Valerie outlined the rules and structure of the mini-tournament. Each team would face off in a series of 4 matches, with the objective being to either knock out or incapacitate all members of the opposing team. The matches would be timed, and points would be awarded based on performance and strategy.

The winner would be found at the end of the mini-tournament, based on the points each team has gathered.

Our first match was against a team led by a student named Victor, a good opponent known for his brute strength and aggressive fighting style.

"Ready?" Valerie called out, her voice carrying across the field. "Begin!"

My and the opponent's team quickly sprang into action. I discussed with my other teammates that we would go easy on the opponents for the first minute in order not to make them feel pressured and show their skills. But past the first minute, we would finish the match since we still needed points.

Thus we just defended ourselves for the first and a half minutes and maybe the opponents sensed our intention they went all out in attack. They wouldn't lose anything anyway.

However, as the first and a half minutes passed, I gave a signal to Lila and Aria. The two nodded and unleashed spells at the same time.

Aria bound them with Earth Bind while Lila used her new 2-star spell called Flare Burst. The spell was an area-of-effect (AOE) type, creating a dome of flames that exploded outward, engulfing Victor's team. The combination of being immobilized and the intense heat quickly incapacitated our opponents.

Victor's team members fell one by one, unable to withstand the assault. Within moments, the match was over.

"Match concluded!" Valerie announced, her voice ringing through the training hall. "Team Adrian wins!"

Our next three matches ended up in the same way, we were up against mid-ranking teams in all matches.

"Match concluded! Team Adrian wins!" Valerie declared for the fourth time.

With our matches ended, we retreated into the resting area waiting for the mini-tournament to finish.

Half an hour later, all the matches ended and the instructor announced the results.

As the mini-tournament concluded, we and the other four teams ended up gathering the same amount of points - a maximum of 20, 5 for each winning match.

However, Emeric and his team were declared the winners based on the amount of time they had spent taking down their opponents. Honestly, I was a bit surprised since I expected Aurelius and his team to win. While I and my teammates didn't focus on winning this mini-tournament, I noticed Aurelius might have wanted to since they finished their first match in fifteen seconds.

But it seems they changed their thinking after seeing what we did. Well, good job in thinking about the bigger picture.

Not like someone who seemed smug after taking the first place. I noticed Emeric glancing at my side occasionally while grinning.

Seriously, man, even you should know what would have happened if me and my team went all out in all the matches. But there is no need to be provoked by his third-rate moves. Haha.

However, there was a sense of disappointment among us. We had hoped to face the strongest teams, including Aurelius and his team, but the random pairings had not given us that chance.

Maybe the same went for the person in speaking, Aurelius had the same - not feeling fulfilled expression.

Noticing my gaze, he looked in my direction and nodded with a smile that spoke many things. What I understood from it was 'let's meet at the real event' or something with a similar meaning.

After the announcement, Valerie gathered us all again. "Good effort today, everyone," she said, her voice carrying authority and encouragement. "Remember, this was just a warm-up. The real tournament will be much tougher. Use the feedback from today to refine your strategies and improve your teamwork."

The class ended and the students dispersed.

_____ ___ __

The next day went practically the same.

The first and second classes had tests like yesterday.

The first class was Elemental Manipulation again, but we had a practical exam this time. Everyone was to showcase their mastery over their affinities and perform one 1-star and one 2-star spell.

And man, how bad the situation was for me right then. Maybe remembering my situation, the instructor told me I just needed to show my aether manipulation and control since I was affinityless.

Taking a deep breath, I focused on my aether. It was always a challenge to demonstrate my skills in a class where everyone else had elemental affinities. But I had worked hard to refine my control over aether, and I had to say, I leveled the most in this area during this semester.

And I think I already caught up with main cast characters like Aurelius and Lyra in terms of aether control and manipulation.

Though I was still behind Aurelia and Aria.

I extended my hand and concentrated, channeling my aether into a visible, swirling sphere of pure energy. Manipulating aether required precision and control, and I had honed these skills through countless hours of practice. The sphere hovered steadily above my palm, its surface rippling with the ebb and flow of energy.

"Impressive," Instructor Lyr commented, nodding in approval. "Now, show me your control."

I nodded and began to manipulate the sphere, making it expand and contract smoothly. Then, with a flick of my wrist, I split it into smaller orbs, each one orbiting the others in a complex pattern. This demonstration required fine control and concentration, and I was pleased with how smoothly it was going.

Finally, I merged the smaller orbs back into a single sphere and dispersed it into the air.

"Well done, student Adrian," Lyr said. "Your control over aether is remarkable."

"Now, let's step onto spells. Show me your performance."

I nodded and started by casting the 1-star spell 'Aether Control Enhancement'. Since I had been using it practically every time I was free or training my aether manipulation and control, so it has become easy like blinking.