Looking at the chalk circling certain words made the class let out an "Ohh..."
[Group Task: Use the principles of Magic and Mana to activate the crystal sphere together. Each group should consist of five members. You have one hour. Begin.]
[Activate the crystal sphere together]
[Together]
The chalk on the whiteboard which seems to be controlled by the professor's psychokinesis circled the word 'Together' and tapped the whiteboard several times.
"T-That's true..." Amberine uttered under her breath, feeling lucky that she didn't try to light up the magic sphere alone. Well, even though she doubted she could.
Amberine shifted her gaze towards Elara and widened her eyes. The stoic 'Genius Child' is now finally have an expression on her face.
It's a mix of surprise and anger.
But after several seconds, she took a deep breath, and her expression returned to her usual stoic face. Maybe finally accepting the fact of her mistake.
Amberine smirked, a newfound confidence surging within her. Maybe she wasn't so different from Elara after all.
But before Amberine could bask in her small victory, Draven's voice cut through the room once more, cold and unwavering.
"Elara Valen, your unnecessary comment and objection have earned you a deduction of ten points from your final grade. Let this be a warning to all of you: only challenge my judgment if you are certain and confident in my mistake. I will not tolerate insolence."
Elara's face remained stoic, but Amberine could see the flicker of frustration in her eyes. Amberine felt a moment of schadenfreude but quickly masked it, focusing instead on Draven's next words.
"Now," Draven began, pacing the front of the room, "let me explain why you were tasked with shining the magic sphere together. Magic and Mana are not just about individual power. The essence of true magical mastery lies in control and synergy. When you combine your Mana with others, you learn to harmonize your energies, to control the flow and balance of magic.
This exercise was designed to teach you that lesson."
Draven paused, his eyes scanning the room. "Let me demonstrate."
He stepped up to the central platform where a new magic sphere awaited. With a wave of his hand, the sphere floated into the air, surrounded by a faint glow. Draven raised his other hand, and tendrils of Mana began to weave through his fingers, flowing into the sphere.
"Great magicians possess not only immense power but also precise control," Draven explained, his voice steady and commanding. "Imagine grasping an orange. Too much force and you crush it, too little and it slips from your hand. The same principle applies to Mana."
The sphere responded to Draven's control, shifting colors smoothly from a deep blue to a vibrant green, then to a brilliant yellow. Each color change was seamless, demonstrating his impeccable mastery. The students watched in awe as he continued to manipulate the sphere, creating patterns and shapes within it.
"Without control," Draven continued, "great power is merely a threat. It is a danger to yourself and to those around you."
He let the sphere dim and settle back on the platform. "Now, for your next task," Draven said, turning back to the class, "we will focus on individual skills. Each of you will attempt to shine a sphere on your own. This will test your control and understanding of Mana."
Amberine felt a surge of determination. She had succeeded before; she could do it again. But she couldn't ignore the competitive glint in Elara's eyes. The rivalry between them had intensified, each eager to outdo the other.
The students were given their own spheres and spread out across the room. Amberine found a spot and took a deep breath, focusing on the sphere before her. She began to channel her Mana, feeling the familiar warmth of her elemental magic.
Elara, a few paces away, was already at work. Her sphere gleamed with a brilliant yellow light, the color of her unique origin attribute. Amberine couldn't help but glance over, feeling a pang of jealousy. Elara's control was flawless, her sphere glowing brightly and steadily.
Amberine gritted her teeth and focused harder. She directed her Mana into the sphere, watching as it began to glow. But her concentration wavered as she kept glancing at Elara's success. The sphere flickered, the light unstable.
"Come on, focus," Amberine muttered to herself. She took a deep breath and tried again, channeling more Mana into the sphere. This time, the light flared too brightly, the heat of her fire Mana causing the sphere to tremble.
Suddenly, her control slipped. The sphere glowed red-hot, the heat intensifying uncontrollably. Amberine's eyes widened in panic. The sphere was on the verge of exploding.
"A-Amberine? Don't you think it looks dangerous?" Harlen who is exercising his mana towards the magic sphere couldn't help but ask worriedly as he look at Amberine's bright red orb.
"I-I don't know! What should I do? What should I do?" Amberine uttered in panic. The sphere continues to glow in red, and everyone in the class including Amberine who is in front of her magic sphere knows that it's going to explode and it won't be good.
She could die.
Would she die just like this? By this silly way of dying?
She hasn't even avenged her dad yet.
A seething heat seems to touch all of her body and she knows it's going to explode in any second.
"Sorry Dad,"
Before she could shout, Draven stepped in. With a swift motion, he extended his hand, and the sphere was enveloped in a blue glow. The heat dissipated, and the sphere stabilized, floating gently back to the ground.
"P-Professor!? Are you okay!?" Amberine noticed that Draven held the seething hot magic sphere with his bare hands. He's definitely not fine. "That must be-"
"Neophyte Amberine," Draven's cold voice cut her as he put his hands on his back. Draven's eyes were sharp as they met Amberine's. "Uncontrolled power is a threat," he repeated, his voice stern. "You have earned the same deduction as Elara for losing concentration and endangering your peers."
Amberine's face flushed with embarrassment and frustration. She could feel the eyes of her classmates on her, and the satisfaction in Elara's gaze was unmistakable.
As the class continued their individual tasks, Amberine struggled to regain her focus. She channeled her anger and determination into her efforts, vowing not to let her emotions get the better of her again. The words of Draven echoed in her mind, a harsh reminder of the lesson she had to learn.
By the end of the session, some students had managed to shine their spheres, while others, like Amberine, had faced difficulties. Draven walked among them, offering critiques and advice, his presence a constant reminder of the high standards he demanded.
As the class came to an end, Amberine gathered her things, her mind racing with thoughts of what she needed to improve. She glanced at Elara one last time, seeing the determination in her rival's eyes.
This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
___
As the class wrapped up, Amberine felt a mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration. They had tackled a challenging task, and despite her earlier doubts, she had proven herself.
Just as she was about to leave, she heard a soft, cold voice behind her. "Not bad for a commoner."
She turned to see Elara standing there, her expression as unreadable as ever.
"Thanks," Amberine replied, trying to keep her tone neutral. "You weren't too shabby yourself."
Elara's eyes flicked over her, and for a moment, Amberine thought she saw a glimmer of respect. "Perhaps," Elara said. "But don't act too friendly with me. It's disgusting."
Amberine chuckled, shaking her head. "Wouldn't dream of it."
As she walked away, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of camaraderie with Elara, despite their differences. Maybe this class wouldn't be so bad after all.
Outside the lecture hall, Amberine muttered to herself, "She's still a stuck-up princess, though."
But then, the sight of Draven taking the risk of saving her entered her mind. Looking at how he hides his hands, despite how graceful his movements are, it's obvious that he's hurt because of it. Even though to the other students, it is a perfect performance to show the great competence of their professor in magic, for her, it's somehow conflicting.
He is her sworn enemy. She didn't know if he noticed that she was the daughter of the man he killed before or not, but she believed that he knew. But if he does know, why save her? Wouldn't it be easier for him to just let her die by a silly accident started by herself?
The ambition and the eagerness to learn magic lits inside her better, but the image of a nasty villain who is only a mediocre magician who has a lot of money inside her head starts to blur.