OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 513: Crushed Pride



At home, a mansion in the upper district, in an incredibly massive room, Sofia had set herself up at her desk-a wide mahogany surface littered with physical notes, datapads, and sketches of lines that she'd redrawn so many times she could hardly tell them apart.

Unironically, the desk was a gift from her father, a rare occurrence that happened once in a blue moon, which was why, though she hated him for it, she couldn't help but feel attached to it.

This desk usually gave her a sense of authority, a feeling that she could tackle anything thrown her way.

But this test—this twisted mess of an Ability Path-was quickly wiping away that confidence.

Picking a large piece of paper, she spread it out on the desk, revealing her latest attempt at copying the Aetheric Blade Path, understanding it.

At first glance, it was pretty obvious that her progress was a 'little' less than ideal.

But, she didn't waste time wallowing in that and took a deep breath before diving in again, attempting the flow.

This Ability Path was unlike anything she'd ever seen, intricate and convoluted in a way that felt almost impossible to understand, chaotic and absolutely random.

She felt like there was no system in place, which went against everything she had learned about Ability Paths, a fact that was meant to trip them up at every turn.

"Attempt seventy seven."

Sofia traced the flow within her body, her mind's eye following the Aether's imaginary current as it looped, split, and doubled back on itself.

"... Just what is this?"

She muttered to herself, scowling as she spotted yet another knot in the Path.

Each twist seemed malicious, hell-bent on making her fail and experience backlash that would bring her close to death.

It was a challenge that demanded she either understand the tiniest details or be left six feet under.

As Emir had said earlier today, it wasn't enough to just know the Path; she had to feel it, experience it, understand it, and make it her own.

For hours, she sat hunched over her notes, eyebrows knit in concentration, trying to decipher how Emir had made the Path feel alive, free, yet so... resistant, restrained.

She tried to memorize the movements once again, mapping each step in her head, thinking that she might've messed up a few parts.

And then, once she was sure she had it all down, she resumed channeling her Aether to follow the Path he had laid out.

But, nothing changed.

Every time she attempted it, she would hit a snag.

The Aether would stutter, refusing to follow the same flow that Emir could no doubt flawlessly demonstrate.

It was maddening.

She felt her frustration mounting, her hands clenching against the desk, fingertips pressing white into the dark wood.

Then, in a rush of barely concealed anger, she dragged her hand over the desk, pushing off all that was on it, and leaned back on her chair, letting out a soft sigh.

"What am I missing?"

Though the girl worked on her arrogance, quelling its negative aspects, large traces of it remained, and currently, it was on full display.

A part of her had believed that she could pass the test on the first day, ace it no matter how hard it was, but reality shattered that completely.

Sure, she worked hard, went through a hellish amount of training to keep the first rank in class, but she wasn't the only one.

Her classmates did so as well, and some arguably could be said to have trained even more than her.

Whether that made a difference was up to question, but it still was a notable fact.

Their class became competitive, truly competitive, and even the weakest nobody was stronger than the average second-year student.

Emir's test had reflected that change, and she didn't like that one bit, mostly for a reason she wouldn't like to publicly admit...

"Get it together."

Quickly shaking her head, she pushed away those thoughts and tried once again, busying herself to ignore what her mind brought up.

But, for the rest of the night, she didn't even come close to her best attempt, barely able to hold on to the flow for a few seconds, ten at most.

Her mind was distracted, her Aether constantly slipping from her control and scattering.

By the time her bedtime had arrived, she could no longer deny it, she couldn't do it.

She needed a break.

It was just... so hard to keep her focus.

This Ability Path required absolute precision, and her condition made it the perfect recipe for disaster.@@novelbin@@

Each attempt felt like running through quicksand, the details of the Path blurring together.

The most challenging part was the subtle changes he'd hidden in the Ability Path that would completely throw off the flow if missed.

They were minuscule, tiny shifts that seemed almost invisible until they caused the Aether to break mid-flow, forcing her to start over.

And there were so many of them, she felt like she was unraveling a puzzle blind, especially now that she was both mentally exhausted and distracted, unable to see those shifts at all.

So, forcing herself to relax, she went to bed and slept, planning to make some progress tomorrow after clearing her mind.

Time ticked by, and she drifted off to sleep.

Tomorrow arrived, and once she had gotten to the Academy...

It appeared that she wasn't the only one who went through the ringger.

Every student in the class looked just as drained, eyes half-shut and backs slouched under the weight of the endless attempts.

Surprisingly, Emir wasn't there to greet them when the bell rang, instead, it was Morgiana, filling in for him under the guise of impartiality.

It was the previous Arthur's secret wish, and it had come true, only too late.

The test was still ongoing, and it was standard practice for the professor who created the test

to avoid interacting with students during it, just in case they might pick up an unintended hint

or two.

Of course, this wouldn't happen with Emir-he was far too careful for that. But even he had to abide by the rule.

That might've been the straw that broke the monster's back, as near the end of the second day, a few students had already given up.

Sofia, and a few other 'named,' overheard one of them muttering outside the training hall.

"Can't believe it... thought I could handle it, at least for a few seconds, but that thing-it just

keeps twisting."

He sounded defeated, almost hollow.

Another nodded, wiping their face.

"Guess I'll take the early points and call it."

But the rest of those in the training hall were more stubborn, prideful.

They weren't about to quit, not for anything... at least not this early.

Each time they passed each other between classes and tests, sparks of fire would spark.

It was like an unspoken challenge.

None of them were about to join those "cowards," backing out before even trying their best.

They would show Emir what they were made of!

Unfortunately... that didn't last.

Their pride, which had built in the last two months, was squashed by the time the third day

had arrived.

Most didn't make the tiniest bit of progress since the first day.

As a result, nearly half of the students had submitted, leaving Emir's office with faces that bordered life-ending depression.

Most would pass by the training halls on their way out of the Academy, see who had yet to

quit, and gawk at them.

Sofia saw the one they most looked at, some with pity, others with a faint look of awe, but most with expectation, as everyone expected her to have understood at least half the Ability

Path...

If only they knew.

She too hadn't made any progress since her first day.