Chapter 70: Scenario

Ryan followed the signs toward the next classroom.

Unlike the previous lecture hall, this one was located in a separate building surrounded by a large garden. Several students were already gathered outside, some discussing the upcoming practical lesson while others were reviewing their notes.

Ryan entered the building and followed them to the second floor.

A sign beside the classroom door read:

Practical Studies — Spiritual Thread Identification

He stepped inside.

The classroom was considerably different from the previous one. Instead of ordinary desks, it contained several individual workstations arranged in rows. Each workstation had a small circular platform, a glass container, and a few tools that Ryan couldn’t immediately identify.

At the front of the room stood a young female professor wearing a white academic robe. Her long golden hair was tied behind her head, and a small silver badge was attached to her chest.

Several students were already seated.

Ryan found Daniel and Elara near the middle row and approached them.

"You’re here," Daniel said. "I thought Professor Elric had kept you for the entire morning."

"He just gave me some additional exercises."

Daniel looked at the booklet in Ryan’s hand.

"More exercises? That’s unfortunate."

Elara glanced at him.

"You’re hardly in a position to complain. You still haven’t completed yours."

"Why does everyone keep bringing that up?"

Ryan sat down, listening to their conversation.

It seemed that Daniel and Elara were quite familiar with Mika. From their interactions, he could tell that the three of them had spent a considerable amount of time together.

He would have to be careful not to reveal too much about his unfamiliarity with Mika’s personal life.

A moment later, the female professor walked toward the front of the classroom.

"Good morning, everyone. Please take your seats."

The students quickly settled down.

"My name is Professor Seraphine. I will be conducting today’s practical lesson on spiritual thread identification."

She waved her hand, and several glass containers on the workstations began glowing.

"Before we begin, I want everyone to remember something. Identifying spiritual threads is the foundation of Soul Weaving. You cannot manipulate something you cannot properly perceive."

She pointed toward the containers.

"Each container holds a small spiritual specimen. Your task is to observe the spiritual threads within it and identify their basic structure."

Ryan looked at the glass container in front of him.

Inside was a tiny, translucent creature resembling a small butterfly. Its wings were almost transparent, and a faint silver light surrounded its body.

[Minor Spirit Specimen]

[Rank: Common]

[Status: Healthy]

Ryan activated Soul Vision.

Immediately, several glowing threads appeared around the creature.

However, unlike the diagram shown during the previous lecture, these threads were moving constantly. Some extended toward its wings, while others connected to its small body.

Ryan observed them carefully.

’So this is what they want us to identify.’

Professor Seraphine continued explaining.

"Do not attempt to interfere with the threads. For today’s lesson, you only need to observe them and record their structure. Any student who attempts to manipulate the specimen without permission will lose practical assessment points."

She then demonstrated the process using a specimen on her desk.

A faint silver light surrounded her fingers, and a small diagram appeared above the container.

"This is the basic method of spiritual observation. Focus on the specimen’s spiritual energy and gradually distinguish the individual threads. Do not try to observe everything at once. Begin with the outer connections and slowly work your way toward the center."

Ryan watched her demonstration.

Although he could already see spiritual energy through Soul Vision, he decided to follow the professor’s instructions instead of relying entirely on his skill.

He focused on the small butterfly.

At first, the threads seemed like an ordinary network of silver lines. However, as he observed them more carefully, he noticed that they weren’t all identical.

Some were thicker and brighter, while others were extremely thin.

A few threads were connected directly to the creature’s body, while others extended toward its wings.

He opened his textbook and checked the relevant Chapter.

According to the lesson, spiritual threads could be divided into several basic categories depending on their functions.

There were structural threads, which maintained the stability of a spiritual body.

There were energy threads, which distributed spiritual energy throughout the body.

There were also sensory threads, which allowed spiritual creatures to perceive their surroundings.

Ryan compared the information with what he could see.

’This one should be an energy thread.’

He carefully examined another connection.

’And these are probably structural threads.’

He began recording his observations.

The task was more complicated than he had expected. Even with Soul Vision, he couldn’t immediately identify every thread.

Some of them overlapped, while others were so faint that he had difficulty distinguishing them.

He soon understood why Professor Seraphine had emphasized the importance of observation.

Soul Vision allowed him to perceive spiritual energy, but it didn’t automatically explain the function of every connection.

He needed to understand what he was looking at.

After nearly twenty minutes, Professor Seraphine began walking between the workstations.

She stopped beside one student and examined his notes.

"Your observation is correct, but you’ve confused two energy connections. Look carefully at their direction."

The student nodded and made corrections.

She continued moving through the classroom until she eventually reached Ryan’s workstation.

She looked at his notes.

"Mika?"

Ryan looked up.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Explain what you have identified so far."

Ryan briefly examined his notes before answering.

"The thicker connections around the body appear to be structural threads. They maintain the stability of the specimen’s spiritual form. The thinner connections distribute spiritual energy toward different parts of its body."

He pointed toward the creature’s wings.

"I believe these connections are responsible for controlling the movement of its wings, although I’m not entirely certain about their exact function."

Professor Seraphine examined the specimen.

"That’s a reasonable observation. What about the thread connecting the central structure to its head?"

Ryan looked at it again.

"I think it’s a sensory connection."

"Correct."

She nodded.

"However, don’t assume every thread connected to the head has the same function. You must examine its spiritual flow before reaching that conclusion."

Ryan nodded.

"Understood."

Professor Seraphine moved to the next workstation.

Ryan looked at his notes again.

He had managed to identify most of the basic connections, but he was still unsure about several smaller threads.

Rather than guessing, he decided to leave them unclassified.

The practical lesson continued for another thirty minutes.

By the time the bell rang, most students had completed their observations.

Professor Seraphine collected their reports.

"Your results will be evaluated and returned during the next practical lesson. For now, review the basic classifications in Chapter Four."

She glanced around the classroom.

"And remember, observation is more important than speed. A careless Soul Weaver can cause considerable damage by misunderstanding a single spiritual connection."

The students began packing their belongings.

Daniel approached Ryan.

"How did you do?"

"Not bad, I think."

Daniel looked at his report.

"I managed to identify most of mine, but I wasn’t sure about the smaller connections."

Elara shook her head.

"You always rush through the practical lessons. That’s why you keep making mistakes."

"At least I finished."

"That’s not something to be proud of."

Ryan listened to them while putting his textbook away.

He was beginning to understand their personalities.

Daniel was friendly but somewhat careless with his studies, while Elara seemed more serious and attentive. Both of them appeared to be relatively close to Mika.

As they left the classroom, Daniel suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right. Are you coming to the library after lunch?"

Ryan looked at him.

"The library?"

"Yes. We usually study there before the afternoon practical lessons. Elara said she would help us with the assignment."

Elara immediately corrected him.

"I said I would help you. Mika can decide for himself."

Daniel ignored her.

"So, are you coming?"

Ryan considered the offer.

He had no particular reason to refuse. In fact, spending time with the other students might help him understand Mika’s circumstances better.

"Sure. I’ll come."

"Great!"

Daniel seemed pleased.

The three of them walked toward the cafeteria together.

Ryan checked the schedule as they approached the dining hall.

[13:00 — Practical Soul Binding]

[15:00 — Puppet Creation Beginner]

He had already attended two lessons, and the next one would involve actual practice.

Ryan glanced at the students around him.

Some were discussing their assignments, while others were talking about their plans for the weekend. A few were even arguing about which professor gave the most difficult examinations.

It was an ordinary academy life.

Just like the System said, he have to live and learn all he could until he gives up or dies.