The ranking battles were over, leaving behind the monotony of daily classes. But now, the season for field training had finally arrived. The students buzzed with excitement.
For me, it was just another boring exercise—defeat some goblins, then call it a day. The trip was set for one night. With storage magic, I didn't have to worry about packing much.
The only dull part was the walking.
"Boss, word has it that the monster distribution has been acting strange lately."
Phantom's voice drifted from somewhere hidden. He had a habit of staying out of sight.
"Sounds like we might be in for a surprise."
"Yeah, the orc stampede last month was also an anomaly. Rumor has it that a big-shot monster showed up."
A big one, huh? I wouldn't mind using my new Death Tornado on something like that.
"Eh, no worries. Even if a dragon shows up, we'll handle it."
"With you here, boss, no problem."
As we walked, our teacher, Professor Samantha, called out, "Everyone! We'll be setting up camp here for the night. Please pitch your tents."
Our class was the only one out here for this field trip. Thirty students at this small campsite—it was going to be a tight fit. All around me, students were pulling tents, food, and supplies out of their storage magic.
I grabbed my tent from one of the supply students and started setting it up. In my previous life, I camped more times than I could count. There was one summer where I spent half of it living in a tent.
First, I dug a trench around the tent. You do this to keep water out in case it rains.
Next, I leveled the ground and laid down several sheets to smooth out the surface. The ground was rough, and I wasn't about to spend the night with rocks digging into my back. With no weight limitations thanks to storage magic, this setup was easy.
After securing the tent, I used bricks to build a makeshift stove. Back in the day, I would have used stones from a nearby river, but this time, we had bricks.
"Phantom, light the fire."
"Got it—Ignition."
With Phantom's help, I quickly had the fire going and started prepping the pot with water and ingredients. It was strange—my childhood outdoor experiences seemed far more rugged. I'd caught fish, gutted them, and deep-fried them right there on the spot.
But this time, I was making soup. It seemed our group was divided into two camps—those grilling meat on skewers and those making soup. Personally, I preferred rice, but finding any here seemed unlikely.
The soup didn't take long to cook. The flavor wasn't great since it hadn't simmered long enough, but it was edible. Those who picked skewers over soup might have been turned off by the bland bread that came with the meal.
After eating the soup-soaked bread, I prepared to sleep. I activated Fluid Grasp at full range, knowing I'd likely be disturbed by students getting up to relieve themselves. I still hadn't mastered distinguishing between friend and foe.
After all the times I've been woken up during outdoor training, I've gotten used to it. Sure, I don't get proper rest, but one hour of sleep is enough to keep me going the next day. I guess that's youth for you.
I was also on watch duty tonight. With so many of us, I figured nothing major would go wrong.
The maximum range of my Fluid Grasp was about 100 meters. I wondered if I could push it further as I drifted off to sleep.
I was startled awake when someone on watch duty hurriedly triggered my Fluid Grasp.
"Enemy attack! This isn't a drill! We're under attack!"
I scanned my surroundings. The enemy hadn't entered my detection range yet, but they were close.
Several students activated light spells, illuminating the road like a baseball stadium at night.
And then I saw them.
Orcs.
Not particularly tough for me, but some of the students would struggle.
"Shall I take care of them, boss?"
"What's the plan?"
"Feed me unlimited mana, and I'll roast them all with fireballs."
A simple, effective strategy. I nodded.
Phantom began launching fireballs while I funneled mana into him using Mana Transfer. Some of the other students joined in, casting their own spells, but most of them ran out of mana after ten shots. Meanwhile, orcs kept coming down the road, wave after wave.
If I continued at this pace, maintaining the appearance that I had a hundred times more mana than the average person would be fine. But anything more, like a thousand times the mana, would raise too many questions. People might suspect I'd used forbidden methods.
I had Phantom don a mask and step into the spotlight. It was the only way to manage this without raising suspicions.
Still, the sheer number of orcs was shocking. We'd already taken out at least 500, but the horde showed no signs of thinning. Would it stop after 2,000?
Where had they all been hiding? Figuring out the cause could wait until later. Right now, survival was the priority.
With each passing wave of orcs, I adjusted our tactics slightly. Phantom remained the key player, dishing out spell after spell with me fueling his attacks. Some students, inspired by the firepower, tried to keep up but fell short.
And the orcs kept coming.
"Another hundred down," Phantom grunted. "But they're still coming."
"How's your mana holding up?"
"I've got plenty, boss. Thanks to your Mana Transfer."
But as the night dragged on, the reality of the endless orc horde became clear. We were going to have to step it up or risk getting overrun.
"Phantom, time for the big guns," I said, my voice calm despite the chaos. "I'm activating Infinity Death."
His masked face barely shifted, but I could sense his excitement.
"Infinity Death? Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. They'll never know what hit them."
With that, I began channeling the swirling, deadly mana into a spring-like form. Coiling it tighter, compressing it until it reached its breaking point, and then—
Release.
A surge of pure death energy spiraled out, tearing through the oncoming orcs. They didn't stand a chance. One by one, they dropped like flies, their bodies consumed by the overwhelming power.
"Boss, I think that did it."
The orc horde finally began to thin.
But as I watched their numbers dwindle, I couldn't help but wonder—where had such a massive force come from?
Morning arrived, and with it, the aftermath of the battle. Orc bodies littered the road, the stench of charred flesh thick in the air.
The students, exhausted but alive, started packing up the camp.
Professor Samantha approached me, a look of mixed awe and suspicion in her eyes.
"I've never seen such a powerful display of magic," she said quietly. "Your strategy with Phantom saved us all. But tell me—how did you manage to keep going when the others were running dry?"
I shrugged. "Just good teamwork, Professor."
She eyed me for a moment longer, then nodded. "Well, whatever the case, we survived."
As the group began the journey back to the academy, I reflected on the night's events. I'd unleashed Infinity Death without hesitation, knowing full well it could have raised questions. But, thanks to Phantom, the real extent of my power remained hidden.
For now.
But if another horde like that appears, hiding my true strength might become impossible.