Chapter 34: Spar

When Ethan finally stood, the lecture hall had mostly emptied. A few students remained near the front, still talking in low voices about Grant’s session, but the majority of the class had already left into the corridor.

Lila waited for him at the end of the row, her bag over one shoulder and expression tight in a way that made Ethan raise his eyebrow.

As they left, the corridor was louder than the classroom had been. Students moved in clusters, some repeating Grant’s comments and laughing about it nervously while others treating the whole thing like it was some kind of entertainment.

Lila waited until they had turned into a quieter part near the stairwell before she spoke.

"That was deliberate," she said. "I don’t like what happened. Any of it. It was basically public humiliation."

"I know."

"And you just let it slide?"

Ethan glanced at her. "What was I supposed to do? Talk back to the instructor and proceed to get folded in front of the entire class?"

"I didn’t say you should." Lila replied. "I’m saying it was fucked up. Professor Crane wouldn’t have done it like that."

"Professor Crane isn’t here." He paused for a moment, then spoke again. "Besides, she hates restricted classes just as much—well, probably not as much, but you get what I mean...."

They pushed the doors opened and walked into the campus’ main ground and they were met with the afternoon light shining in their path. Ordinary student noise came from the direction of the dining hall and the training fields, abd Ethan felt slightly unnerved with how normal it all felt considering what happened within the last hour.

The last words from their conversation settled between them as they walked a little while in silence. Ahead, the east grounds opened up under the wide sky, and Ethan stopped and looked at it for a moment.

Lila followed his gaze. "You’re going to train."

"Yes." he replied without looking at her.

"Now?"

Ethan nodded and walked towards the edge of the field. "Sitting with that lecture is useless. I have better things to take care of..."

Lila studied him for a second longer, then nodded, accepting his reply somewhat. "I’ll be at the dorm. Don’t collapse this time."

"I’ll try."

She hesitated, as if considering whether or not to stay then simply reached out and brushed her fingers against his wrist before turning back toward the dorms.

Ethan watched her go until she disappeared into the corner, then stepped fully onto the grounds.

He looked around, exhaled and opened his system.

```

[Name: Ethan Shaw]

[Age: 19]

[Awakened Class: Necromancer]

[Rank: E]

[Level: 3]

[EXP: 150 / 300]

[Death Energy: 500/500]

[Control Capacity: 54]

[Undead Storage: Available]

[Stored Undead:]

- Basic Undead (Beowolf) — Rank E

- Basic Undead (Iron Golem) — Rank D

[Skills:]

- Raise Undead

- Death Sense

- Command Undead

- Death Link

```

The numbers were clean, and he nodded once in satisfaction. A week of consistent work had pushed him from the post rank up reset to Level 3 with a comfortable level of experience already reached. In all honesty, Death Energy at five hundred felt excessive compared to the thin pools he had managed at Rank F, and Control Capacity at fifty-four gave him room he had not yet fully tested.

He closed the screen and pulled Bef from storage first.

The Beowolf emerged the next instant, its green eyes lighting as the connection fully settled.

Ethan ran it through a short sequence of layered commands, then activated Death Link.

The double perspective arrived with less disorientation than the first test.

Though Bef’s vision was limited compared to the Iron Golem’s, the clarity had improved with practice. He held the link through a patrol pattern, released it, and dismissed the wolf back into shadow.

Then he called the Iron Golem.

It clawed its way out of the darkness the same way it had before, and Ethan placed a hand against its chest for a moment and then activated Death Link.

The world split cleanly this time.

Increased height, wider field of view and the faint green hue at the edges of his vision.

He moved the golem through a series of combat type commands while watching through its eyes. The drain was present but steady. Manageable.

He was still in the middle of practice when a voice called out to him across the grounds.

"You’re more stable than last week."

Ethan released Death Link and turned.

Nora stood several meters away, hands in her blazer pockets, with her red eyes assessing the Iron Golem with an interested look in her eyes.

He had not heard her approach. Either she was quieter than most people, or he had been deeper in the training than he realized.

"Nora."

"Grant’s lesson was educational," she said, as if continuing a conversation they had already started. "Public identification, soft threat about containment. Very educational."

"You expected it." he said, turning towards the golem.

"I expected something. Though I must admit that the way he did it was more theatrical than necessary." Her gaze shifted from the golem to him. "You’ve gotten stronger."

"What do you need?"

Nora took a few steps closer, stopping deliberately in front of him.

"A brief spar."

He frowned slightly. "With me?"

"You and your undead." She nodded toward the Iron Golem. "Something brief. No lethal intent. I want to see how your control holds under pressure, and I’m sure you would want to see how Blood Craft really works." Her tone stayed even. "This counts as information, no?"

Ethan looked at the golem, then back at her, weighing his options..

Nora waited, her expression patient and unreadable.

"Define brief," Ethan said.

"Five minutes. Or until one of us yields. Whichever comes first." A thin, humorless smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Unless you’re not ready."

Ethan glanced once more at the Iron Golem standing ready in front of him, then at his Death Energy pool. It was still high so he could spare a few minutes...

"All right," he said. "Five minutes."