Chapter 100: Jax’s Growth

The training ground of Astralis Arcanum buzzed with energy. Students whispered among themselves, their excitement barely contained after Zane had announced he would be teaching them a technique.

But instead of starting immediately, Zane raised his voice . His deep voice carried easily over the chatter.

“Before I teach you the technique, I want all of you to take a checkup test. Repeat what you did before—strike the special training doll—and let’s see the results of your training so far.”

A wave of murmurs spread through the students.

At the edge, Maera Stormheart’s beastlike ears twitched as she frowned. I don’t know if those two training exercises even made a noticeable difference in me…

The enchanted training dummy was brought out, the same one as last time. Zane walked over and snapped his fingers , weaving enchantments onto it with ease. The faint glow of magic spread across the doll’s body as he stepped back.

“Alright,” he said simply. “Do it.”

The first student stepped forward—a boy wearing reinforced gauntlets. His steps were hesitant but determined. He stopped before the dummy and clenched his fists, memories of his previous humiliation flashing back. Back then, even with all his might, his strike hadn’t made the dummy budge.

This time, he closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath, and poured mana into his gauntlets. A faint hum echoed as the gauntlets lit with energy.

“Haaah!”

He threw his punch with everything he had.

Thump!

Crack!

The sound rang out across the field. A visible crack spread along the dummy where his fist had landed.

Gasps exploded among the students.

“He… cracked it?”

“Last time he didn’t even make it shake!”

“No way…”

The boy himself staggered back, staring at his fist in disbelief. His eyes widened as the realization sank in. My power… it feels almost double from before!

He hadn’t advanced in rank. He hadn’t gained a new technique. But his strength had undeniably grown.

Zane smirked faintly at the reactions. Good. That’s the difference between useless training and the right foundation.

Excitement swept through the ranks. Even Ron, Lia, Selene, and Jax exchanged glances, their competitive spirits sparking alive. Maera clenched her fists tighter, her earlier doubt replaced with anticipation.

And the five who had been lagging behind—those who had only just passed the first exercise—now stared at the cracked dummy with blazing determination. If other students could improve this much, then so could they.

The atmosphere of the training ground shifted. What had been routine practice just moments ago had turned into a charged proving ground, every student eager to test their progress.

The cracked section of the training dummy shimmered faintly before knitting itself back together, Zane’s enchantments restoring it to its original state.

One by one, students stepped forward. Warriors swung weapons, blades glowing faintly with mana, while mages unleashed controlled bursts of spells. Each strike, each spell, landed harder than they expected. Their strength hadn’t just grown—it had multiplied.

Even the stronger students—Ron, Lia, Maera, Selene—found their movements sharper, cleaner. Their blows struck with more weight, their spells flared brighter, their synergy tighter than before.

A ripple of excitement coursed through the group as every result reaffirmed what the training had done for them.

Then it was Jax Harl’s turn.

He swaggered toward the training dummy, a grin tugging at his lips. “Let’s go, baby…”

In one smooth motion, he rolled out his twin guns, crossing his arms in a wide, dramatic pose before lowering into stance—one that looked flashy, almost cocky, but undeniably focused.

He began gathering mana. The barrels thrummed with energy, faint red light spilling out as he channeled power into them.

One second.

Two seconds.

By the fifth second, both tips glowed bright crimson.

“Ricochet Hex: Incinerate.”

A small, fiery-red magic circle bloomed at the muzzles. From it, two bead-sized bullets of condensed mana fired outward.

They cut through the air—then, mid-flight, the two bullets twisted, pulled into each other, merging into a single orb. The mana swelled, growing to the size of a man’s palm, then larger, until it expanded into a blazing sphere.

It slammed into the dummy’s chest.

BOOM!

The explosion rang out like a thunderclap. Flames surged, heat washing over the field. When the smoke cleared, a gaping hole the size of a basketball burned through the dummy’s chest, the edges still glowing faintly red as if seared by molten iron.

The students gasped in shock.

Jax lowered his guns, blinking at the smoking result. His jaw dropped.

“Holy shit…!” he blurted, eyes wide. “That was… that was almost three times stronger than before!”

The other students stared at him in disbelief, while Zane simply smirked at the display, arms folded as if he’d already expected the outcome.

Jax walked back from the dummy, a wide grin still plastered across his face. The smoking hole he’d left behind was already knitting back together as Zane’s enchantment restored the target.

Ron immediately stepped up beside him, eyes wide.

“Damn, bro… how did your power increase this much?”

Jax smirked, tilting his head smugly.

“Maybe I’m the most talented, huh?”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah… keep dreaming.”

Jax chuckled, though a trace of honest confusion crossed his face. “But seriously… even I don’t know why my power shot up like that.”

The dummy shimmered and solidified back into perfect form, ready for the next test.

One by one, the remaining students stepped forward, striking, slashing, and casting. Each test revealed growth—some minor, some dramatic—but every result pushed the excitement higher.

Zane, however, wasn’t paying attention to just the spectacle. His sharp eyes lingered on Jax, watching the boy’s casual smirk, the faint glow still flickering at the edges of his guns.

Hmm… Jax’s mana output has increased far more than the others. Since his match with Arin, his growth has been steady… but this jump is much higher than others .

He folded his arms, thoughtful.

It is connected to his mana syndrome. His circulation and control were far weaker compared to Ron, Selene, or Lia. But with this training forcing refinement, that bottleneck cracked wide open. And he improved at a rate far beyond them.

A faint smirk tugged at Zane’s lips.

If I only consider raw mana output… this brat might just be the most talented among them. Even more than Lia , Selene or Ron.

By the time the twentieth student finished their strike, the air around the training ground buzzed with excitement. Cracks, scorch marks, and shockwaves had come and gone, only for the enchanted dummy to restore itself again and again. The results were undeniable—everyone had grown stronger.

The five who had only just managed to pass the first exercise stood at the edge, itching to prove themselves, but Zane hadn’t called them yet. Instead, they clenched their fists tighter, eyes burning with determination. Just watching the others was enough fuel—they had to catch up.

Zane let the murmur of voices settle before he finally spoke, his tone steady but carrying across the field.

“Alright. You’ve seen it yourselves—the results of your training. And remember, this isn’t even the full effect yet.”

That earned another ripple of whispers, wide eyes and excited looks flashing between the students.

Zane raised a hand, silencing them.

“Now. All twenty-five of you—divide yourselves. Mages to the left, warriors to the right.”

There was a shuffle of movement. Selene immediately crossed over to the mage group, where glowing staff users and casters began to gather. On the opposite side, Maera, Ron, Lia, and the other weapon users lined up with disciplined steps.

Within moments, the students had formed two clear groups: thirteen mages on the left, twelve warriors on the right.

Jax, however, had followed Selene halfway, falling into step beside her.

Before he could blend in, Zane’s voice cut across the ground.

“Not you, Jax.”

Jax froze, blinking. “Huh?”

Zane’s gaze sharpened. “You’re neither mage or a warrior. You fall in between both so stand in between.”

For a moment, Jax just stared, awkwardness flickering across his face. Then, with a sheepish scratch of his head, he shuffled to the empty space between both groups. Standing there alone, halfway in the middle, the difference felt strange.

From the warriors’ side, Ron couldn’t hold it in. A snicker slipped out, his shoulders shaking as he muttered, “Pfft…good for you, bro.”

Jax shot him a glare, clearly irritated, but the smirk on Ron’s face only widened.

.

.

.

Zane folded his arms, eyes scanning the two groups. “Alright, listen carefully. I am going to teach each of you a technique designed for your specific role in battle.”

He turned slightly toward the mages. “For you, it’s a mana-calming technique called Tranquil Veil. Master this, and you will have control over your emotions and increasing your efficiency in combat.”

Then his gaze shifted to the warriors. “And for you, it’s a mana-focusing technique called Iron Pulse. It is a very good technique for all of you warriors to learn, it will help you in focusing your strikes.”

A few hands shot up immediately. One student, curiosity burning in her eyes, called out, “Professor… but I’ve never heard of these techniques before. Are they common anywhere?”

Zane’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “Of course you haven’t. These are my original creations.”

He paused for a moment, glancing inwardly at the memory of his own training. I developed these when I first started practicing martial arts. For me, they were basic, foundational techniques… but for them, it’ll be considered high-level skills. If they master them properly, and they’ll gain a significant edge on the battlefield.

The students exchanged glances, a mix of excitement and awe rippling through both groups. The air felt charged—everyone knew they were about to learn something truly unique.

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