Chapter13-The Assessment

Cliff expressed his concern, 

"Moreover, high-level curses cannot be lifted by external forces. This is a matter for you alone. Only when you reach the corresponding realm will the curse be lifted, otherwise, it will remain forever."

Hearing this, Nathan couldn't help but smile bitterly, yet he deeply agreed with these words.

Eris and Lia, listening to this conclusion, also nodded frequently, admiring Cliff's profound knowledge.

At this moment, Professor Mand added, "If I remember correctly, the 'Blood Burning' curse was created by the late legendary magus Mike Windrunner, and it was intended for use on oneself. It enhances casting speed and magical power by igniting one's own blood."

"However, without reaching the level of a level 5 elite magus and mastering elemental fusion, it will consume your life force. Moreover, it significantly increases the difficulty of advancing to higher levels."

"Once 'Blood Burning' is adapted to, it enhances physical strength and grants extraordinary power. For elite-level magi, it is a powerful supportive spell. But if cast on a lower-level magus, it becomes the most vicious of curses."

Cliff continued gravely, "For a low-level individual suffering a high-level curse, the best method is temporary sealing."

"One sealing isn't enough; it requires multiple sealings, and moreover, every year, it needs to be reinforced."

Nathan, having no choice, nodded in agreement.

Then, Cliff pondered and said, "So, for this year, stay at Nebula Academy. Come to me every week, and I will seal the curse for you."

"As for how to stay, why don't you and Miss Lia join this year's magic class? I can recommend you both."

"That would be truly wonderful, thank you!" Nathan immediately bowed in gratitude, deeply moved by the old man's kindness!

"Don't be too quick to thank me, ah... To seal the curse, I need to use a considerable amount of the academy's resources. Currently, I have just enough for three months. For the rest, you'll have to exchange for them with academic credits," Cliff added apologetically.

Nathan quickly assured that it wouldn't be a problem and that he would find a way to earn the credits.

Hearing this, Eris also decided to join as a teaching assistant to help earn credits.

Thus, things were settled almost without any complications. 

Nathan and Lia became this year's new students in the magic class, under the guidance of Professor William from the academy.

And, as expected, Nathan encountered Alex Clark in the freshmen class.

The coming year promised to be quite interesting!

...

In a stuffy classroom, all the students were nearly dozing off. 

A long-bearded professor tapped his magic wand against the blackboard, "Who will repeat, what are the three conditions needed to achieve magical resonance?"

Seeing no one speaking, the professor pointed to the front row, "Anthony Dennis, you tell us!"

A stern-faced young man stood up and answered, "The three conditions are... trust, commitment, and confession!"

As he spoke, Anthony looked provocatively at a girl in the class who was looking down, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Everyone's gaze followed suit, turning towards the girl, some snickering mockingly.

She was delicately beautiful, with soft and tender skin, like a violet blooming in the night, emitting a quiet fragrance that made people want to protect her.

Now the center of attention, her face turned slightly red, mixed with annoyance.

The professor, showing a helpless expression at Anthony's answer, then smiled and glanced at the girl, "Luna Raven, your turn to answer."

Luna stood up and earnestly said, "The three conditions are attention, understanding, and release."

"Good, very good. Class dismissed!" the professor announced, exiting the classroom first.

Nathan, too, exited the classroom with the crowd and immediately saw Alex Clark emerging from one side, giving him a malevolent look. 

Nathan responded with a cold snort.

The surrounding people seemed accustomed to the tension between the two, and most of them sympathized with Alex, showing disdain towards Nathan, whom Alex often described as a cunning villain.

Just outside the classroom, a person approached from the opposite floating island, holding a document. 

Seeing this, Nathan hurried over, and they moved to a secluded spot to talk.

"The inspection officer exam you signed up for starts next week. Here's the form for you to fill out," the person said.

"Thanks a lot, senior sister!" 

Nathan said with a smile, taking the registration form and glancing over it, his gaze then drifting towards the dispersing magic freshmen, a smirk of satisfaction playing on his lips.

It was Eris's friend, Sophia.

A few days earlier, upon hearing that the Inspectorate Department was recruiting new year's inspection officers, he had asked Eris to help him sign up.

His Ultimate Villain System hadn't seen an influx in the Hostility Index for a while, and he was getting eager. 

Besides, there were quite a few unfriendly freshmen in the magic class.

Seeing Nathan's demeanor, Sophia quickly warned, 

"The Inspectorate Department's recruitment process is very rigorous, and many strong candidates have applied in your batch. I think you need to prepare thoroughly."

"Thanks for the heads up, senior sister. I'll prepare seriously. It's getting late, how about we grab lunch together?" Nathan said, slightly apologetically.

"Maybe next time, I have another engagement soon. Eris and I will treat you some other day!" Sophia said with a teasing smile, then turned and walked away.

Nathan watched Sophia's tall and confident figure leaving and couldn't help but stroke his chin thoughtfully.

...

In the afternoon, Nathan arrived at a floating island covered with red gravel and approached the entrance of a building.

Above the door, the words "Flame Research Society" were carved into the plaque, marking the third extracurricular club Nathan had joined to earn academic credits.

Most members of this society were elementalists specializing in control.

At Nebula Academy, based on individual understanding and preference for magic, students were divided into two factions: control and resonance. 

These factions often had disagreements and even occasional friction, sometimes escalating to duels in the magic arena.

After learning about these issues, Nathan chose to join the Flame Research Society.

Nathan pushed the door open and entered. 

The room was already filled with several people. Some smiled and nodded as he walked in, but others wore gloomy expressions.

At the front of the classroom, an older student was arguing with a freshman. 

The topic seemed to be something the freshman didn't quite understand, leading to heated explanations, with saliva flying from the older student's mouth.

Seeing Nathan enter, he raised an eyebrow and said eagerly, "Nathan, come and explain to them the relationship between fire and material transformation..."

"Sure, Senior Charlie!" Nathan walked up, took the chalk, and began to explain on the blackboard. 

He shared the knowledge about fire magic taught by his mentor, simplifying it for the audience.

"Essentially, the nature of fire is the process of material vanishing. Any material, transitioning from a tangible state to an intangible one, forms fire in this transformation. Fire is not a material but a bridge..."

As Nathan explained, the freshman's face, initially argumentative, slowly changed to awe, his eyes widening as if he had an epiphany, his expression gradually becoming engrossed.

The other members were thoroughly enjoying Nathan's presentation, having not heard such insightful content in a long time. 

The knowledge previously shared in the society had been of little substantial value, often repetitive, revolving around basic concepts like temperature and ignition points, to the point where their ears had grown calluses from hearing the same things over and over.

Nathan's explanation was of a much deeper level. 

Unconsciously, in their minds, this newcomer of just a month had almost reached a status comparable to Professor Noel of the fire magic department.

Even those members who initially had an unfriendly attitude towards Nathan were now showing signs of contemplation and realization after listening to his presentation.

Although their impression of Nathan had been very poor, especially due to the rumors that made them quite resistant to him, it now seemed that he did have some real ability.

Senior Charlie, on the other hand, was over the moon, showing great admiration for Nathan. 

Especially seeing how the others were gradually persuaded by Nathan's lecture, he felt extremely vindicated, as if he himself were the one speaking confidently at the blackboard.

Remembering that he had pushed aside doubts to recommend Nathan to the society's president, he felt even more self-satisfied.

However, at that moment, a voice tinged with anger and mockery rang out from the back, "Nathan, have you no shame? Using the arcane magic legacy stolen from our Clark family and spouting nonsense here. Your audacity really is refreshing my understanding of thick-skinned!"