Chapter 9: The Blessers Must Be The Vanguards!
The moment Wendy heard Alex speak, a spark of excitement flashed in her eyes, which quickly dimmed as confusion set in.
Today's lesson was deemed important, but did that mean the lessons from the past couple of days were inconsequential? Her remarkable progress, with two breakthroughs in as many days, seemed to suggest otherwise. Wasn't that significant?
Wendy's perception of Alex had undergone a drastic transformation since her first day in the Omni-Class. Initially underestimating him, she now found herself grappling with the realization of his profound depth.
Alex, noticing Wendy's daze, approached and lightly tapped her on the head, pulling her back to the moment with a gentle "thunk."
"Ow!" Wendy reacted, her expression a mix of surprise and indignation. She internally lauded him, yet he responded with a tap. Alex, amused by her sulking demeanor, reassured her, "Pay close attention, what's coming next is pivotal for your growth."
He then moved back to the chalkboard, writing boldly, "The True Path of a Blesser: Correct Path of Cultivation."
Once more, Wendy found herself befuddled. The words, individually familiar, collectively left her puzzled.
The role of a Blesser, as she understood it, was well-defined within the realm of support—utilizing benign elements to bestow buffs. Yet, Alex suggested a deviation from this norm.
Was there another aspect to being a Blesser she wasn't aware of? And what about the 'correct path of cultivation'? Was enhancing one's strength not the objective? Had her entire approach been misguided?
Flooded with questions, Wendy felt her frustration mounting. Alex, perceiving her bewilderment, knew he needed to clarify before she became overwhelmed with confusion.
"The common misconception about Blessers—that they should be protected at the back—is misguided," he explained, capturing Wendy's full attention. The revelation that awaited was poised to dismantle her previous understanding.
"In reality, the essence of a Blesser is to lead, to be at the very front of the charge!"
Wendy was taken aback. Her grasp on the concept began to slip once more. How could this be? Blessers at the front? Was this truly the role Alex referred to?
Isabella lingered outside the Omni-Class, wrestling with the etiquette of her predicament. To knock or not? A direct interruption seemed too invasive, potentially halting the educational flow within.
Yet, merely loitering by the doorway felt awkward, too calculated for her liking. Perhaps a subtler approach, feigning a casual passage just as the class dispersed, was the middle ground she sought.
Santania School's classrooms were safeguarded by impenetrable secrecy barriers, making any attempt to glean insights from outside utterly futile. Without a glimpse of the class's status or a hint of a break, Isabella was relegated to waiting.
In reality, a simple knock could suffice. Alex' curriculum, steeped in theoretical discourse, aimed to recalibrate Wendy's foundational understanding—hardly a sequence that a polite interruption could derail.
But Isabella, adhering to a code of decorum, opted against such potentially intrusive actions.
Resigned, she chose to wait from a respectful distance, her gaze locked on the Omni-Class door, ready to feign a coincidental stroll by when the moment was ripe.
Within the classroom, Wendy was thunderstruck. Alex had just delineated a revolutionary blueprint for Blessers: to become self-sufficient warriors, a strategy that defied conventional wisdom and ventured into uncharted territories of potential.
The idea of a Blesser not just supporting but leading in combat through self-applied enhancements was a radical departure from anything Wendy had previously considered plausible.
The traditional path to combat readiness for a Blesser involved a delicate balance between advancing in both their external and internal cultivation or enhancing their blessing states to a level that could compensate for any martial deficiencies.
Such expectations were lofty, if not insurmountable, for the average practitioner. Wendy, who had previously grappled with mastering the basics of Divine Light Mastery, felt this goal was beyond her reach.
Contrastingly, Isabella represented the zenith of potential, mastering multiple techniques to the fifth stage within a mere two years, setting her apart as a prodigy among prodigies.
Alex' proposed methodology, while theoretically sound, seemed tailored for the likes of those who bore exceptional talent.
This realization cast a shadow over Wendy's spirits. Under Alex' guidance, a prodigy such as Isabella would undoubtedly flourish. How could Wendy aspire to such levels of mastery?
Observing Wendy's despondence, Alex approached with a reassuring smile. He softly placed his hand on her head, offering a gesture of support, "I'll now channel some Divine Light energy into you. Let it merge with your own, and hold onto the sensation."
As Wendy felt the warmth from his hand, a blush crept over her cheeks, and she nodded, a flurry of emotions swirling within her. This marked the first instance of such proximity to the opposite sex for her, crossing into a realm of personal interaction she had not anticipated.
Internally rebuking her wandering thoughts, Wendy faced a moment of realization.
Alex, though her teacher, was also a peer. This interaction, while professionally framed, tread into the personal, igniting a sense of awareness she hadn't expected.
Amidst these reflections, Alex's Divine Light energy flowed into Wendy, a comforting and purifying presence. Overcome by the sensation, she softly murmured, "Mmm..."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone