Regeneration System-Chapter 46:Thorne Blackwood

Kain starts the day just like any other weekday. Rising with the sun, he dresses in his usual attire for class. Today, luck seems to be on his side as he wakes up early enough to enjoy a proper breakfast.

The morning air is cool and crisp as Kain steps outside, making his way to the cafeteria. As he walks through the bustling hallways, he can’t help but notice an unusual sense of confidence permeating the atmosphere. Students are chatting animatedly, and there’s a palpable energy that hasn’t been there before.

Upon reaching the cafeteria, Kain joins the line for breakfast. The tantalizing aroma of sizzling lightning hawk eggs and flame boar ham fills the air. When it’s his turn, he piles his tray high with a generous serving of both, the eggs glowing with a faint, magical luminescence.

With his tray in hand, Kain scans the room, searching for a familiar face to join. Most of the tables are already full, brimming with lively conversations and laughter. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spots a nearly empty table. The only occupant is a young man with a gloomy demeanor, sitting alone and staring blankly at his food.

Deciding to take a chance, Kain makes his way to the table and sets his tray down across from the solitary figure. "Hi, I’m Kain," he introduces himself with a friendly smile, hoping to lift the boy’s spirits.

The boy never looks up from his food. In a very soft-spoken, almost scared voice, he just says, "Thorne... Thorne Blackwood."

Kain goes to say something, but Thorne almost flinches when he is about to speak. "Nice to meet you."

Thorne replies with a simple noise.

"So, Thorne, I haven’t seen you much before. What classes do you take? I take Enchanting, combat, and blacksmithing."

"Alchemy and tailoring."

"Are you a first-year?"

"Y-yes."

Kain is about to take another bite of his food when his teammate, Liora, grabs his shoulder. "Come talk to me over here."

"Sure, what’s up?"

Kain and Liora walk over to a corner of the cafeteria, and she says in a hushed tone, "Don’t get close to him. He poisoned his teacher. He refuses to make anything but poison. He has some weird fetish for poisons. I even heard that he drinks the poisons he makes."

"So is he suicidal or something?" Kain asks, concerned.

"I’m not sure, but I do know that even the threads of the clothing he makes are soaked in poison. He comes from the Blackwood family. Despite the ominous name, they are great healers."

"I’m going to be honest with you, I have no idea what to do with this information," Kain admits.

"Just don’t be seen with him. It will only cause you problems. He isn’t liked. I don’t know why the academy keeps him around. He doesn’t follow the assignments in classes."

"Hmm, I’ll be the judge of who I talk to, but thank you for the warning. Maybe he is just misunderstood."

"Don’t blame me when you are poisoned," Liora warns as they part ways

Kain watched Liora walk away, feeling a mix of concern and curiosity. He glanced back at Thorne, who was still sitting alone, poking at his food. Despite Liora’s warnings, Kain felt a strange pull towards the mysterious boy. There was something about Thorne’s somber demeanor that intrigued him.

Kain returned to the table and sat down. Thorne glanced up briefly, surprise flickering in his eyes, before looking back down. Kain decided to proceed cautiously.

"So, Thorne, what’s your favorite subject so far?" Kain asked, trying to sound casual.

Thorne hesitated, his fork pausing mid-air. "Alchemy, I guess," he mumbled.

"That’s cool," Kain replied, genuinely interested. "Alchemy sounds fascinating. I can’t imagine the precision it requires."

Thorne seemed to relax a little, although he still didn’t make eye contact. Encouraged, Kain continued, "Have you created anything interesting lately?"

Thorne’s fingers tightened around his fork. "Just... some poisons," he said softly. "Nothing special."

Kain nodded thoughtfully. "Poisons can be incredibly powerful and useful in the right hands. You must have quite the talent for it."

For the first time, Thorne looked up, his dark eyes meeting Kain’s. There was a flicker of surprise and perhaps even gratitude in his gaze. "Thanks," he said quietly.

Kain was about to ask more when the bell rang, signaling the start of classes. He stood up, giving Thorne a friendly nod. "See you around, Thorne. Good luck with your alchemy."

As Kain walked to his class, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Thorne than the rumors suggested. He decided to keep an open mind and see where this new acquaintance might lead.

Thorne watched Kain leave, a mixture of confusion and curiosity swirling in his mind. No one had ever shown him such kindness before. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for something different.

Kain walked into his enchanting class, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation. Today’s lesson was different from their usual routine; they were tasked with repairing enchantments. This was a new and challenging subject for many students in the class, as most had only ever created beginner enchantments. Repairing someone else’s work was a whole different ball game.

Professor Elowen stood at the front of the room, her hands aglow with magical energy as she demonstrated the task. "Class, today we will delve into the art of repairing enchantments," she announced, her voice carrying a tone of authority mixed with encouragement. "This requires a keen eye and a deep understanding of the enchantment you’re working with."

The students gathered around her, intrigued. "To repair an enchantment," she continued, "you must first diagnose the problem. It could be something simple, like a broken connection in one of the magical lines, or something more complex, such as a fundamental flaw in the design."

Kain took a deep breath as he returned to his workstation. In front of him lay a damaged enchanted amulet, its once vibrant glow now flickering weakly. He picked it up, examining the intricate patterns etched into the metal. He needed to identify where the enchantment had failed.

He concentrated, tracing the lines with his finger. It took a keen eye to spot the subtle misalignments and disruptions. It wasn’t long before Kain noticed a faint break in one of the key lines. Carefully, he began to channel his magical energy, slowly and meticulously reconnecting the line.

The room buzzed with a mix of frustration and determination as students worked on their own projects. Some struggled to identify the problems, while others found their enchantments crumbling under their attempts at repair. It was a delicate process that required patience and precision.

Professor Elowen moved around the room, offering guidance and advice. When she reached Kain, she watched him work for a moment before nodding approvingly. "Good eye, Kain," she said. "You’ve correctly identified the break. Now, gently weave your magic into the line to restore the connection."

Kain followed her instructions, feeling a sense of satisfaction as the amulet’s glow began to stabilize. The enchantment was far from perfect, but it was functional once more. He set the amulet down with a sigh of relief, a small smile creeping onto his face.

As the class was ending, Professor Elowen addressed the students. "Remember, this is one of the easiest repairs you will encounter. It gets far more complex when dealing with enchantments you are unfamiliar with, especially multilayered enchantments. The hardest enchantments to repair are often found on weapons from dungeons. Those require advanced skills and deep understanding."

Kain made his way to his next class, combat training. As he entered the training grounds, he noticed that the teacher, Master Bryn, looked utterly exhausted. With a weary expression, Master Bryn simply said, "Spar among yourselves."

Kain paired up with another student and began sparring. The clash of weapons and the sound of grunts filled the air. Suddenly, Kain felt a sharp, electrifying pain in his back. A strike of lightning had hit him, causing his muscles to seize up. Before he could recover, the student he was sparring with landed a solid blow to his front, knocking him to the ground.

Dazed and in pain, Kain looked around to see who had launched the lightning attack. His eyes landed on Alis, his previous teammate from the team battle. She stood there, snickering, clearly enjoying his misfortune. Kain then glanced at Master Bryn, who seemed to have his eyes closed, oblivious to the chaos.

Kain struggled to get up, intending to make his way to the healer station. But before he could move, the student he had been sparring with stabbed him in the leg with his sword. Kain yelped in pain, his vision blurring with rage. He looked up at the boy, his red eyes glowing with fury. In a low growl, he demanded, "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

The student, feeling a shiver down his spine, decided to stand his ground. "If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from that creepy poison lover."

Kain laughed a cold, mirthless sound, and then abruptly stopped, staring the boy straight in the eyes. "It’s none of your business who I talk to. This is simply childish. Grow the fuck up."

The student, enraged, swung his sword down at Kain. Kain quickly pulled up his shield, blocking the attack, and then slammed his hammer down on the boy’s foot, causing him to scream out in pain. Rising to his feet, Kain slowly advanced on the student, who was now backing up in fear.

Kain swung his hammer in a horizontal arc, aiming for the boy’s head. The student managed to block it, but the force still staggered him. Wasting no time, Kain performed a shield bash, knocking the wind out of the student. He then activated his juggernaut ability, swinging his hammer straight at the student’s left shoulder. The impact caused a sickening cracking sound, and the student collapsed to his knees.

But Kain wasn’t done. Fueled by rage, he kicked the student across the face as hard as he could, sending him sprawling backward, unconscious. Kain, still seething, turned to Alis and growled, "You’re next."

Alis, who had witnessed the entire fight, felt a shiver run down her spine. As Kain turned to her, she could have sworn she was staring at a monster with bright, glowing eyes. The monster simply said, "You’re next."