Chapter 372

I discovered a B-grade treasure, a pair of gloves engraved with special magic.

They look like something straight out of a movie featuring gauntlets.

And I’ve seen these gloves before in the Soul World. They’re famous as a toy item.

The ability of these gloves is ‘Telekinesis,’ as I’ve just demonstrated. The power to move objects without having to touch them.

At first glance, it might seem like an overpowered skill, but it’s really not. Telekinesis magic has been obsolete for a long time.

First off, the mana consumption and mental drain are incredibly high. Talk about inefficient!

Secondly, to use the ability, you have to sacrifice one hand. This is the key difference from telekinesis.

If you don’t infuse the gloves with magic power, they won’t do anything.

Lastly, if I can use this freely, I’d much rather just wield a weapon.

Those who use it with ease are probably either seasoned veterans or just plain weird.

A monster that can manipulate the sky and even slice or break space—do they really need this?

So, this purple toy is more like a B+ grade item, which makes it quite ambiguous.

A so-called established player exclusive item. It’s not bad even if it’s hard to use.

‘But it’s not for me.’

I looked at Reina, who wore a baffled expression, and felt quite pleased.

She was frozen for a few seconds, staring at the ground that had erupted into a fist shape.

As everyone knows, that act of art (?) was done by yours truly. It wasn’t that hard.

For me, mana is like an ever-flowing spring, and I’m happy to sacrifice a hand.

If sacrificing one hand is a risk, then I should make sure the returns are greater than that.

“Damn it! Pillar of flames!”

“Fire Blast!”

Feeling that the surprise attack had failed, I sensed a hot energy approaching from behind.

Not just from behind, but also right under my feet. One was in the Western language while the other spoke the Language of the Eastern Empire.

It was literally fire pillars and flamethrowers. I quickly got out of the way to avoid singeing my clothes.

–KA-BOOM!

A wave of fire crashed right where I had just been standing. Flames erupted from the ground.

Seeing this, I pinpointed the source of the magic. Two people were staring at me from behind the flames.

-WHOOM!

As I infused the purple gloves with magic power, I felt them tremble wildly. Finally, I extended my fist toward the flames.

To my surprise, the shapeless fire began to swirl around and morphed into a round ball.

Though different from telekinesis, the origin was indeed telekinesis. The high mana cost wasn’t a problem now.

-KAAA-WOOM!

I sent the fire ball back. The students scrambled to respond to the unexpected counterattack.

But perhaps the flames were too large, or possibly because they came from different sources, their combinations mismatched.

“Water Barrier…!”

“Defense…!”

-BANG!

They couldn’t finish their spells in time and got caught by the flames. But I didn’t think they’d be severely hurt.

It looked fierce on the outside, but it wasn’t that hot. They must have tempered the output since this was a test.

Having knocked out the initial two and these two, there were about 15 left. Quite a crowd.

“Hoo-rah!”

While I was distracted by the wizards, I heard a vigorous shout from behind.

Having sensed the approach, I extended my right hand back without looking.

-THUD!

“?!”

Turning around, I found Reina hanging in mid-air, her eyes wide open.

She must have felt some invisible, unprecedented force binding her. That’s one of the perks of telekinesis.

Of course, if she applies her strength or controls her magic, she could definitely break free. It’s just that she’s unfamiliar with it.

-HOOOOSH!

“AHHHHH…!”

I flung her far away, and her scream faded as she soared through the air.

Since she was thrown quite the distance, it’s no surprise her screams grew softer. She’d probably come back soon.

I dropped her off like an unwanted passenger because she was one of my most annoying foes.

‘She might just lack field experience compared to Kara, but she’s still overwhelming among the freshmen.’

She has experience not only hunting but also dealing with bandits, despite not being at war.

So, it’s best to eliminate her from the front lines early to make things easier later. Moreover, there’s still plenty of time left in the test.

Just to clarify, today is Day 1. The exam will last for a total of three days until we make our wishes.

“Everyone, charge! No need to breathe now!”

“Right hand! Watch your right hand! If it comes for you, dodge immediately!”

As Reina was sent flying, the students came pouring out like a flood.

The wizards and archers were the first to launch ranged attacks, followed by warriors finishing things up.

It’s a classic tactic, but for now, it’s the most effective. I couldn’t ignore it myself.

‘If my bracelet gets torn off, I’m done for.’

Tearing off the bracelet means instant elimination. Of course, losing the treasure is a given.

Some might ask if I could hide the bracelet under the gloves, but the professors knew that and insisted on wearing it on the left wrist.

On top of the gloves already having a great ability, if I could also hide the bracelet, it would have been a nightmare.

-KA-BOOM!

A riot of colorful magic poured towards me, and I fended it off using the gloves.

A massive wall shot up from the ground, effectively serving as a shield. Its durability, however, wasn’t too impressive.

After the barrage of magic and arrows ended, and the earthen wall crumbled, it was now time for a welcoming committee.

“HYAH!”

As soon as the earthen wall crashed down, a student wielding a blade greeted me with a fierce look.

His menacing appearance seemed more fitting for a bandit than a nobleman. I swung my left fist lightly.

-THWAAAP!

My fist collided with the blade, and with a bizarre crash, it cracked.

The cracking meant it had already lost its effectiveness.

In no time, the sword shattered into pieces and scattered on the ground.

“Huh? My, my sword… KEH!”

There was no time for him to be surprised. I lightly kicked the student in the abdomen.

Though it was just a gentle push, he rolled a few times before collapsing utterly.

But the student’s assault didn’t end there. Students armed with various weapons attacked me all at once.

It seemed like they had all agreed not to target me directly but to go for my bracelet.

They must have decided to use the rules to overwhelm me rather than just brute force.

‘That could be a bit troublesome.’

The sheer numbers were one thing, but the archers supporting them from afar were considerably annoying.

Especially the archers. The mages focused on firepower, while the archers prioritized accuracy, making them a real threat.

‘Are they all from Johan?’

Most of the archers were Easterners. Each one of them was scarily accurate, which made them dangerous.

I took a quick spin to keep an eye on the movements of the mages and archers.

-WHAM!

A student who had been sneaking up behind me, probably a thief, got kicked right in the chin.

He fainted and slumped down to the ground.

As soon as I moved back, a barrage of magic and arrows poured in. Same pattern again.

If I keep repeating this, I might be able to reduce their numbers. But those blind arrows are a problem.

‘I need to deal with those first.’

I need to stop the warriors charging like dogs before Reina joins the fray.

I created some distance and raised both arms high above my head. My action caused the warriors to pause for a moment.

That hesitation gifted me a wonderful opportunity. I immediately took action.

-KAAAANG!

I brought my raised arms down violently. The ground shook, and even cracks formed.

The warriors barely regained their balance, but the ones in the back were another story. A few students from the rear lost their balance and toppled over.

Now was my chance. I infused magic power into my gloves.

-WHOOM!

Unlike before, I infused a significant amount of magic power. The gloves literally roared.

Especially since my mana was a particularly strong type of Red Magic. The gloves might break like a toy if I wasn’t careful.

-DRRRRRR!

“What, what’s happening?”

“An earthquake?”

As I simulated raising my hand, the ground began to rumble. The students were thrown into a frenzy.

They certainly knew something was happening but couldn’t easily step forward.

Maybe the initial impact was so strong they struggled to regain their composure.

“Everyone, calm down! This is the time to—”

Namgoong Seokdae desperately tried to restore order, but it was already too late.

-CRACK! CRACK!

The cracks I had created began to widen dramatically.

To anyone just watching, it appeared as though I was intentionally causing an earthquake.

That’s partially true, in fact.

-KAA-BOOM!

“Hey, hey! What, what’s that?!”

“A crazy…! How can this be?!”

The warriors right in front of me couldn’t help but exclaim in terror.

Even Namgoong Seokdae, who had kept his composure, was no different. He even had his mouth agape in shock.

What kind of situation could have unfolded to get everyone so worked up? Let me summarize it simply.

“The ground is rising! The ground is literally rising!”

“What the heck! What is this?!”

“Someone help me?!”

The ground was indeed rising. Not in a figurative sense, but in the literal sense.

Students who had been hurling magic and arrows at me were now standing on that rising land.

Some houses were even lifted along with it. That part wasn’t my concern.

I subtly maneuvered the enormous chunks of earth emerging from the ground.

“Whoa.”

I tilted my right hand to the side. The chunk wobbled in response.

The students struggling to maintain their balance began to slip and tumble down below.

The air was filled with a cacophony of shrieks, most filled with sheer terror. It was music to my ears.

“··· ···”

“··· ···”

The once powerful rear guard was wiped out. They were now left in a paralyzed state from the fall.

Now only the warriors remained. Perhaps realizing that, they all stared at me with dazed expressions.

Regardless of their awareness, I gradually lifted the chunks above my head. A large shadow loomed overhead.

“······Assistant.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Don’t do it.”

“What am I doing?”

Namgoong Seokdae seemed to have caught on. I tilted my head in confusion.

Then, Namgoong Seokdae gulped and spoke with a slightly trembling voice.

“That fist. Don’t clench it tightly.”

“Like this?”

-TIGHT!

I pretended not to hear and complied.

-KAA-BOOM!!

The broken chunks transformed into falling debris over my head.

*****

“··· ···”

“··· ···”

“Should we ban that from next time?”

“There’s no student that could even pull off something like that.”

“So what do we do? We underestimated this by a long shot.”

The professors were engaged in serious discussions while looking at the living natural disaster right before their eyes.

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