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Boom!
The moment Oliver was about to approach Yareli again, a huge ice wall surged from below, blocking the space between Oliver and Yareli.
And that wasn't the end.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Sharp yet heavy sounds echoed, and ice walls shot up throughout the arena, filling the area.
It was like a maze.
Oliver turned to look for Yareli, but as he expected, she was already gone.
She had turned the entire arena into her own home ground.
Oliver emitted mana from his body to search for Yareli, but the mana that spread like thread was affected by the magic and coldness of the ice walls filling the area, and could not provide accurate information about the surroundings.
And that wasn't the end.
The foot that was protected by mana was eroded by the ice on the ground as if his clothes were soaked in drizzle, and the ice inside the arena emitted a cold fog, gradually turning the arena into a freezer.
The erected ice walls also acted like mirrors, reflecting Yareli's image and causing visual confusion.
It was an illusion using the reflective and transparent properties of ice.
It was one of the characteristics of ice magic, and it was the first time Oliver had seen it in person.
It was a tricky technique to use.
Surprisingly, it was Yareli, a student who was not yet a fully-fledged wizard, who was using it.
It seemed real when they said she could become an official wizard if she wanted.
‘What should I do… the ice on the ground is trying to freeze my legs, the cold in the air is squeezing my body, and the ice walls are disrupting my vision.'
Of course, it wasn't really a problem.
With Oliver's eyes, which could see through emotions, he could easily break through the illusion of ice magic.
However, he wondered if it was necessary to go to such lengths. It wasn't a fight he absolutely had to win, and he could be misunderstood.
While lost in thought, the coldness gradually surrounded Oliver, stealing his body temperature, and the ice on the ground infiltrated his mana, hardening his feet.
The images of Yareli reflected on the ice walls moved in different directions, looking for an opportunity.
In the end, Oliver made a decision.
"I surrender."
Even though no sound was made, the breaking of the tense atmosphere seemed to echo in everyone's ears.
That was because everyone watching the match was focused.
It was evidence that Oliver was doing well against Yareli.
Yet, in the midst of this, Oliver declared his surrender easily.
The surrounding students who were watching, and even Yareli who was his opponent, paused in surprise and showed signs of disappointment.
The only one not disappointed was Kevin.
He declared the match over in a businesslike manner, withdrew the magic barrier, and Oliver respectfully greeted Yareli.
"You were truly amazing."
After greeting, Oliver came down the arena and felt the warm air all over his body.
It was just a difference in temperature, but apart from that, he felt pretty good.
"Ah, thank you."
One of the students carefully brought Oliver an outer garment.
She was a student who had been training with Oliver, and although she looked disappointed, she was still admiring Oliver.
Perhaps it was natural. He did surrender too easily, but he did well against Yareli.
At least compared to the previous match, it could be said that it was more like a fight.
After expressing his gratitude again, Oliver put on the outer garment and returned to his original task.
Kevin watched him silently, then immediately called the next test subject.
***
A little later, the test was over.
It wasn't the end of all the students' tests, but it was almost over.
Probably by the next round, the rest of the students' tests will be all over.
So Oliver also gradually did his job.
"Thank you for waiting."
Oliver said in front of several students he asked to wait.
All of them were students who had been training with Oliver.
They had lost their initial hostility, discomfort, awkwardness, and reluctance when they first faced Oliver, and revealed a sense of familiarity and intimacy in their own way.
Oliver felt rewarding as it seemed he had achieved results in his own way.
“The reason I asked you all to wait is because there is an announcement.”
"An announcement?"
"Yes…… I'm sorry to say this, but most of you here probably didn't do well in the [ Magic Combat Basic] score."
It was too harsh a statement considering the exams hadn't even finished yet, but no student was able to refute it.
Unlike Felix, most of them had not achieved noticeable growth, mostly stuck in the same place.
Moreover, most of them couldn't withstand more than 2 or 3 matches in the exam, either losing or fainting.
So most of them expected they wouldn't get good grades.
"The professor has decided to offer a summer session during the vacation, so you can make up for your grades. Please apply if you want to make up for your grades or improve your skills. Of course, it's not mandatory."
Everyone hesitated at the sudden news.
Oliver understood fully. Because there was no original plan for a summer session.
‘Is it because of me, ordered by Elder?'
After finishing his meal at Merlin's mansion and discussing necessary matters, just before leaving, Oliver asked whether he could continue using the method that helped Felix.
Merlin told Kevin to handle the summer session and told Oliver to do as he wanted.
He felt a little sorry for Kevin, thinking it might be a nuisance for him.
One of the hesitating students raised their hand to ask a question.
"How will the classes be conducted?"
"I'm not exactly sure yet. However, I assume there won't be many students, so I'll be able to teach you better. I think those who follow diligently will see improvements in skills and grades."
"So… will Mr. Zenon also be helping?"
It was more of a loaded question than a real query. Oliver answered.
"Of course. I will help you as far as I can if you work hard."
***
Upon hearing Oliver's response, the students each nodded slowly and left their seats.
Some students hesitated, some seemed embarrassed, and others seemed eager.
The situation was much better than at the beginning.
After telling them about the application process, Oliver tidied up the training room and headed out to return to Kevin.
When he was halfway out, he spotted a figure standing in the not too distant corridor.
A familiar face. It was Yareli Issai.
With her silver curly hair tied back and her thick glasses on, she had changed from her training suit to a neat casual outfit.
She looked like she was waiting for someone, and it seemed like it was Oliver.
"Hello, Mr. Zenon."
"Hello, Miss Yareli… By any chance, who are you waiting for?"
"Actually, I was waiting for you, Mr. Zenon."
"Me?"
"Yes… I have a question."
It was true. Yareli had a question for Oliver.
She also had doubts and the desire to confirm.
Oliver answered, "I'll answer if I can."
"Thank you… Why did you surrender at the end?"
At the unexpected question, Oliver tilted his head.
"Pardon?"
"I asked why you surrendered at the end."
"Um… I guess because it was obvious I was going to lose?"
Oliver answered with some sincerity.
He might have found a way if he continued fighting, but that was a hypothetical scenario.
With limited mana, using only pure magic in a battle, it would have been difficult for Oliver to defeat Yareli.
She was superior in both the quality and quantity of her mana than the average wizard of the tower, not to mention her magic skills and rich battle experience.
As evidence of this, she heavily pressured Oliver with the cold air, frozen floor, and numerous ice walls imbued with magic.
The cold and ice continuously robbed Oliver of his physical abilities, and Yareli herself not only hid behind the magical ice walls but also confused Oliver with illusions typical of ice magic.
If he had shown a slight gap, she would have instantly increased the level of pressure and launched a lethal attack.
‘I had a feeling I shouldn't let my guard down.'
Oliver recalled the discomfort he felt continuously during the match, because Yareli was always looking for something.
Nevertheless, when Oliver explained this, Yareli showed doubts.
"It's strange. I thought you would be able to overcome that much."
"I appreciate your high evaluation, but I'm not quite there yet."
Oliver answered. Even though Yareli didn't believe him, she brightened her doubts and confidence even more. She just didn't know what those doubts and confidence were about.
"I didn't know you'd give up this easily, even if you couldn't."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I thought you would be more tenacious since you convinced Derick… May I ask one more question?"
"Yes, please."
"How were you employed by Professor Kevin?"
"Employed?"
"Yes, as far as I know, he doesn't employ staff."
***
"So what did you answer?" asked Kevin when Oliver reported the conversation he had with Yareli earlier.
"For now, I avoided the answer by saying that I can't just answer it on my own."
"Well done. It's better than telling a clumsy lie… What did Yareli say after hearing that?"
"She didn't say much. She just backed off after saying okay to my answer… I'm not sure, but I think she finds me suspicious."
"That's not so strange. Because you're actually suspicious."
"Pardon?"
"From the fact that I employed staff to the fact that you are quite suspicious. Yareli is normal."
Kevin's words were not wrong.
With vacations being used like meals, combat skills beyond expectation, unexpected magic knowledge, suspicious activities at Mountain Pace, and so on, Oliver was undoubtedly suspicious to anyone's eyes.
"But the problem is which direction that suspicion is directed."
Despite the issue that could potentially be a big problem for him, Kevin was calm, not bothering to worry about things that were of no use.
Watching Kevin like this, Oliver asked.
"Professor."
"What?"
"Is there any history between you and Miss Yareli?"
Kevin stopped his hands that were calculating grades. Proof of a proper question.
Kevin was silent for a moment. He was pondering whether to answer or not.
He was leaning towards not answering, but then suddenly changed his mind.
"…I can answer that, but why are you curious?"
"Even though Ms. Yareli finds me suspicious, she seem to be on guard against you as well. She has been watching you since the first time she came to register for classes. At first, I thought it was just like other students, but I don't think that's the case… So I'm asking if something happened between you two."
"Hmm… Is the feeling Yareli has when she looks at me good or bad?"
"It's not a good feeling. But it's not that bad either. There's a bit of displeasure and doubt, but there are also moments of acceptance and understanding."
"That's great. Unlike her father."
"Her father?"
"Yes, Yareli and I don't have a direct relationship, but I have a relationship with Yareli's father."
"Ah… what kind of relationship was it?"
"Not much of a relationship to speak of. I brought him down, thoroughly, in front of everyone in the Tower."
(To be Continued)
OR
$5/month6 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$15/month12 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$30/month19 chap ahead + 5 chap/week$45/monthAll advance chap + 6 chap/week
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