A loud explosion filled the training grounds as Sain's Minor Fireball Spell erupted, causing a huge cloud of dust and debris to rise up.
The novice apprentice across from Sain let out a scream and surrendered, hastily retreating from the combat area.
One of the novice's arms was charred and burnt from the spell's power, paying the price for challenging Sain and failing.
There was never a limit to the amount of harm that could be inflicted upon apprentices in the Dark Magic Academy, and the fact that each year saw a batch of Mental Power qualified children joining the academy, yet the total number of apprentices never seemed to increase, explained it all.
Sain had gained a fearsome reputation, and for a long time, no apprentice dared to challenge him.
However, there were always those who were unafraid of death in the Dark Magic Academy, and the novice who just faced Sain was one of them.
Despite his inferior strength, he ultimately paid the price of losing an arm, further cementing Sain's reputation.
What amazed many of the low-level apprentices who had gathered to watch this battle was that Sain never used his trump card, his Acidic Wand of Strength.
Instead, he relied solely on his mastery of the Minor Fireball Spell, easily standing out among his peers.
For the past two months, Sain had been studying the two magic books that his mentor, Mosido, had given him.
The effort paid off with faster spell casting, less Magic Spring consumption, and Sain's innate talent and quick reaction time, all of which contributed to his victory.
Moreover, it was a one-on-one battle rather than a group brawl. As a Magician, sometimes the difference in spell casting speed was all it took to determine the outcome.
Sain owed his success to Mosido's magic books and Faye's private guidance.
Without them, he would not have made such significant progress in just two months.
Now, even if Sain were to venture into the territory of Saltwater Crocodile, there would still be great danger, but he would undoubtedly be much more confident and capable than he was two months ago.
With his right hand tightly gripping his wand beneath his black robe, Sain used his Acidic Wand of Strength to recover his Mental Power and Magic Spring, while scanning the area for his next opponent.
As usual, a low-level apprentice usually needs to win three consecutive battles to receive a reward from the academy.
However, not all low-level apprentices are willing to risk their lives for the academy's reward.
Sain achieved sixth place last year with a record of two wins and one loss, which placed him in the overall ranking.
Besides Sain, battles between other apprentices in the training field have also started.
The area where the low-level apprentices are located is perhaps the least interesting battlefield since most of these apprentices only know one magic spell, and those who know two are considered rare.
The real attraction that draws the attention of hundreds of apprentices in the training field is the battlefield where intermediate and advanced apprentices are located.
The colorful Magic Spring radiance makes these young individuals, who have not been in the Shadowy Territory for long, feel the heavy pressure of survival and the precarious situation, while also cherishing their future and strength.
Strength is the driving force behind the vast majority of apprentices' magic learning.
As for what Mosido mentor said about "exploring the truth" and "the essence of magic," few people truly understand it.
...
As the battles on the training field were in full swing, three Dark Magicians on the stands ignored the casualties already appearing on the training field and chatted among themselves.
In fact, the two Dark Magicians were the ones who were chatting, while the other one with blue hair and a cold temperament seldom spoke.
"Andis, I heard that the vice-dean and others discovered a Space-Time Rift in Shadow Valley. Is it true?" One of the Dark Magicians who had been talking all along finally couldn't help but ask the blue-haired man, who had hardly spoken.
In the world of Dark Magicians, there is a distinction between high and low status since this is a place where strength is valued.
Andis, with his reputation, ranks among the top-tier Dark Magicians in Mosobla City.
According to some rumors among Dark Magicians, his strength is second only to the three vice-deans.
The three vice-deans are all powerful magicians above the second level, and Andis's life level is probably not yet at the second level, but since he has such a reputation, it indicates that his strength has reached the pinnacle of the first level.
In the face of the questioning from the two Dark Magicians beside him, Andis' cold eyes swept over them without emotion before slowly saying, "It's true. Vice Dean Martin and Miss Joni are over there."
"However, the size of the Space-Time Rift is small, and it is unclear which parallel world it connects to. We have yet to determine if it has any development value."
Andis seemed to know more than the two Dark Magicians, as what he said was unknown to them before.
One of the Dark Magicians showed excitement on his face after hearing this news, "I hope it's a semi-plane with development value. Mosobla City is too barren."
"If Vice Dean didn't restrict our actions so much in recent years, I would have gone to the Surface and plundered a bit."
"Those magic organizations and noble knights on the Surface are rich beyond imagination. Just find a lone target and take what we want..."
The excited Dark Magician was speaking some Dark Magician slang that only belonged to their group, but the other Dark Magician beside him nodded in agreement.
However, he was more rational than his companion.
Besides agreeing with his friend's words, he added cautiously, "We still need to be careful when operating on the Surface."
"Ordinary Magician organizations and noble knights are one thing, but if we provoke the Holy Tower or Knights' Hall..." The Dark Magician's voice was full of fear for the latter two.
Of course, besides fear, there was another emotion brewing within them, especially towards the words "Holy Tower."
Andis was not as bored as these two Dark Magicians.
He didn't like baseless speculation, but he was equally interested in the Space-Time Rift. Otherwise, he wouldn't have collected so much information.
"Guys, do you think there might be a complete plane behind that Space-Time Rift?" the more rational Dark Magician suddenly asked.
But his words showed that he was not as "rational" as he appeared to be.
A complete plane was a world with countless creatures and sound legal mechanisms.
Even the weakest micro-plane was not something that Mosobla City could covet.
Only the Holy Tower and Knights' Hall in the Wizarding World had the ability to attack and conquer an entire world, which may involve a slave creature army of tens of thousands, or even millions.
Mosobla City only had a few formal Dark Magicians.
Even if they were all counted, there were only about twenty or thirty of them.
With such limited power, it was nothing but a pipe dream to peek into a complete plane.