novelraw Chapter 67 : Class 3 (2)
Chapter 67 : Class 3 (2)
Chapter 67: Class 3 (2)
“I also couldn’t duel properly due to the school’s circumstances. If I’d had five more days, I’m sure I could’ve qualified for the special admission too.”
Lamic Vir was the first to speak.
“Me too! If you win a duel against someone with over 200 points, you jump straight into the rankings! I could’ve done it too if I had the time!”
“It’s the same for me!”
Now, every student raised their hand, voicing their complaints.
They weren’t wrong.
It was just that the odds were absurdly slim.
“Hmmm……”
Vice Headmaster Former let out a quiet sigh, clearly troubled.
“Why does only Hei get special privileges? We’re all students here.”
“If it’s because of the Joint Admission System, that’s way too unfair!”
The loudest complaints came from the students who weren’t even in the rankings—more precisely, those already set to be expelled.
Everyone clings to a lifeline when drowning.
But right now, the students were undeniably being selfish.
After all, Hei, Kiena, and I had been carrying an immense burden—if even one of us was expelled, all three of us would be expelled regardless of our grades.
The other students had completely forgotten about that penalty, pushing only their self-centered desire not to be expelled.
‘But then again, can I really say they’re wrong?’
I couldn’t help but understand how they felt.
Watching Hei alone receive special privileges right in front of them—it was only natural they’d feel it was unfair.
The situation had become awkward for me as well.
Former didn’t try to persuade them.
He knew perfectly well they wouldn’t listen anyway.
“Student Banshi.”
Suddenly, he turned to Banshi.
“Yes.”
“You’re ranked fourth. Do you also believe that if you’d had just one more day, you could’ve achieved a score worthy of special admission?”
“Of course.”
She answered firmly.
In truth, she had no interest in the special admission since she had made a promise with me, but she said it anyway to use the current sentiment to her advantage.
Former fell silent in thought for a moment before finally speaking.
“Very well. It would indeed be unfair to grant privileges to only one student because of the Joint Admission System. There’d be no sense of fairness.”
The students who had all raised objections brightened immediately.
“Student Russel.”
“Yes.”
“My previous proposal is void.”
“…Excuse me?”
Former then turned his gaze from Russel to address everyone.
“Here’s what we’ll do. This applies only to the students who’ve raised complaints and are currently set for expulsion—and to Student Hei.”
I quietly waited, curious to hear what he’d say next.
“I’ll personally confine the bottom ten students, plus Hei, in my own conjured Dark Space. If you manage to break through my magic and escape within the time limit, Hei will receive special admission into 3rd Class. The bottom ten students will avoid expulsion. How about that?”
It was a surprisingly fair—and rather tempting—offer.
But the fact that Former himself would be conjuring it was what worried me most.
‘He’s around the 8th Circle level. Even if he casts eleven Dark Spaces simultaneously, it’s doubtful whether eleven 6th Circle students combined could break through.’
For 1st Class students, this was simply impossible.
“If Hei fails, then Artel and Kiena will move to 2nd Class, and Banshi and Lamic Vir, who ranked 4th and 5th, will receive the special admission instead.”
At least it wasn’t expulsion. It seemed Former was using this as a compromise to block our special admission.
‘As long as it’s not expulsion, it’s fine.’
That was what I had feared most.
Thankfully, there was nothing else to worry about.
“If the other ten fail, they’ll be expelled as scheduled. I believe this gives everyone a fair enough chance as Vice Headmaster.”
“Hei, are you confident?”
I quietly asked Hei in a low voice.
“…Not really.”
Of course not—it was the Vice Headmaster’s magic.
Even the teachers wouldn’t be confident facing that. How could 1st Class students possibly feel sure of themselves?
But there was a way.
‘If it’s just about breaking through the Dark Space, that’s good. I can intervene.’
I whispered quietly into Hei’s ear.
“Even if we fail, we won’t be expelled. So don’t feel pressured.”
“Still…”
“You’ve already beaten Lamic Vir before, and you’ve done great all semester. Just do it like you did then.”
“Mm.”
Hei seemed to regain a bit of confidence and nodded.
“Only the eleven of you, step forward.”
And so, just before the test began—to determine the fates of ten students facing expulsion and one seeking special admission—
“The time limit is five minutes. You just need to break through my Dark Space within those five minutes. Do whatever you want inside. As long as you make it out in time, that’s all that matters.”
The students all nodded in unison.
They lined up in a row, with Former standing before them.
“Then let’s begin—this special test.”
With a simple gesture, eleven Dark Spaces appeared simultaneously.
‘That must’ve drained a lot of his strength. Then again, they’re only 1st Class students.’
I could tell just by looking.
The mana density didn’t feel particularly thick.
But the Dark Element students’ jaws dropped open in awe.
‘How can he conjure eleven Dark Spaces so effortlessly?’
‘Is this the Vice Headmaster’s power?’
‘Are all high-circle mages like this?’
Their expressions said everything they were thinking.
All this fuss over just eleven.
For a mage around 8th Circle level, like the Vice Headmaster, this wasn’t even that difficult.
Even Professor Nide, a 7th Circle mage, could probably do it easily.
But for the students trapped inside, it was a different story.
Even if Former had held back his strength, they were about to experience an all-consuming, pitch-black terror unlike anything before.
Some might feel as if an invisible hand were choking their throats, struggling to breathe. Others might fall into extreme anxiety, like a claustrophobic trapped in a lightless cell.
That anxiety would soon evolve into pure fear.
Former was testing whether they could overcome that fear or not.
‘Even so, judging by the current magical intensity… this isn’t 1st Circle level. It’s at least 5th Circle.’
Since he was always used to casting high-circle spells, he must have tried to hold back his power this time—but for the students inside, it would still be a living hell.
‘Shall I have a little fun myself?’
I discreetly cast a Flewd spell, careful not to be noticed.
Flewd magic was pure-white magic—nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Just as the 9th Circle spell Orbification could neutralize all elemental magic except for Flewd, when the Flewd element was mixed with other elements, their power would weaken.
I quietly infused Former’s Dark Space with my Flewd magic.
Not only the one containing Hei—but all eleven of them.
‘Normally, this isn’t like me. But I think I can afford a little mischief this time.’
My reason was simple—the first duel of the first semester.
Back then, during my fight with Lamic Vir, hadn’t Professor Nide secretly helped him with her Ice Magic?
If she could do that, then so could I.
It was the school that crossed the line first.
My magic seeped naturally into Former’s Dark Space, and I could feel the density thinning.
A brief glance at Former’s expression told me he had sensed something unusual.
‘A mage with sharp senses, I see.’
Even among high-circle mages, many failed to notice such subtle interference—but not Former.
Still, that didn’t matter. As long as I could get Hei and Kiena into 3rd Class, nothing else did.
He might grow suspicious, but for the sake of the future, it was a small risk to take.
And so, the timer kept ticking without pause.
A minute passed easily, then two, then three.
Four minutes now.
‘Not even a twitch.’
I wondered what kind of magic Hei was trying inside.
I was curious—but I couldn’t see for myself.
Kiena had her hands clasped tightly, praying silently, while Banshi only stared at the Dark Space containing Hei with an analytical gaze.
Four minutes and thirty seconds had passed.
Only thirty seconds remained.
‘It’s okay, Hei. I told you it’s fine even if you fail.’
Ten more seconds slipped away. Less than twenty seconds remained.
‘Hmm, even with the Flewd element helping, it’s still too much.’
I was now certain Hei would fail.
Of course.
Even with all my support, this was still the Vice Headmaster’s spell.
He had more than enough skill to qualify as a Disciple himself.
It was disappointing that we wouldn’t advance straight to 3rd Class, but at least we weren’t facing expulsion.
Now less than ten seconds remained.
‘Yeah, you’ve done your best. You’ve worked hard, Hei.’
“Good for you, huh? Going to 3rd Class in my place?”
I said to Banshi beside me.
“…Should I just repeat a year?”
Banshi already looked resigned.
That was how serious she was about the question.
“That might not be so bad.”
At this point, even having Banshi advance and repeat a year didn’t sound like a bad plan.
And then, with just five seconds left—
Fwoosh!
“Huh?”
“What…?”
Flames burst from the Dark Space containing Hei.
Former, as well as Nide, the faculty, and all the students gathered in the hall, stared wide-eyed.
On the surface of the black Dark Space, a small flame bloomed.
It spread slowly, carving open a tiny crack.
Through that crack, Hei’s hand emerged.
At that moment—
“Time’s up.”
At the exact same time, Former declared the end of the time limit.
He immediately dispelled all eleven Dark Spaces.
The other students, except Hei, looked as though they had seen a ghost—falling to their knees, trembling uncontrollably.
“Haa… haa…”
Meanwhile, Hei stood upright, sweat dripping from his face like beads.
His hand was still raised.
“Um… does that mean I failed?”
“……”
Hei asked innocently.
Former only stared at him, saying nothing.
“Professor Nide.”
Instead, he suddenly called out to her.
“Yes, Vice Headmaster.”
“The graduation ceremony… let’s begin. It seems we’ll have to exclude these ten students.”
“Understood.”
Banshi and I looked at each other, our mouths slightly agape.
He hadn’t fully escaped, but to have broken open even that small gap was beyond belief.
“If Kiena is a genius of understanding… then Hei must be a genius of unpredictability,” Banshi murmured quietly.
“What do you mean, ‘genius of unpredictability’?”
“It means he’s full of surprises.”
“Hmm… you might be right.”
Looking back from Class 0 through Class 1, Hei had always been a bit slow to understand things—but once he did, he never forgot.
While we were still reeling, the formation was restored, and the graduation ceremony began.
“I will now call the names. Mihael Russel, Artel, Kiena, and… Hei. Please come to the stage. The teachers in charge of these four students, please come forward as well.”
Hei’s name was among them.
That meant Former considered Hei to have passed the test.
‘He’s really impossible to read. He was so eager to expel us, and now he’s giving us every convenience. What are you thinking, Draco Former?’
If I could, I’d dive into his mind through Linking and tear through his thoughts right now.