Annabelle’s Bastion

The month settled into a comfortable rhythm of monotony as Anna attended the same four classes every week leading up to the tournament. Her days were spent training with the dorm, studying, and privately training her Sigil.

Every hour she had available went into her abilities.

A week ago, Alisha hinted at some exciting things to come, likely related to the bit attached to her victory announcements, but it had been boring since. Boring because most of her classes were pretty much done. The foundation courses weren’t anything to write home about, and they ended in about a week. 

Other than Mana Control—Anna liked that one.

And she had a whole extra day to herself to focus on it or anything else she wanted privacy for.

Making the executive decision to skip Combat Training was definitely the smartest decision she made. Of course, not without conferring with Alisha. Alisha assured her the skipping wouldn’t be on her record due to the unreasonableness of asking a supporter to fight for placements. A convenient excuse, one soon after announced to the supporters. Kudos to Alisha for hiding her special treatment.

Sadly, Aria wasn’t able to join her in her Monday training. Her position meant she couldn’t get away with anything deemed even slightly inappropriate. Annoying, but Aria enjoyed fighting, and she had said that her class was getting better every week. That, and their Sigils, made her fights far more challenging, making her think about her approaches to melee and her combat awareness.

Despite popular belief, Aria was not that experienced in bonafide combat.

Aria’s situation was ridiculous, but there wasn’t a thing they could do about it. Of course, other than giving them the middle finger by winning the tournament anyway.

However, thanks to Anna, that would prove far harder than before.

Her fight with Jared seemed to serve as a catalyst, and waves about controlling the barrier spread like wildfire in the following weeks. They would have discovered it themselves sooner or later. But seeing Anna use it in action definitely spurred the discovery process.

Another problem cropped up, though, which made the tournament all the more hopeless. Supposedly, if Aria performed well, her opposition would probably use that as a weapon against her. Having an Apex Sigil did seem like a good excuse to bar her from normal combat classes—something everybody knew Aria loved.

She was literally being punished for her natural talents, and somehow, that was deemed acceptable at the higher levels of Bastion.

Anna didn’t believe it was that simple—she didn’t want to believe that people above Alisha cared so much for Aria that they’d allow their reputation to be besmirched. Most probably didn’t even know about it, save for those with a vested interest in the academy.

The other theory, then, was that there was a plan involving Aria, something similar to how Alisha had a hand in Anna taking a supporting path. That was the most likely, given how utterly ridiculous the other option was. 

An ethereal chime broke her thoughts.

Anna hopped out of bed and went to her desk, recognizing the sound as the announcement ping.

Important Notice to all Students:

Bastion will be holding our first quarterly Dungeon Expedition! 

Dungeon Expeditions are large excursions hosted by an experienced mage, held to eliminate a threat that a small group is generally incapable of facing. While this doesn’t entirely fit that criteria—being of minimal danger—all extracurricular excursions we host will be categorized as expeditions. This is so we ensure as many of our students get the chance to participate as possible.

That being said, this will serve as our first of many! Read on for details as well as participation requirements.

A sectioned piece of a peculiar alien world has become the host of an F-Tier Core. If left uncontained, it will rapidly grow until the planet itself becomes its domain. Due to the peaceful nature of this alien world, dubbed Sorana, we have been given the opportunity to allow our students first-hand experience in Core Hunting.

As with any excursion, it is highly dangerous. Although the beasts we expect to see are well within your skill level, there is always a risk of injury or death. However, as proud Bastion students, you will be expected to take on these challenges eventually and overcome them. There will be an experienced professor there, but they will offer minimal interference.

Only sign up if you’re willing to accept these risks.

Note: If you sign on, you will be expected to perform within the leader’s expectations. Signing up and then failing the bare duties expected of you will be met with harsh consequences. The least of which is a permanent stain on your Bastion Record; derelicting your duty is the direst of sins.

Those who obtain a Sigil during the expedition will keep it.

If you’re willing to participate and gain that experience early, reach out to your dorm manager.

Consideration is only given to those with excellent performance in Combat Training and capable supporters. Worry not if you are not among the two; expeditions will be a common practice moving forward, with every student being given the opportunity—eventually.

Days: Wednesday - Saturday

Anna put the tablet to sleep, absentmindedly staring at the ceiling.

“Core hunting…” she mumbled.

She knew about them from day one since one of her defunct classes would have been Dungeon Exploration, dungeons being the result of Cores.

The encyclopedia talked about how they were corrupted areas formed around a strange object that takes residence in an area and warps it to its whims. It creates a zone where existing beasts are corrupted, and new beasts are born from its own body. Eventually, the area becomes a maze of a warped environment. Not to mention the spreading corruption—like a disease.

It seemed more like the core was an actual being than an object, but the encyclopedia didn’t say.

Regardless, no way was she missing out! 

It would be a lie if she claimed the idea wasn’t terrifying; it was, after all, an uncontrolled environment where people could die. But excitement came with it hand-in-hand. She was technically a supporter, she she could help prevent any death, too!

Not to mention what was approaching… which Anna just realized was more than a little suspicious and strange.

“It’s so weird,” she said, spinning in her chair. “And unfair.”

The timing was just too poor—suspiciously so. Weren’t they basically giving those who attended the expedition a free tournament victory? If anyone in the group obtained a Sigil, even one of minute power, it would almost guarantee their shot at the Apex Sigil from the tournament.

The more she thought about it, the less sense it made.

Not to mention, they were making the already strong stronger by only considering those within the top of their class. Obviously, the academy would want the best seeds to grow more than those at the bottom, but Anna didn’t want to accept that harsh reality.

If they only wanted the best of the best to grow, they should have just been selective when recruiting students!

There must have been something going on behind the scenes. Maybe it was urgent, and the cores were rare enough that they couldn’t waste the opportunity? But they could have at least waited a little longer!

However, that wouldn’t stop Anna from participating! Now more than ever.

But when she opened her door and saw that everyone else had thought the same, stampeding out of rooms like a tide, she decided it wasn’t the best time. Good thing Combat Training started in a few hours; she’d ask Gromak then.

“Ah... testing, testing,” Gromak’s voice came from the newly installed speakers lining the dorm’s halls. “If any of you fuckin’ weasels come to me askin’ questions about this nonsense, I’ll boot ya outta here. There are teachers for that. As for registerin’? Well, only come to me if your performance grants you that right. Waste my time, and I’ll make your rooms hotter than a demon’s ass.”

Anna’s savior! 

Still, she waited a few hours for the dorm to empty out. She didn’t want to risk anything turning into animosity when the dorm’s camaraderie was only just blossoming. Even Aria was welcomed in the light sparring sessions, where she would often offer helpful advice. Some people even asked her to train them! But jealousy was a powerful thing. What if they all saw some kind of special treatment? All wasted.

Once she was sure the place was clear, Anna went to Gromak’s desk.

“As my genius self expected, you’re here,” Gromak said arrogantly as Anna stepped into the reception area. “I already registered you for it—did the same for Aria.” He crossed his arms and raised his chin. “Go ahead and thank me.”

“How proactive!” Anna approached his counter, where Gromak was doing his usual morning routine. “Checking out the mithril again? I’ll never understand that.”

“Cause you ain’t got an eye for beauty, even though you look like that. Ironic. Sad, too.”

Anna coughed. “Uh, thanks, I think, but also rude.” She shook her head. It seemed impossible for Gormak to compliment without having an insult to add! “Anyway, do you think Aria will have any problems joining the expedition?”

Nothing bad happened to her since Anna’s fight with Jared, not even a bad rumor. The opposite, actually. Since she was a beautiful woman and she jumped into the arena to catch Anna, other rumors were kind of spreading. Outside of lunch and classes, Anna and Aria maintained a strict schedule of training, chatting, and studying. They hardly ventured outside their schedules, so there weren’t any problems! It was an ideal college life!

Gromak thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “It’s based on performance and nothin’ else. I’m sure they’ll think of somethin’, but it’s pretty hard to justify when she hasn’t lost any fight.” 

Anna nodded but still sighed. “That’s what I thought, but they did somehow manage to convince higher-ups to not let her absorb a Sigil.”

Something that still hadn’t changed.

Gromak wrapped his mithril and placed it gently on the table. ”I suppose, but this is straightforward; your ranking is your priority. Period.  I’d be more concerned with the expedition itself, girlie.”

“You think they’ll try something during it?”

“No, no. Well, yes, that, but also no.” He shrugged. “Monsters drop Sigils, girlie, and cores themselves are one of the top ways to get Apex Sigils. Regardless of tier.”

“Right!” Anna exclaimed, nodding excitedly. “It’s still a gamble, but there’s a chance we can get a Sigil even better than the ones the school provided!”

She had forgotten that Aria’s plight could be solved, even if she couldn’t join the expedition!

“Exactly.” Gromak dryly chuckled. “I bet they’ll be fumin’ if she brought back a powerful Sigil.”

“Yeah.” Anna giggled at the thought. “We gotta talk to her when she gets back!”

She left earlier than usual because she wanted to chat with Thagrin about something before combat classes. But her fights should be over quickly.

An interesting note about Aria’s class is that she made it a point to instantly win. Anna heard from the girl, Amy—their dorm mate and one of Aria’s classmates—that Aria would always try to overpower her opponents right off the bat.

Although her barrier came close to shattering many times, Aria still came out on top. However, in the girl’s own words, the opponents were getting better; greater fireballs, bigger explosions, more fired at once. And that was just among the common fireball Sigil. There were many other elemental and non-elemental ones in circulation: water whips, earthquakes, wind blades, greater speed, shields, and more.

“What’re you just starin’ like a loon for?” Gromak asked. “I’m getting’ déjà vu.”

Anna cleared her throat. “I was just thinking about how important it is that we get Aria a Sigil. She’s starting to struggle in the combat training.”

“Yep. It’s...” Gromak sighed. “The Sigil itself is good—obviously—but the… connections… the first one makes… It can be hard to grow without the internal feelings and knowledge a Sigil gives you.”

“Exactly.”

“Well, what about you, girlie?” He said, nodding toward Anna. “How’s your Sigil treatin’ ya?”

“Fantastic!” Anna smiled in wonder—she loved talking about it! “I’ve been testing it with Aria, and she said it provided a noticeable increase in her physical ability. Not only that, but it can dull her pain and makes her mana flow faster.”

“Hyper Enhancement, right?” Gromak nodded a few times. “Yep. It’s popular, even at the top. The abilities it provides are good. Especially dulling pain and boosting natural recovery processes. I can’t imagine how good it is in your little hands.”

Anna nodded. “We still have more ideas to test, but I’m very satisfied with my choice.” 

“Good.” Gromak chuckled, nodding. “Most people regret their first choice later in life, but that’s why they chose good ones for your starter Sigils.”

“I can imagine.” Anna nodded.

“Get on out of here now, girlie. I heard you got a hefty task to accomplish from Nora.”

“Yeah…” Anna sighed. “One more thing, though. “I gotta ask; do you know what the deal is with this expedition?”

Gromak, who was in the process of wrapping his precious mithril, looked at her strangely for a moment. But recognition came seconds later, and he nodded. “Ah, you’re probably overthinkin’ it, girlie. It is pisspoor timin’, but we don’t choose when cores crop up. We gotta close it now or hand it off to Bastion immediately. It’s quite the competitive thing.”

That made sense, and a weight lifted from Anna’s shoulders. Just because it was being used as a training exercise for them didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous—it had to be closed as soon as possible.

“Thanks, Gromak.” Anna bowed her head.

“Happy to help.” Gromak then waved her away. “As much as I adore chattin’ with you, girlie, I’m swamped with work right now. Go eat breakfast, I know you haven’t.”

As if on cue, Anna’s stomach rumbled.

Her face heated up, and she sheepishly nodded.

Gromak’s laugh accompanied her trip to the still-in-construction cafeteria through the left door. 

One hearty breakfast later, it was time to run some mana control experiments until Aria returned.

She sat cross-legged on her bed.

Once she got control of her barrier, drained her mana to the point of exhaustion, and practiced her Sigil, figuring out how much mana manifestation used was a childish task. 

Her estimate put it at point three-ish percent of her mana. It didn’t seem like much, but that would only increase with time and Sigil acquisition. That was also a problem, as highlighted by Nora, because of the inefficiency of human enhancements. Two rings to boost arms, two to boost legs, and one to boost torso. 

This brought Anna to her next and final assignment in the foundational Mana Control class; unification. The actual meat of the entire course. Unifying the enhancements to cover the body at once rather than a single limb. No student would be allowed into the second term of Mana Control if they couldn’t.

But that was a week ago, and nobody had figured out how. Aria couldn’t, Anna couldn’t, and nobody they talked to could.

The idea was astounding. As Nora put it, they could get the same strength as one ring on their arm if they used it across their body. Further training could mean doing both. The drain was initially heavier, but the flow was lighter.

Everyone’s running theory was that it was a technical issue. 

Anna tried simply willing it like a Sigil to activate over her body, but it didn’t work. She tried treating it like a barrier, but it didn’t work. She tried moving the ring from her arm to her forehead, but... it didn’t work.

A week later, and after nearly every free hour going into it, she wasn’t any closer to figuring it out.

The idea itself was simple; manifest a ring around her head, sort of like an angel’s halo. Actually, she recalled the man in the introduction ceremony had it. But all Nora said about it was it represented a substantial growth in potential. Yet it proved anything but simple.

Mana wouldn’t manifest around the head simply because it was too dangerous—another example of its overprotective nature. Completion of this step meant putting the mage will above the mana’s natural properties. At least, that was how Anna saw it.

Nora hinted at the next step; controlling and maintaining flows. But doing that when they couldn’t even order their mana to form a ring was impossible. In her words, it meant building a house with a poor foundation.

Supposedly, this step was why the first Mana Control class was required. It represented a bottleneck that separated true mages from the common flocks at higher levels.

Anna would not be a common mage!

But she was thoroughly lost.

Meditating? She tried—often—but wasn’t good at it, but those who were said it didn’t offer any insight. Training? She had done plenty of sparring and throwing mana around. 

Thus, another few hours passed with Anna banging her head against an impervious wall. With no new theories to test, her efforts amounted to little.

However, Aria would be back any minute—they had more Hyper Enhancement testing to do!

“Girlie...” Gromak’s exasperated voice came from the intercom. “Aria might be in a little bit of trouble... again.”

Anna facepalmed.

Why did it have to be right after the school talked about the Dungeon Expedition?! Even the slightest problem could be ample ammunition to use against her taking part!

“Damn it.”