Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend-Chapter 156: See You In Class, Handsome

Raegar looked at Valentina, who made herself comfortable on his bed cross-legged. He chuckled, asking. ''What's brought this on all of a sudden, Val?''

The blonde glanced at him, smiling. ''The Lovers Spark silly, when a couple gets shocked when kissing, it means those two people are compatible and could have a long relationship, just like my parents.''

''So you're a romantic?'' he responded.

Valentina nodded. ''Who doesn't love a happy ending? Their rare nowadays, especially with the horde of creatures appearing all over the empire,'' she said, sighing.

''The Creatures of the Night,'' Raegar said while sitting on the bed. ''I'm reading a journal of a man traveling through the Borderlands. He believed the monsters would rush south thanks to the Stormrune schemes.''

When the professor heard this, her eyes widened, revealing. ''That explains why the Order and High Command dispatched your father and Devil Hunters to the north. The creatures have already infested the empire.''

Raegar agreed and asked. ''What about the school?''

''This place should be fine, the same as Willowbank Village, but the road to Brightwater will be dangerous,'' she answered while going through the books.

Following that, the duo continued work with Raegar, helping with which subjects to start. He suggested something to spot the Devils as they kept sneaking into places. This surprised her, but she agreed with a big smile.

''Thanks for that, Rae,'' she praised.

Moments later, the blonde flung her arms around him, but a sudden surge of Aether flowed into her. She tensed, leaning back with wide eyes. Raegar chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. ''Sorry, my energy's overflowing and… well, it seems to like you.''

She giggled before kissing him on the forehead. ''That's fine, it felt nice if I'm honest.''

Afterward, their conversation drifted to the Devil attacks, with the older woman sharing her wisdom. Raegar listened intently as the blonde rose, her expression focused as she informed him of a spell called Alarm.

''With this magic, you can cast to create an early warning field,'' she explained. ''It'll alert you to an opening portal, just like it would to an attack.''

Valentina handed him a scroll. ''Here you go, thanks to being a Tetraarch and the amount of spells you can use, you'll have no problem learning this.''

Raegar took it with an excited expression as he thanked her. ''Thank you, Val. Usually, my senses help, but having some concrete will always help.''

The older woman nodded, smiling. ''I'm glad you're happy, unfortunately, I need to get back to the Northern Courtyard.''

Valentina closed the distance, her lips capturing Raegar's in another kiss. He blinked in surprise as she wove a spell, her form shimmering into invisibility as her Tier Seven power radiated from her.

''See you in class, handsome,'' she whispered, slipping out of his room.

Moments later, she was gone, causing a grin to appear. ''I knew there was something about her. Let's tell Yuki about everyone so she knows, but at least Val knows things won't become serious until I come of age.''

With that decided, Raegar took out some paper and wrote letters to his parents and the cat maid. By the time he was done, he crawled into bed while mumbling. 'Professor Silvershade will help me with another element tomorrow.'

That night, he drifted to sleep, Valentina's unexpected visit leaving his heart light. He'd always found the blonde beautiful, even years ago. The next morning, he stirred awake with a wide yawn.

He stiffened at the sight of several car-sized octopuses clinging to the glass as their beaks slammed against it. This confused him, but then a giant shadow passed over, causing him to look up.

A Deepsea Blood Whale glided gracefully through the ocean, its smaller kin darting around, snatching octopuses and devouring them. He stepped into his bathroom, the expansive window offering a breathtaking view of the vibrant sea beyond.

Raegar sank into the steaming bath, the hot water easing his tension until it was time for his lessons. Hours later, he staggered out of Combat Magic Class, battered from sparring with Professor Velrath himself.

The Tier Seven Warrior had pushed him relentlessly, outpacing him with ease. By the end, his limbs ached, and his Aether reserves flickered low. Gritting his teeth, he made his way toward the Northern Courtyard to meet Professor Silvershade.

Twenty minutes later, Raegar appeared at the entrance, where the guard let him through thanks to Cecilia putting him on the guest list. Following that, he made his way down Professor's Lane until reaching the older woman's home.

''Hey Rae! Mama's out back and told me to escort you around,'' Luna beamed with a blushing Caspian.

He chuckled at his friend's expression, prompting him to tease. ''Meeting the parents already, Cas? It's only been three days, moving fast.''

The black-haired boy's face went even redder, causing Luna to giggle at his reaction before explaining. ''We needed help with the fundamentals, and she was the best person to go to.''

Raegar nodded with a smile as Caspian finally spoke, as the duo led him to the back garden. ''I'll see you tomorrow, Rae. Fire Day is closing in. We can't wait to do the team part of the crucible, especially if Selene joins us.''

He remembered the Demoness saying she was harassing Professor Velrath to let her join them when the time comes. This made him laugh because the older man related to the gremlin.

''That's fine, I'll be the attacker alongside her while the others cover us,'' he replied as the two left.

Once they were gone, the green-haired woman appeared with an amused expression. ''Those two are adorable, don't you think?''

Raegar watched his friends go and answered. ''They are but scared to confess their feelings. Stupid in my opinion, thanks to life being hectic, and you'll never know when something will happen.''

''A good way to live life,'' she replied before moving on to the reason he was there. ''What element would you like to do today?''

He thought for a second and replied. ''Water, if Earth were horrible, I know water will be even worse.''

Professor Silvershade beamed while motioning toward a nearby pond. ''Take a seat and use the blue pill I gave you. I'll be nearby to keep an eye out because the Water Element is horrible to advance.''

''Okay, thank you for your help, Cecilia,'' he responded before taking a seat on a tuft of soft grass and gathering.

Fresh energy poured into his body and began filling up his inner pools until all of them were full after a couple of hours. While doing that, he sensed that a stream of Water Aether was triple the amount of the others.

As he did that, Cecilia's voice echoed in his mind. ''Don't panic, Rae, it will be in your mind.''

Raegar nodded, and in an instant, he was drenched, standing on a serene beach. The water abruptly receded, and his eyes widened in alarm as a towering wave surged. Instinct screamed to flee, but he rooted himself in place.

The wave slammed into him like a wall of concrete, crushing the air from his lungs. His body swayed under the torrent's force, yet he braced himself, enduring the relentless surge with gritted teeth.

He stood firm against the receding tide, saltwater dripping from his soaked clothes. The air was heavy with the roar of the ocean. Professor Silvershade's voice echoed in his mind. 'Expand your Aether Pool under pressure. Let the wave's force guide you.'

Raegar closed his eyes, focusing inward, seeking the faint pulse of his Aether core. The next wave loomed, its shadow darkening the sand. Raegar breathed deeply, trying to stretch his Aether Pool, to widen its boundaries as the professor had taught.

Moments later, he visualized it as a flexible membrane, pushing outward to hold more energy. The wave crashed, slamming into him with brutal force. His chest heaved, ribs aching as he fought to stay upright.

He poured his will into his pool, urging it to expand, but it resisted, unyielding. The energy flickered, contracting instead of growing, like a muscle too strained to stretch. His focus wavered, frustration creeping in.

''Come on,'' he growled inwardly, clenching his fists.

Another wave surged forward, and he tried again, channeling the pressure of the water into his core. The Aether Pool trembled but refused to budge, its edges rigid. The wave hit, knocking him back a step, his knees buckling.

He gasped, spitting saltwater, his body screaming in protest. Raegar's heart sank. He was failing. The pool wouldn't expand, and each attempt left him more drained. The ocean churned, relentless, as if mocking his struggle.

He steadied himself, wiping wet hair from his eyes, and glared at the next approaching wave. 'One more try,' he vowed.

For hours, Raegar battled the relentless waves, each crash a brutal test of his will. He stood on the spectral beach, eyes shut, focusing on his Aether Pool, urging its boundaries to stretch.

Every attempt failed, the pool recoiled, as the ocean's force pummeled his body. His muscles screamed, his Aether dwindled to a faint spark, and his breaths grew ragged.