Grace Bennett said, “Concealing is like hiding your aura, but it’s an even stronger form of restraint. If there’s any other aura around you at this time, you’ll naturally be able to sense it.”

Ethan Bennett exclaimed with delight, “Yeah, why didn’t I ever think of that!”

Everyone turned to look at Ethan Bennett and Grace Bennett, who had been muttering at the very end of the group the whole way, their gazes still full of meaning.

Ethan Bennett and Grace Bennett quickly put on ingratiating smiles. Even the counselor was looking at them with a knowing expression, and no matter how thick-skinned they were, both of them couldn’t help but blush.

Once things returned to normal, Grace Bennett shot Ethan Bennett a fierce glare. Ethan Bennett was still immersed in excitement, oblivious, so Grace Bennett continued, “Releasing is the opposite of concealing; it’s letting your aura out. Normally, it spreads out evenly in a circular shape, because that gives you the largest range. If anything unusual happens within your release range, of course you’ll be able to sense it too.”

Ethan Bennett nodded as he asked, “So what’s the difference between concealing and releasing?”

Grace Bennett gave him a look as if he were an idiot and said, “One is concealing, one is releasing. Even the names are antonyms, and you’re still asking what the difference is.” Grace Bennett was practically growling in a low voice.

Ethan Bennett grew anxious, “Not that, I mean…” but for a moment couldn’t find the right words.

But Grace Bennett already understood what he meant: “Normally, you use concealing, so you don’t expose yourself; but releasing is much more precise than concealing, so in battle or other dangerous situations, you use releasing. Is that what you wanted to ask?”

Ethan Bennett nodded vigorously.

Grace Bennett sighed and said, “I didn’t expect you to be just a beginner. I really misjudged you. All right, try using concealing now and see if you can sense me. The way you were before, you couldn’t even do introspection, so you definitely wouldn’t be able to sense me.”

Ethan Bennett nodded. He usually kept his aura hidden and restrained, so now he just had to intensify that restraint. It was effortless for him, done in a single step.

In an instant, Ethan Bennett wore a look of utter shock, turning to look at Grace Bennett, as if he’d just swallowed an egg.

Grace Bennett asked, “What’s wrong? Did you sense me?”

Ethan Bennett nodded and exclaimed, “I did! And I can sense that everyone in our class can use the technique. And they’re all experts!”

Grace Bennett smacked him on the head and said, “What nonsense. How are you doing your introspection?”

Ethan Bennett said, frustrated, “Just the way you told me to!” Then he turned and added, “And your earring—why does it have an aura too? Did you infect it, or is it about to become a spirit?”

Grace Bennett now wore the same egg-swallowing expression, staring at Ethan Bennett and saying, “You can sense the aura of my earring?”

Ethan Bennett nodded, “Absolutely.”

Grace Bennett exclaimed again and again, “Unbelievable, really unbelievable.”

Ethan Bennett was confused again, “What do you mean?”

Grace Bennett said, “You can sense that everyone in the class has an aura, but their auras are all very faint, right?”

Ethan Bennett said, “Yeah! They’re all experts, their auras are hidden even deeper than yours.”

Grace Bennett shook her head, “Idiot, it’s not that they’re hiding it deeper. They’re just ordinary people, but everyone has a small amount of this aura. Think about how some people can suddenly burst out with several times their usual strength in a crisis—that’s actually them unconsciously using their internal aura. What we’re practicing is a technique that teaches people how to strengthen this aura and how to use it to increase their own power.”

Ethan Bennett nodded, and Grace Bennett continued, “I’m so surprised because you can sense ordinary people’s auras just by using concealing—that’s a level of precision you’d only get with releasing. Kid, this means your aura is really strong, you know?”

Ethan Bennett nodded without a hint of modesty, “Of course, I know that. I just don’t really know how to use it yet. Are there any tricks to using it? Teach me!”

Grace Bennett said, “Different techniques have different training methods, so the skills you develop are different too. Introspection is a common thing, so that doesn’t matter, but as for the moves of my technique, only the aura produced by my technique can use them. Even if I teach you, you wouldn’t be able to use them.”

Ethan Bennett said, “Oh, moves! I know those too, so you don’t need to teach me. Are there any other basics like introspection?”

Grace Bennett said, “There are, but I think even if you don’t know the names, you probably already know how to do them. For example, focusing your aura in your hand so a regular punch is faster and stronger, or focusing it in your legs so you can run faster and jump higher—things like that. You know those, right?”

Ethan Bennett said, “Yeah, is that all?”

Grace Bennett shrugged, “That’s all I know.”

Ethan Bennett looked away from her, then suddenly turned back and asked, “So what’s up with your earring?”

Grace Bennett smiled mysteriously, “If I told you everything, how would I keep my edge?”

Ethan Bennett was helpless. He released his concealment and was just about to try releasing, but had barely let it out half a meter before Grace Bennett pinched him hard. Ethan Bennett let out a miserable cry, and everyone turned to see Grace Bennett’s hand moving away from Ethan Bennett’s arm.