CHAPTER 45: [45] POINT ONE PERCENT

Phantom gestured for the class to gather in a circle, his white mask betraying no emotion as he surveyed the fifteen students of Class 1-D. Xavier positioned himself between Calypso and Sayuri, still processing his interaction with Ashley. His muscles ached pleasantly from the exercise, the sensation of his meter building and fading now more familiar.

"So," Phantom said, "what did you learn today? And why does it matter?" He pointed at Alexander Shepard. "You first, Mr. Tall and Serious."

Alexander stood straighter, his black hair falling across his forehead as he addressed the class.

"I learned that Essentia sensing is as important as Essentia projection," he said. "In combat, detecting an opponent or monsters energy signature could provide crucial seconds of warning before a physical attack manifests."

Phantom nodded. "Good. Practical application. And you?" He pointed at Calypso.

"I learned that Essentia signatures are like fingerprints. Each person’s energy feels different—some warm, some cold, some sharp, some diffuse." She glanced at Xavier. "Understanding these differences helps predict how someone might fight."

"Interesting observation," Phantom said. "Though I suspect you knew that already." He moved on quickly. "You there, with the calculator. What’s your takeaway?"

Naomi Phillips looked up from her phone, which indeed showed a calculator app.

"Cost-benefit analysis," she said without hesitation. "Sensing Essentia requires less energy than activating your own abilities, making it efficient for reconnaissance. In financial terms, it’s a high-return, low-investment strategy."

Phantom tilted his head. "Mercenary but accurate." He pointed at Luka. "The Russian giant. Your thoughts?"

Luka’s face split into an enthusiastic grin. "Is EXCELLENT lesson! In Russia, we say knowing enemy’s strength before battle is half of victory already! Sensing tells us when to fight and when to bring more friends!" He slapped Xavier on the back hard enough to make him stumble forward a step.

"Enthusiasm noted, pink Eyes. You’re next."

Kyrie Walker scowled, his vibrant pink eyes narrowing beneath his dark locs. He stood with his weight shifted to one side, arms crossed.

"I learned that most people in this room can barely control their own Essentia, let alone sense someone else’s," he said. "Which means I have an advantage, since I’ve been doing this since I was twelve."

Xavier watched the reactions ripple through the group—annoyance, resentment, a few eye-rolls. Kyrie seemed to feed on their irritation, his posture becoming more relaxed as others tensed up.

"Confidence or arrogance?" Phantom mused. "Time will tell which. You, with the tattoos."

A girl with short black hair and striking tattoos visible at her neckline stepped forward. Xavier recognized her as Eliza Demara. The girl from the school gym.

"I learned that Essentia reveals intentions before actions do," she said. "The energy changes subtly before an attack launches. If you can read those shifts, you can counter before the physical movement begins."

"Very good," Phantom said. "Tactical application." He pointed to a student Xavier hadn’t interacted with yet. "You. The quiet one."

A tall, lean young man with fluffy blonde hair and amber eyes stepped forward.

"I observed that Essentia sensing can detect deception. When someone attempts to hide their true capabilities, their energy signature develops inconsistencies—small fluctuations that betray the effort of concealment."

"Insightful," Phantom said. "Remember that when you try to hide your own abilities." He pointed to a girl with long crimson hair and golden eyes. "Fiery one. Your turn."

The girl stepped forward with an energy that reminded Xavier of a coiled spring. Something about her seemed familiar, though he couldn’t place where he might have seen her before.

"Aurora Fitzgerald," she said with a slight Irish accent. "I learned that hesitation is death. When you sense an attack coming, that split second between recognition and response determines everything. Either you react instantly, or you’re already beaten."

"Combat philosophy disguised as a lesson. I like it," Phantom said. He surveyed the remaining students. "The rest of you, consider yourselves lucky. Time constraints save you from public speaking today."

He moved to the center of their circle. "Everything you’ve learned today—everything you think you know about Essentia—represents approximately point-one percent of what it’s capable of."

Xavier exchanged a glance with Calypso, who raised an eyebrow slightly. Point-one percent? What the hell can it do at a hundred percent?

"You don’t believe me," Phantom said, his mask turning toward Xavier. "That’s fine. Skepticism is healthy."

"Temporal Edge."

Xavier blinked, and Phantom vanished from the center of their circle. A collective gasp rose from the students.

"Essentia can bend perception," Phantom’s voice came from behind Xavier, though he hadn’t heard or sensed the instructor move. "It can alter reality."

Xavier spun around, but Phantom was already elsewhere—now standing beside Kyrie, now next to Alexander, now by the door—moving faster than seemed physically possible.

"It can transcend normal limitations," Phantom continued, his voice seeming to come from everywhere at once.

Suddenly, every student’s shoelaces untied simultaneously. Papers flew from pockets. Hair ties unraveled. Buttons unbuttoned themselves.

"It can affect multiple targets across distance."

Then, just as suddenly, everything was restored—shoelaces tied, papers back in pockets, hair neatly secured, buttons fastened.

"It can manipulate time itself, in small ways."

Phantom reappeared in the center of their circle, exactly where he’d started, as if he’d never moved at all.

"And that," he said calmly, "is just what an S-rank can do with Enhancement-type Essentia."

The room remained silent, fifteen students staring in disbelief. Xavier felt a chill run down his back. He’d seen incredible things in his previous life, but nothing like this.

"Questions?" Phantom asked.

Ashley raised her hand. "Was that a Zantei?"

Phantom tilted his head. "No. That was me holding back. Zantei is... something else entirely."

"How did you move so fast?" Aurora asked. "Was that teleportation or speed enhancement?"

"It’s complicated," Phantom replied. "I perceived time slower. From my perspective, I was walking at a normal pace while the rest of you were nearly frozen."

Xavier thought about his own ability—the meter that built through precise execution, the potential techniques waiting to be unlocked. Would he ever reach a level where he could do something like what Phantom had just demonstrated?

"Next time," Phantom continued, "we’ll begin looking at examples of Essentia in combat scenarios." He glanced at his watch.

"Class dismissed."