the topmost can reach 10. Even then though, it's not guaranteed to see someone reach 10 every year. We might see a few in a 10 year timespan. I didn't expect you to be able to reach it. Good job."

Ryker patted his son's shoulder. Meanwhile, Dirk was surprised about how difficult it was to get a 10. Also, he was surprised by the fact that he still had energy. If he really pushed himself, he might be able to go to an 11 or 12. This made him wonder if reaching 10 was actually that impressive. He couldn't believe that people would have such a hard time getting a high number. He had passed number 6 with but a thought, only utilizing his technique to push higher. 

Despite having achieved something impressive though, Dirk didn't think much of it. He knew how far away he was from someone like his father. His mother was the same. Dirk was still a weak, helpless child. He wouldn't get an inflated ego just because of a small success like this. 

When Ryker saw that his son didn't even get a bit excited over his impressive feat, he chuckled a bit and shook his head before walking over to the man at the table. After an exchange of words, the man handed Ryker the sheet with Dirk's evaluation on it. 

"Alright, we're done here. Congratulations, Dirk. You are now an official student of the Academy of Magic. I've already entered you into your classes, and all your school items are at your new residence. How about we head over there?"

Saying that, Ryker turned and led the three out of the gymnasium. 

After walking a bit, they came upon an area to the side of the school. This place had large rectangular buildings that looked not unlike apartments. They were rather nice and tidy. Of course, everything that Dirk saw in the academy was nice. It seemed like a very rich school, and the fact that it was in the capital meant it was likely one of the richest institutions in the entire empire. 

The three didn't stop at these apartment buildings though and walked past them toward a plot of land with many small houses on it. Each house was two stories tall, but they weren't very wide. Despite being two stories, it only seemed like enough for a few people. 

They walked down a road for a bit before stopping at one of the average houses. It didn't look that outstanding compared to the others, but it also wasn't shabby in the slightest. 

"Remember where this is, because this here is your new residence. These are the nicest places in the academy besides the teacher and staff houses. You'll be living here alone for the foreseeable future. Of course, that isn't to say that nobody can visit. Come on."

Ryker introduced the house before walking inside. Dirk and Rita followed, and they took a tour of the place.

The first floor didn't have any walls, looking like a studio apartment. There was a table and two chairs for dining, a standard kitchen, and a living space with a couch. Then there was a staircase leading up to the second floor and one leading down into some kind of basement. The three looked around before heading up. 

The second floor held a hallway with two doors. The main bedroom was simple. There was a bed, a bathroom, a nightstand with a clock on it, and a closet for clothes. It was rather empty with no decorations or unnecessary items, but Dirk found it nice. He wasn't one for fancy things anyway. As for the second bedroom, it was basically identical. Dirk would only be using as extra space though.

Then, the three headed back down and went into the basement. The door leading into the basement was metal and much more secure than even the front door to the house. While it was already unlocked, Ryker explained to him that it used a magic code to open and that he could set the code later. 

Entering the basement, Dirk was greeted with a dense mana environment. The room had nothing in it, not even a chair. Ryker explained its desolation.

"This is a place where you can come to meditate and practice magic. And, should you get into alchemy, enchanting, or smithing, you can get tools and stations to put in here. Think of this as a magic workshop for all your magical needs."

Dirk nodded. The mana in this room was nice, and while he didn't really need it right now, he was sure it could help him in the future. Forming his first Mana Heart required dense mana, so this room would help with that. As for whether he would pursue any of these crafting professions, he would have to think about it. 

"Now, a few things you need to know. You'll have to take yourself to classes every day. As for food and supplies, they'll be delivered to you every 5 days. I've already arranged for you to be brought meats and other foods. I guess now's the time where you also need to learn how to cook. Cooking is an important skill to know. As for visitors, anybody can come or go at any time. The academy doesn't monitor your every action. However, as your father, please exercise self-control when it comes to girls. You're going to hit puberty soon and I know how tempting it can be to bring a girl back home, especially when you live alone. But until you're an adult, I don't want you getting into any relationships, at least not any serious ones. Magic comes first, understood?"

"Yes sir."

Dirk answered dully. Was he really getting the talk? Self control wasn't an issue for him. He could keep raging hormones in check. After all, he had to do it in the supersoldier program. 

However, since the topic was brought up, Dirk thought about it a bit more. What was a relationship like? He had never gotten involved with anyone before, and liking someone was a foreign concept to him. Even Ava was just a friend. What if he started to like someone? What did it feel like to have someone that liked you? Dirk was curious, but also apprehensive. He didn't forget that he was only 12 here. Getting into a relationship with anyone his age would be weird for him. 

Dirk pondered, but he didn't let it show on his poker face. Seeing him respond so bluntly, Ryker smiled. 

"Anyway, that's the housing situation. Here's the keys. Keep them in a safe place, and don't give them to anyone. You're actually only getting this house because your mother said you could handle the responsibility. Usually I would have you put into a dorm with one or two others. Oh! That reminds me. I have a certain rule that all your siblings abide by at the academy."

Remembering something, Ryker spoke seriously. Dirk straightened subconsciously.

"In the academy, there's going to be many conflicts. They can be political, verbal, or physical. This place is one of competition, so fighting is only natural. However, there are a few people who will wield the statuses of their parents or teachers to oppress others. None of my children are going to be one of those people. So, I don't care what happens, you will not use my name or the Strider family name as you please. You will solve your own conflicts by your own power. The only time when you can use my name is when you are in mortal danger, but even then my name won't necessarily be a valid option to use. Do you understand this rule?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, this rule also comes with its perks. Because your father has a high status as a Marquess, you don't need to worry about bowing down to those very kids who attempt to wield their status. Again, you solve conflicts by your own power, and there's nothing that can stop you from fairly beating someone. Basically, I'm solving all the political conflicts automatically. You only need to worry about the physical and verbal ones. Alright, enough of that. Let me take you on a tour through the school. Tomorrow there's an entrance ceremony, and you'll also need to know where your classes are."

Saying that, Ryker spun around and left the house. Dirk and Rita followed, and they went on to explore all the various facilities throughout the school. 

First, Ryker took him to all of his classes. This year, Dirk was enrolled in 5 classes. The first was general education where they taught him things like history, advanced mathematics, world studies, and more. The second was his body refining class where they were taught combat arts and trained to increase their stamina and endurance. After that, there was one class for each of Dirk's Dark, Earth, and Fire elements. He would be learning spells and rune theory in those classes. They would also serve as time to accumulate mana and train one's technique. 

These classes took up a lot of his day. From 9 am to 7 pm he would be in classes, totaling 9 hours of class time and 1 for a lunch break. 

This was a pretty long time to be in class, but Dirk didn't really mind. He wanted to learn the things they were teaching. Plus, this still left him with enough time to workout before and after class. As for training his mana technique, he could do that throughout the day and just before he went to sleep. 

After some thinking, Dirk was able to revise his daily schedule and pleasantly found that he could maintain the things he'd been doing. And since he had already finished destroying the skin of his hands and feet, he didn't need to worry about being partially disabled. He could continue doing destruction cycles and simply deal with the pain it would cause.

'That reminds me, I gotta move on to my legs and finish off my upper body. After that though... I'll need to do my head and face. That's not going to be fun, but oh well.'

Dirk shook his head at the inevitable scene he would cause. He couldn't get out of destroying anything, and the last things he needed to do were the lower body and the skin from his neck up. For the lower body, he would have to deal with the skin on his butt being destroyed for a while. That would hurt when sitting, but at least it was hidden. But his face? He would go bald and look like a hideous monster for a few weeks. He couldn't avoid it though. All he could do was either get a mask or only do one half of his face at a time. 

After Ryker took Dirk to his classes, he moved on to some other facilities. The first place was an arena, and it was a coloseum-like building that students could battle in. Apparently, the school held tournaments every 6 months for student rankings. Each class would fight amongst themselves, forming something of a hierarchy. It was the most participated-in event in the school, and there was no lack of students wishing to test their skills and rise on the leaderboard. 

After they toured the colosseum, they went on to the magic pyramid. In this pyramid, students could go and look at all kinds of different spell books, practice runes, practice spells, or simply meditate in peace. The place was a literal pyramid where the higher you went, the higher the mana density. Just the bottom layer held mana as dense as the one in Dirk's magic workshop at his house. While he couldn't go higher, both Ryker and Rita assured him that it was many times denser up there. Ryker had even been to the top, and he said it felt like swimming in a pool of liquid mana. 

In the pyramid were also some rooms and open 'firing ranges'. These rooms and ranges could be used to test one's spells and techniques on test dummies. Then there was the library with many magical books, and meditation rooms where one could get absolute peace and quiet. Ryker said that people often used those rooms to advance in Tiers since they couldn't be distracted. You could also hold a single room for up to two months at a time.

Lastly, Ryker brought Dirk to the Halls of Artisans. This place was the center of all magical production in the academy. All enchanting, forging, and alchemy took place here, and as soon as they entered, Dirk was hit with a wave of magical elements and boisterous yelling. 

"Hey! I need two iron ingots and a bucket for oil! And when I find who took my bucket, I'm gonna roast their ass in my furnace!"

"Where are my herbs?! You! Get me three spiked leaves right now! I've got 73 seconds before this pot explodes!"

"Somebody please tell me where the damned tongs are!"

"How about you just pull the metal out with your bare hands! Ya dimwit!"

"Ah! Who the hell took my lucky pair of goggles?!"

Dirk was stunned as he saw people shooting between dozens of different rooms. On the right side of the hall, he could feel heavy heat and see black smoke seeping between doors. On the left, he could smell dozens of different herbal scents and see white smoke seeping between doors. The contrast between the two sides of the hall was painfully obvious. 

"Welcome to the Hall of Artisans. Everyone pursuing one of the crafts goes here to practice and produce. On one side you have the alchemists, and the other is the blacksmiths. In the back are the enchanters, but there are less of them since enchanting is rather difficult. The two sides coexist in a strange harmony of understanding and trade. They are divided into two different factions, but the two sides trade what they make very often. The alchemists give the blacksmiths many potions, and the blacksmiths give out many forged goods like weapons or armor or whatever else is made. This helps both of them output more and promote something of an economy. It's not easy getting into one of the factions, but it is definitely worth it. Artisans can make good money, and many artisans have the ability to simply make what they need, saving them lots of money as well. I think you should try your hand at it next year."

Ryker introduced the place and recommended Dirk to it. Dirk just looked around for a long while. He wondered why it was so chaotic instead of quiet and orderly. Didn't people have to concentrate while crafting? Why were people yelling for last second things? He also could've sworn that he saw a teenager run out of a room with a boiling pot of... something. Did he seriously leave his station mid-way? 

"...Dad. Why is everyone going crazy?"

Dirk asked the question on his mind.

"Because it helps develop concentration. One needs to be able to adapt to things on the fly, and if you get easily disturbed, you won't be able to go far in your craft. You have to be able to operate in all kinds of situations. Like that boy who left his station with his solution halfway boiled. He needed materials, and didn't have anyone to rely on, so he simply brought the pot that he couldn't take his eyes off of to the warehouse where the herbs are. Granted, he probably should've done better preparations, but then again, who knows if this is his fourth go at it? Maybe he ran out of only one herb and didn't realize it while he was focusing. But he was able to think of a quick solution, and that batch may not necessarily be a failure. Quick thinking is a precious skill. This helps hone that."

"..."

Dirk stayed silent as he deliberated on whether or not he agreed with the methodology. Quick wit was indeed precious, and he guessed that this would indeed help train that. Still though, he was baffled by how chaotic it all was. Though, it also looked kind of fun. He made a mental note to check out the crafts in the future. 

"Anyway, keep this place in mind for the future. Although you probably won't be able to do alchemy very well since you don't have the water attribute, you should be able to do forging."

'...I'll scratch alchemy off my mental note then.'

Dirk shrugged helplessly. 

The three left the Hall of Artisans soon after talking a bit more. For the most part, Ryker had given Dirk a pretty thorough tour. He wouldn't even be stepping foot into some of the places until next year. This year, he just needed to stick to his classes and build up his foundation more. That was the main purpose of the first year in the academy. 

Eventually, Ryker took Dirk back to his residence and left. Rita though decided to take him to her place so he knew where it was. There, he ate lunch and talked with Rita about the years they hadn't seen each other. 

Rita had matured a lot. While she was still a pretty happy go lucky person, Dirk could tell by her demeanor that she had grown up quite a bit. That's what it took though to wield more power. However, when Rita started talking about her experiences with dungeon diving, Dirk got interested. 

"You remember the dungeons you read about in school right?"

Rita asked as she twirled a glass of water. The glass was levitating above her hand while her Dark mana coddled it. Dirk nodded to her. 

"I do."

"Good. Don't forget them, because you're going to be visiting plenty. Your first year here will be teaching you all about applied magic, general essential knowledge, and how to fight. Basically, they're preparing you for the coming years. Next year is the first year where you'll finally fight and kill something. In fact, there's an initiation ceremony where everyone has to take the life of a monster with their own skills. From then on, you have the option to enter the dungeons and fight real monsters. There, you'll be able to gain combat experience, collect loot, make money, and so on. It's very popular since everyone needs to make money, and that's both the easiest and hardest way to do it."

"Interesting... Do you dungeon dive?"

Dirk asked curiously. He was definitely interested in the dungeons.

"Yes, I dungeon dive. I actually have a party that I dive with. We've been working together for 2 years now. In the team, I'm the magic caster. I can apply various curses to monsters and deal direct damage. I gotta say though, I honestly regret not taking your offer to work out when we were kids. I've gotten injured several times simply because I wasn't flexible or nimble enough. Or when we would need to run away, I would quickly lose stamina. That's why I've been working on that void walking magic you saw me do. It's a great way to move without consuming lots of stamina. Seriously a real life saver. I've gotten better though. Anyway, I'm sure you'll be dungeon diving too, and I just want you to be mentally prepared for it. Though, there's also something else I should warn you about."

Rita spoke seriously.

"You need to think carefully about how you develop your combat ability, who you meet, and what you do with your skills. While the academy encourages us to fight in the dungeons, that's only to hone our skills. Remember that we live in an empire, and the empire wants talented people working for them, killers or otherwise. Ethan chose a life in the military, and soon enough, he's going to be on a battlefield somewhere fighting actual people. Many people in the academy choose that life because they have nothing else to do when they leave. I just need you to understand that the academy is yet another bubble like the school we went to. You'll eventually have to decide whether you want to live a life of killing monsters or people. Both are dangerous and have their struggles. But I don't want you getting sucked into one without you knowing it. Alright?"

"I understand."

Dirk nodded solemnly, though inwardly he was smiling bitterly. How could he not understand that wars were fought, and nations wanted talented killers? He definitely understood far more about that reality than Rita did.