Chapter 64: First Blood

After Tascen and Lurkam's match, the next one didn't start right away. Since Lurkam had been knocked out, Eredim had to take him to the infirmary himself. Meanwhile, while he was away, students were already talking about the second match.

"Cain, huh? That's the guy all the rumors have been about, right? The one we saw with Luden at the faction meeting?" If Magnus were present, he'd recognize the speaker and everyone sitting around him. They were all students who had shown up to the faction meeting when Luden first introduced him as Cain.

"Yeah, it should be the same person. A few students confirmed it—they saw a masked student walking with the twins from the Moring Family," another student chimed in, causing a member of their faction to turn towards the aloof student with golden eyes, sitting at the center of their group.

"What do you think, Jalud? If the rumors about him turn out to be true, he could pose a serious threat to us in the future, especially since he's part of Luden's faction." Jalud looked thoroughly uninterested as he replied, his voice dripping with disdain.

"You're all fussing over trivial things. It doesn't matter whether the rumor is true or not. Even if he's stronger than every other student here, he still won't be able to defeat me, which means our faction will win regardless." There was not a hint of doubt in his words, and even the members of his own faction could only glance at one another before nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess he's right. Besides a genuine Adept-level mage or knight, I doubt anyone here is capable of countering the Cresteya's lineage magic." At the same time, a completely different conversation unfolded among everyone in Luden's faction.

They all knew the rumors about Cain were true, so there was no doubt about whether he would win. Instead, they were all curious about exactly how Cain would end up winning, and how quickly.

"Well, from what we've seen Cain is clearly an expert when it comes to casting mana construct based spells. Although those kinds of spells are hardly used by mages for combat since it's an uncategorized form of magic, there's technically no limit on what someone can make, so he has plenty of ways of winning," Blair commented.

It appeared that he and the twins had temporarily set aside their mutual disdain for the sake of the discussion.

"And let's not overlook his psychokinetic magic. He managed to keep it active throughout his entire duel with me and Syrna. Using that metal sphere he has, he can form almost an impenetrable shield. If he uses that strategy again, I doubt any knight would even be able to touch him without relying on an aura style," Sylas added, with everyone involved in the discussion nodding in agreement.

"Hmm, in that case, I don't see this match lasting longer than five minutes, do you? It might even be shorter if he goes for incapacitation using those ropes from before," Syrna commented, confident in her estimate given everything she'd seen.

"Perhaps, but that's assuming he's shown us everything he's capable of. So far, in all our interactions, I don't think Cain has even come close to revealing his full potential. As for what those capabilities might be, there's only one person here who would know," Seraline added, shifting her gaze to Luden. This caused the twins and Blair to turn to him as well.

Through this entire conversation, Luden, along with Magnus and Celia, stayed out of it, though for different reasons. Magnus found the idea of joining in a conversation about himself a bit too weird, so he opted to keep quiet. Celia, on the other hand, didn't want to accidentally reveal anything that might hint at Magnus being Cain.

Noticing that Luden had no intention of joining in, Blair shrugged and said, "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter what we think. They've almost finished fixing the field, so we'll see for ourselves soon enough."

Back in the arena, a mage was at work, using magic and casting spells. They didn't dress like teachers or students, but they definitely seemed like part of the academy staff, and they were using some form of earth elemental magic on the field.

It was as if time were being reversed: all the scattered fragments of earth and rock from Tascen's match with Lurkam were being pulled back together before seamlessly reintegrating into the ground wherever they fit. The effect was so smooth that it almost looked like the ground was made of play dough.

Watching this, Magnus couldn't help but take a few mental notes.

Ah, I see, so that's the difference between elementrix spells and elemental ones; Professor Eredim never explained that, so it was a bit confusing. The first one focuses on spells that convert mana directly into other elements, while the second directly controls the elements that are already there.

As for their individual benefits, Magnus already had a few guesses.

Elementrix magic can probably be used regardless of your environment, since its only real cost is mana. On the other hand, elemental magic is limited by your surroundings but probably requires less mana considering it's manipulating something that already exists rather than creating it itself.

Moreover, from what Magnus could tell, elemental magic didn't seem to be heavily affected by the suppression effect, considering the field wasn't gradually reverting to its destroyed state.

Well, I can look into their differences more later. For now, I should probably focus on getting down there.

Turning to Celia, Magnus whispered something in her ear. She nodded in understanding. Then, with a sudden move that caught everyone off guard, he stood up and hurried toward the nearest exit.

"Huh? Where's he rushing off to? He's going to miss the next match," Syrna remarked, clearly puzzled.

Celia answered calmly, "He'll be back soon. He just remembered something he needed to handle outside the academy." No one seemed suspicious; Syrna just shrugged.

"Well, he better hurry, or he'll have to hear about the match from us later." As she spoke, Magnus had already vanished from sight. With the next match about to start, no one paid much mind to a single student rushing off.

Alright, it looks like there's no one nearby.

Magnus paused in the hallway, and after scanning his surroundings for a couple of seconds, he reached into his clothes and pulled out his mask. As he put it on, his appearance and his presence seemed to transform instantly.

Just then, a familiar woman's voice caught him off guard.

"Hello, Cain, are you ready for your match?" Looking around briefly, Magnus realized the voice was emanating from his hand—or more specifically, from his Sigilbrand. The voice sounded just like Vira's.

So, the academy staff can contact students's through their Sigilbrand as well? This thing really has all sorts of features.

When Magnus didn't respond after a couple of seconds, the woman contacting him through his Sigilbrand spoke again.

"Hello? Cain, your match is about to start. Are you ready, or are you considering forfeiting?"

"Huh? No, I'm not forfeiting. I'm ready," Magnus replied, his voice firm.

"Great! Please head to the entrance of the academy arena, and I'll direct you from there." Following her instructions, Magnus began making his way to one of the field's entrances. As he made his way there, on the opposite side of the arena, in the other hall that led out to the field entrance, Magnus's opponent was already waiting. Leaning up against a stone wall, Gozif's eyes were closed as he focused his concentration and sharpened his will before heading out to fight.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open as he heard footsteps approaching. Turning to look for the source, he spotted a scarred-faced young man. A surprised tone found its way into his voice as he spoke.

"Re- Resir? When did you get here?" Out of all the faction leaders Magnus had met during his outing with Luden, two had yet to arrive: the first was Zilen, and the second was Resir. And just like Lurkam , Gozif was a member of Resir's faction.

"Is it true that Lurkam lost in the first match?" Resir asked without a hint of softness in his voice. His annoyance was obvious, and the glare in his eyes gave off an unseen pressure that made Gozif shift slightly where he was standing.

"Yes... He went up against Tascen, from the Mestor Family. From what I remember, he's not a member of any faction, so we didn't think he'd pose much of a threat to Lurkam of all peo-" Gozif was cut off as Resir suddenly spoke, his voice getting deeper with every word.

"Do you think I care whether any of you considered him a threat or not? The mere fact that a member of our faction lost the first match against a non-factor is an utter embarrassment." Gozif didn't utter a sound as Resir spoke. He knew the Live Examination was their faction's shot at establishing their strength and showcasing their potential to the entirety of the academy, whether it be the student body or the various professors spectating.

Losing their first match meant they had already dealt a blow to any reputation they had built up among other students, whether through excelling in classes or other achievements. They couldn't afford to lose again. If they did, their image would be sullied until the next Live Examination, and that meant less chance of receiving academic backing and less likelihood of talented students wanting to join them.

For that very reason, Resir had come to meet Gozif himself.

"Resir, I won't lose, I promise, I-" Gozif tried to reassure Resir that he would win, but was cut off as Resir took a step forward. His towering figure completely blocked Gozif's vision as he glared down at him.

"Winning alone won't be enough. We need to crush our next opponent with absolute force. Do you understand me? Don't hold back anything during your next match." Hearing those words, Gozif was stunned for a moment.

"But, Resir, the one I'm going up against is Cain. There's a rumor going around that he managed to defeat two Apprentice-level knights. If that's true, then I'm not sure I could beat him in a one-sided match without putting us both at risk of severe injury." To those words, Resir only had a single response.

"And?" Realization dawned on Gozif as he understood exactly what Resir was suggesting.

"But... Cain is part of Luden's Faction; we made an agreement to-" Resir once again cut Gozif off, reaching forward and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't seem to understand me, Gozif. You will win, no matter what you have to do. Do you understand me?" At that moment, Gozif couldn't move. The pressure being placed on him from Resir's singular hand was keeping him locked in place, and in the end, all he could do was nod.

"Yes, Resir..."

Back on the other side of the arena, Magnus had reached the entrance to the field. Though he couldn't see the stands from where he was, the excited murmurs of thousands of students filled the air, their anticipation palpable. The field had been fully repaired, and the staff member who had been fixing it was replaced by Eredim, who now stood at the center of the arena.

Well, I guess it's time to get this show on the road. The guy I'm going up against, Gozif Nalan, isn't a member of any faction we've made an agreement with, meaning there's no reason for me to hold back.

With that thought in his mind, Eredim's voice boomed across the arena.

"We will now begin the second match! The participants are Cain and Gozif Nalan! Will both competitors please step out onto the field." With those words, Magnus stepped out of the tunnel entrance. The previously muffled sounds of the outside world suddenly sharpened as he was engulfed in the sunlight streaming down from above.

Across the field, Magnus locked eyes with his opponent. Gozif's face was set in a serious expression, further shadowed by his dark hair sweeping over his brow. He was in a completely different state than Tascen, who had entered the match with a light heart, or even Lurkamn, who exuded calm confidence. No, if there was one word you could use to describe his state, it would be absolutely focused.

As they approached each other, Gozif remained silent, not uttering a word to Magnus, who was currently disguised as Cain. The crowd mirrored their quiet, the anticipation palpable as everyone waited for the fight to begin. Students buzzed with curiosity, from Apprentices to Adepts, eager to discern the truth of the rumors for themselves.

Meanwhile, various academy staff, recognizing Magnus beneath the mask thanks to his Sigilbrand, watched intently. Most of them had been instructed by the Vice Headmaster to keep a close watch on Magnus, and now they were all keen to see why he warranted such attention.

Even the Headmistress, Vlaslor, and Eveline had shifted in demeanor, each for different reasons. The Headmistress and Eveline wore expressions of pure fascination as they intently watched Magnus. In contrast, Vlaslor, the Vice Headmaster, displayed a look of displeasure and scrutiny, as if he were trying to dissect Magnus's every move.

Back in the arena, Eredim glanced between Magnus and Gozif, checking if they were ready before he raised his hands and stepped aside.

"Alright, let the second match commence!" As soon as Eredim spoke, he disappeared as if swallowed by space itself, leaving no trace behind.

Oh, so he uses some type of teleportation; that explains it.

In that fleeting moment when Magnus was distracted by Eredim's vanishing act, Gozif had already grasped the hilt of his sword, which more closely resembled a scimitar. His dark eyes narrowed the instant his hand made contact with the blade, and his aura burst forth violently all at once, like a dam that had suddenly given way. Though his aura was invisible, it created a shimmering effect like light bending through hot air, obscuring his figure.

"Grounded Arts: Seismic Cleave!" As he announced his technique, Gozif drew his blade from its sheath, channeling all his aura into it. With a swift arc of his sword in front of him, the blade, normally less than a meter long, seemed to stretch nearly halfway across the field, slicing through everything in its path and casting a cone of his aura forward.

The sheer force of the swing, combined with the intensity of Gozif's aura, sheared the ground, smoothing a swath of the once rugged field into an almost perfectly level surface.

At the beginning of the match, nobody anticipated such a fierce attack right off the bat. Luden, who had maintained a mostly neutral expression up in the stands, suddenly frowned. Almost every member of his faction, including Seraline, wore a solemn expression as well. Meanwhile, Celia had covered her mouth with her hand, wide-eyed, as she looked down at the field.

The entire crowd fell into silence, the only sound being the constant dripping audible to the two fighters on the now half-flattened field.

Blood streamed onto the ground, staining the earth under Magnus's feet. One of his arms hung limp in front of him.

Despite existing through perceptual distortion, the mask did its job, clearly revealing the injury and torn clothes. A chunk of flesh was missing from his arm, exposing the bone beneath. While his arm bore the brunt of Gozif's attack, there was also a horizontal gash across Magnus's chest. Under his mask, Magnus's eyes bulged as his entire body tensed.

He felt a burning sensation pulsing through him, accompanied by searing pain that made him want to scream, and he wasn't the only one.

"What the hell!? That attack was strong enough to severely injure a knight, let alone a mage! It would have directly killed a normal person! He should be disqualified for that!" Syrna yelled from her seat, her voice seething with anger. In response to her outburst, Blair spoke up.

"The fact that Professor Eredim hasn't stopped the match yet means that although the attack was over the top, it wasn't launched with fatal intent. Still..." Luden spoke up next, finishing Blair's thought.

"The fact that Gozif launched an attack like this means Resir intends to completely disregard the agreement between our factions." Luden's voice was calm, but there was a clear hostile look in his eyes that betrayed the reason in his words. His gaze was locked onto Resir, who was standing in the crowd opposite to where Luden and the others were sitting, and Resir looked back at him, a slight grin on his face.

The severity of Gozif's attack didn't go unnoticed by the others watching either. Gozif had definitely crossed a line, but at the same time, some couldn't help but feel disappointed. Was that it? Was the rumored Cain already finished and taken out of the Live Examination with a single attack? Perhaps the rumors were just that—rumors.

I let my guard down... I got overconfident since I completed the Mind Simulation Space, and that cost me.

Despite his injury and the immense pain, Magnus's thinking process was calm—extremely calm. Part of that was thanks to Basker, who was doing their best to suppress panic, but the other half was Magnus's tolerance for pain. He had experienced something on this level before, back in the forest, and replayed it many times in his mind.

[Master, are you-]

I'm fine. As strong as the attack was, it still wasn't able to damage my reinforced skeleton, which absorbed most of the impact and kept my vitals safe.

Magnus gave Basker a brief response before shifting his focus to Gozif, who hadn't taken the opportunity to launch another attack. Instead, he urged Magnus to surrender.

"Cain, you should surrender. It's a miracle you're still standing, and fighting in your condition will only make you bleed out." Gozif offered Magnus a chance to end the confrontation, but Magnus seemed to brush off his words, responding in a labored voice through his mask's synthesized voice.

"I underestimated you, or perhaps I underestimated the entire Live Examination. Either way, I appreciate it; that was a mistake. One I won't repeat." Gozif was puzzled by Magnus's words, but before he could reply, his eyes widened as he glanced at the wound on Magnus's arm.

At a rate visible to the human eye, he witnessed the wound begin to close, or more precisely, heal. The bleeding from the gash across his chest had ceased entirely, and the blood flow from his arm was gradually dwindling. At the same time, Gozif also observed new muscle fibers, blood vessels, and tissue rapidly knitting together, concealing the exposed bone of Magnus's arm in a matter of moments.

"Hea- Healing magic? But- But that's impossible; only Master-level mages should be capable of that!" Gozif exclaimed, his voice betraying his disbelief as he witnessed Magnus's injuries vanishing before him. The regeneration seemed to accelerate with each passing second until, finally, there was no trace of the wounds left.

Up in the stands where the academy staff and various professors sat, a clamor of discussion erupted. These were Master-level experts, some even on the verge of breaking into higher levels, and they had clearly seen what had happened. Yet, understanding what they saw was another matter. Even Lazitha and Mulvin, who had thought they had somewhat grasped Magnus's capabilities, looked on in utter shock.

"Dear lord... that kid's an absolute monster," Mulvin muttered, his eyes filled with a mix of disbelief and unnerving fear.