by : BlackbeardtheBear
Three months into his time at the magic academy, Largas had settled in well and made friends with others in his class. As the midterm exams approached, the atmosphere was filled with anticipation and nervous energy.
"Alright, everyone, take your seats," the homeroom teacher announced as they entered the classroom.
"As you all know, the midterm exams are upon us," the teacher continued, walking over to the blackboard and beginning to write.
"This midterm will be a practical field exam, held in the Moonwood Forest. Each student will be given a magic orb. The goal is to collect orbs from other students within a limited time of two hours. The top three students with the most orbs will receive special prizes," the teacher explained, detailing the exam format on the board.
"Remember, this exam involves all of first-year students, so don't take it lightly," the teacher concluded before leaving the room.
As the bell rang signaling the end of the period, students began discussing the upcoming field exam. Largas sat at his desk, strategizing for the test.
"Largas, what's your plan?" asked Myla, the friend he had become closest with, her face beaming with a smile.
"I'm thinking of using ice magic to attack from a distance," Largas replied confidently. "What about you, Myla?"
"I'll use water magic to protect myself and gather as many orbs as I can," Myla said with a grin. "We should be able to help each other out!"
"Definitely," Largas nodded. "We need to plan carefully to maximize the number of orbs we can collect."
On the day of the exam, Largas and his friends gathered in the school's central courtyard. There, the homeroom teacher was waiting to explain the final details of the exam.
"Alright, everyone, are you ready?" the teacher asked.
The students responded with a chorus of affirmations, signaling their readiness to begin.
Once the teacher handed out the magic orbs and signaled the start of the exam, the students were teleported to the Moonwood Forest.
Upon arriving, Largas quickly surveyed his surroundings before creating an ice platform in the trees. Having practiced his ice magic extensively over the past three months, he was now quite skilled, able to use it for defense, offense, and mobility.
From his vantage point in the tree, Largas observed other students engaged in battles for the orbs. He decided to use his ice magic to create a small snowstorm, reducing visibility and causing confusion among his peers, which led to orbs falling to the ground.
Seeing a group of students trying to retrieve fallen orbs, Largas created small ice swords and targeted them, forcing them to abandon their orbs and dodge his attacks. He then descended from the tree to collect the dropped orbs.
Meanwhile, Myla was using her water magic to search for and protect herself from other students' attacks. She moved swiftly through the forest, using the water around her to create barriers and efficiently gather orbs.
By chance, Largas and Myla crossed paths. Both observed each other, realizing that their earlier promises might now be put to the test.
Largas summoned a snowstorm to obscure Myla's vision and created a barrage of ice swords to attack from all directions.
Myla, seeing this, summoned a protective water dome around herself. By drawing water from her surroundings, she managed to conserve mana, making her defenses more efficient.
Though Myla was exceptionally talented at controlling mana and magic, her mana reserves were limited. She decided to draw water from the ground and use it to create a swirling current to counter Largas's storm.
After their magic clashed, both the snowstorm and the swirling current dissipated. Largas, realizing that Myla's defensive capabilities were strong, drew heavily on his mana to conjure a massive ice sword for an attack. Myla, in response, used the remaining moisture in the air to form a water shield and launched a high-pressure water blast to destroy the ice sword and create a water path to increase her speed.
With her increased speed, Myla managed to appear next to Largas and struck him with a high-pressure water wave to his side.
Largas was knocked several meters away, feeling the pain from Myla's attack. He acknowledged Myla's formidable skills and realized that, despite his superior mana, his overall ability was still lacking compared to hers.
As Largas got up, breathing heavily and feeling the pain from the attack, he knew he had to rethink his strategy. Myla, sweating and standing at a distance, knew that her previous attack hadn't been enough to defeat Largas, but there was still enough time to gather orbs and win the exam.
Largas decided to change his approach. He began creating a large ice barrier to block Myla's attacks and used long-range attacks with his ice magic. Experimenting with his ice magic, he imagined it transforming into a fire-like form and successfully created ice fireballs, launching them at Myla.
It seemed that Largas's latent talent had been awakened by the intense situation. His abilities advanced rapidly, almost matching Myla's level.
Myla had to use all her skill to dodge the ice fireballs while reinforcing her water shield and increasing the strength of her water waves to mitigate the damage from Largas's attacks.
The fierce battle between them drew admiration from the faculty, as their skills were comparable to those of third-year students. However, with only 15 minutes left in the exam, the outcome of their confrontation remained undecided.
The combat continued to be intense, with each side fully employing their skills and strategies. As the time ran out, the exam ended in a draw between Largas and Myla.
After the exam, the award ceremony was held promptly. Only three students remained on the field: Myla, Largas, and a fiery-haired girl, Princess Astra Amber of the Arakeal Kingdom.
"We will now announce the exam rankings," the vice-principal declared through a magical device resembling a microphone.
The average number of orbs collected by students typically ranged from 2 to 3, with higher achievers getting around 6 to 7 orbs. The top three, however, were in a league of their own. Largas, in third place, had collected 48 orbs, Myla was in second place with 53 orbs, and Princess Astra topped the list with 89 orbs.
Largas, Myla, and Astra stood on the stage to receive their awards amidst cheers from their classmates and faculty. Each received a shining gold medal and a special magical gem that enhanced their magical abilities.
The vice-principal handed out the gems and said, "Congratulations to all three of you for your outstanding performance in the field exam. May you continue to develop and improve your skills in the future."
After the awards ceremony, Largas joined his friends who congratulated him. Yet, he couldn't help but reflect on his battle with Myla, recognizing her talent and realizing he still had much to improve.
Myla approached Largas with a smile, "You did great, Largas. Next time, I'll beat you for sure."
Largas nodded, "You did well too. We'll definitely have a rematch."
Back at home, Largas showed off his medal and magical gem to his mother, Claire, who was sitting in the living room sewing. Seeing her son return with his prizes, she stopped her work, smiled warmly, and gave him a heartfelt hug.