Exodus Magic Academy (Part 6)
"Are you kidding me…?"
I snapped my finger and cast [Sensory: Invert Magic] quickly.
'Try me if you can, fucker'.
My temper's getting the best of me. If this was Ribbons' doing then they better prepare themselves. I've been kicked down once and I have no plans on staying on the ground.
The magic circle cracked. A faint violet mana from mine flickered in the air like smoke, a signal that the spell was brought back to its owner.
[Mana is recorded to the list of inverted ones]
Due to the sensory spell, I could infer that it was an electricity blast type of attack. Since I inverted it the owner should be injured right now unless they were skilled enough to dispel their magic or dodge it.
It was good enough that I can track down and use sensory magic to the others to find a similar pattern and color of mana. It might take some time but it didn't matter.
'I'll hunt you down later'.
The people who witnessed the uproar of my detailed spellcasting looked amazed but I paid them no mind.
Should I use gravity manipulation to still the tremors? But if I were to do that then I'll be losing my hidden card.
"Shit. I haven't had time to rest yet" I cursed out and noticed Instructor Weiss flinch at my side.
It shouldn't matter as long as people are safe, idiot! I wanted to tear myself to pieces. My blood was already boiling and my inhumane thoughts added to the frustration.
"[Gravity Manipulation: Exodus Magic Academy: Building Only]…" I whispered my spell into the air.
"Wait! You just used magic from earlier!" Instructor Weiss gripped my arm, concern plastered on his face. I ignored him and closed my eyes to focus.
Fuck. I feel my mana surging out of me.
Violet mana surged out of me. I could feel the development of a gigantic magic circle on the deepest parts of the ground. From even a single room of Exodus Magic Academy below up until the highest point, the flag of the institution.
"Ugh!" My body's trembling so hard right now.
Large pressure and my own gravity caused me to fall on the ground, as if being sucked to the floor.
Iron-like smell and taste consumed me inside. I'm bleeding.
I dare not die. [Barrier: Tabitha Obiel: Internal]. I flinched as I felt the strengthening of my organs. It wasn't bad.
Now that I'm safe I focused back on creating the magic circle.
It was my first use of gravity manipulation on a gigantic area. Compared to using it on three people from earlier, this was definitely something that could potentially kill me.
I was only a Circle 6 mage. Initially the gravity manipulation spell was already at Circle 9 and I stepped it up into an even higher realm.
Oh please God if you truly exist! Please don't let me die! First Mage Soledad! Please help me!
My hands were stuck on the ground trying to complete the magic circle to form perfectly and with no issues, one part of my attention was in modifying the spell to formulate a less-sustaining magic.
It was then that I felt mana being poured out to me. The heavy load lessened for only a tiny bit.
I opened my eyes to see that Instructor Weiss had become a connector in pouring out mana unto me. Students who were still conscious and those from the other classes were holding each other's hands like wires until they could reach Yuri who had placed a hand on the professor's shoulder.
He attached a mana string to me, the mana gathered continued to enter me and removed his own hand on me.
The professor smiled before shifting his focus in the air. His eyes glowed blue and a large holographic mana screen appeared in front of us.
"Leave the system's formula to me" was all he said and fingers moved across the space. It seemed to work as the burden of the spell was gradually decreasing.
"You're doing well, Miss." A cheerful and feminine voice came out of Era next to me as she placed a hand on my other arm.
I didn't have the mental capacity enough to think why the person in the disguise of Erazubeth Kalil could potentially not be master right now.
But it seems she's a trusted ally in master's case.
The mana from the other students and the professor's system work aided me in finishing the magic circle. It surely wasn't enough considering the size of EMA but another spell had merged with mine in the middle.
Soft flame-like mana tangled with mine.
It was another gravity manipulation spell but with a red mana user.
As soon as the spell was casted, the rest of the students either fainted or tumbled on the ground with me whilst covered in sweat.
"That was… intense."
[New Message: Khiel]
[Tabitha??? you okay? That mana was yours, isn't it?! Where are you?! I swear to God, Taby if you get hurt once more, I'll lock you up in the house!]
[New Message: Nessa]
[HEY IDIOT!! ARE YOU IN THAT PHASE AGAIN?! YOUR MANA IS ALLOVER THE PLACE!!! STOP!!! YOU'LL HURT YOURSELF! WHAT IF YOU PASS OUT AGAIN?! MAKE SURE TO BE WITH SOMEONE!!!]
[New Message: Master]
[You probably noticed that I'm not there. I'll explain the details once we met, we're in a regional crisis right now. Since I know you're fine because of my agent I won't ask any questions. Stay safe.]
As I thought. The Erazubeth Kalil who was smiling next to me, face covered in cold sweat, wasn't Master.
[Compose Message:]
[I'm doing fine. I'm in the classroom with my classmates and Instructor Weiss now. We're all trying to maintain the foundation of the school.]
[Sent to: Nessa, Khiel]
"Are you okay?" Yuri patted me on the back as she looked at me worriedly. "You were spacing out after casting that massive spell."
"Oh I'm fine. I was just replying to messages. What about you?" I took out a handkerchief and wiped her sweat-covered face.
"Thanks. I wasn't as pressured as you."
I only nodded at her and changed my focus to Instructor Weiss who was constantly injecting mana to the holographic screen.
"We should take turns in injecting mana here, the spell you casted isn't gonna last forever but the quantity of mana needed had certainly diminished." He instructed us.
Out of the thirty students inside the room before that sudden event, there were only nineteen students that remained to be conscious. Additional of them were students from the other sections.
"Are you really okay?" Yuri, Era, and Instructor Weiss checked up on my condition.
"I'm still okay. Thank you for checking up on me but it's more of a concern to check on the kids who injured themselves first." Was the only thing I said before turning my back on them and examined up on the first ones who fell to the ground.
Out of the fifteen or more students passed out inside the room and at the hallways, most of them wasn't as badly injured as I thought.
Maybe their instructors made smaller barriers for them.
I carefully placed the debris, which was floating in the air, down to the ground and obliterated with [Dust Road] some of the larger pieces that could've been harmful to students.
"You're exhausting your mana…" The fake Erazubeth was behind me and she continued with her gleeful smile, eyes closed and curved like an inverted smile.
Before I could answer her, Instructor Weiss stood up. "We're to reconvene in the shelter."
"Uh sir, we weren't told about any shelters." A student inquired.
"It's not really a shelter, to be honest with you. But it's definitely the safest and largest area in the academy." The professor replied.
We decided to follow him inside a teleportation gate that appeared just outside the building.
****
I'm worried.
Is she okay?
What's going on?
Did she get targeted again?
"…el."
Or did she get picked on and lost her temper?
"….el!"
Wait no! What am I talking about?
She's not the kind of person who loses her temper easily either. It's usually me who loses my shit first and she'll calm me down.
Yeah. I trust her. I should just trust her.
"Khiel!"
"Yes?" I stopped arching my back on the desk. My mana barrier was being pounded from the outside.
It was Nessa and Jean Ponce, a mana-blessed child. I dispelled my barrier and let them come inside my personal space.
"She said she's fine, idiot. Didn't she reply to you?" Nessa gave my head a light smack.
Just as she said it, I noticed that there was indeed a notification on my mana system.
[New Message: Dear Cousin]
[I'm doing fine. I'm in the classroom with my classmates and Instructor Weiss now. We're all trying to maintain the foundation of the school.]
My lips couldn't help but quiver a weak smile.
'Thank you God'.
I also felt relieved that Nessa even checked up on Taby too. I was better to have many people befriend and be concerned about her.
"Instructor Pedrio told us about a shelter area. Let's go." Jean patted my shoulder, he has a serious look. "After reconvening I'd rather focus on hunting down what caused all of this."
"Me too! Maaaan! I love the building and now it's ruined!" Another classmate, Kadrina Lukas, crumpled her glasses and blood fell from her hand.
At first Nessa and I were cautious of Kadrina Lukas, as she was the person who caused a scene at the banquet a few months ago.
But seeing her now made me confirm how controlled she was by grandmother to cause a scene. I still don't know for what she listened to the duchess but it didn't matter now as we've become friends.
Even Tabitha who sometimes visits the classroom would only bombard Kadrina, or Kana, with questions about tweaking on formulas.
"We should go." That was the only thing Seraphim Vox who calmly sat at the back of the room said.
There was a total of just ten students in our class.
The others were strangers but the few of us knew each other already so it wasn't bad to just start befriending the other ones.
The other half of our class had already gone out and my friends were only waiting for me.
"Okay" I finally walked out, following Seraphim in the front.
As we were walking down to the portal, my MCD beeped.
[New Message: Dear Cousin
[Khiel, I trust you. Please don't tell anyone I asked you this but do you know what a dungeon is?]
The ominous shock from reading the unexpected word stopped me from moving.
Dungeon?
No no. That's impossible. Is it really, impossible?
"Khiel?" Kana called out, noticing my slight trembling. "Are you okay? You've been out of it since earlier."
"What if…" My lips were trembling.
"Students! Why are you still here? You should get to the shelter before anything happens." Instructor Pedrio came around with a serious face.
"We were waiting for Khiel. This guy's out of it, worrying about his cousin." Nessa crossed her arms and clicked her tongue at me.
If there's anyone who I can properly ask to answer Tabitha appropriately then it should be the instructors in this academy.
"Instructor Pedrio.." I called out and walked over.
[Barrier: Sound Block]
The instructor's face molded to confusion but he gave me a serious look, "Is there really a need to block our voices from the outside?"
"Sir. What if a dungeon had appeared?" The tremor within me was gone and I immediately asked the question my cousin couldn't have done to others.
If things go wrong, I might as well take the plunge.
"A dungeon? Hmmm. It seems you've found the right answer." The professor gave me a small smile. He removed his glasses and a flying bird suddenly whisked it away.
"Sir?"
Instructor Pedrio placed a hand on my shoulder, "Let's all reconvene in the shelter. Whoever has the same thoughts as you will hear the details there."
He flicked his wrist and my barrier was dispelled easily.
"We best go our way." With a single announcement, everyone followed him to the shelter with no other issues.
[Compose Message:]
[This is all I know.
According to the Aurelia Duchy who held the actual records of history, dungeons are special areas that helps the people advance in civilization.
Well, I'll shorten it out. Dungeons are relatively rare to find nor exist in a generation. There are only three recorded dungeons before and it's already been 500 years since.
The professors will explain the other details at the shelter. Don't go snooping around anywhere else. We'll come find you.]
[Sent to: Dear Cousin]