Chapter 96

EP.96 Joint Practical Evaluation (5)

A classist.

He had long known that he was called such a name.

However, Philip Meltren does not waver in his stance that one's status determines their worth.

Commoners, after all, are inferior in every aspect—living standards, knowledge levels, everything. In contrast, nobles receive thorough education and exude a dignity befitting their status.

During his school days, those who ostracized him, mocked him, and spewed insults.

During his associate professor days, the thief who stole his paper.

The despicable person who assaulted his girlfriend in a bar—all were commoners.

It was undoubtedly a result of thorough rationality that led to the division of status in this country. Commoners, for the most part, were far removed from the noble and dignified aristocrats.

Even if there were a few exceptions, the principle was so clear.

Philip held such beliefs.

“Fire Creation (Fire Attribute, ★1)”

Whoosh──!

Fierce flames shot out from Professor Philip in several directions.

The flames spread across the ground, dominating the wide cave.

However.

“Wind Creation (Wind Attribute, ★1)”

Whooosh──!!

Kaya's wind began to fiercely push back against Professor Philip's flames.

Then, a crimson magic circle materialized from the wand Professor Philip raised.

The flames, which had been opposing Kaya's wind, surged fiercely, trying to cover the battlefield like a wave. The crimson flames rushed in.

“Sea of Fire (Fire Attribute, ★4)”

Whoosh──!!

Kaya's wind was instantly pushed back. However, she had no intention of giving up. She gathered her mana to the fullest.

“Gale (Wind Attribute, ★4)”

Whooosh───!!

Intense winds clashed with the sea of fire, fiercely competing in strength. Kaya's and Philip's hair and clothes were violently whipped by the heat.

The two, pointing their wands at each other, poured out their mana. The flames spread widely, blocking each other's view.

“Not bad for a vice-captain, but it’s a pity if that’s all you’ve got.”

He can feel it. Vice-captain Kaya Astraen is currently pouring out her maximum mana to resist.

The power of her wind magic, which is unbelievable for a first-year student. She has excellent talent. In the future, she will undoubtedly become far stronger than Philip himself.

However, no matter how strong she is now, she is still just a first-year student.

Philip poured out his mana fiercely.

Kaya frowned. Her hand, gripping the wand, trembled. Unfortunately, her wind was gradually being consumed by Philip's flames.

Then.

“……?”

Isaac and the golem familiar, Eden, who had grown to a height of 2 meters, moved to Kaya's right.

Lizetta and the male lion familiar, Jeff, surrounded by a rocky armor and galloping with a flowing mane, scattered to Kaya's left.

Philip's eyes moved quickly. They were trying to distract his attention.

“Lizetta!”

At Isaac's shout, a pale light magic circle was engraved around him and Lizetta.

“Rock Collapse (Rock Attribute, ★4)”

Rumble───!!

On both sides, yellow rock chunks shot out and extended like vines toward Philip. They were large and fast enough to crush a human body easily.

It was a meager attempt. Philip was almost laughing out loud.

“That’s meaningless. Block it, Stego.”

Around Philip, mana condensed and transformed into a gray golem the size of a human.

Stego. A 5-star rock attribute familiar. Its rock body resembled a human form, and its eyes glowed green.

[Roar!!]

Stego roared, extending its arms to both sides and pulling up thick rock walls from the ground.

“Rock Wall (Rock Attribute, ★4)”

Rumble───!!

The rocks from Isaac and Lizetta collided with Stego's defensive wall.

Lizetta's [Rock Collapse] shattered Stego's [Rock Wall], but at the same time, her rocks were also shattered and scattered in the air.

The scattered rock fragments were swept away by the intense heat and wind.

“Fireball (Fire Attribute, ★3)”

Whoosh! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Philip's counterattack. A series of 3-meter diameter [Fireballs] were fired like a machine gun at Isaac and Lizetta.

Isaac blocked them with the rock barrier created by Eden, and Lizetta, riding the male lion familiar Jeff, dodged the [Fireballs] by galloping.

Unmoving. Philip did not move. He could easily block the fierce attacks from Isaac, Kaya, and Lizetta.

Whooosh!!!

“Hmm?”

Kaya's wind intensified. It was because the wind magic from her flying squirrel familiar, which had perched on her shoulder, had joined in. She was a girl not to be underestimated.

To counter Kaya's wind, Philip intensified the momentum of his flames.

“Grr!”

It was heavy. Kaya gritted her teeth. She wouldn't be able to hold out against Philip's flames for long.

The suffocating heat filled the cave. The emerald-green wind wrapped in flames swept through from all directions.

The situation made it difficult to even secure a clear view. The fierce flames pushed Isaac and his companions to the brink.

Crack─! Rumble─!

The flames and gale even struck the messenger hiding in the corner. The round magical tool fell to the ground, turning into a pile of ashes.

Philip blinked.

It would be difficult to launch an attack through such a large-scale storm of flames.

Philip casually waved his wand like a conductor, spreading the flames. His targets were Isaac and Lizetta, who were looking for an opportunity to attack.

“…What?”

However, the weakest of them, Isaac, felt his mana in an unexpected position.

Above.

Philip raised his head and frowned.

Beyond the storm of flames, a man was hanging from the ceiling, his feet frozen to the ice, looking down at Philip like a bat.

In his right hand, compressed ice mana and a complex pale blue spell formation were materializing.

How did he get up there? The answer was not hard to guess. The golem familiar, Eden, must have launched him with sheer force.

He had left his staff with Eden, as it might have been a hindrance.

From the shape of the magic circle, it was clear that Isaac was about to cast a 5-star spell, [Ice Explosion].

The ice that had been fixing Isaac's feet melted. His body began to fall slowly toward Philip.

‘Is he going to break through these flames?’

A fierce gale wrapped in flames was sweeping through from all directions. It would be foolish to try to break through this firestorm without wanting to be roasted.

In other words, it was impossible for Isaac to hit Philip with [Ice Explosion].

However, Isaac's target was not Philip.

“……!”

Isaac stretched out his arm toward the firestorm.

The ice mana, condensed in a circular shape in his right hand, emitting a brilliant pale blue light, soon exploded.

──────“Ice Explosion (Ice Attribute, ★5)”

Boom──────!

A fierce ice explosion and a massive ice fragment collided with the scorching flames, momentarily pushing them back.

A large amount of steam exploded and spread around with a heavy sound.

“Ugh!”

As Isaac's body was thrown back by the steam explosion, the golem familiar Eden leaped up to catch him.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, the power struggle stopped as if it were a lie. Kaya had released her wind.

The flames that Philip had been pouring into the struggle were all directed at Kaya, but she used a strong wind to propel herself and fled to a corner of the cave.

The tips of her emerald-green hair were slightly burned. It was an inevitable sacrifice.

“Cold Emission (Ice Attribute, ★2)”

Hiss────!

Taking advantage of this, Isaac took back his staff from Eden and spread a white cold mist with [Cold Emission].

[Cold Emission]. A basic elemental spell often used by ice mages to obscure vision.

Philip felt as if a thick fog had covered his head, making it impossible to see anything.

Boom────!

The massive ice fragment that had not completely melted by the flames crashed to the ground and shattered.

‘Something…’

The flow of the battle gave Philip a sense of unease.

It seemed that Isaac was deliberately trying to obscure his vision. And the timing of Kaya giving up the power struggle.

‘They must have been preparing for the next attack…’

There wasn't much time to think.

────────Rumble!!

Before the flames could completely dispel the cold, Philip saw a massive object.

A huge ice fragment, cutting through the air with a fierce whistling sound, was being propelled by Kaya's fierce wind mana, wrapped in a pale mist.

It was falling toward Philip like a white meteor at a terrifying speed.

In a corner of the cave, Isaac was holding his staff and releasing ice mana, creating a massive ice fragment in an instant by leveraging the steam.

If the purpose of creating the steam was to achieve this, it was commendable for a commoner.

The cold was wrapped around to maintain the shape of the massive ice fragment in the heat.

Of course, Kaya was impressive. Controlling such a large ice fragment and giving it propulsion required not only a massive amount of mana but also excellent mana control. Indeed, she lived up to her position as vice-captain.

Returning to the battle.

The only mana he could sense was from Kaya and Isaac. At this moment, he couldn't sense any mana from Lizetta, indicating that she was observing the situation