Thirty minutes later…
The shattered platform had been restored to pristine condition, every trace of damage erased as if it had never occurred.
Even Dave, who had been brutally injured, now stood among the others—fully healed and brooding a few meters away from the crowd.
He leaned against the cold marble wall, his fists clenched tight, breath sharp and uneven. Anger swirled within him like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
'Damn it… this is the third time that filthy peasant has overpowered me—crushed me like I was nothing!' Dave raged internally, his teeth grinding. 'If breaking through wasn't enough… then I need more. I must push harder, train longer, and learn the ultimate weapon of a true mage—Magus Dominion. The trump card of every top-tier spellcaster.'
His eyes narrowed, a sinister glint flashing within them.
'Once I master it, I'll show him—the world—what Dave Walter is capable of. I'll humiliate that peasant and grind his friends into the dirt. The next time we meet… I'll be the one saving others from him!'
Elsewhere in the hall, Scarlet stood among the second years. Her eyes were focused forward, but her thoughts were far, far away.
'Why… why does he keep saving me?' she wondered, her brow furrowing. 'We argue, we fight—we can't even be in the same room without clashing. But when I'm in danger… he's always there.'
Her mind replayed the memory of the Joint Dungeon Raid—that terrible moment when the monstrous Ant King had revealed itself. It had come for her first, and in that instant, it was Grey who had thrown himself in front of her.
He took the full brunt of the beast's devastating attack.
He died that day. And somehow… he came back.
Now, only minutes ago, it had happened again. Death had come for her in the form of Dave Walter… and once again, Grey had stood between her and destruction.
'No… it can't be what I think it is,' Scarlet panicked, her heart hammering in her chest. 'He's just a peasant—filthy blood, beneath me! There's no way someone like him would fall for me… and I'd never stoop so low as to fall for him!'
Despite her vehement internal denial, her cheeks turned a deep, burning red. She crossed her arms and scowled—but her emotions betrayed her.
"Hey Scar! You thinking about Grey?" Raze teased, sarcasm dripping from his voice like venom.
Scarlet's magic flared as the temperature around them subtly climbed.
"Thinking about that peasant?! Never!" she snapped, her tone sharp, her face betraying her with an even deeper blush.
"Well… your face and your mana say otherwise," Greg muttered, glancing away with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Not far away, Charlotte watched them with narrowed eyes. 'Why did Grey jump in to save her—again?' she wondered. 'Does he… like her? Is there something between them?'
Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. 'Am I not good enough? Has he ever even noticed me the way he notices her? Maybe… maybe I should put myself in danger, just to see if he'd come for me too.'
Her cheeks flushed pink as that thought lingered longer than it should have.
On the opposite end, Lyra stared at Scarlet with burning rage in her eyes.
'That red-haired witch! How dare she make Grey risk his life again—for the second time! Does he love her?!' her thoughts spiraled into chaos. 'No. No! I won't allow this. I Only I have the right to him, my body, my sould and everything I have is all his! No one, can take him away from me!'
A gust of wind stirred around her, subtle yet unnatural. Selene, standing nearby, arched an eyebrow.
"Are you planning how you want to murder someone?" she asked with a casual chuckle.
"…Something like that," Lyra mumbled.
'Wait, what?!' Selene blinked. Did I just hear that right?!
Grey, meanwhile, leaned against a pillar in his signature stance—arms crossed, eyes closed, brows slightly furrowed.
'Well, that's it,' he thought. 'My act as a weakling is probably done. Instructor Eric must've seen through everything.'
'Still… I had to save her. She would've died otherwise, and I need every capable fighter alive for what's to come. If I'd let Dave kill her, we'd have lost one of our strongest mages.'
He clicked his tongue.
'And Eric was too slow. Damn wind mage…' He exhaled sharply. 'I need to deal with Dave soon. His recklessness is a threat—not just to me, but to everyone around him.'
Eric's palms struck together, pulling everyone from their thoughts.
"Alright, enough lazing around!" he called out. "Let the assessment continue as planned!"
He began calling out names, sending pairs onto the platform. The battles resumed—clashes of elemental magic, surging mana, and gritted teeth echoing across the arena.
Third year versus third year. Second year versus second year. And occasionally, third year against second year. No draws—each fight had a winner, and a loser.
Grey watched intently as his classmates stepped forward, one after the other.
Raze narrowly scraped victory against a third-year—his breath labored, body drenched in sweat.
Vince was utterly overwhelmed, defeated within minutes.
Greg, ever the powerhouse, crushed his opponent with ease.
Vanica, being a healing mage, didn't participate in combat.
Gordon and Vorden both lost their battles.
Jay won—but sustained multiple injuries, needing immediate healing.
Arthur, despite his best efforts, couldn't hold out. His barrier magic only went so far, and he was left bruised and battered—carted off to the healers.
Charlotte won her duel with precision and poise.
Lyra… fought like a tempest. Fueled by anger and jealousy, she decimated her opponent with a ruthlessness none had seen before.
Selene lost—but she pushed her opponent to the brink, earning nods of respect.
All the while, Eric stood by the edge, meticulously jotting down scores and murmuring occasional praises or critiques.
Thirty minutes later, the battles concluded. The platform was littered with faint scorch marks, healed bruises, and tension that hadn't quite dissipated.
Eric raised his hand, silencing the low hum of voices.
"That concludes the end of the first assessment," his voice rang with authority. "Now…"
"…It's time for the second."
This chapter won't be complete if I don't say this. Arcane Sama, Nathan Sama and Fenrir Sama 🙌 I thank you for your continuous support, I love you all so much 😊
Nathan Sama, saw what you sent yesterday, I really appreciate, thank you all so much 😊 with all your supports from you all, I hope to grow Magus Supremacy into a powerhouse soon. Thank you 😊✌️