Aerox Sun released his Rank-3 mana aura, instantly capturing the attention of all the students around him.
"Is this really a Rank-3 aura? Did Aerox reach that rank already?"
one student whispered in disbelief.
"Even some third-years are only at Rank-3. I can't believe Aerox has managed to get there,"
another said.
"His mana feels stronger than some of the seniors!"
someone added.
The crowd was buzzing with shock and awe.
I couldn't hide my surprise.
In the original novel, Aerox was supposed to reach Rank-3 during the summer vacation, but here he was, achieving it a whole month earlier than expected.
Something about the recent Wolverine attack made me wonder if it had pushed him to advance sooner.
In the novel, the practical exam ended without the appearance of a Wolverine.
Even though Aerox had reached Rank-, I doubted he was strong enough to take down a Rank-4 Wolverine.
If he were at the peak of Rank-3, maybe we'd have a slim chance.
But Rank-4 was a whole different level.
The gap between major ranks wasn't easy to bridge.
Still, Aerox was known for defying expectations.
Back when he was at Rank-2+, he had fought on equal footing with Rank-3 Poachers, something most people couldn't dream of doing.
The students clung to this hope.
They believed, or at least forced themselves to believe, that Aerox could take on the Wolverine.
Not everyone shared their optimism.
Trival Maxpad stood at the edge of the group, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails drew blood.
He had just reached Rank-2+ and thought he was catching up to Aerox.
Now, Aerox had left him behind once again, soaring ahead like always.
Trival was proud, but moments like this filled him with frustration.
When Trival was a child, he looked up to his older brother as the greatest genius he had ever known.
He trained hard, dreaming of one day catching up to him.
But as he grew older, Trival realized his brother wasn't as extraordinary as he once thought.
Professor Layla, a legendary figure, had reached Rank-7 at twenty, while his brother had only managed it at twenty-five.
That realization didn't crush Trival; it fueled him.
He decided he would surpass every genius, no matter how strong, and become the best.
But Aerox Sun?
He was different.
Aerox didn't come from wealth or privilege, yet he kept outshining everyone.
Despite having access to the best resources, Trival found himself constantly chasing Aerox's shadow.
This gap frustrated Trival, but it didn't break him.
Instead, it reignited his determination to work even harder.
Lily and Silvana, on the other hand, took the news in stride.
They were surprised like everyone else but didn't let it bother them.
Unlike Trival, they didn't compare themselves to Aerox.
They simply admired his growth and focused on their own goals.
"Let us work together and push through this hurdle!"
Aerox 's voice rang out as he raised his sword, trying to inspire the students.
"I, Trival, Lily, and Silvana will take on the Wolverine leader. The rest of you focus on the smaller Wolverines!"
he added, laying out the plan.
The students nodded in agreement.
Aerox and his group had the most experience and strength, making them the best choice for dealing with the leader.
The rest of us were left with the easier, yet still dangerous, task of fighting the lower-ranked Wolverines.
Everyone began forming groups for better chances of survival.
I, however, had no one to team up with.
As the others organized themselves, I prepared to fight alone.
In a few minutes, the sky darkened as the swarm of Wolverines arrived.
Their screeches echoed, and the battle began.
Aerox charged ahead first. "StarShatterer Style: Cosmic Slash!"
His sword blazed with energy as he cut through several Rank-2 Wolverines.
Despite his efforts, the leader remained untouched, and the Rank-3 Wolverines were barely scratched.
The other Wolverines roared in fury and retaliated, launching a barrage of Wind Slashes.
Lily's shield skill activated just in time.
"Soterai Blessing: Guardian Protection!"
A glowing barrier surrounded Aerox , deflecting some of the attacks.
However, cracks quickly spread across the shield before it shattered.
Aerox blocked the remaining strikes with his sword, but the pressure was intense.
Trival and Silvana jumped into the fray, targeting the Rank-3 Wolverines, while the rest of us faced the Rank-2 ones.
The Wolverines' ability to stay airborne gave them a huge advantage.
Using swords against them was nearly impossible, so I relied on my magic.
"Ice Shard!"
I summoned sharp spikes of ice, sending them flying at the Wolverines.
My aim was precise, and many fell from the sky.
Some died instantly, while others crashed to the ground with frozen limbs, where they were finished off by other students.
We managed to take down around thirty, but our numbers were dwindling fast.
More students fell with each passing minute.
A Rank-3 Wolverine suddenly targeted me.
Its Wind Slash tore through the air, forcing me to leap backward.
The attack narrowly missed, but it was clear this Wolverine was a much bigger threat.
I tried to bring it down.
"Ice Shard!"
My attack hit, but it was too weak to pierce its wings.
I attempted again and again, but it dodged or deflected my spells.
More Rank-2 Wolverines joined the assault, but I managed to take them out quickly.
The Rank-3 one, however, was relentless.
Its attacks were stronger and harder to evade.
I couldn't wait any longer.
I had to act before it wore me down completely.
Summoning my remaining energy, I combined two of my skills.
"Dual Skill: Shadow Ice Shard!"
A sharp, darkened shard shot out, faster and stronger than before.
It struck the Wolverine, slicing through its wing.
The creature shrieked as it plummeted to the ground.
On the ground, the Wolverine struggled to get up.
A grounded Wolverine was far less dangerous.
With one decisive strike, I ended its life.
The students nearby stopped to stare.
They couldn't believe someone alone had defeated a Rank-3 Wolverine while they still struggled with the weaker ones.
I didn't have time to bask in their reactions.
The battle wasn't over, and the Wolverine leader had yet to make its move.
Not only were the Wolverine powerful, but their ability to stay airborne made them incredibly difficult to hit.
From the ground, it felt like trying to swat flies with a stick while they rained down destruction.
The students snapped out of their initial shock and threw themselves back into the battle.
I took a moment to assess the situation.
One of the Rank-3 Wolverine had already fallen to my attack.
Only one remained on our side, and another group of students seemed to be holding their own against it.
With a quick glance to confirm my safety, I uncorked a health and mana potion and drank them hurriedly.
Gulp. Gulp.
I felt a rush of energy as my mana replenished.
Not wasting any time, I started targeting the Rank-2 Wolverine that was overwhelming my fellow students.
"Ice Shard!"
My attacks struck true.
One by one, the Rank-2 Wolverine fell, their numbers dwindling rapidly.
Just as it seemed like the tide of the battle might turn in our favor, a chilling roar echoed through the battlefield.
Grrrrrrrr!
The Wolverine Leader moved.
Aerox and Lily, who had been holding it back, were both injured and forced to retreat.
The beast's roar alone sent shivers down the spines of everyone nearby.
Its piercing gaze swept across us, freezing many students in fear.
"Aerox can't hold it anymore!"
someone shouted.
"The leader is preparing to attack! We have to stop it!"
The massive creature flapped its wings, creating a whirlwind that rapidly grew into a large tornado.
The air pressure shifted as two more tornadoes began to form around it.
Swoooosh!
Nearby objects were pulled into the vortex and torn to shreds by the sheer force.
"Someone stop it, or we're all going to die!"
another voice cried out.
"Run for your lives!"
Chaos erupted as students scrambled in all directions.
Some tried to flee, while others desperately deployed defensive spells, knowing they wouldn't hold against an attack of this magnitude.
The energy gathering around the Wolverine Leader's wings felt suffocating.
If it launched this attack, none of us would survive.
I clenched my fists.
The only way to stop this was to interrupt it before the attack was fully charged, but that meant reaching the beast in the air—a nearly impossible task.
I glanced at the faint glow of mana in my hands.
My reserves were already running low, but I didn't have a choice.
"I don't know if I have enough mana left,"
I muttered under my breath,
"but here goes nothing."