Chapter 76 Mid-Terms (4)

Words : 1544 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Clara's robe of shifting elements flared as she cast another spell, this time weaving fire and water together in a way that shouldn't have been possible. The result was a roaring steam explosion that surged toward me, a boiling mix of scalding vapor and raw force. I countered quickly, summoning a wall of wind with a three-circle spell to disperse the steam. The barrier held, but barely. The sheer complexity of her attacks was forcing me to think faster and act smarter with each passing moment. "Not bad," Clara said, her tone carrying the same lazy amusement as before, though her movements were anything but sluggish. She flicked her wrist, and two new spells formed in tandem—one a spiraling vortex of wind, the other a sharp, crackling spear of lightning. They shot toward me in perfect sync. I cast Flame Lance again, this time aiming it to intercept the lightning spear. The fire and electricity clashed violently, sparks and embers scattering across the battlefield. At the same time, I used a burst of wind to dodge the vortex, landing with a roll just out of its range. Despite the fact that I was high Silver-rank to her mid Silver-rank, her Gift more that closed gap. Her spells were calculated and layered, each one forcing me to respond in a way that left me open to the next. I retaliated with a four-circle fire spell, Inferno Wave, sending a scorching arc of flames surging toward her. She didn't even flinch, raising her hand and conjuring a wall of water that swallowed the flames whole. The steam hissed and evaporated, leaving the battlefield momentarily shrouded in a thick mist. "You're slipping," Clara said, her voice coming from somewhere in the fog. "I thought you'd put up more of a fight, given your rank. Maybe I overestimated you." I gritted my teeth, ignoring the taunt. She wasn't wrong—I was losing ground. Her Gift, Sorcerer's Right, was turning this into a battle of creativity and control, not raw power, and in that department, she was leagues ahead. But there was one thing she'd underestimated: my ability to think on my feet. 'Alright, let's change the game,' I thought. As Clara's silhouette appeared through the mist, weaving another spell, I activated Lucent Harmony. The air around me shimmered with a faint golden glow as I tapped into the precise, disciplined flow of light mana. She noticed immediately. Her eyes narrowed as she finished casting a five-circle spell of her own—a crackling web of lightning that spread out across the ground like a trap, forcing me to keep my distance. "You've got something up your sleeve, huh?" she said, her voice a mix of curiosity and caution. "Something like that," I replied, focusing my mana into a single, concentrated point. Light spells were all about precision, and this one had to count. I poured everything into the casting, forming a five-circle light spell: Radiant Spear. The glowing spear of pure light took shape above me, radiating heat and power as it hummed with concentrated energy. Clara's expression shifted, the casual amusement giving way to genuine surprise. "Wait—" she started, but it was too late. I unleashed the spear, sending it hurtling toward her at blinding speed. Clara's instincts kicked in, and she threw up a shield of combined wind and earth mana, but it wasn't enough. The Radiant Spear pierced through, shattering the barrier and exploding in a flash of golden light. When the dust settled, Clara was lying flat on her back, her robe of elemental mana flickering faintly as she groaned. Her Evolver hummed softly, tallying her points and transferring them to me. "I knew I shouldn't have agreed to this fight," she muttered, shielding her eyes from the sunlight as she sat up. "I swear, every time I try to have fun, it bites me in the ass." I stepped forward, catching my breath, the faint hum of the Evolver at my hip reminding me that I'd secured the win. Clara's own Evolver activated with a low, mechanical hum as the tally began. A soft light enveloped her, numbers flickering briefly in the air. +1000 Points. The confirmation appeared on my own Evolver screen, the points transferring to me seamlessly. I exhaled slowly, my grip on the lingering traces of my light mana finally relaxing. Clara Lopez, Mid Silver-rank, worth 1,000 points. Not bad at all. And with that, she vanished, her Evolver completing the teleport and leaving nothing behind but a faint wisp of mana and the smell of singed grass. I stood there for a moment, staring at the empty space where she'd been. Something about this didn't sit right. Clara wasn't the type to pick random fights, not even during the mid-terms. Her laid-back nature made her unlikely to seek out challenges unless there was something—or someone—behind it. 'Who could've put her up to this?' I wondered, the thought nagging at the back of my mind. Clara's comments had been flippant, but there was always an undercurrent of truth buried in her teasing. Maybe she had been testing me for herself, or maybe someone else had nudged her in my direction. Either way, it didn't feel random. __________________________________________________________________________________ Meanwhile, deep within the forest, two blurs of crimson and gold darted through the canopy, clashing with enough force to send shockwaves rippling through the trees. Birds scattered, leaves burned, and the unfortunate squirrels who had made this part of the forest their home probably reconsidered every life choice that had led them there. "Ray-Ray, are you that mad at me?" Cecilia called out, her voice laced with mock concern as a shimmering crimson shield sprang into existence in front of her, effortlessly deflecting a barrage of light rays that Rachel hurled her way. "Cecilia Slatemark!" Rachel snapped, her voice ringing out like divine judgment, "For daring to say that, I will kill you!" "Aww, but what did I even do?" Cecilia replied, her tone infuriatingly sweet as she pressed her palms together. Crimson mana crackled around her fingers before exploding outward, conjuring dozens of spears that hovered ominously in the air. Except, as usual with Cecilia's magic, these weren't just ordinary spears. No, these were chaos-infused monstrosities, their power and speed utterly random, as though even the laws of mana themselves couldn't decide what they were supposed to do. Cecilia smirked as she launched the chaotic barrage. "Wait, wait, I know what this is about! It's because Arthur almost found out your embarrassing little secret, isn't it? Riiight~?" Rachel's face froze into a mask of icy fury, her wings flaring behind her as golden feathers materialized in the air. With a flick of her wrist, the feathers shot forward, precise and glowing, slicing through Cecilia's unpredictable spears like they were paper mache. "This is dangerous," Cecilia admitted under her breath, her eyes narrowing as she exhaled onto her palm. Flames blossomed instantly, wrapping around her hand before spreading outward, forming a blazing defense that scorched the incoming feathers to ash. "No secret!" Rachel shouted, her voice carrying the weight of righteous indignation. "You pranked me!" With a flash of light, she reappeared behind Cecilia, a massive golden hammer now in her hands. It radiated holy mana, glowing with an intensity that could have made lesser mortals rethink their life choices. "Oh, you have to be kidding me!" Cecilia screeched, twisting her body just in time to narrowly avoid the hammer's downward swing. The sheer force of it cratered the ground beneath them, sending debris flying. "What kind of Saintess smashes people with a goddamn hammer!?" "Evil! You're evil!" Rachel yelled, her voice high with fury as she swung the hammer again, her wings propelling her forward with terrifying speed. S~eaʀᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Cecilia grimaced, summoning her crimson mana into her left hand. It crackled and twisted, shaping itself into a wicked-looking pitchfork that glimmered ominously. With a yell of effort, she brought it up just in time to meet Rachel's hammer head-on. BOOM. The two weapons collided, releasing a shockwave that rippled through the forest, uprooting shrubs and sending nearby trees swaying precariously. For a moment, neither girl moved, their weapons locked in a tense standoff, sparks of mana flying in every direction. "Thank god you don't know how to swing properly," Cecilia muttered under her breath, her muscles straining as she fought against the overwhelming force of Rachel's hammer. Rachel's eyes glowed with golden light as she pressed forward, the weight of her resolve as heavy as the hammer itself. "You will repent!" she yelled, her tone leaving absolutely no room for argument. Cecilia, despite the dire situation, couldn't help but smirk. "Repent? For what? For being right?" Rachel's furious growl echoed through the forest as the clash intensified, neither girl willing to give an inch. It wasn't a battle of strategy or cunning—it was pure chaos. And in a way, that made it all the more dangerous.

Chapter 76 Mid-Terms (4)

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