Science Magic Reveals Its Divine Power

The wind on the training ground carried the piercing cold unique to the Northern Territory.

At this moment, around this open-air training ground of Norent Castle, the atmosphere was so heavy that even the air seemed to freeze.

On the left side of the field stood the Ice Wolf Sightseeing Group led by Viscount Moretti.

Master Piro from the capital's Tower of Winter stood there with his arms crossed, a look of arrogance on his face. His gaze did not fall on the two people about to duel, but rather looked at the sky, as if taking even one more glance at this rural training ground would dirty his eyes.

And the so-called genius boy, Claude, had already changed into a gorgeous dark blue mage robe.

This attire was far from simple.

It was inlaid with at least three Aquamarines capable of amplifying ice-elemental magic, and complex energy-gathering runes were embroidered on the cuffs and collar. Just this set of equipment alone was worth enough to buy an entire street in Broken Gold Town.

Holding an exquisite mahogany staff in his hand, he stood in the center of the field, enjoying the pleasure of the breeze blowing through his long hair. His posture was just like a peacock spreading its tail.

In contrast, on the right side of the field.

Miss Aria Norent was still wearing the leather armor that had been shortened for ease of movement, holding the bare short staff made by Lynch from leftover scraps.

She didn't even have a decent amulet.

Her only equipment was probably her theology teacher Lokina, who was standing on the sidelines right now, seemingly resting with her eyes closed but actually so nervous that her palms were sweating.

"Hmph, how shabby."

Viscount Moretti glanced at Aria and snorted disdainfully. "Gael, your daughter is going into battle with a fire poker like that? If she gets beaten to tears, don't say our Claude is bullying a girl."

"Cut the crap!"

Although Count Gael had no confidence in his heart, he wouldn't lose his momentum. "It's not certain who will cry! Aria! Beat him up! Punch him right in the face!"

"Understood, Father!"

Aria took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the fire poker in her hand.

Although she appeared fierce on the surface, she was actually panicking inside.

"The opponent is a genuine third-tier mage... and he knows high-tier magic..." "I only know how to conjure wind blades and that air cannon I haven't mastered yet..." "What if it backfires? What if I miss?"

Just as she was doubting herself.

"Don't be afraid."

A clear and holy voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

Was that... Teacher Lokina's voice?

Aria turned her head in surprise.

She saw Lokina standing behind Lynch, her hands clasped together and her lips moving slightly. And Felsy, standing behind Lokina, had her hand on Lokina's shoulder, wearing a terrifying smile that said, "If you don't win, you're sleeping in the basement tonight."

"This..."

Before Aria could react, she felt a warm current rush up her spine straight to the top of her head.

Her breathing, which had been somewhat erratic due to nervousness, instantly became incredibly steady.

The world before her eyes changed.

The wind was no longer an invisible flow, but had turned into clearly visible lines. The magical fluctuations radiating from Claude in the distance were as conspicuous as a light bulb in the dark of night to her eyes.

Even Claude's little gesture of secretly gathering power was seen clearly by her.

"Is this... a divine blessing?"

Aria was shocked.

What she didn't know was that this was no ordinary blessing.

This was a three-in-one deluxe package of Radiant Moon Absolute Focus, Holy Light Eye of Insight, and Great Fortune Spell, cast by the former Holy Son who was risking his life just to save tonight's braised pork and avoid being thrown into the basement to feed the rats by the witch!

This level of support was something that even in the capital's Templar Knights, only a commander-level divine caster could enjoy.

Now, it was all dumped onto her, a half-baked mage who hadn't even reached the third tier.

It was simply a reckless waste of heavenly treasures!

But the effect was also immediate.

"Duel—begin!"

With a command from the referee, Butler Sebas.

Claude on the opposite side moved instantly.

Worthy of being a top student sent out by the capital's academy, his movements were as standard as a textbook.

With his staff held high and his footwork shifting, he began to chant that lengthy and gorgeous incantation:

"Spirits of the bitter cold slumbering in the far northern ice fields..." "Hear my call..." "Transform into the spear of extreme cold that pierces all..." "Unleash your wrath—"

As the incantation was chanted, the surrounding temperature plummeted.

Countless ice-blue specks of light converged in front of him, gradually forming a massive ice spear two meters long, its tip glinting with a cold edge.

It had to be said, this appearance was indeed intimidating.

The oppressive feeling made Count Gael on the sidelines break a sweat.

"Third-tier magic—Winter Pierce!"

Viscount Moretti stroked his beard proudly. "This is Claude's ultimate move that he has practiced for half a year. Even a warrior of the same tier would be heavily injured if hit head-on. It seems the outcome is already decided."

Master Piro also nodded and commented, "Although the magical construction is a bit slow, it excels in stability. That little girl... why isn't she moving yet? Is she scared silly?"

Indeed.

Aria on the field hadn't moved a single step from the beginning to now.

She neither chanted a spell nor cast a shield on herself, and she didn't even raise her staff.

She just stood there quietly, watching Claude perform.

Under the enhancement of the Eye of Insight, Claude's lengthy three-second chant seemed as slow as a crawling snail in her eyes.

"So traditional spellcasting is this troublesome..."

Aria complained inwardly. "Brother Lynch was right, a skill with such a long wind-up would get you killed eight hundred times in actual combat."

Finally.

The moment Claude's ice spear completely took shape and was ready to fire.

Aria moved.

She did not chant a spell.

She merely recalled the words Lynch had said to her that morning while holding a hot cup of soy milk:

"As long as the pressure is great enough, even a gentle breeze can slice through steel."

"Compress... compress more..."

Driven by her will, massive amounts of wind elements frantically surged toward the tip of that bare staff.

With the enhancement of Lokina's Absolute Focus, this high-density compression that was originally extremely difficult to control became as simple as breathing.

The originally violent wind was forcibly squeezed into a cyan speck of light the size of a ping-pong ball.

The surrounding space slightly twisted due to this terrifying density.

"Die! You country bumpkin!"

Claude roared and waved his staff.

The massive ice spear carried the sound of tearing through the air, shooting toward Aria like an arrow released from a bowstring.

"It's over." Master Piro closed his eyes, seemingly unable to bear seeing the tragic sight of the young girl being frozen into an ice sculpture.

However.

The next second.

A not very loud, but extremely muffled explosive sound echoed throughout the field.

"Bang."

It was like someone had forcefully popped a balloon right next to the ear.

Aria raised the staff in her hand horizontally, pointing the tip at the incoming ice spear.

That cyan speck of light, compressed to the absolute limit, was instantly released.

Profound Mystery of Physics: Ultra-High Pressure Air Cannon!

BOOM!!!

The originally invisible air formed a visible white shockwave due to its instantaneous expansion.

This shockwave acted like a heavy hammer, viciously smashing into that aggressive ice spear.

There was no suspense.

That Tier 3 ice spear, which Master Piro had praised for its stable structure, was like glass hitting a speeding train the moment it met the air cannon.

Crack! Crash!

The ice spear instantly shattered into countless tiny ice shards, dancing wildly in the air.

But it was not over yet.

The residual might of the air cannon remained undiminished. Sweeping up the sky full of ice dust, it blasted straight toward Claude in the back with an unmatched momentum.

Wh... What?!

The sinister sneer on Claude's face instantly froze.

He did not even have time to react before feeling as if his chest had been rammed by a stampeding rhinoceros.

Waaaaaah!!!

Accompanied by a miserable shriek.

The genius youth, wearing an expensive mage robe and having no time to cast a shield on himself, was sent flying backward like a kite with a snapped string.

He traced a beautiful parabola in the air.

Flying over the entire martial arts arena.

Flying over the dumbfounded Viscount Moretti.

Finally—

Smack.

He hung perfectly on the largest old oak tree at the edge of the arena.

His mage robe was torn into strips by the air currents, and his carefully groomed blond hair was blown into an afro.

The entire venue fell dead silent.

Only a few withered leaves slowly drifted down from the tree, covering Claude's face as he lay there doubting his very existence.

...

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.

What... What the hell is this?!

Viscount Moretti was the first to jump up. Pointing at his son hanging in the tree, his voice trembled, Where is the magic? Where is the incantation? Why did my son go flying when I did not see a single thing?!

And Master Piro, who had been maintaining the demeanor of an eminent expert, almost had his eyeballs pop out of their sockets.

He stood up abruptly, staring dead at the broken staff in Aria's hands, the muscles on his face twitching.

No incantation?! No trajectory?! Even... even the mana fluctuations are negligible?!

How is this possible?!

Even the wind element forbidden spell, Sigh of the Wind God, requires at least five seconds of channeling time! What was that just now? That was an instant cast!

Impossible! Absolutely impossible! This isn't magic!

Master Piro's worldview suffered a devastating blow at this moment.

He had studied traditional magic his entire life, focusing on elemental arrangement, incantation resonance, and magic circle amplification.

But that strike just now... completely defied all logic!

It was simply as if... as if someone had taken an invisible hammer and forcefully smashed the rules of magic to pieces!

...

On the other side of the arena.

We... we won?

Count Gael rubbed his eyes and then burst into wild laughter. Hahahaha! Did you see that! That is my daughter! One move! Just one move!

Moretti! Get the deed to that broken mine of yours ready! I am taking over!

As the person involved, Aria was also completely dumbfounded.

She looked at her hand, and then at Claude hanging in the tree.

Am... am I this strong?

For that split second just now, it felt like my mana was exceptionally obedient... hitting exactly where I aimed?

She subconsciously turned her head and looked in Lynch's direction.

She saw Lynch smiling and giving her a thumbs up.

Behind Lynch, the theology teacher named Lokina was leaning weakly against Felsy, her face pale from mana overexertion, muttering under her breath, Braised pork... my braised pork... is saved...

Felsy supported her with a look of disgust, but there was a trace of approval in her eyes as she looked at Aria.

Hmph, not bad. Although she mainly relied on cheating, this ruthlessness somewhat resembles my demeanor back in the day.

...

Wait!

Just as Count Gael was about to mock his opponent, Master Piro suddenly gave a loud shout and strode to the center of the arena.

His face was ashen as he pointed at the staff in Aria's hand:

This isn't right! This is absolutely not a magic spell an apprentice could cast!

You cheated! This staff must have some kind of high-tier attack scroll sealed inside it! Or someone attacked from the shadows!

As a senior instructor of the royal capital, I demand to inspect this staff! I also demand to inspect everyone present!

Piro absolutely refused to believe this was Aria's own strength. If word of this got out, how could a master like him, who had taught his whole life, ever show his face again?

Inspect?

Lynch strolled over leisurely and stood in front of Aria.

Master Piro, a loss is a loss. How can you be such a sore loser?

Lynch maintained his infuriatingly calm smile. Didn't you just say that magic without incantations is mere juggling? Now that you have been defeated by juggling, you are claiming we cheated?

This staff is just an ordinary ironwood stick. It does not even have a magic core embedded in it. Inspect it all you want.

Saying that, he tossed the staff to Piro.

Piro caught the staff and channeled his mana to inspect it.

Indeed, it was just a broken wooden stick. Aside from some traces of wind elemental erosion, there were no mechanisms whatsoever.

Then... then someone must have attacked from the shadows!

Piro threw the staff to the ground, his gaze sweeping over Lynch, Felsy, and Lokina. You lot! There is definitely something wrong with you!

His gaze finally landed on Lynch.

You! How could an unknown private tutor teach such unorthodox magic? Speak! Which dark mage organization are you a remnant of?!

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Felsy's eyes narrowed slightly, a wisp of purple flame already dancing on her fingertips.

Old fool, you are refusing the face given to you, aren't you? You dare call my husband a remnant? Believe it or not, I will turn you into a remnant right now.

Just as Felsy was about to make a move.

The butler, Sebas, who had been standing in the corner silently taking notes, suddenly stepped forward.

Ahem.

The old butler cleared his throat and stepped between Piro and Lynch.

He first bowed respectfully to Lynch, then turned around, looking at Piro with the gaze one would give a frog at the bottom of a well.

Master Piro.

Sebas's voice was deep and magnetic. The reason you cannot comprehend this is not because it is cheating.

But because... this is a higher-level profound mystery of magic that you are incapable of understanding.

Higher-level? Piro was stunned.

Exactly.

Sebas pointed at Claude hanging in the tree. What you see is the absence of an incantation. But what I see is the ultimate compression and reconstruction of the Laws of Wind.

This is no ordinary wind blade, this is—

Sebas took a deep breath, a fanatical expression appearing on his face:

This is the Void Collapse Cannon - Modified, a Demon Race forbidden spell name... oh no, it is the Wrath of the Wind God - Silent Version!

This is a divine skill that can only be imparted by a master who has truly grasped the true essence of the elements!

The fact that you cannot understand it only proves... your realm is simply not high enough.

These words were spoken with resounding force and an absolutely imposing aura.

It completely dumbfounded Master Piro.

He began to doubt himself. "Could it be... that I really am getting old? Am I falling behind the times? Could this magic, which looked like an instant cast, actually be some sort of lost ancient profound mystery?"

He looked again at Lynch's calm and breezy demeanor, as if he completely disdained the need to explain.

And then there was Felsy's aloof aura that practically screamed, "Say one more word of nonsense and I will kill you."

Piro suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

These people... really did not seem simple at all.

Especially that butler. Even though he was merely a servant, the faint, sinister coldness exuding from him actually made a fourth-tier mage like Piro feel a sense of dread.

"Hmph... since Butler Sebas has put it that way..."

Master Piro was a man who knew how to judge the situation, or rather, how to bully the weak and fear the strong. He glanced at Claude, who was still hanging unconscious from the tree, and gritted his teeth. "We will admit defeat this time!"

"Viscount Moretti, take your son. We are leaving!"

"Eh? But Master..." Viscount Moretti still wanted to say something.

"Go!"

Piro flicked his sleeve and walked away without even looking back.

This wretched place was too bizarre!

To think that a countryside castle was actually hiding a monster-like master and disciple who could instant-cast high-tier magic, along with an unfathomable butler.

It was much safer to hurry back to the royal capital!

...

Watching the Ice Wolf family leave with their tails between their legs, Count Gael and Aria erupted into cheers of victory.

"Lynch! You are amazing!"

Count Gael rushed over and gave Lynch a massive bear hug. "From today onward, you are Gael's best brother! If anyone ever dares to call you a wild mage again, I will chop them to pieces!"

Lynch was squeezed so tightly he almost suffocated. He managed a strained smile and said, "Keep a low profile, keep a low profile."

Meanwhile, at the back of the crowd.

Felsy watched the butler, Sebas, who was still silently taking notes, and a flash of doubt crossed her eyes.

"That old butler... why did his words just now sound a bit familiar? Void Collapse Cannon? Was that not the move Royal Father created back in the day? How strange... how could a human butler know about that?"

However, her attention was quickly drawn to something else.

"Hey, charlatan."

Felsy nudged the panting Lokina with her foot. "Not a bad performance. You get a share of the braised pork tonight."

"Really?!"

Lokina instantly revived, the green glint in her eyes shining even brighter than the air cannon from earlier. "I want the fatty pieces! Two bowls!"

"Fine, fine, eat until you burst."

Felsy rolled her eyes, but a faint smile crept up the corners of her mouth.

Even though this charlatan was annoying.

She had to admit, the feeling of scamming people together like this... was actually pretty satisfying.