Fate Alchemist - A Regression Academy LitRPG

After Wulf's two morning classes, he rushed to the mess hall for lunch, where he met Kalee, Seith, and Irmond at one of the central tables. Slowly, a crowd gathered around them, hovering at the edges of the table, or inching in from the sides. Across the mess hall, a group of Fletchers glared at them, but Umoch was nowhere to be seen.

Knowing the faculty, Umoch wouldn't have gotten any punishment for starting the fire—save for a slap on the wrist, maybe. Literally or metaphorically.

Wulf kept his eyes down and tried to eat as normally as he could, despite the lingering gazes and murmuring about him. He cut into the seasoned chicken, and let it steam for a few seconds before scooping it into his mouth.

"You're popular," Kalee whispered.

"We all are," he said. "You've got some admirers, too." Wulf tilted his head toward a pair of boys off to the side who probably thought they were being subtle, but absolutely weren't—and they were staring right at Kalee.

"I think most are here for you," Seith whispered.

"They better be," Irmond said. "But I can pick up some of the strays. I wouldn't mind a little more attention. Shame, should've been a pilot myself. That way, I would've gotten…like, a lot more attention."

Wulf shook his head. "Yeah, should've convinced the Field to awaken a different Class for you."

"I wish…" Irmond mumbled. "Pilots get so much more attention."

"Rumour's going around that you're the leader of our crew," Kalee said. "So naturally, you're the biggest player when it came saving Arotelk."

"Well, is it wrong?" Seith asked.

"Guys," Wulf whispered, "don't sell yourselves short. I couldn't have done it without any of you."

"Except maybe you," Irmond elbowed Seith playfully.

"Oh, stuff it," she replied. "You couldn't even see a wall of unmoving trees."

"I was looking out for demons."

As the two of them descended into bickering, Wulf turned back to Kalee, then whispered, "You were more important than they were, you know. Much more important."

"I know," Kalee said. "But they'll have their time to shine. We just have to keep pushing them."

"I plan to," Wulf said. "Shame they're not in the same combat training section as us, though."

"Why? You've already beaten up Seith twice now. Want to do it a third time?"

"Well, truly, I'd much rather fight you," Wulf said with a smile. "Better practice on someone who knows what she's doing."

"Good, because today's our next round of skirmishing." Kalee set her knife and fork down. "For the record, I'd much prefer to fight you for the same reason. You're a challenge."

"Why, thank you. Now, we best eat up, so we're not late, though."

~ ~ ~

Their combat training session began as they usually did on Thirdday—taking places on a sparring mat, and engaging in a small tournament with their peers, five minute fights, to see who came out on top.

Though the others were improving, Wulf was also getting better at dealing with them efficiently, so he'd have energy left to test himself against Kalee at the end. While he still had no Mark that flatly increased his strength, with the amount of potions he'd taken, the residual effect left him nearly twice as strong as a normal human.

By now, most of the class had advanced to Middle-Wood. Most of the guild kids had made it to High-Wood, but only he and Kalee were Low-Coals.

As he fought his way up, he was barely thinking about the fights, and more about the class as a whole.

He didn't recognize many of the other students in the section, for one thing, and there were only a few weak Fletchers—who couldn't have been from the important parts of the guild. Hell, maybe they were even new recruits, like Irmond and Seith had been. He didn't know for sure.

He was pretty sure they'd sorted the combat training sections into who they thought would be the most effective against each other, and who they thought would advance the fastest. That made Kalee and Wulf an anomaly.

Stolen novel; please report.

When they finally reached each other near the end of the class, Instructor DeLark met them with a sigh, and he narrowed his eyes at Wulf. "You may think you're the strongest in the school right now, boy, but you're hardly even the strongest in this room."

"Alright," Wulf said.

"We shall see how you do against Ms. Chipa. Wipe that grin off your face."

Wulf didn't think he was grinning, and judging from Kalee's surprised reaction, DeLark had probably been imagining it.

"She was also with me when we saved Arotelk," Wulf said. "Part of my crew. She should be just as popular as me, in fact."

"Popular? Bah." DeLark shook his head. "You'll have your ten minutes of fame, and then you'll go back to the nothingness where you were born. Know this, Mr. Hrothen: you have peaked early, and everything else about your life will be a downward spiral."

Maybe last life. Not this time.

"Can we begin?" Wulf asked.

"Watch your tone, but yes. And Ms. Chipa, you are no better."

Collateral damage? She hadn't even done anything to anger him.

"But yes, you may begin," DeLark said. A crowd had gathered on the edge of the sparring mat, and they looked on. This time, there was an air of excitement around the students. They'd all heard what Wulf had done by now, and even the Fletchers seemed curious.

Kalee attacked first today, charging in and delivering a flurry of kicks while swiping with her tail. Wulf blocked and dodged, looking for an opening, but whenever he had one, Kalee activated a spell Skill, increasing gravity beneath him and slowing him, stopping him from taking advantage of it.

She was getting good at using her new Skills, and he hadn't even noticed her consuming a construct. She would've done it subtly.

Worse, Wulf really had no way of using his potions in a fight like this. He might have had his Mark, but that was about it. Nothing capable of seriously retaliating against Kalee—at least, not with magic.

But it came down to his sheer fighting ability.

"See, Mr. Hrothen? Already, you are humbled," DeLark called. "You may wish to stay lighter on your feet and move around more. Stay lower, aim higher, and be faster."

Wulf rolled his eyes. That advice was mostly meaningless, far as he could tell and his experience went. He might not have been a martial artist, but he could brawl like the rest of them, and he knew how to fight. Didn't need some stuck-up academy professor on his back.

He ignored it for a little while, focussing instead on Kalee. She was going to run out of constructs soon, wherever she was keeping them hidden, and that meant she'd be trying to end this sooner than later.

Wulf stepped back and raised his arms, then feinted to the side. She activated a patch of increased gravity where he was about to run, trying to catch him and stall him for a finishing blow, but he turned at the last moment. She punched the empty air, and Wulf pushed her into the magic circle of orange light on the ground, signifying the increased gravity.

She slowed, vulnerable and weighed down, but before Wulf could deliver his final blow, DeLark interrupted, "Halt! Hrothen, your stance is all wrong. You must be wider, firmer, so you can deliver a better blow."

Wulf narrowed his eyes. He knew from experience that his stance wasn't wrong, and DeLark had just cost him the fight.

"Apologies, instructor," Kalee said, "but would you be willing to show us? I'm also curious to see what you mean, seeing as he had won the fight fair and square."

The crowd gasped, and a few giggles rose up from the back.

"Silence," DeLark ordered. "Yes, if you require it, I can demonstrate. Hrothen, please step to the center of the mat."

Wulf glanced at Kalee, and she only raised her eyebrows. But then, she provided a quick nod. She knew what she was doing.

Now Wulf had an opportunity to do something really funny. Kalee might have wanted to just put DeLark on the spot and show the students that Wulf had been doing nothing wrong, but Wulf could do better.

DeLark took a stance almost identical to what Wulf had been doing earlier. "See?" the older man said. "This is a better stance." Then, he widened his legs even more. "Even better."

Wulf stayed in the same normal stance.

"Please follow, Hrothen."

Wulf shrugged. "Sir, I think this works better."

"Fine, then. Defend yourself. I will only activate one strength-enhancing Mark, to match your abilities." DeLark threw a set of punches at Wulf, but Wulf leaned away from them, all earning a gasp from the crowd. The last punch grazed his shoulder, but he turned just enough that it glanced off almost harmlessly.

"Not the best, is it?" Wulf asked. "I'm not sure if this is proving your point, sir."

DeLark probably knew it wasn't the best, either. He'd been making up things that Wulf was doing wrong in order to prove his point, but he wasn't expecting to be put on the spot or questioned over it.

With a grunt, DeLark jumped forward, moving side-to-side much faster than he probably would have normally.

"With such…attacks, you can confuse the defender, and break through the flurry of defences that someone like Kalee is putting up." DeLark kicked, then punched, then tried a few elbow strikes—all of which Wulf leaned away from. He spun and whirled, and tried a few fancy kicks, which did very little.

Flurry of defences? What are you even talking about?

Finally, when Wulf had enough, he ducked, knowing DeLark would aim at his head. Wulf leaned away from the first punch, which was made stronger by all of DeLark's Marks, despite what the man had promised. Then, finally, he dropped an axe kick toward Wulf's head.

Wulf caught DeLark's ankle, and, grunting, held on. He gritted his teeth against the man's enhanced strength, barely catching the foot, then pushed to the side with all his enhanced might. DeLark's foot spun out.

Now, off balance, the man was a perfect target. Wulf swept his leg under the back of DeLark's only stable leg, sending the man tumbling to the ground.

The crowd snickered, and there were a few chuckles. Kalee nodded with approval.

Wulf jumped back to his feet, just in time for DeLark to call, "Silence! Luck is not an alternative to skill, and Hrothen was just lucky. You are all dismissed. I expect your best behaviour on Fifthday. Now go. Get out of here."

Well, somebody just got flustered. Wulf actually grinned this time.