As the instructor announced Alex's victory in the spar, the students finally regained their composure. This was quickly followed by their excited comments.
"Did you see that last move?!"
"What are you talking about? Aside from the instructor, I doubt anyone else did."
"True. And I bet he was still holding back."
"Of course he was. He didn't even activate his ability the whole fight!"
"Doesn't that mean he is stronger than all of us?"
"…" This time, they couldn't say anything. If there was ever a doubt about the abilities of Alexander Gray, then this simple and short spar answered that question.
The fact that they couldn't see him move was proof enough. The instructor heard all the other students were saying and made no moves to shut them. He simply stared at the boy as he made his way back to his friends.
'For the better part of the year, you've kept a low profile, not drawing attention to yourself. But without a doubt, you're the strongest first year I've ever taught.'
The instructor reached this conclusion because he could tell. Among everyone here, besides Alex himself, he could see vividly how much the boy held back.
'And it's not just about physical abilities either. Something is definitely different about him.'
His mind went back to one of the questions he asked in class.
'Mana infusion, huh?'
Normally, the mana stored in the manitoria functioned to power a person's abilities. And while it also added the extra benefit of strengthening the body as one grew stronger, that was only a passive addition. As a hunter's level increases, so does his strength.
One over the months in the academy, the students had grown stronger overall, but Alex was different. He had not even mentioned this to his friends yet, but his situation could not escape his senses. Alex's cultivation had barely increased over the months! But somehow, his physical abilities were the highest among his peers.
Alex could feel the gaze of his instructor on him, and he looked up at him and smiled before sitting. Ross, Julia and Sophia congratulated him on his victory.
"You could have finished that fight just as quickly as Julia did, you know? There was no need to play around."
"Now, where is the fun in that? Seeing everyone's progress is equally important. We have to know what level our competition is."
Ross simply shook his head at Alex's reasoning. The trio were at a completely different level and while they did not know about their classmates, Ross believed they were still above them in strength.
This was not him underestimating his classmates, he simply knew where his strength was. While they were engaged in their little chat, the instructor continued the sparring matches.
However, the display Alex and Julia put forward made their matches seem bleak. Furthermore, the majority of the students were tied, and even with the use of their abilities, they couldn't end the matches quickly.
When it got to Ross' turn, his opponent was able to put up a good fight for a few seconds before she was also put in her place.
Their fights had solidified their status among the members of their class. Without a doubt, they were the strongest first years ever.
Sometime later, the sparring matches came to an end and the instructor proceeded to give his next set of instructions.
"With these fights, I believe everyone has a fair idea about their strength level, weaknesses and what they need to work on; some more than others.
"This marks the conclusion of all your combat lessons. From now on, your skills are yours alone to polish. And for fights involving beasts, you'd be doing that in your second year."
Listening to his words brought a smile to their faces. What that meant was a free period they could use however they wished. Of course, they also had to pay attention to their points.
"With two weeks left till your end-of-year competition, I expect everyone to prepare themselves thoroughly, especially with the coming one-week break you'll be given. More information about the event will be made available to you in due time."
He ended the class, and everyone began exiting the VR world.
Once outside, the students quickly dispersed as this was their last lesson. But all they could talk about was how the trio of friends dominated their opponents. The looks of admiration only went up as they talked about them.
"You have a mountain to cross, Zen." One of his friends commented as they made their way back to their dorms. The frown on his face spoke volumes about his current thoughts. While he also dominated his opponent, it was not as awe-inducing as what Alex and Julia did.
Meanwhile, Alex and his friends were about to exit the combat systems building when Instructor Horvey called out to Alex.
"Wait for me outside." Ross and Julia nodded, leaving Alex. He approached the instructor trying to think of the reason why he would call him out.
'Is it because of my fight?' He doubted that was the reason, but he would soon find out anyway.
He guided Alex to a secluded area where they were out of earshot.
"How's your cultivation?"
His question caused Alex's expression to darken. His figure was frozen before his instructor not knowing how to respond to that.
'Shit. Did he notice?'
His thoughts ran quickly, thinking of a reasonable response. The fact that he asked that question meant he was somehow aware of his cultivation not increasing at all.
"I'm not asking to chastise you…." He sighed, looking at the frightened expression of the boy before him.
"… If you're experiencing any difficulty, you can come to me anytime. Is that okay with you?"
He added with concern etched on his face. Since he made such an expression, it was clear the boy was not ready to share.
'No matter, he will come around eventually. Hopefully, we can find out what's causing him to lag behind in his cultivation.'
Alex regained his composure after the instructor took a step back from the question he posed.
"Understood, Sir."
"Mm…" Instructor Horvey then turned around to leave.
Alex sighed in relief. For a moment, he thought his instructor would assume he was slacking off his cultivation.
"I need to find a solution as soon as possible." Saying this, he also departed to find his friends.