After lunch break, the afternoon began with practical training against magical beasts.
Once all the students from Class A gathered at the training grounds, the magic instructor from Nineveh snapped his fingers to confirm their attendance.
Snap—
As soon as the instructor snapped his fingers, various types of magical beasts appeared from behind him, trapped in cages.
From orcs to ogres, trolls, and even Baphomet, it was like a zoo with an incredible variety of creatures.
“Kuwaaaah-!”
“Eek!”
When an orc let out a monstrous roar through the bars, a female student next to Jin let out a gasp and sat down in shock.
Perhaps it was her first time seeing such beasts, or being of noble birth made it difficult for her to face such fearsome creatures.
‘Honestly, they have a certain cute charm to them.’
Meanwhile, Jin licked his lips as he watched the orc scream.
It had been a full hundred years since he had been rolling around in this dog-eat-dog world.
In that time, he could easily claim to have taken down enough orcs to stack them twenty layers deep in the training grounds.
To be honest, he could recall the brutal faces of the orcs better than that of his own parents, so instead of disgust, he felt a sense of familiarity.
‘Well, they do have pig-like faces, which is somewhat off-putting.’
Still, he thought orcs did look a bit awkward.
In this world, orcs weren’t the honorable and proud warriors he respected but instead merely magical beasts with pig heads hanging onto their bodies.
Of course, just because they have pig heads doesn’t mean orcs are to be underestimated.
They are generally stronger than adult men, fast, and even cruel.
One average orc can rival two or three soldiers, while elite orcs possess combat strength equivalent to that of knights in an order.
Certainly, if an experienced user were to engage, orcs would likely meet an unfortunate fate, much like cockroaches underfoot, but unless such a user or a high-level sorcerer intervened, typical soldiers would struggle to handle a group of orcs.
“Quiet! As you can see, the magical beasts you’ll be facing in today’s practice are orcs. They are the most commonly found beasts on the continent and should never be underestimated. This is likely the type of creature you’ll encounter and hunt the most after graduating from Nineveh.”
As he spoke, the instructor tapped the cage holding the orc with his hand.
The enraged orc reached out between the bars, trying to grab him, but the instructor deftly evaded the orc’s grasp with graceful movements.
Hmm, that fellow has some decent skills. While he might not be a master, it’s easy to assess he’s at least on the verge of it.
‘Still, he’s not at the level of Erekaya or Altina.’
What he didn’t realize was that two aura users, hiding their true abilities, were present in the room.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he fainted upon discovering that someone not even close to mastering their skills was teaching those regarded as formidable users in the realm of martial prowess.
However, one’s true abilities and skills in practical situations were entirely different matters.
Even Jin, at this moment, could easily subdue Altina if he revealed his full capabilities, though not Erekaya.
But of course, as long as he didn’t want to be the center of attention and receive countless requests for a handshake, he would never do that.
“Orcs are strong. They are incredibly fast, ferocious, cruel, and cunning at the same time. While they generally prefer direct confrontations, they’re also unhesitant to use crafty means to secure victory. Therefore, today, as you face orcs, you need to thoroughly understand their habits and learn how to deal with them.”
If you can’t do that, you might find yourself in the unfortunate situation of getting defeated by orcs even after graduating from Nineveh.
“But don’t worry too much. The orcs you’ll be dealing with today are those that have lost their critical Achilles’ heel. The reason orcs are intimidating is due to their incredible strength and speed, but these ones currently have their mobility restricted. Although you may be inexperienced, given this condition, you should be able to handle them head-on.”
‘What? Are they crippled orcs?’
Feeling his earlier excitement about facing magical beasts fade upon hearing those words, Jin realized he was a bit disappointed.
Even though his body might be in this state, playing with a single orc was hardly a challenge.
However, what value is there in claiming victory over a Level 2 disabled orc?
Logically speaking, if the instructors were in their right minds, they wouldn’t pit fully functional orcs against students with no practical experience.
If they did, it wouldn’t just be the instructor facing consequences if a student were to get hurt.
“And newcomer, Jin.”
“Uh? Ah, yes.”
Jin startled when he suddenly heard his name mentioned amidst the flow of the conversation.
“I hear you’ve just enrolled in Nineveh. While other students have been training from a young age and are accustomed to such practical training, I see that your body has not fully developed yet. You may sit this one out.”
In other words, though he phrased it delicately, it essentially meant that it would be best for the inexperienced and frail boy not to take a hit from an orc but to stand back and watch instead.
Hehe.
Laughter rippled through the gathered students. It seemed some mischievous individual found it quite amusing to see Jin in a spot like this, surrounded by so many people.
“Understood.”
However, Jin paid no mind to the ridicule directed at him. After all, the insults from these immature students didn’t affect him at all.
In fact, it was rather comforting. Knowing that he was up against a crippled orc made him think that it was more advantageous to simply watch quietly from the sidelines, just as the instructor suggested.
“Now, I will call you one by one to face the orcs. First up, attendance number one, Isabella Prin Tenabrie.”
“Yes.”
As Jin watched a red-haired girl step forward with her sword, he withdrew all interest and curiosity he had for the practical exercise and turned his gaze toward Erekaya first.
“Hmph.”
Even with numerous students gathered at the training grounds, spotting Erekaya was not difficult.
Like a swan standing alone amongst crows, Erekaya radiated an overwhelming presence wherever she was.
Erekaya looked truly majestic. Her flowing purple hair danced in the air as she stood gracefully, like a stunning image come to life.
‘It’s easy to say she’s elegant, but it really just means she has no friends.’
While Erekaya had chosen to be a voluntary outsider, Jin had been forcibly turned into one.
“Ugh, ugh…”
There were several students, their faces pale with anxiety about facing orcs, who labored under the pressure of the situation.
When he focused on one of them, it turned out to be the female student who had shrieked when the orc was summoned earlier.
“Tsk.”
Judging by the magical energy she radiated, she seemed to be a mage, yet she was terrified of mere orcs. From experience, it was often such individuals who caused nonsensical accidents.
“Attendance number seven, Claire Delphin Mascarena.”
“Yes, yes!”
The instructor called out the name of the trembling girl, and Claire, stiff with fear, began to step forward.
“You are indeed a mage. Thus, you need not engage in close combat. Your score will be based on how swiftly and accurately you cast your spells, as well as the precision with which you hit the orc.”
“Ah, understood!”
Clank!
As soon as the instructor signaled, the door to the cage holding the orc swung open.
“Grrr!”
And simultaneously, the girl named Claire, despite her hesitation, began to earnestly chant her spell.
“O flames that dwell in the deepest layers of purgatory, fierce flames that can even burn azure flames, I ask of you, please descend into this world—”
But at that moment…
“Kuwaaah-!”
The orc, which had been limping on one leg a moment ago, suddenly shifted its posture, straightened both legs, and charged forward at breakneck speed. It was a stunning reversal reminiscent of a scene from the movie “The Usual Suspects.”
Was this fellow not actually limping before? Had it been an act in front of us?
“Uuuuh!”
Claire’s face turned even paler as she witnessed the orc sprinting like a forest athlete. However, in that state, she miraculously completed her incantation without biting her tongue.
“—May you descend into this world and incinerate the fierce enemies that threaten us! Spear of Coquitous!”
“…Spear of Coquitous?”
In that instant, upon hearing the name of the spell Claire had just unleashed, Jin was briefly at a loss for words.
Spear of Coquitous.
It was one of the localized spells that could only be wielded by transcendent archmages, boasting destructive power within the top five of existing fire-based magic.
The fact that a teenage girl in her late teens had successfully executed it was astonishing enough, but using such a grand spell merely to hunt an orc was even more surprising.
Kiiing—
A pure white flame began to glow intensely above Claire’s head. While it was slightly smaller and less powerful than the Spear of Coquitous that Jin was familiar with, it still held enough lethal force to obliterate a typical orc.
“Grrr!”
Indeed, even the sprinting orc displayed some sense when it halted briefly, taken aback by the Spear of Coquitous forming beside Claire.
However, the next moment, Claire’s Spear was violently unleashed toward the orc, piercing through the very fabric of space itself.
“Graaaah!”
Naturally, there was no way an orc could endure a spell of such magnitude as the Spear of Coquitous. Struck by the magical spear of flames, the orc was instantly reduced to nothingness.
“…Huh?”
But then a minor problem arose. The power of the Spear of Coquitous was so overwhelming that, after disintegrating the orc, it did not cease its momentum.
“I-I need to stop it. I need to stop it—”
Despite Claire’s face draining of color and her voicing her thoughts in desperation, the Spear of Coquitous slipped beyond her control—
And it crashed directly into the cage where the magical beasts were confined.
Kwaaaaang—!
Though the distance from the cage containing the magical beasts to where Jin stood was over fifty meters, an intense heat crashed against his face, accompanied by a formidable shockwave that swept through the area.
“Ahhh!”
“Ahhhh!”
The students, unable to remain unaffected by the bewildering shockwave, were left in chaos. Erekaya and Altina, the aura users, managed to retain their composure, but unfortunately, they were too close to the impact point of the Spear of Coquitous, leading them to be thrown back.
It was perplexing that even students with such remarkable talents could be so easily knocked down. After all, despite their genius, they were still inexperienced, having yet to encounter real-world crises.
“What the hell—”
But the situation was far from over.
The cage that had confined the magical beasts shattered into countless pieces upon being struck by the Spear of Coquitous. Consequently, one ogre that had been trapped within the cage was set free.
“Graaah!”
Regrettably, the ogre that escaped was clearly not in its right mind. With bloodshot eyes, it dragged one leg to approach a nearby fallen girl student.
Jin quickly glanced around. The few instructors who could help were sprawled on the ground. The students were in disarray, unable to regain their composure.
Erekaya and Altina were seemingly unscathed, but Erekaya was too far from the girl, and standing right next to her, Altina was…
“Damn it.”
Blood was trickling from Altina’s mouth. Despite the Spear of Coquitous being a grand spell, it made no sense for an aura user to be bleeding from the mouth if they hadn’t even been hit directly.
—It was probably because of the aura I showed you at lunchtime. I had just realized my aura, and attempting to demonstrate it to you had drained all my energy. The blood from my mouth isn’t due to the spell’s effects; it’s because I overexerted my aura to protect others from the aftermath.
But at that moment, such explanations were of little importance. The ogre, the fallen girl—none of it mattered to Jin except for the blood dripping from Altina’s mouth.
I must save her. Right now.
That thought was the only thing occupying Jin’s mind.
“Altina—!”
In the next moment, Jin’s body began to move as if enchanted.
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