PALOS SCHOOL OF MAGIC, VIEWING PLATFORM

The spectators erupted into chaos when a student from Nightfall Academy summoned an undead creature in the simulation battlefield.

“This… how is this possible?”

Karien, seated lazily on the viewing platform and half-asleep, was startled by the commotion. He blinked at the shocked faces around him, utterly bewildered. What’s going on? he wondered, annoyed that the situation inside the battlefield was out of sight.

Meanwhile, Adrian, the team leader of Ironclad Academy, leapt to his feet in disbelief. Reaching the rank of a Tier-2 Magus was already a significant accomplishment for students at Palos School of Magic. Even top-tier students might master a few Tier-2 spells at best.

But for a student like this one from Nightfall Academy to directly use Tier-3 magic? That was practically unheard of.

Jessica from Violet Academy was equally astonished. Turning her gaze toward Villes, the team leader of Nightfall Academy, she asked, “Does Nightfall Academy offer a course on contract magic?”

At Palos School of Magic, mastering contract magic was the hallmark of an intermediate magus. Contract magic typically came in two forms: Elemental Contracts and Faith Contracts.

Elemental Contracts were relatively straightforward. Through deep meditation, a magus would link with an elemental spirit and sign a contract. The higher the magus’s elemental affinity, the easier it was to establish such a bond. Once signed, the magus’s elemental spells would grow stronger and gain access to unique spirit-based spells.

Faith Contracts, on the other hand, were far more demanding. While they didn’t require high elemental affinity, they demanded a tremendous amount of magic energy and devout faith in a specific deity. The stronger the faith, the easier it was to form a contract. Once bonded, the magus could use the contract magic recorded in that faith’s teachings.

Villes, his short golden hair gleaming under the light, shook his head at Jessica’s question. “We don’t have such a course. This student was personally mentored by our headmaster.”

The room fell silent. The headmaster of Nightfall Academy, Ryton, had taken a personal student? That explained everything. With Ryton’s guidance, reaching Tier-3 was not impossible.

However, “Undead Summoning” was a particularly challenging Tier-3 spell, notorious for its massive consumption of dark elemental energy. Could a student under fifteen really sustain it?

Adrian, his brown beard quivering, sat back down slowly. Yet his face betrayed his deep disappointment. Today had been one of the most frustrating days in his teaching career.

He had been confident that Ironclad Academy would dominate, just like last year. But not only had Red Leaf Academy surpassed them, Nightfall Academy, their long-standing rival, had left them far behind.

Karien, on the other hand, finally pieced together the situation from the heated discussions around him. So there’s a Tier-3 Magus in the simulation battlefield? That must be the fearsome student Villes mentioned.

He smirked. Looks like Mia’s finally met a real challenge.

NEAR TERRITORY 25

Mia, her golden ponytail tied tight, instinctively stepped back as the undead figure materialized behind Hui. The summoned creature stood over two meters tall, its entire body made of pitch-black bones. Its hollow eye sockets burned with eerie green flames.

With a wave of his hand, Hui—his face delicate yet sinister—commanded, “Go.”

Under his control, the undead swung a massive, rusted greatsword and charged at Mia.

Gripping her Cyanblade tightly, Mia met the attack head-on. The force of the impact sent tremors up her arm, forcing her back several steps before she managed to regain her footing.

From the wooden platform, Jack and Sali saw Mia in danger and immediately activated the jet function of the K7 device, propelling themselves toward Hui.

Without even glancing at them, Hui opened his mouth and chanted:

“...O Supreme God of Darkness, extract the nightmares entwined within me... Bind the spirit with fear, and grant me the shadow of protection!”

Tier-3 Contract Magic: Shadow Guardian.

As Hui chanted, a black magic circle unfurled behind him. Simultaneously, a shadowy mass emerged from beneath his feet, forming a ghostly outline.

Jack and Sali froze mid-charge as the shadow expanded toward them. Like a sentient mist, it enveloped them.

In an instant, their faces twisted in terror. Their vision distorted into surreal, nightmarish illusions, and they staggered, unable to stand upright.

Seeing their disoriented state, Mia shouted to the others on the platform, “Don’t come any closer! This guy specializes in area attacks. The more people there are, the worse it’ll get for us.”

Even as she warned them, the skeletal undead charged at her again.

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“Hey, don’t lose focus now.” Hui withdrew the shadow mass to circle protectively around himself, smirking as he taunted Mia. “Surely you can do better than this? Don’t disappoint me.”

As the undead attacked, Mia used the K7 to dodge. She countered with a flurry of Wind Blades aimed at Hui from a distance.

But the shadowy mass spun around him, dissolving the blades one by one.

At the same time, the towering undead opened its mouth, spitting a green fireball at Mia. Hui, clearly prolonging the fight for his amusement, deliberately avoided Mia’s vital spots.

Raising a Wind Wall to block the fireball, Mia quickly retreated behind a boulder to regroup. This Hui wasn’t like any other student she’d faced. His overwhelming presence bore down on her like never before.

Even more terrifying was how effortlessly he maintained two high-cost Tier-3 spells simultaneously. How much magic energy does he have?

Before Mia could formulate a plan, the skeletal undead leapt atop the boulder, attacking her again.

Outmatched in strength, Mia relied on the K7’s agility to evade, weaving through the battlefield as she searched for an opening.

FROM AFAR, IN A TALL TREE

White-haired and composed, White Star sat cross-legged on a sturdy branch, an apple in hand. She munched on it, her eyes fixed on the intense battle between Mia and Hui.

As a deputy elder, White Star was tasked with ensuring the students’ safety in the simulation battlefield. With the fight already exceeding the standard student level, it was her job to intervene if things got out of hand.

Taking another bite, she wiped the juice from her lips with a finger, muttering, “The girl’s got sharp reflexes. Even if she’s relying on tools, her footwork’s impeccable. A promising talent.”

SIMULATED BATTLEFIELD, NEAR TERRITORY 25

Mia constantly shifted her position, narrowly dodging the relentless pursuit of the skeletal wraith.

Jack and Sali, now recovered from the disorienting nightmare spell, initially rushed to assist her. But Mia stopped them.

“Don’t interfere! His attacks are peculiar, and he’s targeting me specifically. I’ll handle him. You two, head back to the wooden platform.”

“But—” Jack started, only to be pulled back by Sali as they retreated.

“What are you doing?” Jack protested, his voice filled with concern. “This is Mia’s last chance at the assessment. If she gets eliminated, it’s all over!”

“You’re hopelessly dense!” Sali snapped while dragging Jack backward. “Didn’t you notice? That pretty boy deliberately avoided Mia’s vital points during his attacks. This isn’t about elimination—it’s a duel. He’s found a worthy opponent and wants a real fight.

“If we barge in now, we’ll only make things harder for Mia!”

Jack scratched his head, still puzzled. “Are you sure?”

Rolling his eyes, Sali continued, “Think about it. That guy’s a third-tier Magus. Even if Mia loses, it’s not a disgrace. What really matters is that the teachers and examiners in the observation stands are all watching their duel.

“This is a golden opportunity for Mia to showcase her skills. Even if she gets eliminated, as long as she demonstrates her strengths, she’s bound to catch the eye of someone offering special recruitment. Her future will be secure, regardless of this assessment.

“The assessment rules are just a pathway for us regular students to advance. True prodigies? They get scouted!”

“Uh…” Jack looked even more confused. “Is that really how it works?”

Mia parried the skeleton’s massive sword with her Blue Gale Blade, using the force to spring backward and widen the distance.

After clashing several times, Mia had begun to decipher its attack patterns.

The wraith was incredibly powerful and quick, but its strikes were straightforward—either vertical slashes or diagonal swings. After each attack, it had to pause momentarily to lift its weapon again.

Noticing these details, Mia maneuvered around a boulder, using it as cover to create more distance. Then, she sheathed her blade and drew a folded arcane rifle from her pack.

She had a plan.

The wraith’s summoner, Hui, watched her actions with a faint smirk. “Interesting. Switching tactics, are we?”

With a wave of his hand, he conjured another magic circle in the air.

Second-tier spell, “Frenzy Array.”

The dark red magic circle flew toward the skeletal wraith, fusing into its body. The creature let out a furious roar, its movements becoming erratic and aggressive. With enhanced speed, it charged at Mia, its massive sword crashing down like a thunderbolt.

Furrowing her brows, Mia activated the jet propulsion on her elbow brace, propelling herself sideways to evade. At the same time, she aimed her rifle at the wraith’s chest cavity, where a flickering green flame resided.

The skeletal wraith’s sword smashed into the ground, momentarily embedding itself. Recognizing the brief opening, Mia pulled the trigger.

First-tier spells “Water Sphere” + “Wind Pressure,” enhanced tenfold—High-Pressure Water Cannon!

A concentrated jet of water shot from the rifle, piercing through the gaps in the skeleton’s ribcage and soaking the green flame within. Yet, the flame merely dimmed slightly, refusing to extinguish—it was no ordinary fire.

The wraith, undeterred, wrenched its sword free and continued its assault.

Realizing her first approach had failed, Mia switched to her backup plan. She dodged its attack while maintaining the water jet, this time directing it across the creature’s entire body.

Irritated by the torrent, the skeletal wraith roared, spreading its arms wide and lunging at Mia.

In that instant, Mia twisted the rifle’s barrel. The water jet ceased, replaced by a burst of lightning.

First-tier spells “Lightning Orb” + “Magnetization,” enhanced tenfold—High-Voltage Electro Gun!

The drenched wraith served as a perfect conductor. The electricity surged through its entire body, causing the green flames in its chest and eye sockets to flicker violently before snuffing out entirely.

With a thunderous crash, the skeletal wraith collapsed.

Mia cautiously stepped back, keeping her rifle trained on it until its body disintegrated into dust. Only then did she release a breath of relief. Her strategy had worked.

All those hours of studying magical theory had paid off.

Mia’s first instinct upon seeing the green flames had been to douse them with water, but she hadn’t expected that to succeed. Instead, she used the water as a setup for her real countermeasure—electricity.

Her teacher, Karien, had once explained that spiritual magic is weak against lightning. Since the wraith was summoned and not a living being, the green flames sustaining it likely had a spiritual or soul-based origin. That knowledge, combined with her enhanced lightning spell, sealed her victory.

In the distance, Hui clapped his hands, a genuine look of admiration on his face. “Impressive!”

His praise wasn’t just for Mia’s strategy but also for her magical device.

The skeletal wraith, despite its elemental weakness, was still a third-tier summon. Normally, first- or second-tier spells wouldn’t suffice to defeat it.

What Hui didn’t realize was that Mia’s rifle utilized only first-tier spell combinations. The extraordinary results came from clever enhancements: the “Magnetization” spell created a magnetic field that amplified the electricity, and the water further boosted its conductivity.

Pointing her rifle at Hui, Mia declared, “You’re next!”

Grinning, Hui began chanting again.

Three more magic circles appeared around him, and soon, three towering figures began to take shape.