The Strongest Spellblade

Dean Beacon Smith stood on a podium on an elevated platform in front of the 100 guests that had arrived for the graduation. About half of them were from the College itself, while the rest were important individuals who had received an invitation and could attend. There were at least 30 legends in attendance.

Light music was playing in the background as everyone took their assigned seats. I got a front seat with Healer Melon as my invited guest along with four legends, two dignitaries, and two Professors at my table. Each of the graduates had their invited guests and several additional ones at his or her table.

First would be the graduation ceremony, then dinner, and finally light dancing and drinking afterwards until the evening as the sun set. There was a small band playing off to one side. The sun was up in the sky, and fluffy clouds were zipping by.

It was a picturesque day. Especially with the weather control wards around the College. One couldn’t have asked for a better setting for my triumph. There were some nerves, but I had gained a lot of skill levels.

”Today, we celebrate the amazing achievements of ten amazing students. They have completed seven years of study, triumphing over their peers and competitors in the pursuit of knowledge and skills,” the Dean said.

”We opened a new chapter for the College seven years ago when we took flight. But even while soaring through the sky, we have remained grounded and focused on improvement. Already we are exploring new avenues of research with pets and living war mechs. Nothing will halt our progress. It is the collective effort of everyone that has allowed us to continue forward even with the departure of our founder and first dean, The Mathemancer.”

”While we grieve the loss of such a figure and other supreme legends, we will rise to greater heights. Not just in the sky, but in skill development and in understanding. This afternoon, ten students will carry on this legacy as full graduates of the College of Advancement. Entitled to return to the College as an Assistant Professor at any time and with job opportunities from around the continent if they so desire,” he said to some chuckles.

”Many this year are going the path of an adventurer. While dangerous, it is a noble path. A path of exploration and advancement. One The Mathemancer pursued as well. I commend them for their courage in continuing to push against the unknown and hopefully overcoming any barriers in place that prevent the discovery of knowledge.”

He wouldn’t mention the demon in each speech directly; that would have been crass.

”Now, I am sure many of you are curious about the final rankings. This last year has been especially competitive among all students, which is exactly what this College encourages. Now, for the graduates. In tenth place with 8,971 skill levels counted and 1,138 skill levels in his final year, we have Sam Whitesmith.”

Sam got up and made his way up to the podium. He could give a one-minute speech, and the organizers would present him with a specially made metal card with his name, the year of his graduation, and his final placement. The metal card would jump in quality and ornamentation for the 2nd and 3rd place with a platinum alloy used for 1st place.

They gave a certificate to the students who had graduated earlier.

Once he got his card and shook the Dean’s hand, he gave a brief speech thanking his family, great uncle, and the Professors at the College.

One by one, other students were called up with no major surprises. Godfrey Windsome won with a single skill level both in total over the seven years and for this year over Terroc. I hadn’t participated in that competition, but they had competed heatedly , closely matched in skill levels each year, and regularly changed positions in the College’s ranking.

Now it was time for second place. It would be Windshell Gossimer or me. There was a reason that the ceremony was a day after final status submission, so everyone could get rest. If she was called, that meant I had won and taken first place. If I were called for second place, that meant I would have lost. The tension was thick as Harren finished thanking his family.

”And before I sit back down, I am looking forward to the next two names,” Harren said.

I could see Windshell tense up at that. She should be worried. Despite everything I had planned, it was going to be close.

She glanced over at me, but I just kept my smile plastered on my face. Thinking about all my skill levels, I had gained quite a few over the last three months.

Level: 20

Experience: BLOCKED

Healing: 500/500

Stamina: 550/550

Mana: 780/780

Class: Tier 1, Adult Human (Blue)

Effect: Increased Skill Acquisition (+10%), Increased Learning Speed (+10%), Increased Stat Gain (+10%), Increased Physical Gain (+10%), Increased Mental Gain (+10%)

Vitality: 50 ()

Endurance: 55 ()

Strength: 38+20 ()

Agility: 46+20 ()

Perception: 36 (+1)

Mind: 159 (+4)

Magic: 58+20 (+4)

Focus: 57+20 (+1)

Free Points: 200

Tier 1 (17) (30+): Light Armor (100), Medium Armor (100), Dwarven Etiquette (100), Eldarin Etiquette (100), Elven Etiquette (100), Pulse Strike (97), Drawing Skills (90), Dagger Skills (90), Wrestling Skills (89), Combat Tactics (88), Dancing Skills (87), Speech (79), Pugilist Skills (75), Bow Skills (75), Whip Skills (57), Driving (39), Heavy Armor (25)

Tier 2 (62) (13+): Mana Sense (100), Danger Sense (100), System Sense (100), Soul Sense (100), Speed Reading (97), Focused Toughness (91), Mana Vision (80), Darkness Vision (71), Shadow Vision (60), Focused Sword Skills (80), Critical Thinking (60), Focused Deflection (60), Time Sense (51), Focused Dodge (47), Spatial Sense (45), Trap Detection (40), Poison Sense (40), Focused Shield Skills (40), Sweet Teeth (40), Demonic Lore (40), Focused Throw (40), Focused Monster Processing Skills (38), Dwarven Lore (35), Elven Lore (33), Focused Spear Skills (33), Monster Analysis (30), Eldarin Lore (28), High Vostner Lore (28), Low Vostner Lore (27), Focused Cooking Skills (23), Depth Sense (21), Focused Rage (20), Focused Axe Skills (20),

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Tier 3 (108) (5+): Empowered Will (100), Mana Manipulation (100), Fear Resistance (80), Empowered Gestures (75+7), Eldarin Runes (72+12), Light Orb (75+15), Empowered Meditation (60+2), Silent Casting (60+3), Skill Control (60+3), Hidden Status (59+7), Lightning Resistance (55+5), Cold Resistance (40), Clean (40), Sleep (40), Flame Blade (40+1), Fireball (40+5), Empowered Breathing (35+3), Ward (36+2), Empowered Writing (32+4), System Control (30+2), Arcane Resistance (29), Empowered Running (29), Cure (27), Physical Resistance (26), Status Analysis (25), Lightning Beam (25), Soul Strike (20), Calculus (20), Advanced Geometry (20), Dwarven Runes (20+7), Elven Runes (20+8), Demonic Runes (19+7), High Vostner Runes (17+7), Low Vostner Runes (15+6), Social Resistance (8), Alchemy (8+1), Empowered Stealth (7)

Tier 4 (32): Soul Link (60), Poison Immunity (35+5), Multi-Casting (19+19), Vibration Blade (15), Pain Immunity (11), Soul Immunity (7+3), Healing Immunity (4+1), Fire Immunity (2+2)

Tier 5 (-): Experience Siphon (C)

Equipment

Gloves: Gloves of Magic (T3) (+20 Magic)

Boots: Boots of Agility (T3) (+20 Agility)

Head: Helmet of Clarity (T3) (+20 Focus)

Body: Heavy Armor of Stability (T3) (+20 Strength)

Ring 1: Ring of Alarm (T3) (Gem turns red if other Mana interferes)

Ring 2: Ring of Force Deflection (T3) (Reduces impact force by a quarter)

Amulet/Bracelet: Experience Blocker (T4) (Prevents all experience gain for primary level)

Weapon 1: Reforged Beginner’s Blade (T3) (Sharpness-T4, Durability-T3, Self-Repair-T2)

Equipment 1: Runic Writing Set (T3) (Write Runes T3 and Below)

Equipment 2: Monster Processing Set (T3) (Processes Level 150 and Below)

Equipment 3: Ring of Remote Awareness (T3) (Allows for remote viewing from companion ring)

Winged Serpent

Level: 31/462

Experience: 2,987/3,168

Healing: 1,120/1,120

Stamina: 420/420

Mana: 1,060/1,060

Class: Tier 1, Young Winged Serpent (Orange)

Effect: Alchemy Skill Growth (+50%), Alchemic Skill Power (+100%)

Vitality: 112 ()

Endurance: 42 ()

Strength: 59 ()

Agility: 91 ()

Perception: 45 ()

Mind: 103 ()

Magic: 106 ()

Focus: 52 ()

Free Points: 0

T2: Alchemic Vision (99+4), Focused Bite (80), Toxic Breath (80), Danger Sense (43), Health Sense (22+1), Stamina Sense (20)

T3: Cure (100), Purify (100), Refresh (100+3), Alchemy (73+3), Poison Insight (67+2), Fire Insight (43+1), Cold Insight (40), Arcane Insight (39+1), Spatial Insight (33+1), Soul Insight (23), Healing Insight (15+1), Anatomy Insight (11+1), Atmospheric Insight (8+1)

T4: Soul Link (60), Flight (57+2), Alchemic Bounded Field (49+4), Greater Cure (30), Greater Purify (24+4), Greater Refresh (18+3), Petrifying Gaze (10)

I gained 432 skill levels between tier 3 and tier 4 skills. I had neglected many of my other skills. The sparring was great for honing skills, but with the number of bottlenecks I was facing, breaking through them was difficult.

That was an insane amount, and the biggest contributor to that was the tier 4 skill Multi-Casting just like I had planned. Gaining 19 skill levels in 3 months for a tier 4 skill was massive in getting such a high number.

I was only 7 skill levels behind, so as long as Windshell didn’t get 425 skill levels, I would win. They would consider the previous year in case of a tie, going all the way back to the first year. There had never been a tie for 7 years in a row. Terroc and Godfrey had come close, but it hadn’t happened.

I also enjoyed taking a break and relaxing after the intense studying. I didn’t mind gaining levels and working hard, but these last three months were brutal. My brain was practically cooking in my head even with my newly gained Fire Immunity. I had switched over to Lightning Resistance after that, trying to squeeze in the last couple of skill levels.

When someone turned a crank, the device moved a magnet along copper wires, sending current into one’s body. It was like how the implosion engines worked in various dwarven contraptions. Training and studying while getting shocked was a bit much, even for me. But I knew she would beat me if I slacked off in the slightest. Windshell wasn’t the kind of elf to take things easy in the last three months after gaining a small lead.

Dean Beacon Smith took to the podium once more. ”Now for the final two placements. I will announce second place first, as is custom. The competition these last seven years between Justin Burnstock and Windshell Gossimer was quite intense. Justin has placed first for the last 6 years, but this year Windshell overtook him just 3 months ago.”

Just hurry up!

”In second place, with a total skill level gain over the 7 years of 10,102 skill levels and 1,559 skill levels this year is Windshell Gossimer.”

I smiled brightly at this. The crowd applauded, forcing her to stand up stiffly and walk to the podium. The Dean handed her card and shook her hand before she went to the podium to speak.

”I thank my parents and my family and apologize to them as well for the disappointment that I am,” she said and then left the podium with a stone face. That speech was incredibly short, but she was clearly raging inside at her loss.

The Dean stepped forward once more. ”And now it is time to honor the first-place graduate of the College of Advancement. The son of Supreme Legend Elena Burnstock and Legend Darren Burnstock. Justin Burnstock gained an impressive 10,472 skill levels during his time at this College and took first place this year with 1,561 skill levels,” the Dean said, and the applause was loud.

I did it.

I finished the most basic requirement my mother set before me of taking first place in the College of Advancement. Musicians played the theme of the College in the background. I walked to the platform the podium was on and ascended as everyone looked on.

Walking over to the Dean, he gave me a warm smile. ”Congratulations Justin. Your progress was quite remarkable. Take this symbol with pride,” he said and handed me a metal card with the College’s symbol on one side. My name, year, picture, and the number one on the other side.

I took it with happiness and clutched it tight as I stepped up to the podium to give my victory speech. ”First, I want to thank my parents for pushing me to succeed. Then my tutors, specifically Tutor Damian, Healer Castelle, and Healer Melon, in the audience.”

The bald healer got several looks when I mentioned him by name.

”The Professors here at the College were great, always pushing boundaries and pushing us students to do better, but this is just the first step on my journey. While there has never been a legacy of supreme legends, I aim to become the first, and this is just my first step.”

”While my mother might have perished in the dungeon, I will carry on her legacy in spirit. Seeking to break boundaries and discover the unknown, regardless of the risk.”

There was another round of applause as I moved off the platform and back to my seat. I carefully put the metal card away in my spatial pouch. It would be a valuable item, showing my identity. If I ever wanted to retire from adventuring, that metal guard was a guarantee that I could live comfortably and get almost any job out there.

People remembered winners. While there had been countless legends over the years, people only remembered the supreme legends. Having people remember me wasn’t my goal, but it was an indicator of the impact one had. Everyone knew my mother’s name. If I were going to surpass her and become the strongest, then my fame would exceed hers. People naturally learned about those who stood at the very top. It was the subject of conversation and gossip.

Almost everyone would attribute my placement to my mother’s help, and they wouldn’t be wrong, but they would also talk about something I had accomplished through hard work and determination.

The Dean took his position at the podium once more. ”Another year has finished, and in less than two weeks we will begin a new one, starting all over again. The march of progress continues unabated.”

He smiled and scan the entire crowd.

”While our classes might seem harsh, the skill levels you have gained in the last seven years will help you move forward for the rest of your lives. Bringing a brighter future for tomorrow.”

There was a polite round of applause.

”Now let us…” he trailed off as there was a round of slow and loud clapping. Everyone turned to see who was being rude and why the Dean had stopped speaking. My Danger Sense was giving me a small warning.