Chapter 2, Part 2: What Happens Next Will Shock You

I've been wandering around back then, defending settlements and adventuring. I should be able to handle him, no sweat.

My opponent's feet are rooted to the ground. He hasn't made a single move after the voice said "start". He's waiting for me to make mine.

If this drags on, he might think up of a plan. I can't let him do that.

Imagining how I activated Reinforce, golden marks formed on my legs. With that, I ran towards Professor Kaelen with immense speed, my right arm ready to punch.

"Hold on. Let me put up a bounded field to benefit the both of us."

He raised is hand, signaling me to stop for a moment. He put his hand on the ground and recited a chant that I was a bit too far to hear.

"Okay, it's up now. Let's continue." he said.

Suddenly, my entire body felt nice. As if I received a full body massage from an expert.

"What did you do?" I asked.

Wanda answered through the jewel on my ear. "Zachary! That's his original spell, Lumina: Healing Field!"

"I see, so it just heals, right?"

"Yes! But—"

Before Wanda could continue informing me, I heard deafening static and had to remove it immediately.

"Agh!"

"We can't have your supports exploiting the tricks up my sleeve, so I added an effect to my usual. It disables communication jewels now."

"What? Hey, isn't that cheating?"

"Not at all. It's a direct attack from me, not an outsider."

That's true. Nothing to argue about. Still, this Professor is too careful. He scratched the back of his head, then walked to the right afterwards.

I know for a fact that this bounded field I'm in not only heals, but also disables the jewel. There may be more effects that I'm not aware of, so I'll stay where I'm currently standing.

Not even five seconds have passed, but I felt a shock course through my body. The surprise made me jump.

"?!"

"Oh, it's working I see. I added another effect; staying on the same spot for two seconds will send an electric shock through your body that gradually gets worse."

When did he add that?! This is bad...

Gritting my teeth, I had no choice but to move around and go straight for him. The bounded field may heal me, but if what he's saying is true, the shocks will be strong enough to make me faint. Endgame, I'll lose the exam.

"Hah!" I leapt off the ground towards Professor Kaelen, ready to punch him.

"Too predictable!"

He gladly went my direction and caught my fist with his palm. While we were airborne, he grabbed my arm and threw me to the ground using my own force and with the help of gravity.

"Guh!"

A large cloud of dust formed as I made impact with the ground. Below me formed a deep hole the shape of my back. Luckily, I activated Reinforce before I collided, but it didn't linger long enough as another shock was given to me. It felt nothing like the first. It stung so badly that it made my fingertips numb.

"H-Hey, it isn't gradual at all! That was way stronger than the first!" I complained.

"Well, that just means you gotta move fast, doesn't it?"

The commentator... actually, nobody is listening to the commentator at all, so I won't include what he's saying about our match.

I sidestepped to the left, hoping to see a weak point of some sort. The problem is, he's chock-full of weak points! He's inviting me to attack then counter at the last second!

...

Of course, I took the bait.

I faced Professor Kaelen. I activated my Reinforce and lunged at the same time, letting me close the gap between us almost instantly. He dodged me, but I continued my attack. I tried my best to land a single clear hit on him.

"You're too easy to read, enrollee. Uh, Zachary, was it? If you pass by any chance, I'll be sure to teach you close quarter combat."

"Then let me punch you?!"

"I'm afraid I can't let you! Forge your own path to success!"

He's right though, I don't really have that much expertise in hand-to-hand, so maybe that's why I can't land a hit. I do have the combat experience enough to endure, but no real experience in martial arts.

I finished off my attack with a roundhouse kick, but he easily caught it. He circled around me as he held my leg high and forced me to follow, else I lose my balance.

...Wait, this is bad, the sho—!

"Aghh!"

He let go of me just in time before I got shocked! I was too focused on keeping my balance and forgot to activate my Ability. Crap, I almost blacked out...

I was smoking. The shock was so strong. The Healing Field is making me feel better, but I'm still limping from the pain. I have to keep moving...

I can't rely on Salome or Wanda right now... I have to figure this out myself.

I walked around slowly as I waited for his Healing Field to make me better. While that goes on, I'll have to think of a strategy.

"I'm not about to let you think, Zachary! This is an entrance exam, not a sparring match!"

Oh crap, he's coming at me! He's caught onto my mind!

I have to do it. Think while engaged in combat. Just calm down, me. How can you make use of your Ability in this situation?

Professor Kaelen is inching nearer. The walls are too far from my location. The ground is made of soil and pebbles. As of right now, I can leap high with Reinforce, but it'll make me extremely vulnerable; for all I know, he might have a ranged attack of some sort.

Wait... how wide is the bounded field's area of effect? I don't know how this "magic" thing works, but there must be a downside here.

...If I root him in position for the two-second rule, will the shock affect him too?

There's no other way to find out.

I activated Reinforce on my legs and went his direction. Professor Kaelen put both of his hands in a shoving motion. I caught his hands and gripped them tightly. Right now, we're stuck in place, seeing who will shove the other with more strength. My Ability deactivated.

I should've won with Reinforce, but he took it like it was nothing. The soil beneath my feet deformed as I was being shoved back. I managed to stand up to his shoving power and we're currently at a stalemate, but if this keeps up, I'll get shocked again.

"D-Damn..." Professor Kaelen grunted. "You're pretty heavy..."

The shock! I activated Reinforce through my entire body before the bounded field could shock me, and now I can easily shove him off, but I have to test my theory.

"Sorry, but you're going with me!" I shouted.

The shock coursed through our bodies as we were connected. Thanks to Reinforce, I was able to dull the pain. I just had to time it to when the shock is about to activate. But, if the shock becomes strong enough to fry me alive, that might be a different story... and I'm not about to try my luck.

As I had three stacks of shock, Professor Kaelen shivered as it coursed through his body. It was so strong that it emitted a purple light.

He heaved and gasped as he convulsed in place. I let go of his hand and he almost fell.

I can do this. Think.

If I trip him over when he's already limping, then I can win this.

I activated Reinforce on my legs, then ran around the bounded field, putting all my weight on each step.

The ground deformed and created small holes, deep enough to trip over.

With this much holes made, I made a beeline for Professor Kaelen to try and pin him down, but it looks like his Healing Field already made him better.

The effects of the shock should still linger.

"I underestimated you, Zachary! Your willingness to throw yourself into danger to win is outstanding!" he said.

I activated Reinforce again and shoved him. He grabbed my hands and gripped them tightly, so he wouldn't fall and trip.

We're back to a stalemate. We can't move from our positions; my Reinforce had just deactivated and Professor Kaelen is using the holes I made to hold his ground. It'll be my fourth shock this time.

"Th-This is bad!"

I gripped back onto his hands and made sure he won't escape. He tried to flail our hands around in order to throw me off, but it's too late. The shock is about to happen.

Although the effect was unintended, it looks like the holes I made were useful for holding him in place, but not for making him fall.

I activated Reinforce through my entire body again. Both of us were shocked, and once again emitted purple light. Professor Kaelen screamed in agony.

This fourth one was so strong that I almost fainted. My vision was blurring heavily. My Ability dulls pain, but it doesn't take away the effects.

We were emitting thick smoke already. It also looks like Professor Kaelen is drastically weakened by the shock, convulsing in place and struggling to breathe. Technically this should only be his second shock, but since I roped him into being shocked along with me, he also got the effects of the fourth. His Healing Field isn't about to heal him so quickly now.

With that, I formed a fist with my right hand and punched him in the face.

"Sorry in advance!" I told him, but it looks like he's too near-death to respond.

So, this time I let him fall off with the force of my fist, creating a cloud of dust as he collided with the ground. His bounded field lost effect when he passed out, so his Healing Field and shock timer lost effect as well.

I sat back in exhaustion and sighed deeply, then lied down for a bit of rest.

At that moment, I could hear every background noise again. The crowds cheering, and the commentator shouting with no one listening. I couldn't hear my breaths. I was too focused on the fight.

The smoke we were emitting eventually stopped. I closed my eyes to rest. I'm too tired from all this shocking...

...

...

...

...I woke up to see an unfamiliar ceiling. I sat up slowly and saw myself full of bandages. To my left is... Professor Kaelen, asleep with more bandages all over his body than I have.

There were also people in front of me. It was Salome and Wanda. Also the Headmaster Gamon and someone standing behind him holding a clipboard of some sort.

"Zachary! Are you okay?!" Wanda asked.

"We're currently in the Infirmary. Please rest up." Salome said.

What's an Infirmary? Anyway, I felt like my mouth was mush, so I had to nod.

"Zachary. A splendid display out there." the Headmaster sat beside my bed. There was a stool there?

"It's a shame you couldn't make use of the communication jewel, but it looks like you did good despite not knowing much about your opponent. Although, it looks like you got banged up pretty hardly."

Well, there's not much to learn about him...

"Zachary, we're sorry, we couldn't provide support from our side." Salome said.

The Headmaster replied to her in my place. "No, it wasn't your fault. Professor Kaelen disabled communication jewels using his bounded field."

"A-Aha, is that so?"

"Zachary. The entrance exam ends with your great victory. Congratulations."

Headmaster Gamon shook my hand and gave me something. I groaned.

"Oh, those are your dorm keys. You've well earned them."

Surprisingly, he understood what I was trying to say.

"For now, rest up. Let your wounds heal. A week from now, you're going to start attending regular classes as a first-year Magus student. You'll be in the same class as your supporters, and will continue on to learn magic. It's good to have you, Zachary."

Salome and Wanda looked at each other. They didn't do much in the exam, but I appreciate the help they gave me. Hell, they've already done more than enough. They helped me get into this Academy and a place to live.

"Speaking of which, Zachary." Headmaster Gamon pulled out a pouch. It was mine. "We found this pouch in one of your pockets. It's hefty. Do you mind if we see what's inside?"

I nodded. Those are just gold coins anyway.

He undid the string and poured the contents on my bed. The sound of metal colliding with one another could be heard all over the room.

Before us were a pile of glistening gold coins with strange engravings.

"Th-These are...?!"

The person who was previously behind Headmaster Gamon spoke. "Mr. Zachary?! You're richer than the Headmaster?!"

...Excuse me?