18 Harnessing One's Learnings

As I stepped into the training grounds, my heart began to race with anticipation. The cool breeze that brushed against my face did little to calm my nerves. My classmates, who were all exceptional in their own right, were scattered throughout the grounds, practicing their techniques.

I glanced over at Maria who was observing us with a watchful eye. I knew she expected nothing less than excellence from us. After all, we were the elite vanguard class of our department, and the competition was fierce.

I took a deep breath, my mind focusing on the task at hand. Unlike my classmates who had a single ancient spirit, I was a dual awakener with two mythical spirits - a rare feat that I took pride in. I could feel the spirits' energy coursing through my veins, and it made me feel invincible.

Two months had passed since the start of the semester, and we had learned a great deal in that time. But now, we were tasked to put that knowledge to the test. We had to do individual practice to prepare for a mock battle that would determine our midterm rankings.

The training ground was thick with tension as rivalries simmered among the participants. Unfortunately, I found myself on the sidelines, excluded because of my unique trait and lack of a prestigious bloodline. As an orphan, I didn't have the advantage of family connections or a recognizable last name, which only made my situation more challenging.

I wasn't trying to find reasons to feel down about my situation. In fact, I've been actively pursuing ways to better myself. In addition to the after-class training sessions with Maria, I've also been dedicating time to studying and improving both of my auras in secret.

Through a fortuitous accident, I stumbled upon a new skill that I've been honing called 'Aquashield.' Despite its novelty, I've already managed to sustain it for 10 minutes every time I summon it. But that's not all. My second aura has also granted me another skill which I named 'Lightburst Shot': a bullet crafted from light that hurtles towards its target at high velocity. Upon impact, the bullet has a unique effect, slowing down the target over time. This impairment makes them more vulnerable, allowing me to strike with greater ease.

By combining these two skills, I have the ability to wear down my enemies while avoiding harm from their attacks. Although some may consider this strategy to be cowardly, it has proven to be extremely effective in actual fights, particularly when serving as a vanguard.

With these skills at my disposal, I can strategically chip away at my opponents from a safe distance, without allowing them to get too close. This not only prevents me from sustaining injuries, but it also enables me to conserve my energy for the duration of the battle.

While some may view this approach as less honorable than face-to-face combat, I recognize the importance of using every tool at my disposal to secure victory. As a vanguard, my role is to lead the charge and set the tone for the rest of my team. By utilizing these skills, I am able to fulfill this duty with confidence, knowing that I am contributing to the success of our mission in the future.

Aside from these two skills that I could harness, I have been practicing utilizing the innate blessings of my two auras. For instance, I can transform my body armor, made of water aura, into solid state ice upon strong physical impact. Additionally, my light aura enables me to enhance my agility and evade attacks, which allows me to position myself effectively during a fight.

Rather than showcasing my cultivated skills, I decided to focus on honing my aura control and hand-to-hand combat techniques, which we had been training for two months. Using only one aura, I covered my body and began to train.

However, my efforts were interrupted by a group of students from my class who began to gaslight me, pointing out that despite having two spirits, I was still a commoner. They had been holding back previously, knowing that Maria, our instructor, was my fiancé. Now, they had found a reason to assert that I did not belong to the elite vanguard class.

"Hey, look at the commoner trying to train with his auras," one of the students snickered as they approached me.

I ignored them and continued to focus on my training, trying to block out their taunts.

"Oh, come on. You're not fooling anyone. You don't belong here," another student jeered.

I took a deep breath, trying to control my anger. "I earned my place here just like everyone else. My auras have nothing to do with it."

"But you're just a commoner," the first student sneered. "No matter how hard you try, you'll never be one of us."

I clenched my fists, feeling my aura pulsing through my veins. But before I could respond, Maria appeared behind the group of students, her expression stern.

"That's enough," she said firmly. "Everyone back to training, now."

The students grudgingly dispersed, but I could still feel their eyes on me as I resumed my training.

As I trained, I couldn't help but notice the attention of the group shift towards one of the girls in our class. Her bloodline was notable, but it seemed like she was struggling with her training due to her spirit's elemental affinity.

If memory served me right, her spirit was a guardian of a mythical tree of sort, and her element was nature, a sub-element of earth. Despite her struggles, she had been placed in the elite vanguard class due to her incredible ability to reduce damage taken and heal almost instantly. It was almost unfair, to be honest - she was practically a walking punching bag.

As I walked over to the girl, they instantly dispersed. "Hey, are you alright?"

She looked up at me with a pained expression and nodded. "I'm fine," she said, her voice strained. "Just having a hard time with my training today."

"I can understand that," I replied. "Your spirit's affinity is tough to work with, but your healing ability is amazing. You're practically invincible."

She smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess so. But sometimes I feel like it's more of a curse than a blessing."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, everyone expects me to just take hits and keep going because of my ability. But it's not that simple - the pain still hurts, and I still get tired."

I nodded in understanding. "I get it. But you know, your ability is also a strength. You can take hits that would knock others out of commission, and that gives you an edge in battle."

She looked thoughtful. "I never thought of it that way before. Thanks for the encouragement."

"No problem," I said with a grin. "We're all here to help each other out, right?"

She smiled back, looking a bit more confident now. "Right. Let's keep training."

At the end of the day, I came to the realization that it's impossible to please everyone. Instead, I need to focus on working hard and improving myself, so that I can be proud of my own progress and accomplishments.