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Chapter 28: Passing the Assessment

When Ashura released the Dynamic Light Wave from his body, he instantly felt dizzy and weak.

It seemed that while the lightning sphere drew out his lightning-element magic, it also drained a great deal of his mental energy.

With no time to think, he looked up at the wobbling Dynamic Light Wave, and his pupils dilated.

He recalled that 9 months ago, when he blew up his grandfather’s alchemy furnace, the Dynamic Light Wave had been the size of a grape, but now it was as large as an apple.

Its constant swelling and shrinking showed just how unstable it was.

Ashura shouted, “Crap, crap, crap!” as he sprinted backward, and when he reached the line he saw Clara and Instructor Ella staring at him in confusion.

Without a word, he grabbed one of them with each hand and pulled them farther back.

While retreating he yelled, “Everyone, fall back… get down!”

The surrounding students, baffled, watched this weirdo yelling while dragging the instructor and Clara away.

They had not understood the lightning spell he had cast, and they understood his behavior even less; only the plump Na Wei hesitated briefly before following him a few steps.

Before Ashura could dive, the drifting Dynamic Light Wave smashed into the test dummy.

With a thunderous boom, lightning spread more than 10 meters around the dummy, filling the zone with electricity, and a massive shockwave erupted beyond it.

The instructors’ magic platform was hit first, fully engulfed by the lightning field.

Instructor Gide’s eyes bulged; he could not believe such destructive magic came from a freshman, but he instantly cast a magic shield before the platform to block the lightning’s advance.

The Class 13 students below were less lucky; although farther away, they were still struck by the thunderblast’s shockwave.

One after another they were flung away, and even the heavy Na Wei, who had been running back, tumbled head over heels several times.

Ashura, dragging the two dizzy girls, had run farthest, yet still felt a push from behind that sent him staggering a few steps.

He turned, wiped cold sweat from his brow, and saw the scene with lingering fear, while the two girls beside him were still dazed.

Groaning “Ow, ow,” Na Wei was the first to struggle up, and the other students, all crying out in pain, slowly rose; a magician’s frail body could not stand such a fall.

When they stood, everyone froze, for all the students looked as if they had been struck by lightning… bodies charred and hair frizzed.

Kyle, who had stood closest, now showed only white eyes and teeth; his golden hair was scorched black like tangled weeds and still smoking, and he stared blankly around.

Several girls took out pocket mirrors, nearly fainted at their reflections, and glared tearfully at the culprit Ashura.

One girl even drew her magic staff, ready to treat Ashura as the test dummy.

Ashura panicked and shouted, “Calm down, calm down, it’s a misunderstanding… put the staff down!”

The two girls beside him also snapped out of it and hurried to soothe everyone.

Fortunately, no one seemed seriously hurt; only their looks had suffered, and they would need a good bath and cleanup later.

While the students noisily condemned Ashura, a stern voice rang from the platform: “Silence!”

Everyone fell quiet and looked at the hook-nosed Instructor Gide on the high platform; seeing this farce, Gide blew out his beard in anger and glared.

He pinched the bridge of his nose; angry though he was, he marveled at the magic the brash student had used.

Even with his experience, he could not tell which family’s secret art it was.

He guessed the boy was probably below Magician Stage 1, or he would not have tried to pass with martial techniques or unleash such a mysterious spell.

Yet the power of a spell cast with only Mage Adept Stage 3 strength had reached the level of a full-force blow from a Grand Magician.

He had felt the spell’s power inside the lightning zone, and that was not even the center; perhaps the center reached Magic Scholar strength.

The thought shocked him… although the spell took long to prepare, was slow to cast, and traveled slowly, making it ill-suited for combat, its power was truly staggering.

An opponent of the same level who did not know its nature would fare miserably.

Gide looked at the test dummy in the storm’s center; it was completely black, wisps of smoke curling up, and its blue magic runes were dull and dark.

At that sight, his heart would not settle for a long time.

The hall fell into eerie silence again; the students calmed down, realizing they were bruised but not badly hurt.

They looked at one another, saw each other’s ridiculous appearances, and struggled not to laugh in the solemn atmosphere.

Just as Ashura was about to ask whether he had passed, Instructor Gide’s hooked voice, both angry and helpless, declared, “Student Ashura, assessment passed!”

After speaking, he produced another test dummy from his space ring and set it in the center of the hall.

The moment Gide finished, Ashura jumped with excitement; the boulder that had weighed on him for 3 months was gone, and, beside himself with joy, he hugged the two people next to him to share his happiness.

Only then did he realize he had just hugged Instructor Ella and Clara.

Instructor Ella took it well; her face merely flushed before she smiled, clearly happy for him.

Clara, however, turned as red as a ripe apple; when he looked at her, she stamped shyly, waved a little fist, and ran to the other girls.

The vibrant Clara standing among the disheveled girls looked even more beautiful.

Scratching his head awkwardly, Ashura then said solemnly to Instructor Ella, “Thank you, Instructor Ella, for getting me this chance; can I repay you for the cost of the test dummy in installments? I have just over 800 credits now… I’ll transfer those first and pay the rest later.”

Instructor Ella looked at the black-haired youth; the hug had left her far less calm than she appeared, for it was the first time a boy had embraced her.

Of course she knew he meant no harm, and she was delighted that her student had passed.

She smiled and said, “Congratulations, Ashura; you passed through your own efforts, and I’m glad to see you improving so fast.”

“You don’t have to repay the credits… consider them my reward for your progress.”

“Besides, once you pass, the academy will open the Armory Pavilion, training rooms, and other facilities that cost credits to use, so you should keep yours to strengthen yourself for the next assessment.”

Ashura was pleased but insisted, “No, Instructor, I must repay you; I know that even instructors need Academy Points for cultivation just like us.”

“How about this: I’ll owe you 1,000 credits for now, and once I can take missions and earn more, I’ll repay you… we’ll seal it with a pinkie promise,” he said, extending his right pinkie toward Instructor Ella.

Seeing this childlike ritual, Instructor Ella’s girlish heart stirred; although a instructor, she was only 6 years older than the freshmen.

She hooked her own right pinkie with his and pressed her thumb to his.

Beaming, she said, “Pinkie promise… no breaking it for 100 years!”

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