Editor : Amethyst00



‘He endured it with strength?’

The gravity magic used by Torua was a magic that manipulated the gravity around the user, excluding the caster themselves.

A high-level magic that exerts influence over the surrounding area.

The spell structure was extremely complex, and accordingly, it was quite difficult to use.

However, once successful, it was a very powerful magic.

Of course, this magic also had weaknesses.

After all, since it was magic, one could simply dispel the spell formula or resist it by increasing anti-magic power.

Torua also thought that there might be a 1st-year student capable of dealing with this magic.

‘But I didn’t expect someone to handle it like this.’

“Enduring it by brute force. That’s not very mage-like, is it?”

“I’m all-class, after all.”

At Leo’s words, Torua crossed her arms.

As a 5th-year student from the Department of Magic—

And as the best student of the Department of Magic, Torua had always felt regret regarding Leo’s potential.

She didn’t intend to deny Leo’s talent as a knight or a summoner.

But Torua believed that among all of Leo’s strengths, his greatest and most powerful was magic.

At 1st, it was just simple curiosity.

But the more she got to know Leo, the more convinced she became that there was no one more suited to being a mage than him.

‘Even now, that fact hasn’t changed.’

The reason Sedgen had arranged this event was not simply for the 1st-years.

It also carried the meaning of allowing the 5th-years who would soon leave the academy to give guidance and advice to their juniors, so that they would have no regrets.

Of course, leaving the academy didn’t mean the ties with Lumene would be severed.

But still, for the 5th-years, it was inevitable that some lingering attachment remained.

‘It must be the professor’s consideration—telling us to do at least one more thing before we go.’

Torua glanced at Sedgen, then looked back at Leo.

Torua too had a strong desire to teach and encourage her juniors who would carry on Lumene’s future.

However…

‘What kind of advice could I even give this kid?’

Torua couldn’t quite figure out what kind of advice she could give Leo.

Tilting her head slightly, she lightly waved her hand.

Ku-goong–!

“Keheuk!”

“Keok?”

The other students teamed up with Leo screamed.

The sense of pressure became even more intense.

Leo’s knees also trembled.

Cold sweat dripped down his body, and his limbs were shaking.

A gravity far beyond imagination was crushing his entire body.

But Leo’s knees did not bend.

Torua smiled faintly.

“How long can you endure it?”

Hwaak–!

‘It keeps getting stronger.’

While barely resisting the magic, Leo smirked as he looked at Torua.

At that moment—

Hwaak–!

Chloe and Abad suddenly stood up.

Torua’s eyes widened.

‘Dispel?’

Until now, no one had ever dispelled Torua’s gravity magic.

But Chloe and Abad were the two strongest among the 1st-year magic students, competing for 1st and 2nd place.

They had successfully dispelled Torua’s magic in a short time.

Hwaak–!

Leo also quickly succeeded in dispelling and freed himself from the influence of Torua’s magic.

Following that, Chelsea also dispelled the magic.

“Yap!”

Chelsea instantly closed the distance between them.

Hwaak–!

Torua avoided Chelsea’s charge and moved out of the way.

As she did, the gravity magic affecting the others was released.

“As expected! Since it’s a magic that dominates the surrounding area, it’s dispelled once the caster moves away!”

“To see through that. Not bad. As expected of the Department of Magic’s number 3.”

Torua smiled faintly and flicked her finger.

Cheol-peok– cheol-peok–

Magic circles opened in midair, and eight blue, squishy masses dropped onto the ground.

The students who saw them looked puzzled.

“What’s that?”

“Looks like slimes.”

“Did Torua-sunbae also use summoning magic?”

Summoning magic.

A technique that fuses summoning arts with magic.

It’s a representative technique used when magicians handle familiars.

Familiars are generally magically enhanced creatures rather than beasts or elementals.

The eight slimes wobbled, then soon began to take on human form.

Chelsea, seeing that, was flustered.

“Me?”

“Ding-dong-daeng. Correct.”

Torua smiled faintly.

“These slimes are chimeras I created. They have the ability to copy the opponent’s appearance and abilities. Their name is Ditto.”

“Ability to copy appearance and abilities? No matter how amazing you are, Torua-sunbae. You're not specialized in biological magic engineering. How could you create such an incredible chimera?”

As Chloe shook her head and spoke, Torua blinked.

Then she approached the slime in Chloe’s form, crouched down, and slightly lifted the hem of its skirt.

“What are you doing!”

Chloe’s face turned bright red as she protested.

Seeing a slime identical to her being teased made her embarrassed for no reason.

Torua stood up and blinked.

“Junior, fifteen years old is still a fresh age, but isn’t your taste a bit too girlish? Rabbits are—”

“AAHHHHH!!”

Chloe screamed frantically, cutting off Torua’s words.

Since she unconsciously used magic to amplify her voice, Torua’s voice was completely drowned out midway.

Abad and Chelsea had to cover their ears since they're sensitive to sound.

Torua, with her usual expressionless face, blinked and said to Leo,

“At this rate, I won’t be able to sedu—”

“Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!”

This time, Chloe screamed loud enough to shake the entire training field.

Everyone there flinched, covered their ears, and looked at Chloe.

Then, after glancing once at Chloe, who was red-faced and trembling, they turned to Torua, the cause of the problem.

“Hey, Torua. Don’t torment your juniors too much.”

At Jamua’s scolding, Torua chuck chuck laughed.

“Sorry. She was just too cute.”

“No matter how cute she is, tormenting her this much is a bit—”

“Haaap!”

Hwarureureuk–!

With Celia’s shout, the Bastera ball flew at incredible speed and struck Jamua’s forehead squarely.

Kwaaang–!

A tremendous explosion echoed through the air.

It was an attack imbued with Celia’s powerful Flame Aura, the strongest among 1st-year knight student.

Especially since Flame Aura worked well with Bastera, this was an extremely dangerous attack.

Even 2nd- or 3rd-year students wouldn’t survive such a hit unscathed.

Thud– ting– ting– ting–

However, the ball fell powerlessly to the ground and bounced away.

“Hmm.”

Jamua, whose head had been knocked back by the impact, massaged his neck and grinned.

“That one stung a bit.”

“Kuuk.”

That was already the 3rd attack.

Following Duran and Chen Xia, now Celia had attacked.

But Jamua had taken all of them head-on.

And yet, he hadn’t moved a single step from where he originally stood.

Before the match began, Jamua had declared,

“I’ll concede ten 1st strikes.”

“Huh?” Celia was confused.

“Here, for the ten throws you’ll take, I won’t move an inch. If I take even one step, you win.”

Jamua smiled as he said,

“You can use my self-imposed handicap strategically if you want. Score one goal and waste time, whatever works. Professor Sedgen will give good grades to anyone who defeats a 5th-year, regardless of how. I guarantee it.”

At his words, Chen Xia tilted her head.

“Why are you being so considerate to us?”

“Because you’re the ones who’ll lead the Department of Knights. I like talented juniors.”

Jamua grinned.

“As your senior, I’m giving you a chance to earn good marks.”

“That’s kind of you.”

Pajijijik–!

Duran snatched the ball from Celia’s hands.

Veins bulged on his forehead.

“But we’ll have to decline such kindness.”

Kwagagagagagak–!

Lightning Auras surged violently.

Everyone who saw it was startled.

‘Since when did he—?’

Lightning attribute possessed both powerful offensive capability and exceptional speed.

Since Duran pursued both power and speed, his attack strength had always been considered slightly below Celia’s Flame Aura.

But the Lightning Aura surrounding his hands now held unimaginable power, refuting that belief.

Hwaak–!

Duran raised the ball high.

Banjeok–!

With a golden flash, lightning burst out, and the ball shot directly toward Jamua.

Pajijijijik–!

Sparks flew in all directions.

Thud–

But the ball simply rolled helplessly on the ground.

“That’s one.”

Jamua smirked as he spoke.

Haowl retrieved the ball.

He looked at Jamua with an expression of disbelief.

‘So this is Iron Wall Jamua.’

Rhys, Ulta, Torua, and Jamua were called the strongest of the 5th-years.

But unlike Rhys, Ulta, and Torua, Jamua’s image wasn’t flashy.

He didn’t possess overwhelming offensive power like Rhys, nor did he use diverse magics like Torua.

Nor was he as showy as Ulta.

But in one-on-one combat, Jamua was the toughest opponent of all.

What made Jamua terrifying was his defense.

Thanks to his monstrous stamina and defense that made him virtually indestructible, he was known by the epithet Iron Wall.

A man who, in every crisis, endured to the end and protected his teammates’ lives.

‘Even with those three—Celia, Duran, and Chen Xia, the top 1st-year knights—can they even make Jamua-sunbae move in Bastera?’

No matter how close to real combat Bastera was, it was still a sport with constraints and rules.

The teammates who were with the three had no idea how to bring Jamua down.

“Haowl.”

“Yeah?”

“Could you give me the ball?”

Haowl handed the ball to Celia, who approached him.

Celia smiled faintly as she accepted it.

“Thanks.”

Haowl blushed slightly and cleared his throat.

“Xia, Duran, gather up.”

Celia glanced briefly toward Leo, who was playing on a nearby field, then said,

“I’ve got a plan.”

bl

“How is it? Aren’t my slimes amazing?”

Torua crossed her arms proudly.

“They’re identical in looks and ability!”

“They’re definitely impressive.”

Abad opened his palm.

“Wind Storm.”

Kwagagagagak–!

A massive whirlwind surged.

“Then let’s see if they can withstand this much attack.”

“Hmm. That might be a bit much.”

Kwagagagak–!

As Torua said that, the eight slimes were torn apart and scattered in all directions.

But soon after, they began to slowly gather back together.

“They can’t counter it, but their durability’s excellent—they’ll soon return to their original forms. And…”

Torua flicked the ball she held toward the juniors’ goal.

“This is Bastera, remember? Aren’t you getting a little too distracted by the slimes?”

Despite the casual toss, the ball was accelerated tremendously by magic.

Just as Abad hurriedly tried to block it—

“Fimbulvetr.”

Crackles–!

With a short incantation, an immense chill swept through the air.

The frost created a wall of ice that not only trapped the ball but also froze the slimes that were reforming.

Chloe exhaled and lowered her staff.

A powerful cold aura swirled around her.

“Oh my, that’s a new unique spell, isn’t it?”

Torua’s eyes gleamed.

Hwarureureuk–

She reached her hand into the air.

Flash!

A staff materialized in midair.

The 1st-years who saw it all tensed up.

When a magician grips their staff, it means only one thing—

‘She’s getting serious now!’