Palos Magic Academy - Simulation Battlefield, Observation Platform

Jessica, adjusting her glasses, stared at the ten students from Violet Academy's group who had been effortlessly defeated by a mere girl. Her once flippant expression gradually turned serious.

Though one of Violet Academy's star players, Lina, hadn't been eliminated or lost any points, she had lost her territorial advantage. This setback drastically reduced her chances of becoming a territory lord and securing admission to a first-tier university.

What truly shocked Jessica was the young girl named Mia. Her mastery of magic and combat skills was astonishing. Jessica was confident that, among all second-tier magicians in Violet Academy, none could match Mia in a one-on-one duel.

Her curiosity deepened, and she couldn’t help but glance at Karien again, wondering how he had made this happen.

But it wasn’t just Mia. The other students from Red Leaf Academy were proving far more capable than Violet Academy had ever imagined.

Earlier, on Territory 16, several Violet Academy students—many of whom were first-tier magicians—were easily subdued by Red Leaf Academy students as they attempted to flee the platform.

Jessica wasn’t the only one full of questions. On the observation platform, the other academies' team leaders had also dropped their earlier jovial attitudes.

The academy they had long mocked, Red Leaf Academy, was now sweeping through the simulation battlefield, taking territories in an almost unbelievable fashion.

After capturing a territory, their group of eleven didn’t bother to occupy it. Instead, they collected all the point spheres and left to conquer the next territory, acting like true bandits.

It wasn’t just Ironclad Academy and Violet Academy—students from other academies also fell victim to their raids.

On the team leader platform, the expressions of eight out of ten team leaders darkened, save for Karien and Wells.

One team leader finally voiced their dissatisfaction.

“Karien, isn’t your academy’s behavior a bit unethical?”

Karien shrugged nonchalantly. “We haven’t broken any rules. Besides, isn’t the practical exam meant to test students’ ability to adapt to complex environments? Right, Adrian?”

This remark was a word-for-word echo of Adrian’s earlier justification, thrown right back at him.

Adrian’s face, already grim, turned even darker. “Don’t celebrate too soon. Your academy only has eleven students. I don’t believe they can keep this up.”

Leaning back in his chair, Karien nodded. “True. But I did some quick math just now. My students have already captured eight territories and amassed nearly a thousand points. Even if they don’t rank at the top, they won’t end up at the bottom anymore. Don’t you agree?”

Karien’s words made Adrian’s face even stormier. It was a clear reminder of his earlier boastful declarations, which he now regretted.

At the top of the observation platform, Elder Ellison watched Red Leaf Academy’s performance with mixed emotions.

On one hand, he was pleased. The academy's remarkable progress exceeded all expectations. If this trend continued, Red Leaf Academy might not only escape its perennial last-place ranking but even achieve a top position.

Karien’s confidence earlier had not been empty bravado—he truly had made Red Leaf Academy strong again.

However, Ellison’s experienced eyes also noticed that Mia and her group were likely using magical artifacts to bolster their abilities. This explained why Karien had asked about restrictions on artifacts during the meeting.

Still, everything they did was within the rules. Their strategies and quick responses on the battlefield were commendable.

What concerned Ellison, however, was Red Leaf Academy’s method of accumulating points. Their territorial raids, while effective, bordered on unethical.

More significantly, if Red Leaf Academy managed to break free from its last-place status and achieve a respectable ranking, the school’s board would have no justification to shut it down.

The problem? Plans to disband the academy had already been finalized, with resources allocated and interests divided. A sudden reversal would undoubtedly provoke intense disputes.

Ellison sighed. “I’ll deal with it after the exam ends.”

As the evening fell, the sky darkened.

After conquering their eighth territory, Mia and her group decided to rest rather than retreat. Their day of relentless battles had yielded great results but left them exhausted.

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Given their haul of over a thousand points, staying in the wilderness was too risky. The intense magical energy emanating from their collected points would likely attract every other team on the battlefield.

Resting in a territory provided at least some defensive measures.

“Take shifts for guard duty. You cover the first half of the night; I’ll take the second,” Mia said to Jack and Sally as she yawned and lay down in the center of the wooden platform. Exhausted from the day’s battles, she quickly fell asleep.

Outside Territory 25, hidden in the bushes, twenty students from Ironclad Academy lay in wait.

These students, already hostile toward Red Leaf Academy due to their teacher Adrian’s orders, had grown furious after Red Leaf captured one of their territories earlier that afternoon.

Unable to let it slide, two Ironclad teams banded together and decided to launch a nighttime ambush.

“They’ve been fighting all day. Their stamina must be depleted, and their magical energy nearly gone,” said a tall, buzz-cut boy in a low voice, his gaze fixed on the wooden platform.

“When we attack together, they won’t know what hit them. Those points will all be ours!”

The others nodded in agreement, their excitement barely contained.

Half an hour later, seeing the time was right, the buzz-cut boy led the charge out of the bushes, initiating the attack.

The buzz-cut boy burst out of the bushes, both hands tracing intricate magic circles. Instantly, fragments of rock scattered across the ground levitated into the air. With a dramatic sweep of his hands, he sent them hurtling toward the wooden platform of Territory 25 like meteors crashing down.

As the strongest new student of Ironclad Academy, Daren refused to let his school be humiliated by Red Leaf Academy. This conviction was what drove him to rally nearly twenty fellow students for this ambush, determined to crush Red Leaf in one fell swoop.

Daren’s attack was the signal. From all directions, his teammates emerged from hiding, unleashing a torrent of magic. A quarter of them were skilled in ranged spells, casting their attacks in synchronized waves, each spell surging toward the platform with unrelenting force.

On the wooden platform, Mia and four others were fast asleep, blissfully unaware of the chaos. Only Jack, Sali, and four more stood watch. Despite the overwhelming attack bearing down on them, none of them panicked.

“We’ll handle defense!” Sali barked, his spellcasting gloves springing to life. He conjured wind barriers on either side of the platform, intercepting the incoming spells. “You guys, attack!”

Jack and two other Red Leaf students nodded in unison, raising their spellcasting rifles for the first time since the graduation exam began. Unlike the spellcasting gloves they’d been using earlier, the rifles offered superior precision and range. They had saved this ace for exactly such a moment.

Jack steadied the rifle against his shoulder and locked onto a charging Ironclad student in the distance. With a swift pull of the trigger, a miniature fireball erupted from the muzzle, moving so fast it became a blur. The fireball struck the student’s shoulder guard with a metallic clang, causing the protective aura to dim. Stunned, the student froze in place, unable to process what had just happened.

Jack quickly shifted his aim to another target, firing again. This time, the fireball hit its mark—his opponent’s belt buckle, a critical weak point in the exam. Beside him, the other two Red Leaf students were equally precise, picking off targets with clinical efficiency.

The three rifle-wielders unleashed a relentless barrage, their attacks outpacing the combined efforts of the twenty Ironclad students. Before Daren’s team could even reach the platform, 80% of them had been struck in their weak points, forcing them to halt in frustration.

Daren, however, managed to push within three meters of the platform, relying on his "Fire Vortex" spell to deflect the fireballs aimed at him. But when he turned to assess his team’s progress, he realized he was alone—most of his comrades had stopped ten meters behind, paralyzed and unable to move.

What’s going on? Daren’s mind reeled with disbelief.

His thoughts were interrupted as another fireball streaked toward him. He instinctively raised an arm to shield himself, and though the fireball scorched his sleeve and left a burn on his forearm, he shrugged it off. Such minor injuries were insignificant—healing specialists would fix them after the exam.

Determined, Daren grabbed hold of the ladder leading up to the platform and began to climb.

Noticing Daren’s approach, Sali dismissed his wind barriers and called to Jack, “I’ll take care of him. Don’t wake the boss!”

With that, Sali leapt off the platform. Mid-air, he grabbed Daren by the collar, yanking him off the ladder. Both of them crashed to the ground but quickly scrambled to their feet.

Daren glared at Sali, sizing up the thick-browed student. Without hesitation, he dashed toward another ladder, aiming to reach the platform from a different angle.

His reasoning was simple: staying on the ground meant being a sitting duck for the gunners above. His only chance was to bring the fight to the platform, where his close-combat skills would shine. For Daren, retreat was not an option.

As he sprinted, Sali charged after him, moving with astonishing speed, almost as if he were flying.

Caught off guard, Daren spun and lashed out with a powerful punch, colliding directly with Sali’s fist. The impact sent both of them stumbling back. Daren, with his superior strength, retreated four steps, while Sali skidded back nearly eight meters before regaining his footing.

On the platform, Jack fired one last shot to disable another Ironclad student before lowering his rifle. He pulled out a pouch of sunflower seeds, sat down, and began snacking, his attention fixed on the fight below.

The other Red Leaf students, seeing the threat neutralized, joined Jack in their impromptu break. Relaxing on the platform, they snacked and watched the showdown between Sali and Daren like an audience at a theater.

Daren looked up and saw the Red Leaf students casually munching on sunflower seeds. His anger boiled over. With a roar, he conjured another magic circle, summoning a barrage of stones to launch at the platform.

But before he could act, Sali was on him again. This time, Sali focused on speed and agility, weaving through the chaos and launching wind blades as he approached.

The sharp wind blades forced Daren to abandon his attack on the platform. Instead, he redirected his magic, sending the stones hurtling toward Sali. The two attacks collided midair, neutralizing each other. Seizing the opportunity, Sali circled behind Daren, aiming for his belt buckle.

Daren, a seasoned second-tier fighter, quickly saw through the maneuver. He spun around and lashed out with a devastating kick, confident it would land. His opponent’s speed and direct charge left little room for evasion—only a skilled fighter could counter such a strike.

But to Daren’s shock, Sali suddenly stopped mid-charge, hovering briefly as if suspended in midair.

What? He’s flying?

Daren’s overextended kick sent him spinning off balance. Unable to recover in time, he collapsed to the ground, leaving himself vulnerable.

Sali, wasting no time, released a precise wind blade that struck Daren’s belt buckle with pinpoint accuracy, sealing his defeat.