Spectating Alice's fight was a spectacle for Ivan. It was almost incomprehensible that she was already that strong for someone who has only recently received a Grade. While her noble lineage and teachings may contribute to this being the case--there was too much raw talent for a person to only praise the teachings rather than the student's talent.
Well, I can't dawdle for too long. I need to work on advancing too. Ivan thought. Keeping the rough leather book to his side, he went to a more calm section of the building in order to study the material.
Ever since he had "prayed" to this God, he was able to read the once blank pages that were invisible to the naked eye. Well, to be more specific, words were appearing to him. And the same words and sentences would repeat for every page of the book.
[Create a Void within the Training Pod]
Ivan frowned but also maintained a look of curiosity as he looked at a training pod not too far away from him. He did have a layer of caution that urged him to be careful land not fully trust the words of the book.
It seems like a treasure to those people. He thought, briefly looking back to the two men who were about to bury him completely before the intervention of the book.
However, it is also true that the book hasn't necessarily betrayed me... yet? Ivan walked to the training pod and slid the leather book underneath his clothes as he laid down on the pod.
Luckily, the book did not slid down his clothes and instead remained still. Closing his eyes, Ivan was succumbed to the powers of the technology that engulfed him.
In the blank white space, Ivan stood quietly.
"It said to create a void? Does this not count as a void?" Ivan sighed. By the words of the book, it seemed like the book was almost sentient.
Well... it did talk briefly. He did not know if trusting the book was the best idea, but he knew that desired strength. And, albeit rather suspiciously, the book was offering guidance.
"By 'creating,' it must mean to 'imagine'?" Ivan wondered, closing his eyes once again. Standing at the center of a blank world, his mind began to wander beyond.
What counted as a void?
Utter darkness?
There were many ways to define what it should look like. But, at the same time, it can be argued that there really is only one way to imagine the image of a "void."
But...
Ivan, for some reason, kept thinking back to the experience of a few days ago. The blood that spurted, and the mana that flourished with divinity.
The darkness and the speckles of light that shone and flew. He remembered how everything felt during that split moment of consciousness. As if he was falling - bathing - in something endless and significant.
Yes.
The void could not only be utter darkness--
"But a symbol of infinity."
When Ivan opened his eyes, he stood within that region his imagination had conjured during that thought.
He "floated" in a bottomless pit with tiny speckles of light floating all around his vicinity.
He was bathing in "infinity" once again.
~~~
It's been 4 weeks.
4 total weeks since the school year had begun. And Grace was merely passing the time by being his regular self.
A quiet, reserved, pretty boy with supposedly mediocre talents!
Living through these 4 weeks instead of the author simply fast-forwarding truly makes me realize the amount of time these characters were supposedly putting between one period to the other. Grace sighed as he walked with Rufus to the cafeteria.
He had gotten closer with the boy as of late. This is due to Rufus insisting on going with Grace when going to the training hall. While they individually did their thing when making it there, they do meet with each other when all is said and done.
Normal Grade 9... is it time to pray? Grace thought. He had been holding off on it since he was unsure if he wanted to do it in the real world or inside of the training pod.
I would probably yield better results in the real world if the environment was the same as it is in the pod. Due to the surroundings being able to be changed to whatever he wanted, he'd be able to create the perfect conditions for ascending to the next Grade.
Would its birthplace be the best possible place? Well, the higher synchronization would mean the results would be better anyway. It may not matter then? As they were walking to the cafeteria, Grace and Rufus witnessed a group of people in the courtyard.
"Oh, my!" Chuckled Rufus. They walked outside, entering the barrage of students that were looking at what was occurring in front of them.
So it's happening.
Grace saw Ivan being confronted by a student underneath the large tree in the middle of the courtyard.
"I challenge you to a duel! Tomorrow!" A boy with short-blond hair and hazel eyes spoke with sternness. Ivan gazed back at the intense gaze of the boy in front of him.
Rank 27, Eavahn Lorsh.
In the novel, it was around this time where there would be students that were beginning to develop an understanding of their abilities. This made them gain ambition to reach higher sights, a higher rank.
Eavahn Lorsh was one of those people.
His intention is to climb up the ladder until he can face the strongest. Grace thought as he looked between Ivan and Eavahn.
Rufus looked at Grace and whispered, "You think he'll accept?" The spectators did not really have any real expectations for Ivan. But he was the first person to be asked to duel other than Alice herself.
Grace nodded.
"Yeah, I think so."
He looked carefully at Ivan--he grew too. And within those orbs was an ambition. This was not an opportunity that he would slide. This was an event that he can utilize to not only increase his strength but also gain experience in battling other humans.
"I accept."
However, what came next was truly out of Grace's expectations.
Clack!
Clack!
A student from the opposite side of the courtyard walked towards the two. It was a guy with a relative height to Ivan and Eavahn. His hair shone like platinum and his eyes bore a profound silver.
Albert Norte, Rank 11.
An important character that would make his debut during the aftermath of the duel that occurs between Ivan and Eavahn. However, it would seem he would be stirring the foundations of the academy even earlier than before.
"Duels? If that's the case... then I challenge you to duel..." He pointed straight ahead, his eyes locking with a person within the crowd.
"Grace Walker..."