Arin's Rank

The Water Spike had fully formed above Arin's head, waiting for his command.

Suddenly, Arin's eyes widened slightly as an idea crossed his mind.

"I see... But should I really do that?" he whispered, contemplating his next move.

Now, there were two things he could do to make this Spike more powerful.

Firstly, he could just add more Mana to the Water Spike, making it bigger and stronger. Then, after that, he would manipulate his Mana that he used to form the Spike, making it spin rapidly, just like the way the first boy's Wind Spike spun.

The spin would add more force to the spike, increasing its destructive power.

Secondly, he knew something that most... In fact... all the students here didn't know.

He had a method that he could use to actually turn this Water Spike into an Ice Spike, and that would make it a tad bit stronger than the normal Water Spike.

This method was something introduced far deep into the story. Even with that, it was a slightly hard thing for Mages to comprehend.

It was introduced by a Magic Scholar who decided to tell all Mages; after all, it would be a great boost.

Well, even though it was hard to comprehend, Alex was the first Mage to successfully master it, even better than the Magic Scholar who introduced it.

'Since I already have the knowledge of it, and the easiest way to do it, it's not going to be an issue, but...'

Of course, it wasn't surprising that Arin already knew all about it; after all, he read about it, so he even knew the easiest way to do it.

'If I do it, I'll attract unwanted attention. Even more, the King would hear of it, and he would send for me,' Arin thought. 'Yes, I would gain immense popularity because of it, and even live the best life, but... that isn't my goal.'

With that thought, he ruled out the option of using that method.

'As for the first one, if I make the Water Spike spin and add more Mana, I'll still attract attention.'

There was a reason Arin had this thought. Apart from second-year students and other Water Mages who had graduated from the Academy, he knew what the Water Mages in first year like him could do, and spinning a Water Spike was not one of them. Well, Alex was an exception.

'If I do it, they'll want me to teach them, and I certainly don't want that.'

With that, Arin also discarded the option and decided to stick with the normal Water Spike.

Arin locked his gaze on the ball, and then...

*WHOOSH*

With a flick of his finger, the Water Spike rushed towards the ball with speed, ready to strike.

The wind picked up pace as the Water Spike moved closer to the ball.

In the blink of an eye, the Water Spike was already in front of the ball.

The eyes of the students were fixated on the Water Spike, eager to see what would happen.

And then...

*BOOM*

A booming sound was heard as the Water Spike struck the ball with immense force.

Once again, the pace of the wind increased, making the hairs of the students flutter.

Finally, the room became calm, and everyone immediately darted their eyes towards the ball to see the rank that it displayed.

Arin already knew his rank, but he still looked at the ball.

**Grade 4 Veteran Mage**

"Arin Vale, Grade 4 Veteran Mage," Riya said as she folded her arms.

"As expected, the same rank as that guy," Arin muttered, remembering the boy who was the first to confirm his rank with the ball.

With that, Arin started walking back to join the crowd of students, though he couldn't help but notice Tessa, who was standing with her arms folded.

Her face was gloomy, and she seemed to be lost in thought. It was obvious.

Alex was also staring at her, with a frown on his face. He was worried, and he knew that something was definitely going on.

He was about to walk towards her, but before he could even take a step, Riya's voice was suddenly heard.

"Now, Alex, it's your turn. Everyone else is done," Riya said.

Alex instantly turned his head towards Riya's direction. "Oh, yes, I'm coming."

He glanced at Tessa once more before walking towards the orb.

Instantly, without wasting time, he moved his Mana to his right hand and touched the orb.

Immediately he placed his hand on the orb, it instantly changed color.

The eyes of all the students, including Arin, were fixated on the orb.

The orb's color changed, but not to red, blue, green, brown, black, or even purple. Instead, it displayed all of them at once. It was like a rainbow.

And that could only mean one thing...

Alex could use all the Elements. Well, since the students already knew, they weren't too shocked, though some of them still couldn't help but widen their eyes. They just couldn't believe it, even though they were seeing it.

Soft murmurs filled the room.

"He's really something else," one student whispered.

"All elements... It's just unbelievable," another murmured, shaking his head in disbelief.

Without waiting for Riya to speak, Alex already knew what to do, so he walked towards the ball.

Suddenly, Riya walked forward, close to where Alex was standing.

She raised her hands, and in an instant, a Water Bubble enveloped Alex, separating him from the rest of the students.

With an indifferent expression on her face, Riya walked back to the corner without a single explanation.

Though, they already knew the reason why she enveloped Alex in a bubble.

Alex's Spells were strong, so there was a possibility that the "aftermath" might slightly injure students, so she decided to envelop him in a Water Bubble.

Arin knew that Riya's Water Magic was strong, so it would be able to handle the aftermath.

Inside the bubble, Alex stood tall, his eyes focused and determined. He stretched out his right hand, pointing his index finger at the ball.

Mana began to swirl around him, visible even to the naked eye. The air inside the bubble crackled with energy.

Suddenly, a Fireball materialized in front of his finger. But unlike the massive, roaring spheres others conjured, this Fireball was minuscule, even smaller than a table tennis ball.

The students exchanged puzzled glances.

"Is that it?" a girl whispered, eyebrows raised.

"Maybe it's a mistake," another speculated.

But Arin knew better.

'It's small, but the amount of Mana contained in that Fireball is...' Arin thought, his eyes narrowing as he sensed the dense concentration of energy.

And then...

*BOOM*

With a deafening roar, the tiny Fireball exploded forward, tearing through the air like a comet. Its speed was blinding, leaving a trail of scorching heat in its wake. The very ground beneath Alex's feet trembled from the force of the release.

The students gasped, some shielding their eyes from the intense light and heat that emanated even through the protective bubble.

In a heartbeat, the Fireball reached the ball.

*BOOM*

A colossal explosion erupted, flames spiraling wildly within the confines of the Water Bubble. The sheer intensity threatened to evaporate the bubble itself, but Riya's magic held firm, containing the inferno.

The shockwave rattled the room, causing loose papers to flutter and hair to whip wildly. Some students stumbled back, eyes wide with awe and fear.

"Unbelievable," someone whispered.

"He's on a completely different level," another replied, voice quivering.

As the flames subsided and the smoke cleared, Alex stood unmoved, his expression calm.

Meanwhile, Arin was deep in thought, pondering the system's message about a Hidden Element as he placed his finger on his chin.

He was eager to see what it was, and, well, he wouldn't have to wait for long.

Finally, everything settled down, and Alex's rank appeared above the ball.

Grade.....

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[A/N]

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