Book 1 Chapter 178
178
‘You endured with strength?’
The gravity magic Torua used was a magic that manipulated the surrounding gravity, excluding the user.
High-level magic that exerted influence over a wide area.
The spell formula was also very complex, and as such, it was quite difficult to use.
But if successful, it was very powerful magic.
Of course, this magic also had weaknesses.
Ultimately, since it was magic, all one had to do was release the spell or resist by increasing their magic resistance.
Torua also thought there would be first-years who could counter this magic.
‘But I didn't expect them to counter it like this.’
“To forcefully endure with strength. That’s not like a mage, is it?”
“Because I’m All-Class.”
At Leo's words, Torua crossed her arms.
As a fifth-year student of the Magic Department.
And as the best student in the Magic Department, Torua had always regretted Leo's aptitude.
She had no intention of ignoring Leo's talent as a knight and summoner.
But Torua thought that the most powerful of Leo’s strengths was ‘magic’.
At first, it was just simple curiosity.
But the more she got to know Leo, the more she became convinced that no one was more suited to be a mage than Leo.
‘That fact hasn't changed even now.’
The reason Cedzen arranged this event was not solely for the first-years.
It also included the meaning of giving teaching and advice to the first-years so that the fifth-years leaving the school would have no regrets.
Of course, leaving the school didn't mean their ties with Lumen were severed.
But even so, it was inevitable that the fifth-years would feel some regret.
‘It must be the professor’s consideration to have us do something more before we go.’
Glancing at Cedzen, Torua looked at Leo.
Torua also ardently wished to teach and encourage the juniors who would lead Lumen in the future.
But…
‘What should I say to this child?’
Torua had no idea what advice to give Leo.
Tilting her head, Torua lightly waved her hand.
Thud—!
“Kehek!”
“Ugh?”
Other students teamed with Leo screamed.
The pressure intensified.
Leo's knees also wavered.
Cold sweat ran down his entire body, and his limbs trembled.
Gravity beyond imagination crushed his entire body.
But Leo's knees did not give way.
Torua smiled faintly.
“How long can you endure?”
Whoosh—!
‘It keeps getting stronger.’
Leo, who was forcibly resisting the magic, grinned and looked at Torua.
At that moment.
Whoosh—!
Chloe and Abbad sprang to their feet.
Seeing this, Torua's eyes widened.
‘Dispel?’
Until now, no one had been able to dispel Torua's gravity magic.
But Chloe and Abbad were the top 1st and 2nd ranking students among the first-years in the Magic Department.
They succeeded in dispelling Torua's magic in a short time.
Whoosh—!
Leo also quickly succeeded in dispelling, escaping the influence of Torua's magic.
Following them, Chelsea also dispelled the magic.
“Yah!”
Chelsea instantly closed the distance with Torua.
Whoosh—!
Torua dodged Chelsea and moved away.
Then the gravity magic cast on the other students was released.
“Indeed! It’s magic that controls an entire area, so it’s released when the caster moves their foot!”
“To see through that. Not bad. As expected, the Magic Department's 3rd place.”
Torua smiled faintly and wiggled her fingers.
Plop—Plop—
Then, magic circles opened in the air, and eight blue, squishy objects fell to the ground.
Seeing them, the students looked puzzled.
“What is it?”
“Looks like slime.”
“Did Senior Torua also use summoning magic?”
Summoning magic.
It's a technique that combines summoning and magic.
Typically, it's used by mages to control familiars.
Familiars are generally not mythical beasts or spirits, but creatures enhanced with magic.
The eight slimes wiggled and soon began to take on human forms.
Chelsea, seeing this, was flustered.
“Me?”
“Ding dong dang. Correct.”
Torua smiled faintly.
“These slimes are chimeras I created. They have the ability to copy the appearance and abilities of an opponent. Their name is Ditto.”
“Copy appearance and abilities? No matter how amazing Senior Torua is, isn't bio-magic engineering not your specialty? Is it possible to create such amazing chimeras?”
As Chloe shook her head and spoke, Torua blinked her eyes.
Then she approached the slime that looked like Chloe, knelt down, and slightly lifted its skirt.
“What are you doing?!”
Chloe protested, her face turning crimson.
She felt embarrassed for no reason, seeing a slime that looked exactly like her being molested.
Torua stood up and blinked.
“Junior. Fifteen is still a fresh age, but isn't your taste a bit too girlish? Bunnies are…”
“Agh! Agh! Agh! Agh!”
Chloe screamed spasmodically, cutting off Torua’s words.
She had momentarily used magic to amplify her voice, so Torua's voice was drowned out in the middle.
Especially Abbad and Chelsea, who were sensitive to sound, had to cover their ears.
Torua blinked with her characteristic expressionless face, then looked at Leo and said,
“At this rate, luring Leo…”
“Aaaahhhhh!”
This time, Chloe screamed so loud the entire training ground shook.
Everyone on the training ground covered their ears in surprise and looked at Chloe.
After glancing at Chloe, whose face was red and shoulders heaving, everyone looked at Torua, the source of the problem.
“Hey. Torua. Don't torment your juniors so much.”
At Zamua’s chiding, Torua chuckled.
“Sorry. She's too cute.”
“No matter how cute she is, tormenting her to this extent is a nuisance…”
“Hap!”
Swoosh—!
With Cella’s yell, a Bastera specialty ball flew at tremendous speed and struck Zamua directly on the forehead.
Crash—!
A tremendous explosion echoed.
It was an attack containing Cella's mighty flame aura, Cella being the top student in the first-year Knight Department.
Especially, it was an attack containing a flame aura that had good synergy with Bastera.
It was an attack that would shatter the bones of even second and third-years if they were hit head-on, let alone first-years.
Thud—Ping—Ping—Ping—
But the ball fell to the ground and bounced futilely.
“Hmm.”
Zamua, whose head had snapped back from Cella’s ball, rubbed his neck and grinned.
“This one was a little stiff, huh?”
“Kuk.”
It was already the third attack.
After Duran and Chen Sia, Cella's attack.
But Zamua had taken all those attacks head-on.
Yet, he hadn't moved an inch from where he had first stood.
Before the game began.
Zamua declared,
“I’ll give you ten first moves.”
“Huh?”
Cella was flustered.
“I won't move an inch from here while you throw the ball ten times. If I move even one step, it's your victory.”
Zamua said with a smile.
“You can act strategically with the penalty I set. You can score a goal and run down the clock. Professor Cedzen will give you good grades if you beat me, a fifth-year, regardless of how you do it. I guarantee that.”
At Zamua's words, Chen Sia tilted her head.
“What’s the reason for giving us such convenience?”
“Because you are the ones who will lead the Knight Department. I like excellent juniors.”
Zamua grinned.
“As a fifth-year senior, I’m giving you a chance to get good grades.”
“We appreciate that.”
Fzzzt—!
Duran snatched the ball from Cella’s hand as if plucking it away.
Veins bulged on his forehead.
“But we refuse such favors.”
Crackkkk—!
A destructive, sharp aura of lightning surged.
Everyone was startled by it.
‘When did he get that strong?’
Lightning attribute, like fire, is an attribute with powerful offensive capabilities.
However, as it also specializes in ‘speed,’ Duran had been pursuing both power and speed.
As a result, there was a perception that its attack power was inferior to Cella's flame aura.
But as if to deny that, the lightning aura currently emanating from Duran's hand contained unimaginable power.
Whoosh—!
Duran lifted the ball.
Flash—
With a golden flash, lightning sparked, and the ball struck Duran directly.
Fzzzzzz—!
Sparks flew everywhere.
Thud—
But the ball rolled on the floor in vain.
“That's one time.”
Zamua said, curling up the corners of his mouth.
Howl brought the ball.
And looked at Zamua with a fed-up expression.
‘This is Iron Wall Zamua-senpai.’
Reese, Ulta, Torua, and Zamua were called the strongest among the fifth-years.
However, unlike Reese, Ulta, and Torua, Zamua’s image was relatively less flashy.
He didn't possess overwhelming offensive power like Reese, nor could he use a variety of magic like Torua.
Nor was he as flashy as Ulta.
But in one-on-one combat, Zamua was a more formidable opponent than anyone else.
Zamua’s terrifying aspect was his ‘defense.’
Thanks to his monstrous stamina and defensive power that never faltered, he had the epithet ‘Iron Wall.’
A man who had always endured to the very end in moments of crisis, protecting the lives of his party members.
‘Even if those three are the strongest in the first-year Knight Department, will it really be possible to make Senior Zamua move with Bastera?’
No matter how dangerous and close to real combat Bastera was, it was still a sport with limitations, unlike actual combat.
Those teamed with the three couldn't think of a way to defeat Zamua.
“Howl.”
“Hm?”
“Can I have the ball?”
Howl handed the ball to Cella, who had approached him.
Cella smiled faintly as she received it.
“Thanks.”
Howl, his face slightly flushed, cleared his throat.
“Sia, Duran, come here.”
Cella glanced at Leo, who was playing next to them, and said,
“I have a plan.”
***
“How is it? My slimes are amazing, aren't they?”
Torua said proudly, crossing her arms.
“Their appearance and abilities are identical!”
“They are certainly amazing.”
Abbad spread his palm.
“Wind Storm.”
Crackkkkk—!
A massive whirlwind raged.
“Then, shall we see if they can withstand this level of attack?”
“Hmm. That would be difficult, wouldn't it?”
Crackkkk—!
Simultaneously with Torua’s words, the eight slimes were shredded and scattered everywhere.
But soon, they began to slowly clump back together.
“But even if they can't withstand it, their durability is excellent, so they quickly return to their original form. And…”
Torua flicked the ball she was holding towards the juniors' goal.
“This is Bastera. Aren’t you too distracted by the slimes?”
Unlike her light gesture, the ball gained tremendous acceleration by magic, and Abbad was rushing to block it when—
“Fimbulrert.”
Crackkkk—!
With a small incantation, an immense cold air swept through.
The cold not only created a wall of ice to trap the ball but also froze all the slimes that were returning to their original forms.
Chloe, who had cast the magic, let out a breath and withdrew her staff.
An immense cold air swirled around her.
“Oh? That’s a new unique magic, isn’t it?”
Torua’s eyes sparkled.
Whoosh—
Torua extended her hand into the air.
Flash—!
With that, a staff appeared in the air.
Seeing this, the first-years wore tense expressions.
A mage holding a staff meant only one thing.
‘It’s getting serious!’