Ethan walked into the combat theory classroom early in the morning. He made his way down the aisle between rows of desks and took a seat near the back of the room.
The classroom was large and spacious with multiple rows of desks arranged in neat lines.
All the desks faced toward a raised platform at the front where the instructor would stand. The setup reminded him of a university lecture hall from his old world.
Instructor Kane stood on the platform waiting for class to begin. He was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties.
His eyes were sharp and observant, constantly scanning the students as they filed in. His presence commanded attention even when he stood silently. There was an authoritative air about him that made students straighten in their seats.
Once all the students had settled in, Kane began speaking. "Today we cover the foundation of everything you need to know as Espers," he announced clearly. His voice carried easily across the classroom. "The power cultivation system."
He gestured with one hand and a holographic display materialized in the air above the platform. The projection showed a vertical list of power levels glowing in blue light.
"There are ten power levels total," Kane explained while pointing at the display. "Each level has a specific name that reflects the stage of your development as an Esper."
The list appeared clearly:
Tier 1: Awakened
Tier 2: Initiate
Tier 3: Practitioner
Tier 4: Adept
Tier 5: Expert
Tier 6: Master
Tier 7: Grandmaster
Tier 8: Lord
Tier 9: Sovereign
Tier 10: Transcendent
"Within each tier, there are ten stages," Kane continued. "Stage 1 through Stage 10. You must complete all ten stages of a tier before you can breakthrough to the next tier. For example, an Awakened Tier 1, Stage 10 must breakthrough to become an Initiate Tier 2, Stage 1."
Ethan listened carefully to every word. The game had used simplified terms, but this made the system much clearer. His mind was already working through his next moves and planning how to exploit this knowledge.
Kane pulled up another section of the holographic display. "Now, this is critical. Do not confuse your power level with your talent rank. They are completely different concepts."
A new list appeared showing talent classifications:
**F-Rank Talent**
**E-Rank Talent**
**D-Rank Talent**
**C-Rank Talent**
**B-Rank Talent**
**A-Rank Talent**
**S-Rank Talent**
**SS-Rank Talent**
**SSS-Rank Talent**
"Your talent rank is determined at awakening and cannot normally be changed," Kane said firmly.
"It determines two crucial things. First, how fast you can cultivate and advance through stages and tiers. Second, the maximum tier you can potentially reach in your lifetime."
He pointed at specific examples on the screen.
"An F-Rank talent will cultivate extremely slowly and will likely never surpass Tier 3, even with a lifetime of effort. A C-Rank talent might reach Tier 5 or 6 with dedication. An S-Rank talent can potentially reach Tier 7 or beyond."
Several students nodded at this explanation.
Ethan noticed the higher-talented students looking confident while lower-talented ones appeared discouraged.
"For context," Kane continued, "the academy requires four years of training. You enter at age sixteen and graduate at age twenty. To graduate, you must reach at least Initiate Tier 2, Stage 5 at minimum. This is the baseline for becoming a professional Esper."
He paused to let that sink in. "Average students with C-Rank or B-Rank talent typically reach Tier 3 by graduation. Very talented students with A-Rank or S-Rank talent can reach Tier 4 or even Tier 5. Reaching Tier 6 during your academy years is extremely rare and marks you as a true genius."
Kane's expression became more serious. "Currently, the academy's top talent, Adrian Sinclair, is already at Practitioner Tier 3, Stage 6 in his first year. He possesses SSS-Rank talent, the highest possible classification. It is predicted that he may reach Grandmaster Tier 7 by graduation, which would be unprecedented in the academy's history."
Murmurs spread through the classroom at this. SSS-Rank talent was legendary. Most students would never even meet someone with that level of potential.
"Now, regarding cultivation methods," Kane said, shifting topics. "How do you actually grow stronger and advance through stages? There are three primary methods."
He counted on his fingers. "First, meditation and spiritual energy absorption from the environment. This is slow but steady. Second, combat against monsters and absorbing the spiritual energy released when they die. This is faster but dangerous. Third, consuming spiritual resources like monster cores, spiritual crystals, or alchemical pills. This is the fastest method but expensive."
Kane demonstrated by sitting cross-legged on the platform.
"The basic circulation method involves drawing spiritual energy from your surroundings into your core, refining it, and using it to temper your body and expand your capacity."
"Each complete cycle strengthens you slightly. Accumulate enough cycles and you advance to the next stage."
He stood back up. "Breakthroughs between tiers are more difficult. They require not just accumulated energy but also comprehension and insight into your abilities. You must understand your power on a deeper level to advance from one tier to the next."
Then Kane said something that caught everyone's attention. "There is also an extremely rare phenomenon called Second Awakening. Perhaps one in ten thousand Espers experience it."
The classroom went silent. Students leaned forward with interest.
"A Second Awakening can occur under special circumstances," Kane explained.
"The exact triggers are not fully understood, but it typically happens during moments of extreme stress or when certain conditions are met. During a Second Awakening, one of three things can occur."
He held up fingers as he counted. "First, your talent rank can upgrade. An F-Rank might become E-Rank or even higher. Second, you can awaken an additional ability on top of your original one. Third, in the rarest cases, both can occur simultaneously."
Excited whispers spread through the room. The possibility of upgrading talent was something everyone dreamed about.
"However," Kane said sharply, silencing the chatter, "do not count on this ever happening. The odds are astronomically low. Focus on maximizing the potential you currently have rather than hoping for miracles."