Alice quickly realised that her spiritual energy could not flow in or out of her body. If she had to describe it, it was as if her pores were clogged or plugged close. Now that she focused intensely on the quality of the air around her, she could not feel the same energy in it that she felt in the previous world. So, she could only circulate and control the flow of the energy within her. She played around with the flow, then tested if she could concentrate the energy flow to a specific body part. Finding that it was possible, she moved on to test the effects. She set up the pillow nicely against the wall, then punched it with her good arm. Poof. Her punch was measly. The original soul had seriously neglected training her body, like many other magic users do. She fluffed up the pillow nicely again, then threw the same punch, except this time, she concentrated the flow of energy into her arm. Her hand flew faster. Ponk! Along with the sound, some stuffing squeezed out of the holes that resulted from the torn seams.
Alice looked at her fist. /So, it's like an enhancement of the body's stats. In that case, can it enhance the recovery rate of the body too?/ While she focused the flow of energy to her right arm, she moved on to test the current limits of her powers. She created a water ball as big as she could. However, it could not go beyond the size of her body. She tried to morph the ball of water into different shapes while maintaining its size. It was possible but painfully slow. Then, she created a small water bead and weaved it through her open fingers as fast as possible. However, the speed was so slow that it was equally painful. If she sped it up any further, it would crash into a finger and explode. Alice sighed and shook her head. Her endurance in keeping her ability up was unlikely great as well. /Another start from the scratch./
A tiny frown took its place between her brows as she thought about how the original soul was pathetically weak and not very smart about her priorities. In her memories, she only remembered studying hard to stay in school. In so doing, she neglected her physical abilities. Even when she was injured, she really only rested. She did not use the free time to work on her ability. With how often she got injured, she wasted a lot of time just resting and recovering. Alice spent the rest of the night brainstorming of different ways she could apply her ability as a defense and an offense.
From the next day, Alice set up a new routine for herself.
She spent half the day on physical training without her right arm, then the other half on training her water ability. While training physically, she honed her endurance by keeping the maximum sized water ball she could muster activated beside her. During her abilities practice, she would work on the manipulation and fine control.
The night was spent on revision for her studies. The subjects tested in this world were the same as her original world, except there was the addition of abilities studies. Some content was also slightly different, such as the geography of the country and the nature around her. Nonetheless, she believed that she could cope with it.
Due to her change in focus, Alice had to complete some paperwork to withdraw herself from the classes that the original soul signed herself up for. Classes on subjects were not compulsory unless one failed the exam for it. The only compulsory class was the abilities class which was held every morning.
BaoBao, being a very helpful assistant, managed her food. Thanks to BaoBao's surveillance, they procured groceries without meeting any of Alice's bullies or the three companions. The amount they got was enough to last them a whole month.
2 weeks passed. Alice could tell that her arm has completely healed. She went to get her cast removed early in the morning when everyone would be in class.
Doctor Nina was astounded by Alice's recovery rate and started to think that Alice was undergoing some physical changes due to all the bullying she faced. /The body's wondrous ability to adapt is amazing./
Alice returned to her room and immediately began her martial arts practice on top of her physical training. She refused to rely on her magical ability like many others, even if an ability user would always win against a Scum no matter how physically strong the Scum may be. After all, this outcome was based on the assumption that the ability user would always be in their top form.
Another 2 weeks passed this way and Alice finally returned to class.
Abilities classes split students up according to their status as Normals, Talents, or Blessings. They then further divide them into the nature of their abilities.
The divisions between statuses were clear for all to see. Normals wore white blazers and ate at the crowded canteen on the first floor. Talents wore blue blazers and ate on the second floor that served better food with the Blessings who wore maroon blazers. Ignoring the colours of the blazers, their uniform looked and felt great.
Alice found that classes were about the same and quite mundane. It was usually emphasized how they should seek to understand their ability as if it were a part of their body and to use it as such. This was how everyone gradually found their most comfortable way of defending and attacking. There was the theory part and the practical part of class.
During the theory half, they simply gave many suggestions about what they could do with their powers and different ways they could understand their powers, such as the personality of the element and how it complements the user's personality.
During the practical half, it was simply practice in the combat hall where there were targets they could throw attacks at. However, students would often hold mock and friendly battles with the teacher as the referee instead.
Alice did not want people to find out about her sudden growth in strength so she pretended to be weak. She carelessly threw water bombs at targets in an effort to recreate the standard of the original soul. The original soul did not have much imagination with regards to the use of her ability and never thought to look at others for inspiration.
At the end of class, a boy approached her. "What a pathetic idol you have. She didn't come to your aid in the end, did she?" He mocked.
Alice silently walked around him to head to the canteen. He suddenly pulled her roughly by her right arm. "Lucky you, looks like it healed up all nicely."
"Let go." Alice said coldly.
"Maybe we should break it agai- Ah!!!" The boy cried out in pain when Alice twisted his arm that was holding onto her to his back.
"I warned you. Touch me again and I will break your arm." Alice threatened him in a cold and calm manner. She pushed him aside then headed towards the canteen as she had intended.
The boy stumbled into the wall. He turned around in anger to point a trembling finger at her. "You just wait for it, you little twit!"
At the canteen, Alice looked at the huge variety of food available.
/BaoBao, do you think that I should just stick to making my own food?/
[What do you mean you, I'm the one making it for the past month...]
/Yes, yes, good helpful BaoBao./
[Just try the food here first. If it's not as nourishing or delicious, then I could cook for you. That looks pretty goo- Ah, behind you!]
As BaoBao was distracted and Alice was among a crowd of people, he only noticed the bullies when someone reached for her collar from the back. Alice successfully dodged the hand but was immediately grabbed by her arms and dragged away. She saw how the others around her were either nonchalant or smirking. She then turned her gaze back to the stalls serving piping hot food.
/I just wanted to eat.../
She got dragged out of the canteen into an open field. However, instead of crossing the field, they took an immediate turn. After getting dragged for a while more, she got thrown down onto the ground. Alice casually got up and dusted herself off. She looked up and around her. She was surrounded by a group of boys in a secluded corner of the field and building. A Talent was standing in front of four Normals.
The same old sight bored Alice. /Just riding on another's coattails.../
"I heard that someone became daring and actually fought back. Tell me, which paw of yours touched my lackey?" The leader spoke up.
"You speak as if you'd leave me alone if I didn't fight back." Alice quipped.
"Looks like he's right, you're stupidly daring now. I'll show you how I treat defiant people!" He looked at the boy whose arm she twisted earlier. "Which paw of hers did she use?"
He pointed to her left. The leader then jumped at her, wanting to dominate her completely through sheer physical power to humiliate her. "I don't even need my abilities to defeat you!"
However, the next few moments humiliated him instead.
She easily dodged all his attacks and even turned some of his attacks onto himself. When Alice finally had enough, she concentrated her spiritual energy in her right arm that swung towards him. He sensed danger and used his earth ability to create a shield in front of him. However, she smashed through his shield and punched his face. Some power in the punch was lost due to the shield, but it was enough to cause his nose to bleed.
The leader turned red in anger and embarrassment. He used his earth ability to encase her legs and formed a fire ball in his hand.
She frowned slightly at this. How tiresome.
"Now you're scared. I'll teach you a lesson for messing with me!" He threw the fire ball that was the size of her face at her but she made a water wall at the last moment that caused his fire ball to fizzle out. The suddenness of it coupled with the comical sizzling sound made one of the boys giggle. The leader slapped the boy hard with the back of his hand then burnt him to a crisp with fire spewing out from his hand. All the other boys stared at the burnt boy in fear then looked at their leader.
"Still think it's funny?!"
The remaining three shook their head vigorously.
The Talent turned back to Alice. "I'll make you regret making fun of me!"
/BaoBao, when did I make fun of him?/
[I don't know.]
/What an egoistic freak.../
He directed a strong blaze of fire at Alice. She responded with a water wall that simultaneously shot water bullets. His anger fueled the temperature of his fire. It caused her water to evaporate before it could reach him. She increased the size of the bullets and tried to maintain the fast speed at which it flew but it did not work. She tried raining sharp water arrows at him from above but they evaporated too.
Instead, each of her attack seemed to fuel his anger, and thus his attacks. Her hands was already burnt and blistering from the steam that was created from her water wall. She tried making a water jet like he was spewing fire out of his hands but she was still weaker.
Alice decided that she was still too weak to fight back so she tried to escape.
She broke her legs free by directing her spiritual energy into her legs and jumped high up. However, the leader quickly redirected his aim and shot her. She made a water wall again.
Because she was in air, her hand touched her water wall as she fell onto it. It was boiling hot. She propelled herself off the water wall and directed her jump to reach behind the group of boys. She was prepared to take off the moment she landed but the leader caught on to her intention to escape.
Before she could even land, he trapped her in a small box made out of earth. He knew that she would be able to break out of it if it was too thin so he began reinforcing all the sides except the side facing him while he blasted fire towards the earth box.
BaoBao knew that Alice could not see so he warned her. [Defend!!] Alice immediately curled herself into a ball and surrounded herself with a water wall. In the next instant, fire broke through the earth and hit her. She focused her defense on her left side while she kicked the walls around her repeatedly. She did not dare to take a break. She did not know how much he had reinforced the cage and her water wall was already dangerously thin. Just before her water wall completely evaporated, her foot broke through the earth box. However, she jumped right into another earth wall. One of his lackeys had stayed alert and provided assistance when he saw Alice break out. Her water wall evaporated. Intense heat seared her sides and a short cry escaped her mouth. As soon as she felt the burning pain, a strong cooling breeze blew through the entire area. The earth walls around her shattered and she braced herself for impact. Instead, she found he
Meanwhile, back in Alice room, Alice reflected on the fight with the fire user, while looking at the water ball floating above her bandaged hand. She thought about how her water wall changed to steam. /Understanding our ability like it is a part of our body... I know the chemistry of water and about the movement of particles... Would it be possible to manipulate it down to the individual particles?/ She visualised her water ability down to its individual water particles then imagined them moving differently. She visualised slowing down the particles' movement and making them increasingly compact. Sweat began to bead on her forehead from her intense concentration. It took a whole five minutes before BaoBao exclaimed, "I see some frost forming on the surface!" Alice made the water disperse and panted. /It's possible! I can change the state of my water!/ BaoBao could not believe it too. If she could change the state of water into ice an
That night, the first sparring match was held. Violet first paired up with Alice while Ethan paired up with Stephan. Violet was not an overbearing opponent and Alice felt like it was a perfect practice match for a warm up. Moreover, Violet's fire ability was naturally against her water ability. It was good for her to practice increasing the strength of her power and withstand other's attacks. After an hour, Ethan paired up with Alice while Violet paired up with Stephan. Ethan was a little trickier as he had a similar fighting style with Alice. However, she still did not have to go all out with Ethan because he left loopholes in his stances and attacks that she took advantage off. After another hour, Stephan paired up with Alice, while Violet paired up with Ethan. Alice knew that Stephan was unlike the other two who would go easy on her, so she decided to use this chance to go all out. Despite that, Stephan looked the most bored out of the three she sparred wi
Alice ended up having lunch with the trio. Violet was not a chatterbox but because Ethan and Alice hardly spoke, she dominated conversations. Stephan was the next in line for always responding to Violet either by teasing her or giving proper responses. Alice only replied whenever she was asked something. Ethan was... largely ignored. Violet only paid attention to him when he says something proactively. [Should you talk to him a little?] BaoBao felt a little sorry for him. /What for? Such is the fate of the second male lead./ Alice told BaoBao. BaoBao kept quiet. He truly did not have a reason to give. /Besides, he's happy enough being near the female lead. Just leave him be./ Alice decided to be kinder to BaoBao who was only being sympathetic. With Alice's reassurance, BaoBao felt enlightened and thought to himself. [Is this what it means to think from their perspective?] Nigh
After another hour of non-stop sparring was almost up, Ethan noticed Alice's rugged breathing and sluggish movement. He dodged her water sprouts and suddenly advanced towards Alice at a high speed. She instinctively raised her hands to form an ice wall but he reached before anything could form. He took her hands in his and lowered it back down gently while saying, "That's enough for today." Alice was covered in sweat and panting. She did not have the energy to refute. She just nodded briefly, thanked him, and left immediately to rest in her room. In her previous life, she could last 3 hours of martial arts practice with Zhang Yong but that was when she had the spiritual cultivation to extend her stamina. In this world, there was no such thing. As their plan was to spar for three hours, the other two were surprised when they noticed Alice leaving the battle hall. They ran up to Ethan who was already making his way to the entrance of the battle hall. "D
Since this was her final night sparring with Violet and Stephan, she spent more time sparring with them. Still not trusting Stephan to be alone with Alice, they made it a doubles match after her spar with Violet. The improved relationship and chemistry between Stephan and Violet made it harder to defend against their attacks and attack them. However, the lead couple could not gain much of an advantage over Ethan and Alice either. They already shared good chemistry and their abilities were tricky and flexible in nature. Alice's improvement was what levelled the playing field somewhat. As a result, they were caught in a stalemate for almost the entire hour. Ethan sent a tidal wave that travelled a lot faster than what would happen in nature. Alice covered his blind spots in the meantime. At the same time, a loud crack suddenly rang throughout the hall. Recognising the sound, Ethan's head snapped up and found the black cloud right above Alice. His body reacted before he could t
The moment their hands touched, they grabbed onto each other. Ethan pulled her up the last part of the wall with ease. The sight that greeted her was breath-taking. A meadow of sparkling differently coloured trees expanded across a wide area and ended at some grandiose house in the distance. Some trees had golden leaves, some had silver leaves, some had pink leaves, some had the normal green leaves. Small shiny ruby red berry-like fruits hung off the branches of each tree. She landed on the wall and took in the sight. The meadow blended into a large blue lake that currently sparkled just as brilliantly, as it reflected the sunlight. It was like a scene out of a fantasy book. The sight overwhelmed her and struck her speechless. This place was more than nice. She did not know that such trees existed. It had never appeared in the original soul's memories. She looked at Ethan for answers. He put his finger on his lips with a slight smirk. "It's someone's private garden.
BaoBao flew around the trees and above water to enjoy the view while Alice practiced her martial arts. She focused her spiritual energy into different parts of the body that she attacked with. This made her attacks so strong and fast that it caused the fallen leaves to fly up and dance around her. The sun was halfway below the horizon when BaoBao suddenly disappeared. Alice knew that it meant Ethan had returned. The scene that greeted Ethan took his breath away. Amongst the chaotic yet enchanting mess of colourful leaves, and past the deadly moves being executed, Alice looked soft and serene. It brought calm to his heart and lifted his sour mood. His gaze softened as he announced his arrival, "I'm back with dinner." Alice caught a whiff of the tantalising smell. "Seafood chowder?" "Mm." He nodded with a small smile. Alice went over to get it from him. Just as she did so, her stomach growled. However, she did not seem to be bothered by the possib