Bahil’s assistants moved through the aisles, distributing practice sets to each student. On the right was a sand tray containing a plant that resembled a cactus; on the left was a ‘magic circle frame’ that looked like a mold—a guidance tool for novice necromancers. “It’s shameful for a Kizen student to use such a tool,” Bahil remarked, “but for the first class, it can’t be helped. It’s fine for getting a feel for the magic, but be warned: relying on it will breed bad habits. Now, let’s begin practicing the exhaustion curse, ‘Exhaust’!”