Chapter 84: Jax and Ron

The Astralis Arcanum training ground still shimmered faintly with morning dew, the soft light of the rising sun casting long shadows across the stone tiles. A faint hum of mana lingered in the air, the residue of dozens of students straining to bend rocks to their will.

Zane stood at the front, arms loosely crossed, his sharp gaze sweeping across the class. He could see the clear gap between the students already. Some wobbled their stones in awkward, uneven motions. Others struggled so hard that their rocks hadn’t moved an inch.

Selene Raynhart, however, sat calmly in lotus position, her brow slightly furrowed. A faint glow enveloped her stone as it hovered steadily above her palm. It wobbled once or twice, but her concentration held firm. She wasn’t flawless yet, but her control was already above most.

Zane gave a single, sharp clap that drew every pair of eyes toward him.

“Now,” he said, voice carrying across the open ground, “finally… aside from a handful of you, most have at least managed to make your rock float.”

Some students let out a sigh of relief. Others gave each other proud nods. The five who had failed entirely shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

Zane’s eyes narrowed slightly. “The five of you who couldn’t even lift the rock… you will continue. You will not stop until it floats. No excuses.” His tone was flat, final.

The unlucky five grimaced, already resigning themselves to another round of frustration.

Then Zane turned to the larger group. His presence alone demanded their attention. “The rest of you—twenty in total—you’re moving to the next stage.”

The students straightened, tension and curiosity filling the air.

Zane’s gaze swept across the rows of students. Then he raised his hand and spoke, his voice sharp enough to cut through the murmurs.

“Split into pairs. One mage, one warrior.”

Confused looks passed between the students, but they obeyed quickly, shuffling into twos. Lia ended up next to Selene, while Ron paired with Jax. Maera found herself beside another mage from the class.

Zane lifted his hand, and with a sharp snap of his fingers, the ground trembled. Thud. A solid rock, about half the height of an average student, pushed itself up from the dirt. It wasn’t enormous, but its weight felt through the ground, clear enough to make some students tense up.

“That,” Zane said, pointing casually at the enormous rock, “is your second training. Teamwork. Your job—together—lift and carry that boulder.”

As if one wasn’t enough, he waved his hand lazily. Boom. Boom. Boom. More boulders erupted from the ground, each settling heavily into place. Then, without hesitation, he traced his finger through the air. A string of glowing runes appeared around the stones, etching themselves across their surfaces in flowing lines of light.

The students froze, eyes wide. Even Selene’s lips parted in disbelief.

“This is… ridiculous,” she muttered under her breath. “How can he enchant them that fast?”

The glowing runes pulsed once, then dimmed, leaving faint traces of magic embedded in the boulders. Zane dusted his hands off like it was nothing.

“Now, listen carefully,” he said, his tone turning sharp again. “Mages—you work from the inside. Warriors—you hold the outer field. If either side fails, the rock drops.” His gaze hardened. “And if it drops—you run twenty laps. No whining.”

Silence fell across the students. Some swallowed nervously, others clenched their fists in determination. The weight of the challenge was clear.

Each pair sat cross-legged on the ground, the enchanted boulders resting between them, faint runes still humming. The training ground quieted, save for the low rustle of robes and shifting boots as students settled.

Zane stood at a distance, arms crossed, his sharp gaze sweeping across all of them like a hawk waiting for prey to falter.

Among the pairs, Ron sat down opposite Jax. For a moment, silence hung between them—until Ron scratched his cheek awkwardly and finally spoke.

“Umm… hi. You’re Jax, right?”

Jax smirked, leaning back slightly. “Why are you being so awkward, dude? Relax.”

Ron blinked, taken aback by his casual tone.

Then Jax’s smile widened. “Well, I didn’t get the chance to say it before, but—your fight with Arin was amazing. Serves him right.”

Ron froze, then felt a grin tug at the corner of his lips. For the first time since sitting down, his shoulders relaxed.

“You think so…?”

“Of course,” Jax said with a shrug, like it was obvious. “Everyone could see it.”

Ron gave a small chuckle. “Hah… thanks. Honestly, I didn’t think you were a mage.”

Ron tilted his head, frowning slightly. “Wait… you’re not a mage?”

Jax chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not. I’m a hybrid warrior. And…” he glanced at Zane, who was watching from afar with that unreadable expression, “…Professor Creed seems to know that already.”

Ron’s brows furrowed. “Hybrid?”

“Yeah,” Jax said, leaning forward, his tone dropping just a little. “When I was born, I had something called mana syndrome.”

At the name, Ron’s expression stiffened. Everyone in the continent had at least heard of it—an affliction tied to mana itself, unpredictable and incurable.

“As you know,” Jax continued, his voice calm, “mana syndrome doesn’t have a fixed effect. Every person suffers differently. In my case… I was born with the mana flow of a mage but… I couldn’t form a single magic circle.”

Ron’s eyes widened. “That… sounds impossible.”

Jax gave a humorless smile, then reached to his side. His fingers brushed over the sleek holstered gun, the faint glint of etched runes along its surface catching Ron’s eye.

“These,” Jax said, tapping the weapon, “are my conduit. My means to force my mana into shape. The gun acts as the circle I can’t make on my own. When I fire, the magic forms into bullets. That’s how I fight.”

Ron stared, half in awe, half in disbelief. “So… you literally shoot spells.”

“Exactly.” Jax grinned, a flash of pride breaking through. “Not quite a mage, not quite a warrior. A hybrid.”

Ron stayed quiet after Jax’s explanation, his lips pressed together. The weight of the story made him hesitate to respond.

Jax, however, chuckled to break the silence. “Ahahaha, dude, look at your face! Don’t feel bad for me—I don’t consider my story sad at all. Honestly, I think it’s pretty damn cool.” He smirked and tapped the side of his gun. “Besides, Professor Creed doesn’t seem to mind—”

But midway through his words, Jax froze. Ron hadn’t said anything—he only blinked, stiff and pale, as if warning him without daring to speak.

Jax swallowed, feeling the hair on his neck rise. “…He’s behind me, isn’t he?”

Ron didn’t nod. He just blinked again.

Slowly, Jax turned his head.

There stood Zane Creed, hands clasped behind his back, a smile carved into his face—too sharp, too sinister to be comforting.

“I don’t know about mana syndrome…” Zane said calmly, though his voice dripped with mockery, “but you’re definitely afflicted with yapping syndrome.”

Jax’s grin froze. Ron winced.

With a flick of Zane’s finger, the ground rumbled. A rock twice the size of the other tore free from the earth, floating for a moment before landing with a heavy thud. Runes etched themselves across its surface, glowing faintly as it locked into place.

Zane’s smile widened. “You two will lift this one.”

Ron and Jax both forced shaky laughs, their eyes darting between the enormous stone and their teacher.

“Hah…” Jax scratched his head nervously.

Ron sighed in defeat.

At the same time, both muttered, “We’re screwed.”

Two hours crawled by.

Not a single pair had succeeded. At best, Selene and Lia managed to budge their boulder once—only for it to drop with a dull thud, leaving them panting as the rock merely vibrated under their mana after that. The rest couldn’t even manage that much.

Meanwhile, Ron and Jax were sprawled on the ground, their shirts soaked through with sweat. Their boulder hadn’t so much as shivered.

“It’s… so… heavy…” Ron wheezed, staring at the sky.

“Tell me about it,” Jax groaned beside him, chest heaving.

Zane stood silently, observing the state of the class. His deep purple eyes narrowed slightly, then he let out a faint sigh.

“That’s enough,” he said, voice cutting sharply through the exhausted groans. “Stop. All of you.”

The students froze, grateful for the mercy but too afraid to show it.

“Class dismissed,” Zane continued. “From now on, you’ll repeat this same training until you succeed. No excuses.”

He turned his gaze to the five who had failed to float even the smaller stones from the first exercise. “As for you five—you will not move on until you finish the first training. Do it fast, or the others will leave you in the dust.”

Without another word, Zane pivoted and began walking away, his long coat trailing behind him.

The students collapsed in relief. Someone muttered under their breath, “He’s a monster…”

“And don’t forget—since none of you managed to finish the training, you all owe me twenty laps around the ground. Right now.”He said while going without turning back.

The students’ faces froze in horror. A collective groan spread through the group, but none dared to protest.

“He’s really a monster….”

Ron, still lying flat on the ground, clenched his fist and lifted it weakly toward the sky. But… my mana control feels a little better already. Even in just this training… His lips curled into a determined smile. I’ll impress Professor Creed. Just wait.

Beside him, Jax turned his head with a raised brow. “Uh… what exactly are you doing, dude?”

Ron froze, face heating. “N-nothing!” He quickly shoved his fist back down, staring away in embarrassment.

Jax snorted, then laughed despite his exhaustion and says, ” Come on, we have to run.”

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