Levels Of Power

Are there any questions?" Mr. Aikens had just concluded the lecture for the day- Glows and their benefits- and had proclaimed himself available to answer any question. Mr. Aikens, though not the best teacher of the academy, was certainly one of the best the academy could offer. 

Like every good teacher out there, he wanted to ensure that none of his students left his class with any doubt hidden in the depths of their minds. Mr. Aikens sighed in frustration when he recalled the difficulty of a person becoming a wielder. 

Every year group had several individuals awakening their bloodlines with the average number over the years being 100 out of the five hundred students accepted into the academy. Yet the number of wielders produced by the Neces branch was a pitiful average of twenty five. 

This was because though one out of five students could awaken their bloodlines, the difficulty of getting a technique suitable for that bloodline was based on luck. Yes, luck. If you were lucky, the academy would have one for you. If not, well… In the end most of the students end up abandoning the wielder path to choose pursue other options.

 Of course he was always happy to learn that the academy had acquired a new alchemist or scholar but it was always saddening to find out that that path was only chosen due to the lack of other wielder- based alternatives. It wasn't that he did not want the other fields to prosper, after all, though the academy had the name, 'Wielders Academy', they had several other departments including the crafting and alchemy departments. It's just that heart ached at the thought of several talented individuals who had to give up on the wielding due to their 'bad luck'.

Rousing himself out of his reverie, he looked up to determine the number of confused students in his class only to shiver at the sheer number of raised arms with some standing just to make themselves more prominent. Of the entire class, only two individuals were still seated calmly with their hands on their desks or at their sides, an indication that they had understood the class. 

He smiled bitterly and wondered whether any of the students understood the lecture of the day. It was situations like these that reminded him that although the students that the academy accepted were the brightest of their generation, they were still just six year olds. It should be noted that the tests that the academy held to select their students were intensive and very selective, picking out brilliant and weeding out the rest. Of course it wasn't so for everyone. 

Pupils from prestigious families with great bloodlines were accepted due to the greater chance of awakening their bloodlines. This was done to increase the number of wielders that the academy could produce for that year group. There were also others who were chosen based on recommendations and special scenarios.

 He was not a big fan of the last circumstance but he was an open minded man. As long as these 'special' students showed some degree of skill he was always pleased to have them in his class. After all, there were eight classes for each year group with his class being the elite class. 

If a recommended student did not show any level of competence he was always more than happy to transfer them to another class. For instance, the student called Abelard who was of the Smith royal family. This child always came to him after class was over to consult him on issues that were a little too complex for his mates to understand. 

He was very impressed with the child and looked forward to his future prospects. It was the other kid that he had a problem with- the blond haired child with blue eyes. This boy stood out due to the color of his hair. In the Western Empire, the kingdom of Neces to be specific, the most common hair color was brown. Golden hair like the boy's was hardly seen.

Although he agreed that the boy struck a picturesque figure as he gazed outside the window and upon the birds that basked in the warm sunlight, it did not lessen the annoyance in his heart. Though Mr. Aikens was a wielder, one of his greatest achievements was obtaining the qualifications to be a scholar. 

He appreciated those who thirsted for knowledge and detested the individuals who did not. Mr. Aikens prided himself as a broad minded man but even he had a limit to his patience. So, for one of the very few moments of his life, Mr. Aikens decided to be petty. "The boy seated at the very back of the class? Yes, you. Tell me, what did you learn?" Unfortunately, this decision was not the right one.

"So can you tell me about the levels of strength?" As usual Mane was ignoring his teacher as he asked the 6th a question. Of course he posed this question to the 6th for just one reason- he was the most talkative of the bunch. He was sure that this blabbermouth would answer him without waiting to think and consider whether it was the right thing to do or not. Just as he predicted, the 6th did not let him down. 

"Well, in a lower world like yours, they only know of one realm- the mortal realm. This realm is divided into nine levels. The first three are classified as the lower stages, the next three, the middle stages and the last three are the upper stages. Your world has graded these stages in alphabets. In ascending order there is the F- grade, the E- grade, the D- grade, the C- grade, the B- grade, the A- grade, the S- grade, the SS- grade and the SSS- grade. However, there are higher realms with the mortal realm being the lowest. After the mortal realm is the above- mortal realm, which is superseded by the profound realm. After the profound realm we have the earthly realm, the heavenly realm, the nobility realm and the ascended realm. As for bloodlines, the higher the rank of your bloodline, the further you can go in your cultivation path!" The 6th spoke so quickly that the others could only sigh in frustration. 

This wasn't something Mane had to know at his level. They had all agreed that they would wait until he attained the ninth level of the mortal stage before enlightening the kid on the vastness of the universe and the littleness of his world. The 6th laughed in discomfiture at his error.

Though uncertain, Mane was sure that the 6th was scratching his nose in embarrassment. "The nobility realm?" Mane asked with uncertainty tinging his voice. "Does one have to become a noble to attain this realm?' Mane asked sarcastically while admiring the little birds playing on the lawn just outside his window. Mane spoke in a sarcastic manner to take the heat off the 6th and it worked like a charm. 

"Boy don't be stupid. It's called the nobility realm because it is only at this stage does one finally attain a title. The titles are given based on their affinity with a particular element and their characters. For instance, a very prideful fire user may be given the name the 'arrogant fire emperor' or 'prideful fiery king'." The 1st answered in a low voice as though he was being watched. Since the 6th had sold them out there was no need hoarding any more information. 

"Who gives them their titles?" the blue eyed boy asked them curiously, fully immersed in the conversation that he had no idea what was going on outside his inner psyche. 

"That, we cannot say. It's whole new topic and belongs to a completely different area. It's complexity you cannot understand yet. When you reach the earth realm, we will tell you". Mane was about to pester them for more information when he felt someone poke his left side.

"Hehe. Looks like you are needed outside. You may be in trouble this time little Mane."